The bee-pollinated variety of cucumbers "Grace", loved by gardeners, for growing in a greenhouse and open field

Cucumber Graceful is one of the oldest varieties in the state register. It gained popularity among gardeners with its tender and crispy pulp, unpretentiousness, early ripening. It is intended for cultivation in open ground, has a commercial purpose, does not require the skills of a professional in the field of agricultural technology. The article will tell you what kind of variety it is and why it has been popular with our farmers and summer residents for almost 50 years.

Characteristics and description of the variety

Cucumber Graceful was bred by the breeder O. V. Yurina in the 60s of the last century. In 1971, the variety was included in the State Register. It is grown in all regions of the country (from the central regions to the Far East).

Russian gardeners prefer to grow this particular variety. Despite the abundance of new crops, the Graceful cucumber has not lost its importance, and this says a lot.

Distinctive features

Graceful - early maturing variety... The first fruits appear 45 days after seed emergence.

Refers to bee-pollinated... The cucumber forms male flowers, thanks to which the bushes act as a pollinator for other varieties. The plant perfectly tolerates frost, which makes it suitable for planting in open ground at the earliest possible date.

However, the culture is not without flaws. These include: average yield, the presence of white barrels on the fruit, rough skin when overripe.

Composition, properties, benefits, calories

Cucumber is a low-calorie product: 100 g contains 14 kcal... Many are sure that these fruits help fight excess weight. The substances included in the composition improve digestion, the work of the digestive tract for the digestion of hard-to-digest foods. For 100 g of a cucumber:

• water - 95 g;
• dietary fiber - 1 g;
• organic acids - 0.1 g;
• mono- and disaccharides - 2.4 g;
• minerals - potassium (141 mg), calcium (23 mg), magnesium (14 mg), sodium (8 mg), phosphorus (42 mg), iron (0.6 mg);
• vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, C, E, H, PP, beta-carotene, choline;

Thanks to this composition, it improves color of human skin, kidney function is normalized, liver is cleansed.

Attention! People suffering from gastritis and gastric ulcer are undesirable to eat cucumbers in large quantities. Pickled fruits can cause significant harm to the body.

Specifications

Elegant has the following varietal characteristics:

• Medium-growing bush, forms 5-7 lateral shoots in the form of vines 2-3 m long. The ovaries are formed only when pollinated by bees.
• Fruits are elongated, with a thin skin, small tuberous, juicy green. Do not turn yellow during storage. Weight - 90-140 g, length - 8-12 cm.
• The taste is high. The pulp is crispy, juicy and without bitterness.
• Marketable yield - 5-7 kg per 1 sq. m.

About other varieties and hybrids of cucumbers:

Unpretentious, fruitful and tasty cucumber "Crispina"

Juicy cucumbers "Adam" with a delicate sweetish taste

A hybrid with a bountiful harvest - "Emerald Earrings" cucumbers

Fresh cucumbers perfectly reveal their taste in summer salads and dishes. Great for pickling and pickling.

How to grow this variety yourself

There is nothing difficult in planting and caring for the Graceful cucumber. Use our recommendations and advice.

Planting by seed and seedling method

Option number 1: planting by seed... Sowing in greenhouses takes place in mid or late May. Before planting, carry out activities for the preparation of planting material:

1. Dip the seeds in a 3% sodium chloride solution. Throw out the floating seeds. Reject small ones.
2. Heat the seeds at 50-60 ° C for 2-3 hours.
3. Place them in a humid environment for a day. When the seeds hatch, it's time to start sowing.

The sequence of actions for landing in the ground is as follows:

1. Add two buckets of humus or rotted manure, 0.5 kg of wood ash (per 1 sq. M) to the soil. Add 10-15 g of ammonium nitrate, 20-25 g of potassium nitrate, 25-30 g of superphosphate in granules.
2. Dig the soil well, form a ridge 20-30 cm high above the ground.
3. Drizzle with warm water.
4. Make holes 1.5 cm deep, following the scheme: the distance between the rows is 70 cm, between the plants - 30 cm. The result is three seeds per 1 m of the garden.
5. Immerse the seeds and sprinkle with a little earth.
6. Mulch the soil with humus (half a bucket per 1 sq. M).

Important! When the first leaves appear, the plant will begin to stretch. Sprinkle humus with sand under each bush. So the plant will form correctly, release new roots.

Option number 2: seedling method... Sowing of seeds takes place in early May. The timing is calculated in such a way that 25-30 days pass before planting in open ground.

Firstly prepare the soil and choose the container:

1. The mixture for the soil is taken ready-made or made independently. For the second method, mix 6 parts of rotted manure, 3 parts of earth, 1 part of sand. Additionally, 6 g of urea, 10 g of superphosphate, 6 g of potassium sulfate and 2 g of magnesium sulfate are added per 10 kg of soil.
2. Peat or plastic cups with holes for water outflow are perfect containers.

