We have compiled a review of sweet varieties and hybrids of cucumbers and thank our partners for the participation – the company “Russian Ogorod”, Agroholding “Poisk”, the company “Sibirsky Sad”, Agrofirm “Seeds of Altai”. We will not only help you decide on the choice of your variety and hybrid of cucumbers, but also give some tips on how to grow sweet cucumbers.
A small cheat sheet on why cucumbers are bitter
Cucumber plants that are stressed during the growing season may produce bitter-tasting fruits. Usually, due to lack of water or too cold or too hot temperatures, cucumbers become bitter in taste.
But some varieties and hybrids with any care may have a bitter taste. Cucumbers contain organic compounds called cucurbitacins, which can cause a bitter taste. If you are a beginner, try to avoid overly demanding strains and hybrids and plan your seed purchases more carefully.
Make sure cucumbers are evenly watered.
Debunking the myths about sweetness and bitterness in cucumbers
Sometimes bitterness in cucumbers is explained by a variety of reasons, and this myth-making stubbornly settles in the minds of beginners.
Lyubov Chistyakova, a breeder of cucumbers at Poisk Agroholding, helped us to understand the issues of cucumber sweetness.
- If compared with other representatives of the pumpkin family, such as melon and watermelon, then the cucumber loses in taste to them unequivocally, in comparison with them it is tasteless and, of course, unsweetened. But with a tasting assessment, having tried more than a dozen cucumber fruits, one can understand that one or another variety or hybrid has sweeter and tastier fruits. The organoleptic method for assessing the taste qualities of fruits is the most realistic in comparison with the biochemical one.
- The direction of breeding work is dictated by the market (demand), but of course, there are directions with which the breeder likes to work more. In cucumber breeding, the most important areas (without which the hybrid should not be published) are not only plant resistance to diseases and pests, but also abiotic factors; high precocity and early ripeness of plants, plant productivity, palatability, questions about the use of fruits (salting or pickling, or better both), the direction of salad cucumbers, transportability and much more, usually the buyer does not even know what a hybrid is, until he grows it, at least for 3 years.
- Bitterness is genetically inherited! And it is a big nonsense to say that if a hybrid with a genetic lack of bitterness gets into adverse conditions, then the fruits will be bitter. The absence of bitterness is inherited by a recessive gene, and in order for the hybrid not to accumulate bitterness, it is necessary that both parents be without bitterness. In this regard, the surface, color and size of the greens, the color of the thorns, and even more so the plants growing in the neighborhood, do not affect the presence of bitterness.
- The fact that there is bitterness in black-thorned varieties is explained by the fact that earlier breeders did not select for the absence of bitterness and most of the old varieties have bitterness. And yes, in old varieties, weather conditions, lack of watering, overflow, excess nitrogen affect whether we feel bitterness or not.
- Bee-pollinated and parthenocarpic cucumbers grown in the same conditions do not differ in taste! Fruits from open and protected ground differ in taste. From the open – they have a richer taste and aroma.
Choose cucumber hybrids genetically devoid of bitterness
7 rules to avoid bitterness in cucumbers
- Plant cucumbers in a sunny location in soil that is rich in organic matter and well-drained. During the season, mulch plants with seasoned compost, which is rich in nutrients and retains moisture.
- Give the cucumbers enough room to grow, don’t plant cucumbers closer than 30cm apart.
- Plant cucumber seedlings after all danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed up to +16°C. Frost can stress cucumbers. If there is danger of frost after the cucumbers are in the garden, protect the plants.
- Water cucumbers regularly; do not let the soil dry out, especially during flowering and fruiting. The lack of water in the early stages of growth leads to the fact that bitter-tasting compounds are concentrated in the fruits. Water the cucumbers deeply once or twice a week, or set up automatic watering to keep the soil moist but not wet.
- As soon as the soil temperature reaches +21°C, reduce the evaporation of moisture from the soil by mulching the plants with organic mulch. Mulch also reduces weeds that compete for soil moisture and nutrients.
- Protect cucumbers from high temperatures. Provide light afternoon shade to cool the plants.
- Harvest cucumbers of the optimal size for the variety and more often. Cucumbers should be ready for harvest 50-70 days after planting.
Finally, choose varieties of cucumbers without a bitter taste. Curcurbitacin levels in cucumbers vary by cultivar, but also from plant to plant, and even from fruit on the same plant. An enzyme called elatherase, also present in cucumbers, can reduce cucurbitacins, but the amount of elatherase can vary from season to season and plant to plant. It’s time to get acquainted with the best sweet varieties of cucumbers.
Mulch cucumbers with compost
Top 11 sweet cucumbers from Poisk Agroholding
1. Cucumber F1 Ladies’ Man
Super-yielding cucumber hybrid: more than 5 ovaries per node.
