Tiny and cute cucumbers gherkins have a mass of merits, they are famous for their crispy structure and excellent salting characteristics. For domestic conservation, the vegetables of a certain size and variety purchased on the market are suitable, but they will never equal the taste of the fruits grown on their own plot.
Cucumbers gherkins - varieties
First, let's look at the difference between crispy cornichons from other varieties. The word "cornichon" is translated very simply and means "cucumber". This popular name was invented by the French, it has taken root and quickly became fashionable in other countries. Standard cucumbers gherkins for open ground can be obtained by removing from the usual bushes young juicy zeltsy up to 9 cm long. Smaller gherkins with a size of 3 cm to 5 cm are called pickles.
Authoritative vegetable growers and culinary experts assert that it is better to purchase special small-fruited cultivars for pickling cucumbers, which are characterized by improved characteristics. The fruits are crunchy, they do not form a cavity when ripe. When ripe gherkins do not grow to enormous sizes, they are always quietly placed in cans or used for processing on salads.
The most popular cucumbers are gherkins:
- The Paris gherkin,
- Funny company,
- Moth F1,
- Marinated F1,
- Moravian cornichon,
- Children's,
- Philipp F1,
- Sweet crunch,
- The son of the regiment F1,
- Favorite son-in-law F1,
- Brownie F1.
It is recommended that instead of old varieties be purchased hybrids of cucumber gherkins, which grow mini fruit, suitable for harvesting at the earliest stage. These plants type of flowering are predominantly female, form even greens. Their one-day or two-day ligature reaches a length of up to 4 cm and is perfectly used for processing. It is not thin tasteless "pencils", but juicy quality cucumbers.
Cucumber Moravian cornichon
Listing the best varieties of cucumbers gherkins, we can distinguish the Moravian cornichlor F1, which has excellent characteristics. Growing this hybrid, you will receive a stable product of equal commercial fruits without bitterness weighing 68-94 g, resistant to major diseases. The yield of bushes reaches 8 kg / m 2 , the average period of vegetation is 45 days. Seeds are sown with a density of planting up to 5 sprouts per 1 m 2 .
Variety of cucumbers Paris cornichon
You can not miss the famous cucumbers, the Paris cornichon, a description of the French variety will appeal to most gardeners who want to receive a stable crop of vegetables on the site annually. The shape of the greentail is fusiform, weighing 57-78 g, maturation is about 45 days. On crispy fruits with large tubercles there is a characteristic dark fuzz, when they mature in taste there is no bitterness.
Cucumbers gherkins - planting
Planting of cucumbers of gherkins in the ground is carried out by a seedless method or seedlings, on this basis the seeds sowing time strongly shifts depending on the climatic zone of a particular region. When freezing, you need to immediately cover the ground with film or other materials. In the open ground cucumbers are sown when reaching night temperatures of 15 °. Seeds are sealed to a depth of 3 cm, the seedbed is formed according to the scheme of 50x30 cm.
Cucumbers gherkins - planting time
In the central part of Russia, the gherkins for gardening for growing in polycarbonate greenhouses without heating can be safely sown in early May, on beds under the film shelter - from May 15, into the open land - in the last decade of May. In southern Russia and Ukraine, the deadlines are shifted to April and early May. For beginners, vegetable growers should be guided by the weather and the sowing calendar for their region.
How to plant cucumber gherkins?
Prepared seeds that have been treated with etching and processing in stimulating solutions are suitable for work, disinfection of imported material is made industrially before implementation. Own seeds should be carefully inspected, culling damaged or light seeds. Cucumbers gherkins are planted according to the rules, which are the same for most varieties, there are no special tricks here.
How to plant cucumber gherkins:
- Gherkins for planting and care with seedlings are sown in containers measuring approximately 10x10 cm with the drainage holes made.
- Pots should be filled with 3/4 of the soil.
- The nutrient substrate for vegetables is used moderately loose and light.
- Optimal soil acidity for cucumbers - pH 6.5-7.0.
- It is advisable to add rotten manure or compost to the pots.
- Seeds are buried in the ground for 2-3 cm.
- Gherkins germinate at a temperature of 21-35 ° C.
- For optimal growth, the temperature is 21-26 ° C.
- Seedlings before planting must be tempered.
- On the bed, the distance between the bushes is kept to 2.4 m, for stunted plants it is possible to leave 2.1 m.
- The best harvest of cucumber gherkin gives on trellis.
How to grow cucumber gherkins?
Growing gherkins in the open ground of special methods does not require. The main thing in this case is timely watering, weeding the beds, loosening the land, fertilizing plants and daily harvesting of fruits. It is desirable to place the ridges in a warm and lighted place, but excessive drying of the earth leads to a loss of harvest. In a hot climate, amateurs often gardeners use a hedge of corn plantations, forming a shadow for bushes, saving them from scorching heat.
Gherkins - watering
In the first phase of growth, shrubs consume less trace elements and require a little moisture. Irrigation in this period produced at intervals of 3-5 days, focusing on weather conditions. The need for plants in moisture increases strongly with the beginning of fruiting. In the heat, daily waterings are made to ensure the normal growth of bushes. For cucumber gherkins soil characteristics play an important role. On light soils, with rising temperatures, it is often necessary to water vegetables twice a day, otherwise their yields drop sharply.
Gherkins - additional dressing
Cultivation of cucumbers of gherkins is made with the help of organic or mineral fertilizers. There are a lot of schemes for the introduction of useful substances, so you can easily find a convenient schedule, focusing on their means. With good soil, cucumbers have 4 high-quality dressings:
- 1 feeding of gherkins is done 2 weeks after planting. It is produced by slurry in a proportion of 1: 6 or infusion of mown grass 1: 5. Organics can be replaced with a solution of 1 tablespoon of urea and 60 g of superphosphate in a bucket of water.
- 2 top dressing is carried out before flowering. The food is introduced in the form of infusion of mown grass (1: 5), mineral substances are replaced with an aqueous solution of ash (1 glass per 10 liters). Good help foliar feeding of boric acid (1 tsp / 1 liter of water) or superphosphate (35 g / 10 liters).
- 3 top dressing is done during the mass ripening of cucumbers. Used two-day infusion of mown grass (1: 5) or a solution of urea (50 g / 10 liters). Urea is suitable for foliar feeding of bushes, in this case it is bred in the proportion of 12 g per bucket of water.
- 4 fertilizing is done after 2 weeks, it helps on poor soils to increase the fruit-bearing period of cornichons. Used for choice of infusion of herbs (1: 5), a solution of ash (1 glass per 10 liters) or foliar application of urea (15 g / 10 liters). Ash is a completely safe means, which is recommended to make the entire harvest period every 10 days.
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Growing gherkins - diseases and pests
In the question of how to grow cucumber gherkins, one must not lose sight of the fight against dangerous infections and insects, the affected plants give an extremely small crop or quickly die. Of the diseases should be allocated peronosporoz, flares of which are always observed in July after heavy precipitation. Against the fungus helps spraying shrubs with the drug "Champion" or "Aliett".
Bacteriosis causes the appearance of holes in leaf blades, changes in the color of bushes, death of green mass. From it get rid by treatment with copper-containing agents or fungicides "Champion", "Kuproksat", "Kurzat". Of insects, the most harmful to cucumber gherkins are sprouts, thrips, aphids and alfalfa bug. They damage the shoots, young shoots, stems, suck the juice. For struggle apply effective insecticides of type "Actellik" , "Decis" or "Talstar".