Cucumbersare vegetables, next to tomatoes, most often grown in allotment gardens. They are annual plants from the cucurbits family, extremely thermophilic, which should be taken into account when planning their cultivation. See whatcultivating cucumbers on the plot looks like , what to do to make cucumbers tasty and he althy, and what are the bestcucumber varietiesper plot.
Field cucumbers grown on the plot
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Cucumbers - nutritional and he alth benefits
Cucumbers contain valuable polyphenolsThey have antioxidant properties and thus reduce the risk of developing cancer. Thanks to the high water content, which is almost 97% in fresh cucumber, this vegetable perfectly quenches thirst and hydrates the body.Cucumbers are low in calories , they provide only 14 kcal in 100 g of the product.
Worth appreciatinghe alth properties of cucumbersConsuming this vegetable helps to reduce inflammation and has a beneficial effect on the digestive system. Cucumbers used as compresses on the skin soothe irritation and sunburn.
Cucumbers, however, also have some disadvantagesThe ascorbinase enzyme contained in their fruits makes it not recommended to combine cucumbers with tomatoes in one meal (ascorbinase deactivates vitamin C in tomatoes). However, if we have other sources of vitamin C in our diet, combining tomatoes with cucumbers does not harm our he alth.
Growing cucumbers on the plot
The cultivated species is cucumber (Cucumis sativus), and the edible part is the fruit of this plant. The appropriate place forcucumber cultivationshould be sunny and secluded, the soil fertile, humus and well-drained, but at the same time retaining moisture. It should also not contain too much nitrogen.
The idealsoil pH for cucumberis 6.0-7.2, although this plant also copes with a slightly lower pH. If the soil is very acidic, liming the soil is necessary for the soil pH to rise to at least 5.8 or more.
Cucumbers from their own cultivation in the garden
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Cucumbers are thermophilic vegetables , the most appropriate temperature for them ranges from 18 to 30 ° C, and for most of them the temperature below 10 ° C is very harmful . It is worth knowing that not only the air temperature is important, but also the temperature of the soil in which cucumbers grow.Therefore, these vegetables yield the best on easily warmed soils.
Fertilization requirements for cucumbersare quite large, therefore, when preparing the beds for their cultivation, the soil should be enriched with compost or well-distributed manure.
Cultivation of field cucumber on the plot
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Growing cucumbers from seedlings
Cucumber seedssow immediately to a permanent place or in small pots with compost soil, thus preparing the seedling. Sowing the seeds to a depth of about 2 cm, 2 to 3 together. Plants sown in pots must be kept at a temperature not lower than 18 ° C until the cucumbers are planted in the plots.
The production of cucumber seedlingsstarts in April, and in the second half of May, it is planted (it takes about a month to prepare seedlings). Cucumbers are sown directly into the ground from the second decade of May.Growing cucumbers from seedlingsis more troublesome, but it allows you to speed up the harvest by 2-3 weeks and avoid the risk of cucumber pest, which is the sprout.
Cultivation of cucumbers from sowing into the ground
Although growing cucumber from seedlings gives better results, many people choose a cheaper and simpler way, i.e. sowing seeds directly into the ground. Cucumber is a thermophilic species, socucumber seeds should be sown into the ground at the earliest in the second half of May , when the soil temperature is 15-18oC. The seeds are sown every 5-10 cm in a row. We can sow them in rows - in rows every 120-150 cm, or in rows, where the distance between two rows in the strip is 60 cm and the distance between the stripes is 120-150 cm.
We can alsosow cucumber seeds- put 2-3 seeds in each well 1.5-2 cm deep. After germination, we leave the strongest seedling. The spacing between wells should be 10-15 cm, and between rows of cucumbers 120-150 cm.
Fertilizing cucumbers
During the growth periodcucumbersshould be fed every two weeks, preferably with fertilizer rich in potassium.You can use multi-component mineral fertilizers intended for vegetables. If we want to fertilize cucumbers only naturally, for top dressingcucumber fertilization , manure made of nettles, wood ash or guano will work well. If during the growth of plants we notice that the leaves of cucumbers turn yellow, the stems are thin and fibrous, and the fruits are too light and creamy at the ends, this indicates a nitrogen deficiency in the soil. Then the doses of fertilizers need to be increased.