Delicious crispy gherkins. Ideal for pickling and marinating. Early ripe parthenocarpic hybrid for film greenhouses and open ground. The period from full shoots to the first harvest is 38-40 days. Fruits 8-10 cm long, without bitterness, small-tuberous, white-thorned. Very fragrant and tasty cucumbers. It is used fresh, for pickling and pickling.
Cucumber F1 Ladies’ man is resistant to cucumber mosaic virus, olive blotch.
2. Cucumber F1 Stilyaga
Fragrant crispy greens are ideal for pickling and pickling. High commercial quality. The most delicious pickled cucumbers. Parthenocarpic early ripe hybrid. For cultivation in film greenhouses and open ground. The period from germination to the beginning of fruiting is 38-43 days. The fruits are cylindrical, small-tuberous, white-thorned, 11-13 cm long, very beautiful, gherkin type. Ideal for pickling and marinating. The taste and commercial qualities of F1 Stilyaga cucumbers are high.
Cucumber F1 Stilyaga is resistant to cucumber mosaic virus, olive blotch and tolerant to powdery mildew and downy mildew.
3. Cucumber F1 Crispy slice
Delicious, fragrant, fruitful cucumber. Parthenocarpic mid-season hybrid for film greenhouses and open ground. The period from full shoots to the first harvest is 50-53 days. Fruits are 8-10 cm long, smooth, salad purpose. Juicy, fragrant greens.
Cucumber F1 Crispy Slice is resistant to cucumber mosaic virus, olive blotch and tolerant to powdery mildew and downy mildew.
4. Cucumber F1 Athos
Dense and crispy cucumbers, without bitterness and voids, do not turn yellow. Dark green fruit with good texture and crunch. Parthenocarpic hybrid for open and protected ground. The period from germination to fruiting is 38-40 days. The plant is long-branched, with a bouquet type of ovary. The fruit is 6-9 cm long, small tuberculate.
Cucumbers are suitable for fresh consumption and canning.
Cucumber F1 Athos is resistant to cucumber mosaic virus and powdery mildew.
5. Cucumber F1 Taste of childhood
Unforgettable cucumber aroma of fresh greens. Early ripe parthenocarpic hybrid for film greenhouses and open ground. The period from full shoots to the first harvest is 38-42 days. The plant is vigorous, female type of flowering. Fruits are 10-12 cm long, without bitterness, white-thorned, the arrangement of tubercles is frequent. Cucumbers are used for fresh consumption and canning.
Cucumber F1 Taste of Childhood is resistant to cucumber mosaic virus, olive blotch and tolerant to powdery mildew.
6. Cucumber F1 Bouquet for mom
Bouquet type of flowering and easy formation. Cucumbers have great taste. For protected and open ground. Early maturing parthenocarpic hybrid of the female type of flowering. The period from full shoots to the first harvest is 38-42 days. The plant is vigorous, branching is medium. 4-6 or more ovaries are formed in the node. The fruits are cylindrical, large-tuberous, white-thorned, 10-12 cm long, 3,5-4 cm in diameter. Weight 110-130 g. Used for fresh consumption and canning.
Cucumber F1 Bouquet for mom is resistant to a complex of diseases.
7. Cucumber F1 Lakomka
Delicious fragrant cucumbers for fresh salads. Parthenocarpic hybrid for film greenhouses. The period from full shoots to the first harvest is 40-45 days. Hybrid of predominantly female type of flowering. Fruits 18-20 cm long, rarely tuberculate, white pubescence. The fruits are juicy, with delicate skin, crispy, very tasty and fragrant. For fresh consumption.
The hybrid is resistant to cucumber mosaic virus, olive blotch.
8. Cucumber F1 Refectory
Fragrant, dense, crispy cucumbers. Great taste fresh and marinated. Abundant and long fruiting. Tolerates hot weather well. A bee-pollinated early-ripening hybrid for open ground. The period from full shoots to the first harvest is 42-45 days. Fruits 10-11 cm long, without bitterness and voids, finely tuberculate. Used for fresh consumption and canning.
Cucumber F1 Refectory is resistant to powdery mildew, peronosporosis and fusarium.
9. Cucumber F1 Khrustlyandiya
Amazing taste and aroma. Parthenocarpic hybrid of cucumbers for film greenhouses. The period from full shoots to the first harvest is 45-50 days. Fruits 17-20 cm long, large-tuberous, white-thorned. Firm, crispy flesh and tender skin. Excellent taste fresh, suitable for pickling and winter salads.
Cucumber F1 Khrustlyandiya is resistant to cucumber mosaic virus and olive blotch.
10. Cucumber F1 Kapitoshka
Abundant harvest. The best gherkins for pickling and pickling. Cold resistant. Parthenocarpic early ripe hybrid of gherkin type for cultivation in film greenhouses and open ground. The period from full shoots to the first harvest is from 40 to 43 days. Only female flowers are formed on plants, more than 5 pieces per node.
