Characteristics of bush cucumbers and cultivation features

Cucumbers are one of the most demanded crops among gardeners in our country. Already in the second half of spring, you can taste self-grown fresh fruits, and the winter menu is not complete without pickled vegetables, so summer residents try to grow them in large quantities.

Not only owners of large plots can please themselves with a rich cucumber harvest. Using bush varieties, fruits can be harvested even in small beds. What are the advantages of bush cucumbers and what are the nuances of caring for them, we will tell further.

General description of bush cucumbers

Bush cucumbers are distinguished by a low growth of the main stem - 50 cm, while in classic varieties, the main loops reach 3 m... Moreover, they have a minimum number of side branches. Due to this, these varieties are compact bushes.

Bush cucumbers have short internodes... This makes the plants appear strongly leafy. A large number of fruits are formed on them, the size of which reaches 10 cm, but they are usually removed from the bush when they reach 5 cm. They are convenient to preserve, they look beautiful on the table.

All bush cucumbers are characterized by fast and amicable ripening.... Already 3 weeks after the appearance of the first shoots, the crop is harvested. The growing season for bush cucumbers is also short. A month after the formation of the first fruits, the bushes are dug up and new plants are planted in their place.

The taste of cucumbers is rich, sweetish... They are crunchy, have a delicate skin and many bumps.

All bush varieties are resistant to most viral and fungal diseases... Thanks to the quick setting of fruits, gardeners have time to harvest before the epidemic of the most common diseases.

It is interesting. Bush cucumbers are decorative and look interesting even in street pots.

Advantages and disadvantages of bush cucumbers

Bush cucumbers differ significantly from the classic varieties in the type of bush.

They have many advantages:

• fast and friendly return of the crop;
• compactness;
• unpretentious care;
• immunity to many diseases of melons and gourds;
• small fruit sizes.

Disadvantages of bush cucumbers - low productivity and a short growing season.

Bush cucumber varieties

Introducing the most popular varieties of bush cucumbers:

1. Microsha... Open ground grade. The height of the bush reaches 40 cm. Fruits are egg-shaped, reaching a length of 5 cm. The rind is dark green, dense. The seeds are small. The taste is sweetish. Has a high immunity to viral and fungal diseases.
2. Gift... Recommended for open ground. The bush reaches a height of 50 cm. It is resistant to viral and fungal diseases. The dark green fruit with a thin skin grows up to 10 cm in length.
3. Shorty... A bee-pollinated variety suitable for outdoor cultivation. The bush is medium spreading. The maximum height of the main stem reaches 45 cm. Zelentsy are light green, with white stripes and a delicate, thin skin. Fruit length does not exceed 9 cm. It has a high immunity to olive spot and powdery mildew.
4. Bush... The height of the bush does not exceed 50 cm. Fruits are cylindrical, up to 8 cm long, green in color, with a thin skin. They are lightweight.

The advantage of bush cucumber varieties is that harvested seeds from self-grown fruits are suitable for planting... Planting material is collected from large fruits that have turned yellow on the bush.

Bush cucumber hybrids

Bush cucumber hybrids are often more resistant to disease than varieties... Therefore, many gardeners prefer them:

1. Tough Baby F1... The height of the bush varies between 30-40 cm. The fruits are egg-shaped, weight 60-80 g. Resistant to viral and fungal diseases.
2. Kid F1... The height of the central stem reaches 30 cm. Fruits are elongated, dark green, with large tubercles. They reach 9 cm in length. The hybrid is resistant to viruses and powdery mildew.
3. Hector F1... The height of the bush reaches 40 cm. Light green fruits grow up to 8 cm in length, have a thin peel and light pubescence. The hybrid is resistant to cold snaps.
4. Aladdin F1... The maximum height of the bush is 70 cm. Cucumbers are elongated, dark green in color, with sparse tubercles. In length, each fruit reaches 10 cm. The hybrid is picky about the composition of the soil and watering. It is immune to downy mildew.
5. Boy with thumb F1... The height of the bush varies between 30-40 cm. The length of the dark green thorny fruits does not exceed 8 cm. It is immune to viral and fungal diseases.

