Content
Cucumbers are favorite vegetables for both adults and children. In addition to the fact that they delight with their unsurpassed taste in summer, it is also very pleasant to open a jar of pickles in winter.
Most gardeners, in regions with a stable climate, prefer to grow cucumbers outdoors. Greenhouse pickling varieties are taken to obtain an early harvest or under frequent unfavorable external conditions. The choice of a variety must always be treated responsibly. The variety of modern pickled cucumbers can be confusing even for the most experienced. In order to correctly choose the right seeds, you should familiarize yourself with some recommendations.
Cucumbers are distinguished by the time of ripening of fruits - early, mid-ripening and late. Some are only suitable for film shelters, some grow well in different conditions. Cucumbers are used for salads, preparations, pickling. Not all varieties are suitable for winter consumption. In order not to be mistaken, you need to choose the right seeds. You will have to take into account not only the manufacturer's recommendations, but also the characteristics (composition) of the soil, the possibilities for care (what kind of watering will be, etc.).
If the desired harvest time is known, the type of soil is chosen (open in our case), all the nuances of agricultural technology and environmental conditions are taken into account, then the review of salted varieties can be started. First of all, it must be borne in mind that all cucumbers are divided into four main categories:
- Salad... This category includes varieties with a short shelf life. Such cucumbers are good fresh and lightly salted. But they are not suitable for winter canning - they quickly lose color and become very soft.
- Universal... They fully live up to their name. Suitable for all types of processing and good fresh.
- Canning... Used for original canned dishes or pickling. They have an unusual shape that attracts attention and a thin skin. Most often these are gherkins.
- Salting... These varieties are characterized by dense pulp, which easily passes salt. Pickled fruits very rarely grow to large sizes, the most optimal for them is medium.
Experienced gardeners can distinguish pickled cucumbers from other types even in appearance.
Distinctive features of vegetables for pickling
The most suitable cucumbers for pickling have external differences from the rest of the brethren. Attention should be paid to:
- Fruit surface... Salad cucumber is almost always smooth, pickled cucumber is lumpy, with a pimpled surface.
- Color of thorns... White thorns are a sign that the fruit has a thick skin. Saline does not penetrate well through it, and the salting process is disturbed. The fruits most suitable for pickling are those with black thorns.
- Pulp density... To determine it, you will have to cut a couple of cucumbers. Pickled vegetables do not have internal voids, the pulp is homogeneous, dense, there are few seeds. Large lumpy varieties turn out to be the crispest in salting. This is due to the good development of transverse vascular bundles in the pulp of cucumbers.
- Fruit size... Specially bred pickling varieties grow to a medium size that fits well into a container.
It should be borne in mind that the cucumbers selected for pickling must be preserved in a timely manner. Thin skin has its drawbacks. Pickled cucumbers wither quickly, do not tolerate storage and turn yellow.
What varieties to choose
Both varietal cucumbers and hybrids are suitable for pickling.Gardeners often prefer hybrids - gherkins, which grow well in the open field. They have delicate skin, unripe seeds and a high sugar content. Fruiting for a long time, almost no barren flowers, are not susceptible to disease. These are the best indicators for pickling varieties.
Another important factor to look out for is how cucumber flowers are pollinated. Self-pollinated varieties are suitable for open ground.
The quality of the seeds plays an important role in pickling cucumbers.
You can choose the best varieties according to the descriptions, but buy expired or "empty" seeds. In this case, all expectations for a filled cellar will remain unfulfilled. If not hybrids are chosen for salting, then you can wet the seeds in slightly salted water. They should not stick to the surface. Soaking seeds of hybrids is not recommended. They are treated at manufacturing companies with special substances, so the water will wash away all layers.
The highest germination rate is observed in two-three-year-old pickled cucumber seeds. They retain their qualities for several years, but these are the most productive.
Breeders pay special attention to gardeners on bundle varieties of cucumbers... They are suitable for pickling and canning, they form many ovaries on the bush, the fruits grow to their optimum size.
Versatile cucumber varieties should not be avoided. They also retain their taste and nutritional qualities not only in salads, but also during canning. Such cucumbers do not have bitterness in fruits, are resistant to unfavorable climatic conditions, grow quickly and give a stable harvest.
Popular pickling varieties
Each pickled cucumber has:
- the average size;
- dense pulp;
- thin peel;
- lumpy surface;
- dark thorns.
The best classic varieties grown outdoors and suitable for canning:
"Salting"
Bee-pollinated, medium early, pickled cucumber. After the emergence of mass shoots, it takes 45 days before harvesting in the open field. Dark green cucumbers with black spines and large tubercles have a strong cucumber aroma. The pulp of the fruit is tender, juicy, absolutely without bitterness. When salted, the cucumber behaves very stably - retains its taste, crunchiness and firmness. Plants are planted with a frequency of no more than 4 pcs. for 1 sq. m of soil. Sowing depth 2 cm, time - the end of May. Demanding on soil fertility and aeration. Needs regular watering and feeding. For good development, the bush is pinched over 3-4 leaves.
