The best varieties of cucumbers for Siberia
The benefits and taste of cucumbers cannot be underestimated. They are pleasant to eat fresh, pickled and pickled, they are savored with many dishes, low-calorie and appetizing. Cucumbers contain many vitamins and microelements, as well as a huge amount of moisture that a person needs. This vegetable crop is thermophilic. It is not so easy to grow cucumbers in a cold region, the best varieties for Siberia, however, you can pick up to delight yourself with a healthy vegetable.
Features of cucumbers
The common cucumber belongs to the Pumpkin family and is an annual herb. Its fruit, which we used to eat in salads, pickle and ferment, was described by botany as a false berry. Its shape can be different, depending on the variety.
Cucumbers have been around for over six thousand years. The foothills of the Himalayas, located in the subtropical zones of India, are considered their homeland. Over the years, the vegetable crop has spread throughout the world, and even to those regions where conditions are not natural for its growth.
Siberian cucumbers are most often a hybrid of the common cucumber. Hybrid varieties tolerate adverse conditions better and bear fruit well. Their harvest is always plentiful, since they do not need pollination or are bee-pollinated. There are many varieties of hybrids, the best are early ripe cucumbers - Murom - they are easy to grow in beds and in greenhouses, as their fertility is very good. They ripen quickly and finish bearing fruit early. A month and a half passes between the shoots and the first harvest of such cucumbers. This is a very handy feature that suits the short Siberian summer.
Hybrid cucumber cultivars are indicated with an “F1” icon. It is obtained by crossing parental varieties. Such cucumbers are pleasant to eat, but they are not suitable for planting. There is no point in collecting the seeds of hybrids, since they often do not sprout again.
More about the best varieties of cucumbers for Siberia
In addition to Murom cucumbers, there are other varieties. When choosing for yourself the seeds of cucumbers for Siberia, you should choose those that have passed state tests and are zoned in the Siberian regions. They will prove to be more persistent and produce a good harvest. The best option is varieties grown directly in Siberia.
These include:
- Glowworm;
- F1 Chestplate;
- Gusto;
- Champion;
- Serpentine;
- F1 Apogee.
About fifteen varieties of cucumbers are zoned in the Western part of Siberia, some of them are outdated, and some are designed exclusively for greenhouse cultivation.
Cucumbers for Siberian greenhouses can be of the following varieties:
- F1 Carnival (there is no bitterness in its fruits);
- F1 Guardsman;
- F1 Stimulus.
These hybrid varieties are distinguished by good fertility, their fruits are excellent for conservation.
The most common varieties of Siberian cucumbers for open ground:
- Altai is a popular variety of cucumber, early maturing and bee-pollinated. It has a high resistance to cold weather and an average resistance to disease. Can be grown in greenhouses or outdoors. Its fruits are great for pickling.
- Altai early - early ripening variety, refers to varieties of Siberian cucumbers for open ground. It tolerates low temperatures very well.These cucumbers are most often used for salads.
- Cascade and Mig - both varieties are similar to each other and can be grown both in greenhouses and in beds. The fruits are great for salads and preservation. Their shape is elongated and cylindrical. The yield ranges from eight to twelve kilograms per square meter. For good fruiting, feeding is required.
- F1 Claudia is another type of cucumber of the best varieties for Siberia. The hybrid can be grown in a greenhouse or outdoors. The plant is self-pollinated, so the yield can be about 27 kilograms per square meter. Ripen in about two months, harvesting should be done every couple of days. The shape of the fruit is small-knobby, there is no bitterness in the taste, so the vegetable can be eaten raw and canned.
- F1 German is a variety of hybrid Siberian cucumbers. Early variety, self-pollinating, with good yield and disease resistance. One node yields about six cucumbers. The shape of the fruit is small, similar to gherkins, 10-12 cm in size. The taste is without bitterness, so the cucumber is suitable for salads and pickling.
- F1 Zozulya is a hybrid, partially self-pollinated variety. Gives a large yield, is distinguished by long-term fruiting. It is cold-resistant and resistant to some diseases. You need to know when to plant cucumbers in Siberia of such a variety so that they grow well. They are sown in the greenhouse in mid-May. The picking of cucumbers should be done at least three times a week. The variety is popular due to its unpretentiousness, early maturity, high yield and long-term fruiting.
- Pallas' cat - from such seeds of cucumbers for Siberia, fruits are obtained about 20 cm long. This is a mid-season variety, bee-pollinated, high-yielding. This plant belongs to the female type, so it should be planted next to pollinating varieties. For example, the Teplichny cucumber 40. The plant is unbranched and not whimsical to conditions and care.
How and when to plant cucumbers in Siberia
You need to know how to properly grow cucumbers in Siberia. In this region, this crop is most often planted in greenhouses, like seedlings, sometimes cucumbers are grown in barrels. When choosing varieties of cucumbers for Siberian greenhouses, self-pollinating varieties should be preferred.
Landing in open ground requires surface cover. It can be made from a tall pillow based on straw and manure. A layer of fertile soil is poured over it and then seedlings are planted. The soil should be medium loamy, breathable. The earth will do after potatoes, peppers, onions or cabbage.
The best time to plant cucumbers in Siberia is the frost-free period. The temperature should not be lower than + 20 ° С. Cucumbers can be planted with seedlings or seeds. In the first case, heated soil is required; for seeds, a temperature of + 15 ° C is suitable. The depth of the groove where the seed is placed should be about 3 cm, the distance between them is about 15 cm. It is best to cover the place with the planted cucumber seeds with a film to avoid freezing the soil.
Cucumber care is negligible. They need regular, abundant watering. When weeds appear, the soil must be weeded and periodically loosened. For watering, warm water at room temperature is suitable; it is best to moisten cucumbers with it in the evening. Also, for a good harvest, fertilizing is necessary. During the growing season, they need to be repeated two or three times.
The specifics of how to properly grow cucumbers in Siberia are not too confusing. The main nuance lies in the choice of a suitable variety and quality seeds. Cucumber care and harvesting will be much the same as in warmer countries. In order for cucumbers to grow well, they need warm conditions and moisture, and the amount of harvest depends on the variety chosen.