Unusual round cucumbers "Chupa Shchups" for salads and winter preparations

If you are tired of the traditional varieties of cucumbers grown in the garden and you want to try something new, we advise you to pay attention to the Chupa-Shups hybrid. Its globular fruit is sweet in taste, outwardly reminiscent of small watermelons. The vegetable is suitable for growing outdoors, in greenhouses and even in flower pots.

What are its features and advantages - read on.

Description of cucumbers

Cucumber Chupa-Shups, popularly called Chupa-Chups, belongs to the parthenocarpic type. It is a high-yielding hybrid with good cold, disease and pest resistance. Differs in stable fruiting, early maturity, unpretentious care.

Thanks to these qualities, it is recommended for growing under temporary shelters made of film, greenhouses, in the open field.

Distinctive features

If ordinary cucumbers have an oblong shape with a fruit length of up to 10 cm, then Chupa-Shchups is distinguished by unusual round-shaped fruits of bright green color, up to 5 cm in diameter. They do not contain seeds, the plant contains only female flowers.

Small fruits ripen even with insufficient moisture. The main thing is to make sure that they do not outgrow.

Composition, properties, benefits, calories

The vegetable has long been known for its beneficial properties for the body: it strengthens the cardiovascular system, removes toxins and toxins, helps to lose weight, get rid of heartburn. Cucumber is 90% water, so it will help replenish the lack of moisture in the body. The vegetable contains fiber, vitamins A, PP, C, B vitamins. Magnesium, potassium, iodine, manganese and others complement the list of useful substances.

100 g of the product contains 2.8 g of carbohydrates, 0.1 g of fat, 0.8 g of protein, the calorie content is 15 kcal.

Specifications

Chupa-Chups is a medium-branched plant of an indeterminate type. During the growing season, the bush is formed so that it does not grow to large sizes.Leaves medium-sized bright green.

The first fruits appear on the 36-38 day. They resemble large gooseberries: spherical, dark green, weighing 40-60 g. Cucumbers are juicy, crunchy, sweet, without bitterness. Suitable for salads, quick bites, canning.

The yield is 10 kg per 1 sq. m beds. In terms of one bush, this is approximately 2-2.5 kg.

How to grow yourself

The Chupa-Shups hybrid is undemanding to care for, so even beginners grow it... Almost any place is suitable for this: greenhouse, windowsill, open ground, balcony.

They are planted in the usual way in the ground or seedlings are grown first, which are transferred to an open area or to a greenhouse.

Planting by seed and seedling method

Planting seeds directly into the ground requires preliminary soil preparation. For this, the site is dug up for the winter, applying fertilizers and freeing from debris and stones.

The seeds are soaked in a growth stimulant or potassium permanganate solution, then spread on a damp cloth or paper. When they hatch, proceed to planting. The holes are placed in a checkerboard or square pattern with a distance of 40 * 40 cm from each other.

Important! To reduce stress on the plant during transplantation, it is placed in the soil together with an earthen ball.

A more suitable growing method for this hybrid is seedling... The seeds soaked in a growth stimulator and germinated are placed in containers (disposable plastic with holes at the bottom or peat cups are suitable) 2 pcs. During the growth period, they are sheltered from direct sunlight and watered. When 3-4 true leaves appear, the shoots are transferred to open ground.

Growing in stages and care

The plant is undemanding to care for, easily tolerates difficult conditions.

Chupa-Shups, like other cucumbers, needs abundant watering... It is best to water it in the morning or in the evening with warm water, as cold water can "chill" the root system and lead to decay.

If it is not possible to pour warm water, then irrigation work is best done in the evening. By this time, the earth will warm up in the sun, and the water will flow to the roots not so cold.

Important! Watering is carried out when the soil is dry 2 cm deep. They pour it under the bush, not on the leaves. Water droplets on leaves can cause sunburn.

After watering, when the ground dries up a little, the soil around the bush is loosened and mulched, covering it with small meadow hay and sawdust. If financial opportunities permit, the soil is covered with agrofibre. It is important to ensure that there are no weeds in the beds.

Don't forget about fertilizing. At the beginning of the growing season, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are applied to the soil. When the fruits begin to form, organic feeding... Throughout the entire growing period (from spring to autumn), a solution of mullein and saltpeter is added every two weeks.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

Bushes must be tied up and shaped - this allows you to increase the yield and simplify the care of plants.

They do it like this:

• pinch 4-5 lower knots, leaving 5-6 pcs. for reproduction, side shoots are removed;
• bushes growing near trellises are pinched into three leaves, meter-long and more - into one leaf;
• the main stem is wrapped around the trellis, directed downward and cut at a height of 1 m from the soil surface.

Diseases and pests

The hybrid is resistant to powdery mildew and downy mildew, tobacco mosaic viruses, root rot and olive spot. With proper care, they are rarely affected by disease. As a preventive measure, the bushes are sprayed with fermented milk products or a solution made from milk, iodine and laundry soap.

The plant is rarely affected by ticks, thrips, aphids. Dill, onions, garlic are planted between the holes to scare off pests. The lower part of the leaves is examined once a week - if insects do appear, the plant is treated with a special solution (10 liters of water, 200 g of ash, 50 g of crushed laundry soap) or preparations "Inta-Vir", "Karate", "Confidor" and others , according to instructions.

Important! When processing leaves with fungicides, 1 tbsp is added to the finished solution. l. washing powder or other detergent. The solution adheres better to the leaves and is not washed off by rain.

Harvesting and application of the crop

The fruits are harvested by hand by gently twisting or cutting off the stem. Do not overgrow the cucumbers - their skin will become tough, the taste will deteriorate.

Chupa-Shchups cucumbers are suitable for fresh consumption, in salads. Due to their compactness, they are successfully used in winter harvesting. After collection, they are stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3-4 weeks.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantage of the hybrid is the unusual compact shape of the fruit: round, bright green fruits are popular with children. In addition, the vegetable is valued for the following qualities:

• early maturity;
• cold resistance;
• resistance to diseases and pests;
• taste without bitterness;
• the possibility of growing on windowsills, greenhouses and flower pots;
• high productivity;
• good keeping quality and transportability;
• versatility in application.

Of the shortcomings, it is only known that it quickly outgrows, losing its taste and shape, and the need for tying bushes.

Reviews

Consider the online reviews of real summer residents about the hybrid.

Anatoly, Sverdlovsk: «I leave the ovaries at 5-6 knots, tear off the lateral processes. I pinch 1 meter braids 1 m from the ground, above 1.2 m - into two leaves, when the plant reaches the trellis, I pinch off three leaves. Then I wrap the main stem around the trellis, direct it down and fix it with a wire at a height of 1 m from the ground. I consider this method to be the most productive. "

Antonina, Moscow region: “I received a pack of seeds as a gift. When I saw a photo with cucumbers, at first I did not believe that there are such. But she decided to drop off. When the fruits appeared, the grandchildren tried it first. Since then I have been growing every year. We liked it even in canned form - they look unusual in a can. The main thing is not to miss the moment and get the harvest on time. "

Conclusion

A hybrid of cucumbers Chupa-Shchups is an unusual representative of its family: the shape of the fruit has not left anyone indifferent. It is easy to grow, tastes great and yields high. Children are especially delighted with it - in the summer they crunch fresh fruits with pleasure.

Growing will not give you much trouble if you follow the basic rules of care. Do not forget about the prevention of plants from diseases and pests: the latter also do not mind eating delicious cucumbers. I wish you a rich harvest and tasty preparations!