Watering cucumbers
It is also importantwatering cucumbers , especially during the period of emergence, flowering and fruit growth. In hot and dry weather, cucumbers should be watered at least every other day with small portions of water. Make sure that the soil under the cucumbers is constantly slightly moist, but not too wet. Maintaining a constant substrate moisture content is very important to the cucumbers' flavor, and the lack of access to water is the most common explanation for why cucumbers are bitter and why cucumbers fail to bear fruit.
Spraying cucumbers on the plot
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Spraying cucumbers on the plot
Toprotect cucumbers from diseases , choose disease-resistant varieties for cultivation, observe the rules of vegetable crop rotation, avoid excessive plant density and follow the rules of cucumber care. It is also worth following the rules of coordinate cultivation and planting plants next to the cucumbers that support their yield, deter pests and prevent diseases. Examples of such plants are onion, garlic and basil. After finishing the cultivation, remove all debris from the beds, because pathogens can overwinter on them until the next year.
Despite the observance of these rules,cucumbers are quite often infected by diseasesTherefore, already at the stage of production of seedlings of this vegetable, it is worth protecting young seedlings by watering them with Magnicur Energy 840 SL (10-15 ml of the agent dissolves in 10 l of water and then waters or sprinkles the cucumbers).This treatment protects young plants against the gangrene of seedlings and the early occurrence of downy mildew of cucurbits.
In the further stage of cucumber cultivation on the plot , we recommend avoiding the use of chemical pesticides and spraying with natural preparations and those allowed for use in organic farming. Particularly useful preparations include:
- nettle slurry (prepared independently or ready-made nettle extract available in gardening stores), which protects cucumbers against powdery mildew and is an excellent fertilizer,
- horsetail decoction (prepared independently or sprayed with Evasiol), which protects cucumbers against both true and false mildew,
- A yeast spray that is used as a preventative measure against powdery mildew on cucumbers.
If the cucumbers are severely infected with diseases, remove the infected parts of plants or whole plants. It may also be necessary to spray with chemical plant protection products. You may find it helpful to:
- Miedzian 50 WP (combats bacterial angular blotch of cucumber and cucumber downy mildew), however, it should be remembered that Miedzian na cucumber has a grace period of 7 days and spraying can be performed only until flowering (do not spray when they appear already fruit),
- Scorpion 325 SC (cucurbits 'mildew, cucurbits' scab, cucurbits 'anthracnosis, cucurbits' anthracnosis), which can be used preventively or immediately after the first symptoms of the disease appear, in the period from the first flower bud visible on the main shoot to the stage of full maturity fruit, but remember about a 3-day grace period (at least 3 days must elapse from spraying to harvesting).
Cucumbers - harvesting and storage
You can start harvesting cucumber fruits about 12 weeks after sowing. On plots and in home gardenscucumbers can be harvested around mid-July and continued until the end of SeptemberFruits are harvested at various stages of harvesting maturity, depending on their destination (salad, canned or pickled) . Fruit should be harvested every 2-3 days, and when fully fruited, even every day.
A collection of cucumbers from our own plot
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Picked cucumbers from the garden should be immediately placed in a shaded and cool placeOtherwise they will quickly lose their firmness, may turn yellow and bitter. The optimal storage temperature for cucumbers is 12-13 ° C. At this temperature, cucumbers stay fresh for a week, up to 10 days.
If the cucumbers are placed at a temperature below 7 ° C, i.e. in the refrigerator, they must be eaten within 1-2 days after taking them out of the refrigerator. Otherwise, they will quickly show signs of supercooling damage.
