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Cucumber is the first fresh vegetable after a long winter. Earlier than others, he appears on the shelves of markets and shops, and the first to start bearing fruit in dachas and vegetable gardens. Of course, I want to get ripe fruits as soon as possible, so breeders are working on breeding early varieties of cucumber. The earliest vegetables are saturated with the same nutrients and trace elements as other varieties, and such cucumbers begin to bear fruit one to two weeks earlier than others.
How to grow cucumbers before anyone else
Especially for those who like to enjoy fresh vegetables from their own garden, breeders have bred early ripe varieties of cucumbers. In general, all cucumbers are divided into several types according to the ripening rate:
- super early - bear the first fruits as early as 33-40 days after planting;
- early maturing varieties have a growing season of no more than 45 days;
- mid-ripening - ripen on 45-50 days;
- late-ripening cucumbers will appear on the bushes only by the 55th day after planting the seeds in the ground.
So, in order to quickly remove the first crop from the bushes, it is necessary to choose seeds of super early and early maturing varieties of cucumber.
What rules need to be followed
The owner must understand that each type of cucumber has its own purpose. So, super-early varieties and hybrids are most often grown in greenhouses. As a result of selection, the seeds of such plants, of course, receive the necessary hardening to help them cope with day and night temperatures, spring frosts and other troubles. And yet even the most hardened super early cucumbers will not be able to withstand the climatic features of the northern and central regions of Russia.
Therefore, when buying seeds, the situation must be assessed as a whole: to answer the following questions:
- What are these cucumbers for (for salad, in order to saturate the first need for vitamins, for conservation)?
- Is it possible to shelter the bushes from frost (greenhouse, temporary greenhouses, just a covering film)?
- What is the average temperature in this region at certain times of the year (does it get frosty, does the air temperature differ greatly during the day and at night)?
If you need a variety in order to get several kilograms of early cucumbers (until the middle ones grow) and use them fresh, then super early varieties and hybrids will be very useful. Especially if there is an opportunity to shelter them from the cold, and the site is located on the south side in a warm region.
Early varieties can be used for canning and pickling, but not practical. It is better to use mid-ripening and late-ripening cucumbers for these purposes.
Features of early cucumbers
Early cucumbers are breeding varieties and hybrids that scientists have worked on. The seeds of these cucumbers, like the plants themselves, have a number of features:
- seeds are severely hardened by low temperatures;
- they are more resistant to disease;
- early varieties are less demanding on the sun and heat - for normal growth, partial shade and no frost are enough for them;
- most of the early varieties are parthenocarpic and self-pollinated species, but there are also bee-pollinated cucumbers for planting in open ground;
- it is more efficient to plant early cucumbers in greenhouses (they do this in late February or early March);
- such cucumbers are planted in the ground depending on the climate - more often, in the third decade of May;
- early varieties are never bitter (breeders, simultaneously with hardening, removed bitterness from cucumbers);
- almost all early ripe cucumbers are best consumed fresh (they are juicy, with a thin skin and tender pulp).
Variety or hybrid
Having decided on the ripening dates and characteristics of early-ripening cucumbers, the gardener is faced with another problem - which cucumbers are better varietal or hybrid.
There is no unequivocal answer to this question, and both species are distinguished by high productivity, resistance to diseases and high humidity. So what's the difference and which cucumbers are better?
A variety is a variety of the same species crossed by breeders. The main condition for such selection is the transfer of all the qualities and characteristics of the “ancestors” to the “descendant”. We can say that this is natural reproduction with some adjustments made by scientists. Varietal cucumbers can be modified independently by transferring pollen from one type of plant to another. Only from these, varietal, cucumbers, you can collect seeds for subsequent cultivation - they fully retain the characteristics of the previous plant.
