What are good and how to properly grow "Barabulka" cucumbers for delicious preparations for the winter

The demand of summer residents for cucumber seeds is constantly growing. This is one of the few cultures, the fruits of which appear on the tables of the inhabitants of our country at the end of spring. Selection does not stand still - new cucumber varieties and hybrids are constantly appearing on the markets. They are distinguished by increased productivity, resistance to adverse environmental factors, appearance and taste of fruits.

Cucumber crops are steadily popular, on which only female flowers appear - they do not need insect pollination. These include the red mullet cucumber. This hybrid forms a bouquet-like ovary and gives a high yield. It also has other advantages.

Description of the hybrid

Red mullet is a hybrid of cucumbers, bred by domestic breeders. Its originators are S. F. Gavrish, V. N. Shevkunov, A. E. Portyankin and A. V. Shamshina.

Red mullet cucumbers are recommended for growing in the northern and central regions. However, practice shows that the culture bears excellent fruit in the southern regions.

Note! From seeds collected from their own crop of hybrids, crops grow with parental characteristics (they have the characteristics of plants, when crossed, a hybrid is obtained).

Distinctive features

The main distinguishing feature of red mullet cucumbers is considered to be a bouquet formation of ovaries. This means that up to 12 fruits are formed in one leaf ovary. This provides a high yield of the hybrid.

Unlike many other cucumber crops, the Red mullet has the ability to self-pollinate and is able to set fruits without the help of insects, which makes it much easier to grow a hybrid in a greenhouse.

Cucumbers are resistant to temperature fluctuations... They are suitable for growing in all regions of our country.

The fruits of the Red mullet are distinguished by a rich cucumber aroma and a sweet taste without bitterness. They do not outgrow even if they are not collected on time.

The hybrid is immune to many diseases common to cucumbers.

Advice! Chemical agents for the prevention of diseases significantly reduce the environmental friendliness of crops. Many gardeners are moving away from store-bought formulations in favor of less effective but safer homemade formulations.

Beneficial features

Cucumbers contain a large amount of liquid (95%). 100 g of product contains from 14 to 16 kcal, 2.4 g of carbohydrates, 0.8 g of protein and only 0.1 g of fat... These fruits are recommended for use by people seeking to lose weight.

Despite the low energy value, greenery contains a large amount of useful substances: vitamins of groups A, B, C and K, minerals (sodium, magnesium, calcium, copper, potassium), iodine, fiber, chlorophyll.

Thanks to this composition, the use of cucumbers has a positive effect on the condition of the digestive tract, cardiovascular system, urinary system, and immune system. Red mullet also helps to strengthen teeth, improve the condition of the skin and hair, and overall rejuvenation of the body.

Attention! Cucumbers rarely cause allergies.

Main characteristics

Description Red mullets will delight even the most demanding gardeners. For all its unpretentiousness, this hybrid has high yields. Despite their hybridity, such cucumbers are often grown for sale.

Characteristics of the Red mullet:

Advice! It is not difficult to distinguish male inflorescences from female ones in cucumbers. At the base of the female flowers there is a miniature cucumber. Since the red mullet hybrid is parthenocarpic, female flowers predominate on the bushes.

Hybrid agricultural technology

Cucumbers are grown both in greenhouses and in the open field. In both cases, the yield is equally high.

To get a good harvest of cucumbers, it is recommended to start preparing the beds in the fall. First of all, you need to choose the right place for sowing seeds.

Cucumbers are planted in semi-shaded areas of the garden. To artificially create shade, tall crops are planted on both sides of the beds.

Advice! It is not recommended to plant melons and gourds near cucumber beds, which attract dangerous insects and pathogens. In the immediate vicinity of Marabulka, only those cucumber varieties are planted that are immune to the same diseases.

In the fall, the beds are dug up and cleaned of plant residues. Weeds and cultivated tops are crushed and buried in the ground. Fertile soil will turn out in the spring.

Another way to make the soil more fertile is to bury chopped banana peels (fresh and rotten) in it in the fall. Throughout the year, peeling this fruit is put in a barrel on the street.

In the spring, for every 1 sq. m make 25 g of superphosphate and ammonium nitrate. The soil is watered with a hot solution of copper sulfate.

Cucumbers love soil with low acidity. To check the acidity of the soil, use a litmus test. Another way is to collect some dirt in a bucket and sprinkle with baking soda. After that, the mixture is poured with a small amount of water and the result is observed. If bubbles appear, then the acidity is increased.

To reduce the acidity of the soil, add dry lime or ash. Sand is added to loosen the soil.