Varieties of cucumbers per plot
Cucumberscan be divided into 3 groups. The first are field cucumbers with a characteristic rough skin with hairs, 10 to 15 cm long. The modern, improvedvarieties of cucumberstolerate low temperatures better and are more resistant to diseases of cucumbers, and their fruits can reach larger sizes. The next group are gherkins which produce plump fruit not exceeding 7 cm in length. They are best suited for pickles. The last group is greenhouse cucumbers. Their fruits are the largest (30 cm) and have a smooth skin.
Below we presentthe best varieties of cucumbersfrom each group.
Field cucumber 'Cezar' F1
description: medium-early variety with strong vigor,
fruits:thick-nipple, white-spiked, green with light marbling and streaks, do not show a tendency to yellowing, excellent pickles for pickling and preserving,
resistance to diseases:resistant to cucumber mildew, cucurbits scab, quite resistant to downy mildew, does not require chemical protection in amateur cultivation,
"Field cucumber Hermes F1
"description:early, hybrid variety, very fertile, sowing into the ground in May,
fruit:shapely, cylindrical, green with light streaks, slightly shiny, with no tendency to grow thick or distorted, harvest from July to September,
resistance to diseases:high on downy mildew of cucurbits, which allows in amateur cultivation basically no chemical protection,
Cucumbers - cultivation on the plot
" Field cucumber Parys F1 "
description:universal hybrid with versatile suitability and lush growth, perfect for amateur gardening,
" fruit:green with light streaks and a small amount of warts, slightly larger than the Polan F1 variety, harvesting from July to September, slightly smaller fruit can be preserved, more mature fruit, excellent for salads and pickling , "
disease resistance:quite comprehensive, especially against downy mildew,
"Field cucumber Polan F1
"description:known widely and for a long time, very fertile, recommended for amateur cultivation, sowing into the ground in May, spacing 15 cm and about 100 cm between rows,
fruits:fruits of a cylindrical shape, rounded at the ends, green in color with lighter streaks, thick-bellied, harvested from July to September, suitable for canning and pickling,
Field cucumber 'Izyd' F1
description:hybrid variety with strong growth and high plant regeneration capacity, very fertile, possible harvest extension even until late autumn,
fruit:cylindrical shape, green, with no tendency to grow thick, can be preserved,
resistance to diseases:high resistance to downy mildew, no chemical protection can be used in amateur cultivation,Ground cucumber 'Lider' F1
description:new variety bred in Poland, early, yields profusely even in unfavorable weather conditions,
fruit:fruit not too long, peel green without a tendency to yellowing, suitable as a pickled cucumber, also useful for pickling,
disease resistance:completely resistant to cucurbits scab, high resistance to downy mildew and powdery mildew cucumber.
" Citron ground cucumber "
"If you would like to introduce a bit of variety to your crops and be able to show your neighbors on the adjacent plots unusual specimens - we recommend the Citron field cucumber - a cucumber like a lemon! It is a medium-early variety with an interesting light yellow color and a shape similar to a lemon. This variety is suitable for cultivation in allotment gardens as a salad and canning cucumber. It requires a highly fertilized, water-rich, well-drained and warm soil. We sow directly into the ground from mid-May to the end of June. The congregation from the second half of July to the end of September (harvesting can begin about 65 days after sowing). It is best eaten when young - it is then very easily digestible.
""Greenhouse cucumber Atos F1
"
"Hybrid, early, very fertile variety. Fruits of medium length (about 28 cm), dark green with shiny skin, well-shaped. Tasty, without bitterness.Skierniewicki greenhouse cucumber "
Early variety (the first harvest possible already 25 to 35 days after planting), poorly growing in the first period and branching late. The fruit is quite short, reaching a maximum length of 17 cm. It is necessary to remove the first female flowers to the 10th node of leaves.
Salad cucumber 'Iznik' F1
Cultivar bred specifically for the cultivation of cucumbers in pots, for example on balconies. Fruits approx. 10-12 cm long, with a smooth skin and delicious taste. Perfect for salads, cucumber salad and as an addition to sandwiches. An ideal variety for amateur, home cultivation.
Pohighest quality cucumber seedsvisit our guide. We have found for our readers the best varieties for amateur garden and allotment cultivation.
