Review of the best self-pollinated cucumber varieties for the greenhouse and open field
In recent years, self-pollinated varieties of greenhouse cucumbers have become very popular. More and more gardeners are looking for species that are indifferent to careful care and bear a lot of fruit. With the development of gardening, manufacturers offer new technologies for growing various garden crops. The cucumber has an increased focus on itself. This vegetable is always desirable at a festive feast. It is eaten with pleasure both fresh and canned.
Content
Balcony - a new alternative to the garden
Older people love growing vegetables on the balcony. Their honorable age does not allow them to deal with large tracts of land. Such a hobby helps to take up free time and at the same time get the most benefit. Growing cucumbers on the windowsill is a real chance to get fresh vegetables.
Another important nuance in such a lesson - what varieties of cucumbers are most suitable for growing on the balcony? This important point significantly affects the number of fruits.
The breeders have worked hard and managed to grow many species. Crops happily live in enclosed spaces and surprisingly do without bees.
Most common options
Self-pollinated varieties of cucumbers for the balcony:
- "Zozulya";
- "April".
These species can be grown in balcony conditions, on the window and even on the table in the kitchen. But vegetables are not without drawbacks. But they do not bear fruit for long and do not have immunity to common diseases. Such fruits are not designed to be preserved; it is better to eat them exclusively fresh.
It is possible to extend the time of harvesting. It is necessary to maintain an interval of 2-3 weeks. If you correctly distribute the crops of cucumbers, you will be able to feast on fresh cucumbers throughout the season.
For balcony
To grow cucumbers designed for rolling in cold weather, it is recommended to consider gherkin hybrids. Most of all stand out "Balkonny" and "City gherkin". These varieties of cucumbers for growing on the windowsill are compact. One sinus gives several pieces at once.
The main difference between gherkins is their compact size. However, this does not in any way affect the excellent taste characteristics. Vegetables remain crispy even after pickling and canning. They are chosen for harvesting for the winter.
The varieties of cucumbers for the windowsill "Blizzard" and "Makhaon" are characterized by the fact that they yield quickly.Planting new plants will give many large greens and, as a result, an excellent harvest. "Emerald Stream" and "Berendey" - cucumbers for the balcony, suitable for places where there is a lot of extra space. They are distinguished by excellent green seedlings. Fruiting for a long period of time. The lashes are small in length, so they do not allow you to get too many cucumbers.
If the balcony is devoid of sunlight, you should choose from shade-tolerant views. For such conditions, the most suitable are:
- "Prestige";
- "Zadavaka";
- Kosinsky;
- "Masha".
Whatever varieties of cucumbers on the balcony you choose, everything, without exception, requires good care. It is about regular hydration and feeding. Greenhouse varieties in this regard are not as demanding, unlike those that grow in confined spaces.
Balcony cucumber varieties require a special earthen mixture, which is sold at a flower shop. If you feed the plants regularly, then you end up with a bountiful harvest.
Hikmet
"Handsome Hikmet" is a cucumber hybrid with unique properties. Grows well on balconies, loggias and window sills. Refers to self-pollinated varieties. An early ripe vegetable tolerates shaded areas. The first cucumbers may appear within a month after germination. A whole batch of cucumbers ripens at once.
Growing Hikmet, there will always be fresh vegetables on the table every morning for a whole year.
You need to plant fruits by seeds in the ground or through seedlings. To get seedlings, self-pollinated cucumber seeds for open ground are sown in the spring. The depth in the soil should not exceed 2 cm, and the temperature regime should not exceed 25 degrees. Further transplanting of seedlings into the ground is carried out after all frosts have passed.
If the seeds are planted directly into the soil, it is necessary that the earth be warmed up to 15 degrees. The end of May is most suitable for this. Plant to a depth of 1.5 cm. After that, the crops must be covered with foil.
In order for self-pollinating cucumbers to give a good harvest, they must be regularly watered with warm water and fed at least 2 times every 7 days. Carefully monitor that weeds do not grow. It is imperative to pick ripe fruits so that the yield does not decrease in the future.
Landing on balconies - nuances and care
Most often, people living in huge metropolitan areas do not have the opportunity to grow fresh vegetables in a greenhouse. But I really want to please myself and my loved ones with a cucumber and other vegetables.
An alternative is to buy them, but the taste and aroma of vegetables can differ significantly from homemade ones. Maybe you should try growing vegetables yourself? Even the most inexperienced gardeners can equip their apartment for this business.
Early varieties of greenhouse cucumbers are very demanding. Despite this, a person has the opportunity to create optimal conditions under which the culture will feel good. For several decades, varieties created by breeders have enjoyed success. They are independent of the growing area, even if the space is very small.
Self-pollinated cucumber varieties for greenhouses differ from horticultural crops. First of all, it lies in the leaves. Small in size, and internodes on the stem are not too long. This approach made it possible to make the culture compact, with good roots.
Balcony varieties grow very slowly. Their stalks are elongated, and the nodes are designed for a huge number of ovaries. They look similar to a bunch of grapes. Zelentsy cucumbers never outgrow.
They are very similar to thin fingers. They are called gherkins. These hybrids differ from the garden ones by pollination. In the first case, it is absent at all. The finished fruit is seedless.
