How to grow long cucumbers "Chinese Serpent" of an unusual shape and break yield records on your site

Breeders release to the markets annually different varieties and hybrids of fruit plants. They differ in their unusual color and shape of the crop, high yields, resistance to diseases and weather conditions. One of the interesting achievements of breeding is the Chinese snake cucumber. The hybrid, unpretentious in care, gives long fruits of an unusual shape.

Description of the hybrid

Chinese cucumbers are a separate crop variety that includes several varieties. They belong to the pumpkin family, but they have unusual fruits. This group also includes the Chinese serpent.

The hybrid was recently entered into the State Register - in 2015. Despite this, he gained popularity among gardeners and the former CIS countries.

Features:

The main feature of the Chinese snake is its unusual fruits more than 0.5 m long. They are thin, long, curved in shape, which resembles a snake. The taste of cucumbers is specific - fresher and sweeter than that of more familiar fruits. The aroma has light notes of watermelon.

Another feature of the hybrid is tall bushes. They do not branch and take up little space.

The Chinese snake has a high immunity to all diseases inherent in the culture, therefore it does not need regular chemical treatments. The cucumber is cold-resistant, bears fruit in our country for more than 4 months.

The disadvantage of the hybrid is its low keeping quality. Already 2-3 days after the fruits are plucked from the bush, they become lethargic and bitter in taste.

It is interesting! Chinese cucumbers are also called alligator cucumbers.

Useful properties and calorie content

Snake-shaped Chinese cucumbers are dietary: there are only 14 kcal, 0.8 g of proteins, 0.1 fats and 2.5 g of carbohydrates per 100 g of the product.

Useful substances in fruits:

• vitamins B, K, C, A;
• choline;
• minerals: copper, sodium, potassium, chlorine, calcium, magnesium.

Thanks to this composition, the vegetable removes harmful substances and free radicals from the body, improves the functioning of the liver, kidneys and digestive tract organs.

It is interesting! From a biological point of view, a cucumber is a fruit.

Specifications

Growing a Chinese snake will be a pleasure even for novice gardeners.

Description of the hybrid:

How to grow a hybrid yourself

The Chinese snake is an unpretentious hybrid of cucumbers. For growing crops, beds are chosen in a semi-shaded area of ​​the garden, since in the sun the fruits quickly turn yellow and become bitter.

Council. It is possible to plant a culture in a sunny area. In this case, tall plants, such as corn, are placed on both sides near the beds. This will protect the cucumbers from the scorching sun.

Cucumbers and other melons have not been planted on the same plot of the garden for more than 5 years in a row. In a greenhouse where only this crop is grown, the topsoil is replaced. The best predecessors of the hybrid are nightshades, corn, cabbage and legumes.

The beds are prepared in the fall by digging shovels to the depth of the bayonet and clearing them of plant debris. 6 kg of humus or cow dung are applied per 1 m2. The culture loves loose, slightly acidic soils. With high acidity, ash is added, with low acidity - sand.

In the spring, the beds are leveled with a rake and cleaned of weeds... The soil is mixed with 30 g of superphosphate and 25 g of ammonium nitrate per 1 m2. The soil is watered with a solution of copper sulfate, prepared from 1 tbsp. l. substances and 10 liters of water.

Experienced gardeners water the beds and prepare the holes a month before planting the plants in a permanent place. At the same time, the soil is regularly cleared of weeds so that the crop takes root better.

The holes are dug 40 cm deep in staggered rows. 3-4 plants are planted per 1 m2. A 5 cm layer is laid on the bottom of the pits organic fertilizers (humus or manure) and the same layer of garden soil. The earth is mixed with organic matter. From above, the hole is covered with ordinary soil.

The Chinese snake produces higher yields when grown in a greenhouse. Due to its increased cold resistance, it is also suitable for open ground.

Landing

Cucumbers are grown in a seedling and non-seedling way. For the Chinese snake, the second option is preferable. It has a low germination rate, so not all seeds germinate in the beds.

Before sowing, the planting material is prepared:

1. Seeds in the package are placed near the battery or in another warm place for a month for sowing. The heated material will have a high germination capacity.
2. The grains are sorted out. Leave dense and light specimens. Another way is to soak the seeds in warm water and use only those that have sunk to the bottom.
3. The seeds are disinfected by soaking for half an hour in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate or for 1 hour in a product of 100 ml of cold water and 30 g of garlic pulp.
4. The planting material is soaked in a growth stimulator. Use purchased preparations (according to the instructions) or homemade (a mixture of 1 liter of water, 1 tsp. Nitrophoska and 1 tsp. Ash, procedure time - 1 hour).
5. The grains are placed in a refrigerator for a day to increase their cold resistance.
6. The seeds are wrapped in a damp cloth and kept until they hatch. All this time, the moisture of the fabric is maintained. Germination usually takes 2 days.

Seed method

With this cultivation, the crop is harvested later. For a Chinese snake hybrid, the method is not suitable, but those who want to try it are guided by the scheme:

• wells prepared in advance are watered;
• each make 2 holes 4 cm deep;
• they lay 1 seed in each and sprinkle it with earth;
• the beds are covered with a film, which is periodically opened for airing;
• if both seeds germinate, pinch the weaker stem.

Seedling method

For the Chinese snake, the seedling method of growing is suitable. At the same time, the harvest is harvested earlier.