Landing

Cucumbers are grown by seed and seedlings. In the second case, the harvest will appear earlier. The seedless method is suitable only for the southern regions.

If the seeds are coated with nutrients, then they are sown into the ground without preliminary preparation. The producer marks the processed seeds with a bright color. Information on pelleting or glazing of seeds is indicated on the package.

Hybrid material is often processed and calibrated in production, so preparation is not necessary. If the planting material was not processed at the factory, this is done at home. This process includes the following steps:

1. The seeds are carefully examined. All specimens must be firm, with the same color.
2. A month before planting, the calibrated planting material is placed in a warm place. Heated seeds germinate faster.
3. To accelerate the germination of planting material, it is soaked in a growth stimulator for a day. Both commercial preparations ("Epin") and a homemade solution made from a teaspoonful of honey and a glass of water are suitable.
4. Most gardeners prefer to germinate the planting material before sowing. It is wrapped in a damp cloth (it must remain damp throughout the entire germination) and removed to a warm place for 3 days.
5. To harden the seeds, they are placed in the refrigerator for 48 hours.

Seed method

The seed method of growing Red mullet is possible only in areas with a warm climate. Sowing time of seeds depends on the region:

• southern regions - end of April;
• cities with a temperate climate - end of May;
• the northern part of the country - the first half of June.

The holes are dug in rows, in a checkerboard pattern. A 50x50 scheme is used.

2 days before sowing the seeds, a 5 cm layer of rotted manure and the same amount of soil are placed on the bottom of the hole. The ingredients are mixed. The rest of the space is filled with garden soil. Prepared holes are poured with boiling water.

Before sowing seeds, the holes are watered with settled water at room temperature. Since the germination rate of red mullet seeds is close to 100%, 1 seed is sown in each hole to a depth of 4 cm.

The crops are covered with foil. It is opened daily for airing. Crops are watered as the soil dries up. The film is completely removed after 2-3 weeks. If there is a threat of night frost, the plants continue to be covered overnight.

Seedling method

The seedling method of growing cucumbers is considered the most reliable. It allows for an early harvest and is suitable for all regions. In this case, the time of sowing seeds also depends on climatic conditions:

• southern regions - early April;
• cities with a temperate climate - end of April;
• the northern part of the country - the first half of May.

It is recommended to grow cucumbers immediately in individual pots. Purchased plastic and peat containers, as well as homemade pots are suitable.

The most unusual containers for growing seedlings:

1. Peels of oranges and grapefruits. The pulp is removed from the fruit, leaving a whole peel. A large hole is made from above (like a pot), from below - a small drainage hole. It is not necessary to remove such pots when diving to a permanent place, they will unfold, providing the plants with nutrients.
2. Eggshell. To do this, make a hole in the upper and lower parts of the eggs and blow out all the contents. A piece is chipped off at the top of the shell to make a large enough hole. The shell is filled with soil and placed in trays (for eggs). When transplanting seedlings to a permanent place, the eggshell is split into large pieces. They will be needed for pest control.

Soil for seedlings is bought in the store (universal soil mixture) or prepared independently. To do this, mix 1 part of humus and garden soil with 0.5 parts of sand or sawdust. 1 tbsp is added to a bucket of composition. l. ash and 1 tbsp. l. nitrophosphate.

Seedling containers and soil are disinfected. To do this, use boiling water or a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate.

The containers are filled with soil, which is watered with warm water. In each of them, 1 seed is sown to a depth of 2 cm. The crops are covered with foil and removed to a place with a temperature of 24-26 ° C.

After seed germination, the film is removed. Plants are rearranged to a comfortable room temperature in a bright place. Use fluorescent lamps if necessary.

Water the seedlings 2 times a week with warm water. Additionally, the leaves are sprayed from a spray bottle.

Advice! To minimize the risk of infection of young plants, sprinkle the soil near them with a small amount of cinnamon powder.

After the appearance of 2 true leaves, the plants are watered with fertilizer prepared from 1 tsp. water and 1 tsp. nitrophosphate.

A week before picking on a permanent place, the seedlings begin to be taken out into the street. Tempering allows cucumbers to quickly adapt to new conditions after picking.

3 weeks after sowing the seeds, the seedlings dive to a permanent place. Use a 50x50 landing pattern. The root collar is not buried when planting.

Basic rules of care

Indeterminate cucumbers Red mullet must be tied up. Rigid wire is installed at a height of 1.5-2 m. Synthetic cords are tied to it, through which cucumber loops are put.

Bushes need to be formed into 1 stem. All lateral shoots are pinched, leaving only 15-20 cm. The higher the shoot, the longer it should be.