Requirements for balcony varieties
If the loggia or balcony is on the sunny side, it is possible to easily organize a small summer cottage.A full-fledged vegetable garden is not needed. The peculiarities of growing crops in such conditions are different. Before choosing self-pollinated cucumber seed for greenhouses, the following requirements must be considered:
- culture is contraindicated to react painfully to a small amount of light and moisture;
- cucumbers should have short internodes, small leaves and a good root system;
- a long stem that will branch well is required;
- for a start, early ripening varieties should be planted, then replaced with analogs (this way you can maintain a good yield);
- it is better to choose bush cucumbers;
- give preference to bouquet or bunch fruiting (there should be several pieces in one knot at once);
- ripened greenhouse cucumbers to pick for the appearance of new ovaries;
- to maximize the yield, choose self-pollinated female cucumbers of the flowering type.
But not every variety meets these requirements. First of all, we are talking about salad hybrids: they are good for making pickles, they are eaten fresh with pleasure. The storage period is short-term.
For open land
Self-pollinating cucumbers are the real pride of breeders. As many years of experience show, they are most interested in early varieties, and then later ones. Early maturing species are grown according to old technologies. First of all, this is of great importance, since such varieties are perfect for planting in soils of the middle lane. The cold climate does not threaten them with anything, and residents of the northern regions boldly buy them.
The best self-pollinated varieties of cucumbers for open ground:
- "Zozulya";
- "Ant f1";
- "City Cucumber";
- Gerda.
"Zozulya"
Considering high-yielding varieties of cucumbers for open ground, self-pollinated, one should not forget about these early ripening hybrids. The crop ripens 5 weeks after planting. In addition to this feature, vegetables can boast of other advantages. A person will not be able to find varieties for open ground, similar to "Zozulya", since this vegetable is immune to many types of diseases.
The cucumber also stands out for its size. The length ranges from 20-24 cm. The weight of some specimens reaches 300 g. Fruits are of a classic dark green color. Each cucumber is covered with very large bumps.
This type of cucumber is also appreciated for its versatility. It is consumed in various forms. Large dimensions do not interfere with picking 3 or 5 pieces of fruit from the node at a time. Self-pollinated cucumber seeds for open ground are desired by professional and amateur gardeners.
"Ant f1"
The cultivation of this type of fruit is practiced by almost all gardeners. Differs in fast ripening of fruits. They can be planted before the season starts. The plus is that the crop will be available for consumption 37 days after planting.
The plant branches slightly, it corresponds to the beam type of flowering. In terms of size, the fruits can be called medium, because the length almost never goes beyond the 12 cm mark. Each fruit looks like a tube of a completely even shape. Hybrids are resistant to a wide variety of diseases. Anyone can buy seeds at kiosks with horticultural crops.
"Gerda"
By the speed of maturation they are somewhere in the middle. If you plant in accordance with all the requirements, then after 5 weeks you can enjoy delicious fruits, the length of which will not exceed 10 cm.
Late varieties of cucumbers do not give such results. From one ovary of a gherkin variety, you can collect anywhere from 3 to 5 fruits. You can make any dish with cucumbers, from salads to pickling.
"City gherkin"
The early varieties of self-pollinated cucumbers for open ground are quietly grown in loggias and on the balcony. Prior to planting, flower pots are preferred.The diameter of the cucumbers is 2.5 - 3.2 cm, the length is 12 cm. There is no need to try to collect the cucumbers on time. Fruits suitable for planting in the middle lane will remain flat for a long time and not curl.
Growing principles
There are no specific guidelines for outdoor-grown cucumbers. Thanks to their good endurance, vegetables can withstand any weather conditions. In this case, only two nuances should be noted - watering and feeding.
Watering
Growing cucumbers in the garden implies a constant supply of moisture, but do not forget about the danger of waterlogging. Excess water can cause rot.
To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to install special drainage grooves. Self-fertile cucumbers are recommended to be watered using grooves, or by sprinkling.
Top dressing
This process should take place according to the instructions that come with the means specially developed for this case. These are not greenhouse cucumbers, but sometimes they can be irrigated with mineral fertilizers. Acceptable time - once every 2-3 weeks. There is one very effective method for foliar feeding.
To prepare fertilizer you will need:
- water - 10 l;
- superphosphate - 10 g;
- ammonium nitrate - 5 g;
- potassium sulfate - 8 g.
Combine all ingredients in water and stir well. The resulting composition is usually enough to fully feed one large garden bed. You can prepare the mixture yourself or purchase a finished product in the store.
Cucumbers grown using this simple technology are distinguished by excellent taste characteristics. They can be harvested as they ripen, which means that the crop bears fruit regularly over a long period of time. Perfect for light summer meals. They are willingly harvested for the winter, using the method of salting or canning, as evidenced by the positive feedback from satisfied gardeners.
Conclusion
Self-pollinated cucumber seeds for greenhouses can be purchased in stores that specialize in this matter. Growing cucumbers is a laborious process that can make it much easier to choose the right variety for planting. The question of which variety of cucumbers is better cannot be answered unequivocally, since each person prefers something of his own. Many years of studies allowed summer residents to determine which cucumbers are the most productive.
If the best varieties of cucumbers are taken for open ground, then, subject to all conditions, an excellent harvest of cucumbers can be achieved. It is difficult to decide which varieties of cucumbers are better to choose, but armed with the information provided, the result will still be pleasing.