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Whatever super-early varieties are planted in the ground, they still cannot get ahead of greenhouse cucumbers. It is in greenhouses that the earliest vegetables grow, and the very first of them are cucumbers. You can learn about the main stages and rules for planting cucumber seeds in a greenhouse from this article.
Growing plants indoors has its own characteristics, in order to get a good harvest, you need to do a lot of work.
Varieties of greenhouses
First of all, you need to build the greenhouse itself. Its dimensions and design depend on the scale of cultivation: a film greenhouse will be enough for their own needs for vegetables, and those who sell early vegetables cannot do without a capital heated greenhouse.
So, the most common types of greenhouses are:
- large greenhouses made of polycarbonate;
- film greenhouses;
- covering temporary films, which are needed only before germination, then they are removed.
Selection of varieties by type of pollination
Cucumber varieties are divided into many subspecies and types. To choose the best and most suitable variety, you need to understand these subspecies.
So, the first thing to determine is whether the plant will be able to pollinate... If a sliding roof is arranged in the greenhouse, there is a possibility of ventilation, and bees live close to the site, gardeners are advised to choose one of bee-pollinated cucumbers... Numerous reviews indicate that these are the most delicious cucumbers.
For those who really want to feast on bee-pollinated cucumbers, but there is no way to attract insects, there remains a manual method of pollination - they do it with a small brush or by bringing a male flower to a female one.
Parthenocarpic varieties are more convenient in this regard - they do not need pollination at all, since all the flowers on the plant are female. The disadvantage of such cucumbers is the lack of seeds inside the vegetable, and it is the seeds that give the cucumber a unique taste and aroma.
The compromise is a self-pollinated variety containing both male and female inflorescences that are pollinated without assistance. Such cucumbers preserve seeds useful with vitamins and do not require additional worries related to the transfer of pollen.
What is a cucumber for?
Before buying seeds, the gardener should know the answer to the question of what he intends to do with the greenhouse harvest:
- sell;
- eat fresh;
- salt and pickle for the winter.
In the first case, high-yield varieties are needed, because the number of cucumbers taken from one bush is very important here. To the most productive varieties of greenhouse cucumbers are mainly hybrids. Such as the:
- Amur F1;
- "Hector F1";
- "Ant";
- "Bidrett F1".
For fresh consumption use salad varieties... Such cucumbers are distinguished by their soft skin and juicy pulp; inside the cut salad vegetable there are many large seeds.
In appearance, salad cucumber is also easy to distinguish: most often they have a smooth skin with small pimples (or without them at all), a long, tapering shape and a dark green tint.
The best salad species suitable for indoor cultivation are:
- Zozulya F1;
- "Tamerlane F1".
In addition to excellent taste, these hybrids are distinguished by high yields and large fruits.
For conservation you need small cucumbers and a regular cylindrical shape, because the fruits must be placed in tight jars of brine. Peel pickled cucumbers thick, with tubercles and thorns, and the flesh is denser than that of a salad vegetable. The main property of such cucumbers is their ability to maintain crispness after heat treatment.
Numerous reviews of hostesses suggest that it is better to choose for conservation:
- "Grasshopper F1";
- "Competitor";
- "Annushka";
- "Bouquet F1".
In addition to those listed, there are universal varieties... These cucumbers combine the best qualities of pickling and salad species, are distinguished by high yields and resistance to diseases (for example: “Corporal”, “Severyanin”, “Blagodatny”).
Attention! An equally important point is what ripening terms the variety has. Indeed, to obtain the very first cucumbers, one of the very early species is needed, and for preservation for the winter, medium and late cucumbers are more suitable.
What characteristics should a greenhouse variety have
Summing up the above, we can say that not all varieties are suitable for growing indoors. The atmosphere of the greenhouse has its own characteristics, which not every plant can withstand..
Greenhouse cucumbers should:
- Good to tolerate shade and lack of direct sunlight.
- Be resistant to high humidity.
- Do not rot in conditions of poor ventilation.
- Do not have sprawling bushes and lashes without many side shoots (bush).
- Be high yielding.
- Resistant to most diseases (in greenhouse soil, the plant has a very high risk of infection).
- Have the ability to pollinate.
Winter-spring varieties
Which cucumbers appear the very first? Of course, those that the gardeners took the trouble to plant before the rest. This category includes winter-spring varieties, the seeds of these cucumbers are sown in greenhouses even in winter. The first crop appears in late February and early March.
The main requirement for early cucumbers is that they must be able to withstand low light, because the winter sun is not enough for the normal growth of plants.
"Blagovest F1"
This hybrid belongs to plants with unlimited stem growth, therefore, it provides very high yields. Blagovest F1 is a parthenocarpic variety, so it can be planted in a closed heated greenhouse, it does not need bees.
The fruits of this hybrid are small - up to 85 grams, covered with sparse tubercles. The cucumber has a well-defined taste and aroma, a medium thick rind and firm flesh. All this allows it to be used with equal success for salads and for preservation.
Cultivation of a hybrid does not require complex care - the seeds are treated for the most common diseases.
"Relay F1"
This is the option when it is better to wait for the first spring heat. If you want to get the fruits of this variety early (plant seeds in winter), you will have to do manual pollination.
Cucumbers grow large, their weight reaches 200 grams. The rind is thin and smooth with few pimples. The "Relay F1" variety is a bright representative of salad varieties, which is completely unsuitable for conservation.
The cucumber buds should open just before the bees appear, because the variety belongs to bee-pollinated.
Spring-summer varieties
In warm spring, you can also plant cucumbers in a greenhouse. Not all regions are provided with a temperature high enough for this heat-loving vegetable. In addition, the yield in the greenhouse is still higher than in the open field... Disease-resistant varieties are planted in late spring, it is during this period that cucumbers are most susceptible to infection.Another important indicator is resistance to low temperatures (for ventilated and unheated greenhouses).
"Tumi"
The variety is one of the most persistent. He is not afraid of illness or fluctuations in air temperature.
Zelentsy of this variety are small, have a thin, delicate peel. Vegetables are most suitable for fresh consumption.
The main advantage of "Tumi" cucumber is its yield - about 12 kg of vegetables can be obtained from one square meter of greenhouse soil.
"Courage"
"Courage" refers to the commercial varieties. Buyers also love beautiful, even cucumbers for their excellent taste.
The plant is endowed with resistance to most greenhouse diseases. It features a large number of flowers that do not turn into barren flowers. With proper care, a cucumber can be grown from each flower - the yield of the variety reaches 25 kg.
Summer-autumn varieties
Late varieties are distinguished by long-term fruiting. For planting in greenhouses, they are used by those who sell cucumbers for conservation or provide festive New Year's tables with fresh vegetables.
"Maryina Roscha F1"
The hybrid is parthenocarpic and does not need pollination. Great for greenhouse planting and low maintenance.
Cucumbers with thick skin and large pimples are great for canning and pickling.
"Anyuta F1"
This hybrid belongs to gherkins - greens grow small (5-7 cm). The variety also does not need bees, it belongs to the group of self-pollinated.
You need to plant a hybrid in well-lit areas - a photophilous plant. Cucumbers with bumps and thorns, usually used for canning.
Which cucumber is best
It is impossible to say unequivocally which varieties are more suitable for greenhouses. All modern hybrids and varieties of cucumbers have their own strengths: some have high yields, others have excellent adaptation to any conditions, and still others have taste.
Probably, every experienced gardener has his own favorite greenhouse variety. Do not forget that the seeds must be purchased from a trusted manufacturer.