Seeds from hybrid fruit are not used for planting.... Often they grow into plants that do not have hybrid, but parental characteristics.

Planting cucumbers

Planting bush self-pollinated varieties cucumbers for open ground is not much different from planting ordinary ones. Due to the compact size of the plants, they are planted close to each other.

Cucumbers are demanding on the composition of the soil. They begin to prepare the beds for planting cucumbers in the fall. For this, the soil is dug up and cleaned of plant residues. For each 1 m², add 15 g of urea, 30 g of superphosphate and 6 kg of humus. The ingredients are mixed with earth.

In the spring, they dig up the soil. A glass of ash is added for each 1 m² to reduce acidity and saturate the soil with useful microelements. 2 days before planting cucumbers, the soil is watered with a hot solution of copper sulfate (1 tbsp. L of copper sulfate per one bucket of water).

The choice of a place for planting cucumbers also matters.... Semi-shaded areas are suitable for this crop, in which the groundwater does not adhere too close to the surface.

It is important to observe crop rotation... In the selected area, no other melons and gourds should have grown in the previous two years.

Bush cucumbers are grown in seedling and non-seedling methods.... In both cases, before using the planting material, it is prepared:

1. Warming up... A month before planting, a package with seeds is placed near the battery.
2. Calibration... The seeds are sorted out, leaving dense large specimens without damage, dark spots, voids.
3. Disinfection... The seeds are soaked for half an hour in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate or for 6 hours in a solution "Fitosporin".
4. Growth stimulation... The seeds are soaked for 6-12 hours in a growth stimulator. Often used means "Epin" and "Solution".
5. Hardening... The seeds are placed in the refrigerator for a day.

After processing, the planting material is ready for planting.

Note! Often purchased planting material is processed at the factory. Information about this is indicated on the packaging.

Seedless way

Cucumbers are grown in a seedless way in the southern regions... They are sown into the ground when the soil at a depth of 15 cm warms up to + 12 ° C. This usually happens in early May.

Seeds are sown in rows to a depth of 4 cm... The distance between the plants should be 20-25 cm, between the rows - 40 cm. Some gardeners sow two seeds in one hole, and if both germinate, then pinch the weaker plant.

After sowing the seeds, the beds are watered with warm water... Further, the soil is moistened as it dries. The crops are covered with a film, which is slightly opened during hot times of the day and aired for two hours. After the first shoots appear, the beds are covered with foil only at night.When the threat of night frost has passed, it is completely removed.

For greenhouses, the principle of sowing seeds is the same... In this case, the cultivation of cucumbers begins in the second half of April. The crops are not covered with foil.

Seedling method

Seedling the method is considered the most reliable... It is suitable for growing cucumbers in all regions and allows you to harvest much earlier.

The timing of sowing seeds for seedlings depends on the region:

• southern - early April;
• central - the second half of April;
• northern - early May.

Cucumbers do not tolerate picking well, so the seeds are sown immediately in separate containers - plastic and peat cups are suitable. Before use, they are disinfected with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate.

For cucumber seedlings, they buy a universal soil mixture or prepare the soil on their own. To do this, mix two parts of garden soil and humus with one part of sawdust or sand. The earth is disinfected with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate or ignited in the oven.

One seed is sown into each container, deepening it by 2 cm. The crops are watered with warm water, covered with foil and removed to a place with a temperature of + 24 ... + 26 ° C.

When the seeds germinate, the film is removed. Plants are grown at room temperature... If natural light is not enough, then phytolamps are used.

How to care for seedlings:

1. Seedlings are watered 2 times a week with water at room temperature. A spray bottle is used for watering.
2. After the appearance of two real leaves make top dressing... It is prepared from 1 liter of water and 1 tsp "Nitrofoski".
3. Two weeks after sowing the seeds, seedlings taken out into the street... Hardening begins at one hour, gradually bringing the time to 12 hours.

Seedlings are planted 3 weeks after sowing the seeds... By this time, the soil temperature at a depth of 15 cm should have reached + 12 ° C.