Fruits 10-11 cm long, small tuberculate, white-spiked. The taste and commercial qualities of cucumbers are excellent. Incredibly tasty pickled and marinated gherkins. Holds up well to cold weather.
Cucumber F1 Kapitoshka is resistant to a complex of diseases.
11. Cucumber F1 Beijing Gourmet
Cucumber F1 Beijing gourmet delicious, fragrant and sweet cucumber. Heat-resistant, disease-resistant. Parthenocarpic early ripe hybrid for growing in film greenhouses and in open ground. From germination to fruiting 44-47 days. The fruit is 33-35 cm long, dark green, shiny, large tuberculate. Zelentsy with a small seed chamber, excellent taste, fragrant, sweet. The hybrid is resistant to powdery mildew, downy mildew, Fusarium and high temperatures.
Cucumber F1 Beijing Gourmet is suitable for fresh consumption in salads.
You can find out about other varieties and hybrids of cucumbers of Poisk Agroholding here >>>>>.
Top 10 sweet cucumbers from the Russian Garden company
1. Cucumber Sweet Crunch
Cucumber Sweet Crunch is a mid-season sweet variety of cucumbers with an unusual fruit color and excellent taste. The fruits are cylindrical, large tuberculate, with black pubescence. The weight of each gherkin on average reaches 60-70 g, the length of the fruit is 7-10 cm. It is distinguished by a bright, light, almost white color, a delicious taste, resistance to powdery mildew.
Cucumber Sweet Crunch is perfect for canning.
2. Cucumber F1 Buddy
Cucumber F1 Friend – new for 2021. An early self-pollinating indeterminate cucumber hybrid of a predominantly female flowering type. From germination to fruiting 35-40 days. Forms 2-4 ovaries per node. Plants are vigorous with strong branching. Zelenets cylindrical shape 10 x 3,5 cm, white-spiked, medium tuberculate. Harvest. Taste is excellent, sweet.
3. Cucumber F1 Claudius
A parthenocarpic hybrid of the cucumber variety popular among Russians. It is characterized by rapid growth, short internodes, forms several fruits at each node. Zelentsy about 10 cm long, excellent quality, beautiful, black-thorned. Good fresh and excellent in pickling. The hybrid is suitable for cultivation in the open and closed ground.
Cucumber F1 Claudius is resistant to a complex of diseases.
4. Cucumber F1 New Nezhinsky
Mid-season bee-pollinated cucumber hybrid, superior in yield and taste to the classic variety Nezhinsky. Zelenets is white-thorned, with a beautiful classic “Russian” shirt, which makes the blanks especially attractive. It is characterized by excellent pickling qualities – better than all other cucumbers known in history. The high yield of the new cucumber hybrid will make it possible to produce lightly salted and pickled cucumbers on an industrial scale with a taste that was once supplied to the royal table. The plant is long-branched.
F1 hybrid New Nezhinsky is resistant to major cucumber diseases.
5. Cucumber F1 White crunch
Early ripe fruitful hybrid, predominant female type of flowering. Ready for harvest 45 days after sowing. The fruits are cylindrical, leveled, with a smooth skin, up to 17 cm long and weighing up to 180 g. Fruit picking begins at a length of 10 cm. Cucumber F1 White crunch is distinguished by its bright appearance and excellent fresh taste.
6. Cucumber F1 Diva
The most delicious hybrid of salad cucumbers, good in lemonades. Early ripe, parthenocarpic, predominantly female type of flowering. Zelenets is smooth, 15-20 cm long. Due to its thin and delicate skin, juicy pulp and small seeds, it is best suited for use in salads. Resistant to major cucumber diseases.
Cucumber F1 Diva is marked with a quality mark.
7. Cucumber F1 Crunchy Bush
The new cucumber bush hybrid has incredibly compact shoots no more than half a meter long. White-thorned fruits – classic pickles – dark green with light stripes, grow up to 11 cm long. A very productive variety, ripening in 52 days.
F1 tolerant to powdery mildew and cucumber mosaic virus.
8. Cucumber F1 Moscow delicacy
Cucumber F1 Moscow delicacy – parthenocarpic early ripe (42 days) hybrid of cucumbers. Very tasty, beautiful, deserving sincere admiration from many of our customers! The plant is medium climbing, with bundle formation of ovaries. Zelentsy are beautiful, cylindrical, small tuberculate, genetically without bitterness, do not outgrow. Cucumbers are good fresh and canned. Recommended for both open and protected ground.
Hybrid F1 Moscow delicacy differs in high productivity and marketability, it is steady against the basic diseases of a cucumber.
9. Cucumber Lightly salted
Salted Cucumber is a bee-pollinated early variety of cucumbers. Clusters of neat fruits just ask for a barrel for pickling! Incredibly crispy, fragrant and tasty lightly salted cucumbers are obtained very quickly. Zelentsy oval, 8-9 cm long, large tuberculate, white-spiked, with light stripes on ½ of the fruit.