Attention! A self-prepared substrate requires disinfection. It is enough to heat it in the oven or scald it with boiling water. Then pour with 1% potassium permanganate solution.

The process of planting seeds for seedlings is as follows:

1. Plant one sprouted seed in each container. Embedding depth - 2 cm. Spray lightly with water.
2. Cover the plantings with plastic and place in a warm place until sunrise. Room temperature - 23 ° C to 28 ° C.
3. When the stems appear, remove the film and spray a little from the spray bottle. Reduce temperature to + 20 ° C.
4. Water the seedlings only with warm water, otherwise they will die.
5. After the appearance of the first true leaf, feed the plant with 7 g of ammonium nitrate, 8 g of potassium sulfate, 15 g of superphosphate. Mix the components in 10 liters of water and add small portions to the cups. Repeat the procedure in a week.

Seedlings are planted in open ground when she "turns" a month, and there will be four true leaves on the stem. Planting principles are similar to the seed method.

Important! The sprouts must be hardened before being sent to a permanent place of growth. It is enough to take them out into the open air for 5-7 days, but protect them from direct sunlight.

Growing in stages and care

The cultivation process will not be difficult. It is important to monitor the growth of plants, take care of them in a timely manner. When the seedlings grow up, tie them to the trellis. The variety does not require pinching: planting does not form dense bushes.

Plants watered only with warm water 1-2 times a week, and during flowering and fruiting - 4-5 times a week. You can not wet the leaves, otherwise diseases will develop. Also, do not water the cucumbers with cold water: the root system will get sick, and the ovaries will die.

Read also:

Easy-to-grow pickling cucumbers "Nezhinskie"

Cucumber variety "Phoenix" with a high yield and excellent taste

Top dressing is applied simultaneously:

1. Organic feeding is made a week after planting the plants in open ground. It includes an infusion of mullein (dilute 1 part of cow dung in 5 parts of water), bird droppings (1 part of droppings and 20 parts of water), infusion of herbs (pour chopped nettle with water in a ratio of 1: 2). Feed with solutions once every 10 days throughout the entire growth of cucumbers.
2. Mineral dressing... Fertilizers are sold in a specialty store. The best are: "Ceovit Cucumbers", "Agricola", "Bio-Master".

Attention! If extra ovaries appear, take measures to form bushes - remove the flowers, leaving four male inflorescences.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

It is important to plant the crop in places where bees or bumblebees often congregate.... A great option is to plant flowers next to the cucumbers: the bees will fly to the fragrant inflorescences and at the same time visit the cucumbers.

Growing features:

• cucumbers show high fruiting in sunny areas with shading no more than four hours a day;
• choose light, sandy loam or loamy soil;
• the best predecessors are cabbage, peas, tomatoes, potatoes and corn.

Diseases and pests characteristic of the variety

Cucumber Graceful has good immunity... He is not afraid of olive spot and powdery mildew. But cold rainy summers, thickening of plantings, watering with cold water attract these infections. If the disease still visited the garden, spray the bushes with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid or use the biological products Fitosporin-M, Pseudobacterin-2.

The main pest of the variety is aphid... Insects draw juices from the plant. The cucumber withers, turns yellow and dies. Modern chemicals or garlic infusion will help. To do this, pour 50 g of crushed product with 10 liters of water. Let it steep and then spray the bushes.

Reference. Infected leaves must be removed from the bush and burned. This will prevent infections and pest larvae from spreading to new plants.

Harvesting and application of the crop

Collect fresh cucumbers throughout the summer - the dream of any gardener. Grade Graceful gives this opportunity. But by the end of the growing season, fruiting decreases markedly, and one must be ready for this.

Young fruits show their excellent taste in salads, pickles and pickles. The variety is not suitable for subsequent sale (low yields).

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The main advantages of the elegant cucumber - high taste, versatility of use, unpretentious care, early ripening, resistance to infections.

disadvantages - small amount of harvest, requires bees for pollination.

Reviews

Graceful - a variety loved by not the first generation of gardeners... Most of the reviews about him on the network are positive.

Sergei, St. Petersburg: “Last year I took a nondescript package of cucumber seeds Yisychny from the Kolchuga trademark. Before planting, I soaked the seeds, and surprisingly they all opened up. Didn't take great care of the bushes, but got good results. The fruits are not hollow, their flesh is crispy and tasty - it resembles a fresh gherkin. Recomend for everybody".

Valentina, Omsk: “I have been looking for varieties that would grow well in our climate for a long time. I read reviews about the Graceful cucumber and decided to try it. The result impressed me: the fruits were juicy, crisp, flavorful and beautiful. All summer they ate fresh salads, and also pickled and salted ".

Conclusion

When choosing cucumbers, you should pay attention to the unpretentious Graceful variety. This is a real find for beginners. If you take into account the recommendations and tips for growing, then a month and a half after sowing the seeds, delicious and tasty cucumbers will form.