They start growing seedlings in May. It is dived to a permanent place after 2-3 weeks, after the formation of 3 true leaves:

1. Prepare the soil for seedlings in advance. It is bought in a store or prepared independently from 1 part of humus, 1 part of garden land (sometimes replaced with peat) and 0.5 part of sand (sawdust). In 10 kg of the resulting soil, 1.5 tbsp is poured. l. nitrophosphate and 2 tbsp. l. ash.
2. The seeds are planted in cups 15 cm high and 25 cm in diameter. It is better to use peat containers, but plastic containers are also suitable.
3. The soil and containers are disinfected with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate.
4. Due to poor germination, the seeds are buried by 2 cm, 2-3 grains at a time. After that, the soil is watered, the pots are covered with foil and placed in a warm, lighted place.
5. When the seeds germinate, the plants begin to air, opening the film for 2–3 hours. After a week, it is completely removed.
6. Once a week, seedlings are watered abundantly. All soil in the container should be moist.
7. Weaker stems are pinched, leaving one sprout in each pot.
8. At the stage of formation of 2 leaves, plants are fed with a product prepared from 2 liters of water and 2 tsp. nitrophosphate.
9. When the plants reach 15 cm (by the end of 3 weeks), they are transplanted into the ground. Before this, watered abundantly.
10. The culture is planted along with a lump of earth in pre-prepared pits. It is important not to damage the root system.
11. Each bush is watered abundantly and 0.5 tbsp. ash and 25 g of nitrophosphate.

Care

A high trellis is installed near each cucumber, to which plants are attached with a synthetic thread. The first garter is made 5 days after landing in the ground.

All lateral shoots in the lower part of the bush (to a height of 30 cm) are cut off. This will provide ventilation for the stem. Most gardeners remove most of the side shoots. When the cucumber rises above the support, its growth is artificially limited by pinching the main stem.

Cucumbers are watered daily, preferably by rain. A stream of water at room temperature is not directed at the root, but all the bushes are evenly sprayed.

The hybrid is sensitive to feeding. The first one is applied 7 days after the pick into the open ground, the next - every 10 days.

The following compositions alternate:

1. Pour dry bread with warm water. When the crusts are completely swollen, the fertilizer is mixed until smooth. The means are poured over the bushes.
2. In 10 liters of water dissolve 1 tbsp. l. urea. For 1 plant use 1-2 liters of this composition.
3. 1 part of fresh manure is mixed with 3 liters of warm water and left for a week. For 10 liters of water, take 1 liter of the resulting product and 30 g of superphosphate.

Council. Fertilizers are poured not under the cucumbers, but into the grooves dug between the rows.

For foliar dressing, take one of the presented fertilizers and dilute it with water in a 1: 2 ratio.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

Knowing the nuances of growing a crop will prevent many problems:

1. Cucumbers become bitter when there is a lack of moisture. On hot days, they are watered 2 times a day (morning and evening).
2. Docking is carried out early in the morning in dry weather. So the places of the cuts will tighten faster.
3. Do not wait for the fruits to reach their maximum size, otherwise they will become bitter.
4. If you break off a piece of a Chinese cucumber on a bush, the rest will drag on and continue to grow.

Diseases and pests

Chinese snake resistant to most diseasesspecific to the culture. Bushes do not need preventive treatments.

To protect against a bear, eggshells are buried in the holes. A soap solution will protect against small pests (rub 1 bar of soap into 1 bucket of water).

It is important to follow the rules of watering, pinching and crop rotation. All working garden tools are disinfected.

Harvesting and application of the crop

A cucumber is a vegetable that is consumed only when unripe. The fruits are plucked from the bush when they reach the size characteristic of the hybrid.

The fruits of the Chinese snake are harvested in June. They can be both straight and curved, as in the photo. Fruiting continues until the outside temperature drops below +6 ° C.

After harvesting, the fruits are consumed within 24 hours. Otherwise, the taste will deteriorate, and the vegetable itself will become sluggish.

Chinese Snake Long Cucumbers are ideal for fresh consumption and to be added to salads. They fit and for marinating in pieces.

Advantages and disadvantages of a hybrid

Benefits of the Chinese Snake:

• earlier fruiting;
• cold snap resistance;
• compactness of the bush;
• the ability to grow in the shade;
• great taste and unusual appearance of the fruit;
• unpretentious care;
• high productivity;
• long-term fruiting.

The hybrid also has disadvantages:

• impossibility of preservation as a whole;
• rapid loss of taste after collection;
• low transportability and short storage;
• the need for a garter to the trellis.

Reviews

Reviews of gardeners about the Chinese snake are mostly positive. The hybrid has unusual fruits and excellent taste:

Vasilisa, Belgorod: “I have been raising Chinese snakes for the second year. A very unusual and tasty hybrid. Snake cucumbers are wonderful fresh, and in the marinade they resemble gherkins. I feed the plants only with self-prepared fertilizers (bread and mullein). "

Ivan, Klin: “The first time I tried to grow a Chinese snake, I saw this miracle on the site of a neighbor. The fruits are very long and thin, as shown in the photographs. The taste is sweet and fresh with an unusual aroma. When I want a salad, I just break off a piece of a cucumber right in the garden. The remaining piece continues to grow. Very unusual, I will plant more. It is immediately necessary to clarify that other varieties are more suitable for harvesting for the winter. This one, though tasty when preserved in pieces, does not look very nice in cans. "

Conclusion

Cucumbers Chinese snakes are a real exotic that takes root in the conditions of our country, as they are not afraid of cold snaps and diseases. The hybrid surprises with its unusual shape and taste of fruits, high yield (from 1 m2 harvested to 15 kg) and early fruiting.

Cucumbers are suitable for personal use, but not for sale, since the culture has low transportability, and the taste of vegetables quickly deteriorates after harvest.