The seeds of a hybrid can be easily distinguished by the 'F1' marking next to the variety name. This code means that the cucumber is dominated by female flowers, and inside the bag are the seeds of the first generation hybrid (number 1). Hybrids are obtained by multiple crossing of several types of cucumbers. This process is quite long - from three to ten years. Every year the obtained seeds are crossed anew, achieving the optimal qualities of the cucumber. The best characteristics of the variety are left, getting rid of flaws and weaknesses.
Purchase of early maturing cucumber seeds
Having decided on all the nuances, you can proceed to the selection of suitable varieties and hybrids. The difference between super early and early ripening cucumbers is a few days in ripening time. This border is very conditional, it is possible to speak about the exact time frame only in the conditions of greenhouse cultivation of cucumbers at a stable temperature, light and humidity.
Therefore, below is a joint list of the best early maturing and super early cucumbers.
"Avangard"
An early ripe cucumber with a high yield (up to 4 kg per square meter), suitable both for planting in open ground and for greenhouse cultivation. Fruits are medium in size - 10-16 cm, have excellent taste, and can be equally well used for fresh eating and for conservation.
A cucumber can be planted in the ground only after the threat of frost, when the ground warms up to 10-12 degrees. Bushes of this variety are branched with large green leaves. The first zelents will appear 36-38 days after disembarkation. It should be borne in mind that Avangard is a bee-pollinated variety.
"Augustine"
One of the most widespread varieties of early-ripening cucumbers in Russia is "Augustine". It gives a good harvest - up to 440 quintals per hectare of land, which makes it possible to successfully grow this variety for sale. It can be planted both in a greenhouse and in open ground - the cucumber does not need pollination, it belongs to the pertenocarpic.
The fruits are small (10-16 cm) with large tubercles, there is absolutely no bitterness in them. It can be used both for salting and for salads. "Augustine" is resistant to one of the main enemies of cucumbers - powdery mildew. And you can see it in the photo below.
"Ajax F1"
The representative of early ripening varieties - the hybrid "Ajax F1" is simply created for growing in the open field.With this approach, the first cucumbers can be obtained already on the 40th day after planting.
For pollination "Ajax" needs insects, because it is a bee-pollinated hybrid. With good pollination from a square meter of land, the owner can get up to 10 kg of cucumbers. Small cucumbers (from 6 to 12 cm) are great both for pickling and for salads.
The owner of the site must take into account that for high-quality fruiting, the hybrid "Ajax F1" needs timely watering, loosening the soil and top dressing. Ajax's photo can be seen below.
"Courage F1"
Parthenocarpic hybrid "Courage F1" has mainly female flowers, so its yield is very high - up to 8.5 kg. The cucumbers are "decorated" with many tubercles and white thorns, the fruit pulp is fragrant and crispy. Such early ripe cucumbers are suitable for pickling, for salad, and for marinade.
Resistant to most diseases "Courage F1" is planted only in open ground in late April or early May. It is important to take into account the temperature of the earth, it must be above 10 degrees.
"Artist F1"
Another of the early maturing hybrids is "Artist F1". Parthenocarpic species with predominantly female inflorescences.
On the 38th day after planting in greenhouse soil, it gives the first fruits - small cucumbers, weighing up to 100 grams. You can also plant "Artist F1" in open ground, only the harvest in this case will appear later - on the 50th day after planting. Juicy and crunchy cucumbers, without bitterness, are used for canning and salads.
Bushes "Artist" are medium-sized, resistant to cold and many diseases. You need to sow hybrid seeds in May. You can see the cucumber in this photo.
Expert opinion
You do not need to choose early varieties of cucumbers when you just want to eat the first vegetable as soon as possible. For such a solution, there must be foundations: a suitable climate, covering material, a southern area with dry soil.
Some early maturing varieties will not be able to provide a gardener's family with a harvest for the whole summer. It is best to plant several types of cucumbers in one area: use the early ones for the first salads and okroshka, and salt the middle and late ones for the winter. So, the owner will be able to enjoy fresh cucumbers all season - from May to October.