Dig holes in the ground using a 25x40 scheme. Seedlings are placed in them together with a lump of earth, without deepening the root collar.

After planting, the plants are watered. The next watering is possible not earlier than in a week.

The first two weeks, cucumbers are covered with foil overnight.... This reduces the threat of plant death due to night frosts.

Rules for caring for bush cucumbers

It is believed that growing bush cucumbers is easier than climbing cucumbers... There are nuances in caring for this type of culture.

Bush cucumber care:

1. Watering... You will have to water bush cucumbers more often than climbing cucumbers. In hot and dry summers - up to twice a day. The soil is moistened in the morning, in the evening (when the sun is inactive) with water at room temperature.
2. Garter... Bush cucumbers do not need additional support. Some gardeners, when a large number of fruits are formed, attach the central stem to a wooden peg.
3. Loosening... After each watering, the soil is loosened to restore air exchange. It is impossible to loosen the beds too deep. This is due to the fact that the root system of cucumbers is located close to the surface.
4. Mulching... It is recommended to cover the beds with a layer of straw, hay or sawdust. This will slow down the growth of weeds, reduce the likelihood of plant infection, protect plantings from insects, and slow down the process of moisture evaporation.
5. Weeding... Be sure to make sure that many weeds do not appear on the cucumber beds. They slow down the growth of cultivated plants and increase the likelihood of infection.
6. Top dressing... Bush cucumbers are especially demanding for feeding. They are brought in every two weeks. Mineral and organic compounds alternate.

Many gardeners are wondering whether and how to form cucumbers in the open field. Such varieties are determinant, so there is no need to limit the point of their growth... They do not form lashes and branch weakly. There is no need to pick and form a bush.

Experienced gardeners it is recommended to pinch a few lower leaves to improve air exchange... This procedure is optional.

Diseases and pests

Most bush cucumbers are immune to fungal and viral diseases. Some varieties can still be infected.

The most common diseases of cucumbers include:

• powdery mildew - white or reddish bloom appears on the leaves, which leads to wilting of plants;
• downy mildew - dry yellow spots appear on the leaves. The ground part of the bush withers, no ovaries are formed;
• olive spot - characterized by olive or brown spots on the ground part of the bush;
• Copperhead - brown (not dry) spots appear on the greenery of the plant. Weeping areas form on the fruits;
• white rot - the whole plant, together with the fruits, is covered with a white moist bloom, which leads to rotting of the bush;
• gray rot - the ground part of the bush is covered with weeping brown spots, on which a gray bloom forms;
• root rot - manifests itself in the form of destruction of roots and wilting of plants.

The diseases described are caused by fungi and bacteria... To prevent their development, planting is sprayed every two weeks with "Fitosporin" or copper sulfate. If the disease has already struck the plants, then special means are used - for example, "Fitosporin" (1 time in 2 days) or "Previkur" (1 time in 14 days). In this case, the affected leaves are removed.

Viral diseases are not cured and difficult to prevent... Most bush varieties are immune to them.

To protect against aphids and spider mite cucumber bushes spray soap solution (1 bar of soap per 10 liters of water) or a decoction of bitter herbs. If folk remedies do not help, then use the drug "Barrier".

Possible growing difficulties

If you do not follow the agrotechnical rules, there is a risk of encountering such problems:

• low germination of seeds in the absence of their preliminary treatment;
• the fruits grow sluggish, not juicy due to a violation of the watering regime;
• plantings are massively affected by rot or powdery mildew due to non-compliance with crop rotation standards.

Features of harvesting and storing crops

Experienced gardeners it is recommended to pick fruits from the bush when they reach a size of 5-8 cm... This will increase the yield of the crop. Check the bushes for fruit suitable for harvesting every 2 days.

Bush cucumbers have good keeping quality... They can be stored in a cool room for up to two weeks without losing their taste.

Conclusion

Bush cucumbers are a great option for gardeners with small plots. They are planted close to each other, which allows many plants to fit in a small garden bed. Due to its rich taste and small size, the fruits are suitable for preservation, they are stored for a long time and fresh.