"Nezhinsky"
Probably the most famous pickled cucumber variety. It is already familiar to several generations of gardeners, who consider it the best in salting. Refers to medium-late grades of the beam type. Pickled cucumbers are large-lumpy, elongated-ovate, grow up to 12 cm in length. The flesh has a wonderful taste with an exquisite crunch. It belongs to the medium-climbing species, but individual lashes can reach a length of up to 2 meters. The advantages that made Nezhinsky a leader:
- good level of disease resistance;
- persistent aroma and juicy pulp;
- yield;
- the possibility of canning.
Ideal for open ground. Seeds are sown in seedlings and directly into the soil. In the open air, they are buried by 2.5 cm and the sowing pattern is maintained at 50x10. The best way is in rows, several seeds in one hole. In the open field, when the weather has not yet stabilized, it is recommended to cover seedlings at night. Plants are thinned out in the phase of the first strong leaves. The strongest should be left in the garden. Pickled cucumber of this type loves competent watering with warm water and food. It is advisable to tie up long lashes. Pick the fruit in the morning and regularly. Frequent harvesting stimulates the appearance of new ovaries on the bushes.
"Phoenix"
A universal late variety for pickling. One of the most popular late-ripening pickles. Fruits with a thin skin, but strong and large. The taste is excellent, the flesh is firm and crispy.The weight of one pickled cucumber can reach 190 g. The bushes are very powerful, climbing. The stem grows up to three meters. The branches can give a lot, the fruit ovaries are bundle. Possesses high resistance to the main types of diseases. Up to 5 kg of excellent pickling cucumbers are removed from one square meter. It tolerates a drop in temperature well, fruiting continues until frost. Grown everywhere. Gardeners are very fond of planting this variety in the second half of summer in order to collect fresh fruits until late autumn. To prevent the yield from decreasing during the cold snap, it is necessary to reduce watering. The plant is formed by pinching the shoot after 5 leaves and correctly removing the lateral ovaries. Pickled cucumber is grown either by seedlings or by direct sowing into the soil. The seedlings are ready for transplanting in a month. This must be taken into account when choosing a time frame.
Among the popular varieties for canning and salting should be noted Cascade, Magnificent, Competitor, Era, Nezhenka, Erofey. Muromsky (suffers a lack of lighting), Parisian gherkin.
Salting hybrids
"Movir F1"
The hybrid is early maturing, salting, bee-pollinated. This means that it will grow very well outdoors. Cucumbers ripen in 40-55 days. The cucumbers are lumpy, but the thorns are light. However, hybrids more closely match the parameters described. "Movir F1" belongs to the category of fruitful. salting. The peel is dark green with light stripes, the fruits are small (10 cm) with crispy flesh. Gives a stable harvest, bears fruit abundantly and for a long time.
"Hector F1"
Amazing bee-pollinated salted hybrid. Very early, with a guaranteed yield, suitable for mechanized harvesting. The fruits are ready to eat after 35 days. The bush is compact with a female flowering type. After 4 knots, the first ovaries appear, of which there are a lot on the plant. Bears fruit all summer. Benefits:
the possibility of frequent planting due to compactness;
- does not require shaping;
- guaranteed harvest;
- excellent pickling taste;
- disease resistance.
Cucumbers are dark green in color, even, large-tuberous. The skin is thin with a characteristic waxy bloom. The yield is 4-5 kg per square meter of area. The hybrid is well-deservedly popular for its taste and technical parameters.
"Spring F1"
Mid-season hybrid from the outdoor category. The average ripening period is 50 days. The bush is tall, mainly with a female flowering type. Forms side shoots well. The ovaries are formed in a bundle. The yield reaches up to 7 kg per square meter of open ground. Very resistant to all types of cucumber diseases. Cucumbers are slightly lumpy, pickled, small in size. The length is 12 cm, and the mass of one on average reaches 100 g. The pulp of pickled cucumbers is tender, does not taste bitter, there are no voids. The hybrid does not require special growing conditions. The only condition is correct watering. Deficiency of moisture leads to the appearance of bitterness, which reduces its taste. Sowing is carried out with selected seeds to a depth of 2 cm in May-June. Plants are thinned out, leaving no more than 3 bushes per meter. A distance of 35 cm is maintained between them. At first, the seedlings are sheltered from low temperatures.
Conclusion
Such hybrids as Delpina F1, Courage F1, Opal F1, Sparta F1.
In any case, you should carefully read the description of varieties and hybrids in order to choose the best ones for your site.