For convenience, artificially restrict the growth of the main stem. When it reaches the height of the main wire, it is wrapped around the support, lowered down and pinched after the formation of fruits on the upper shoot.

Cucumbers are watered abundantly, spending on every 1 sq. m 7 liters of water. After this procedure, as well as precipitation, the soil is loosened. The beds are weeded once a week while loosening.

Top dressing is applied every 2 weeks. The diluted 10:10 chicken manure is alternated with a solution prepared from 10 liters of water, 25 g of superphosphate, 25 g of urea and 20 g of potassium sulfate. For each plant, 1 liter of fertilizer is consumed.

Gardening tips

Gardeners are advised to remember a few rules. They will help you get a rich harvest and avoid many problems:

1. Leaves at the bottom of the bush are recommended cut off... This contributes to better air exchange.
2. Before the appearance of inflorescences cucumbers watered 2 times a week and spray them. After the flowers appear, water is poured under the root daily. You can't wet the pollen.
3. The day before deposit feeding the beds are watered abundantly.
4. Stepsons and cucumbers are watered in the early morning or at sunset. If this is done during the period of solar activity, then burns will appear on the leaves.
5. When picking seedlings to a permanent place, some gardeners lubricate the plant roots with a thin layer of honey. This will help the cucumbers quickly adapt to new conditions and act as additional protection against fungal infections.
6. If several varieties of cucumbers grow nearby, it is recommended to put cobblestones with various patterns on their border. This will decorate the garden and prevent confusion.
7. As an additional feeding for seedlings and adult plants, you can use the water in which vegetables and eggs were cooked.

Diseases and pests

Cucumbers Red mullet have high immunity to major diseases of melons. Gardeners still recommend adhering to the rules of prevention, consisting in observing crop rotation, watering and pinching rules, as well as weekly inspection of plantings.

Effective but safe methods will help protect against pests and some infections:

1. To prevent the occurrence powdery mildew, cucumbers are sprayed with milk or whey diluted 1: 1 with water once every 2 weeks.
2. In order to get rid of ants, heaps of baking soda and powdered sugar mixed in equal proportions are poured between the rows.
3. If the beds attack rabbits or squirrels, along the rows of cucumber, make a fence of plastic forks stuck with the teeth up.
4. From slugs and snails will save large pieces of eggshells scattered between the plants.
5. Another way to protect yourself from ants and snails - coffee grounds scattered on cucumber beds. This product will also become an additional plant food.
6. From aphids and spiderweb tick the plants are protected by spraying the bushes with soapy water or a decoction of bitter herbs.

Harvesting and application of the crop

The first harvest of the Red mullet is obtained in May or June. Plants bear fruit until the first frost.

The cucumbers are kept in a cool, damp place.If you plan to store the crop for a long time, then zelents are regularly sorted out, removing withered and rotten fruits.

Red mullet cucumbers are versatile in use. They are suitable for preservation, salting and fresh consumption.

Advantages and disadvantages of a hybrid

The advantages of the Red mullet:

• immunity to disease;
• high productivity;
• great taste without bitterness, juicy pulp, soft small seeds;
• immunity to temperature fluctuations;
• unpretentious care;
• early maturity;
• friendly return of the harvest;
• the possibility of growing in open and protected ground.

The disadvantage of the Red mullet is the inability to use the seeds of the hybrid crop for planting. This increases the cost of the fruit.

Reviews

Reviews of gardeners about red mullet cucumbers are mostly positive. Gardeners love smooth and beautiful fruits that are the same as in the photo.

Inga, Krasnodar: “We have been planting the red mullet for 3 years right in the open ground. Very like. Cucumbers are tasty and crispy, if picked for 3-4 days, you get gherkins for preservation. Easy to grow and require minimal maintenance. Recently, we have got ants at our dacha, to protect my cucumbers from them, I sprinkle the beds with red hot pepper mixed with soda. "

Andrey, Moscow: “Last year I planted a red mullet in the open ground on the recommendation of my mother. The fruits turned out to be really tasty and beautiful, as in the photo. The yield is also pleasing. 2 sq. m of beds were enough for conservation, and so to eat, and treat friends. The only thing - I can not say about the absolute resistance of the hybrid to rot. Summer turned out to be cold and rainy - several bushes got sick. This year I planted it in a greenhouse. "

Conclusion

The red mullet is suitable for growing both for personal needs and for sale. From 1 sq. m receive more than 15 kg of fruit. At the same time, the hybrid requires a minimum of care, is resistant to diseases, cold snaps and other negative environmental factors.

The fruit of the hybrid is crispy, sweet and aromatic, with no bitterness at all. They do not outgrow and are considered universal in use.