We recommend planting several different varieties side by side at once. This will increase the chances of a good cross-pollination!
10 . Cucumber F1 Russian size XXL
A special cucumber hybrid adapted to growing in hot climates. The fruits are straight, often tuberculate, located mostly on the main shoot. They grow rapidly and reach an unprecedented length – 45-50 cm! They taste just great fresh.
cucumber hybrid F1 Russian size XXL recommended for closed and open ground.
Top 9 sweet cucumbers from the company “Altai Seeds”
1. Cucumber F1 Smelt
Fructifies uninterruptedly. An ideal hybrid for picking pickles (3-4 cm long) and gherkins (fruits 5-7 cm). Does not need the help of pollinating insects. The first greens will appear on the 37-39th day. Zelentsy tuberculate, weighing 30-50 g, do not bitter, do not outgrow, sweet and crispy. Cucumber F1 Smelt form up to 5 ovaries in knots (see the correct formation on the back of the package), which guarantees stable and friendly ripening of greens.
2 Cucumber variety Altai
Cucumber varieties Altai – a cucumber with a Siberian character. Early ripe (39-41 days) variety resistant to disease and cold. Bee pollinated. Designed for open ground and film greenhouses. Zelentsy short, tuberculate, oval, weighing 90-118 g, 9-13 long.
Cucumber Altai great for salads, vegetable cuts and salting. Can be grown through seedlings or direct seeding into the ground.
3. Cucumber F1 City Cucumber
For the winter harvest and those who do not have a garden. Super-early (38-40 days). Parthenocarpic hybrid of cucumbers, does not need pollination. Branches actively, is not afraid of shade, has small leaves, compactly forms ovaries (3-9 at the nodes). It does not take up much space, therefore it grows well on loggias, balconies, verandas, as well as in the open field or in a greenhouse. Fruits abundantly. Cucumbers are crispy, juicy, sweet. They grow up to 12 cm, weighing 75-90 g, do not outgrow, remaining small and thin (in the common people “finger cucumbers”).
This cucumber hybrid is not afraid of a number of diseases: olive blotch, powdery mildew, cucumber mosaic, etc.
4. Cucumber F1 Junior Lieutenant
The parthenocarpic hybrid of cucumbers begins to bear fruit on the 39-40th day. More than 3 ovaries are formed in one sinus, from which medium-tuberous greens grow, weighing 90-110 g, 9-12 cm long. Stably bears fruit, bypassing a number of cucumber diseases.
Cucumber F1 Second Lieutenant suitable for enjoying greens directly from the garden, as well as for salting.
5. Cucumber F1 Simple-Idle
Easy to grow, generous harvest! Not afraid of cucumber ailments (rot, spotting). Perfectly manifests itself, both in open ground and in greenhouses. Mid-early hybrid (48-50 days) of cucumbers for a long harvest. Cucumbers one to one – cylindrical, small and often tuberculate, dark green, up to 10 cm long, tasty, crispy and fragrant.
cucumbers F1 Idle-idle great for pickles and summer slicing.
6. Cucumber F1 Bundle Boom
Cucumber F1 beam boom perfect for pickling and marinating! Does not need pollination, early ripe variety (39-44 days) for open and protected ground. At the nodes, it forms at least 5 ovaries together and at the same time, and with the correct formation of the plant, you will get a real beam boom. On the reverse side of the package “Seeds of Altai” contains detailed information about the formation. Zelentsy grow up to 9-11 cm, 3-3,5 cm in diameter, sweet, crispy. They do not outgrow, but in winter preparations they retain their shape, density and elasticity. Continues to bear fruit even with a noticeable decrease in temperature.
7. Cucumber F1 Pickle Guys
Early ripe, self-pollinating cucumber for picking pickles (at 37-38 days) and gherkins (at 42-44 days). Up to 5 ovaries are formed in one node, which, if properly formed, ripen evenly. The fruits are not bitter, juicy and crispy.
Hybrid F1 Guys piculata resistant to root rot, cucumber mosaic virus and powdery mildew.
8. Cucumber F1 Crispy bunch
Cucumbers without bitterness!
Early ripe hybrid (37-40 days). Up to 7 ovaries are formed in one sinus. It is important to form correctly. As a result, you will get Zelentsy one to one (cylindrical, dark green, tuberculate, weighing 70-90 g, 8-11 cm long).
The pulp of greens from cucumbers F1 Crispy bunch dense, crispy, sweet, fragrant, absolutely without bitterness.
9. Cucumbers F1 Nursery
Cucumber garlands in your garden. Very early (38-42 days) self-pollinating hybrid. A compact plant with an incredible number of ovaries of at least 3-5 fruits. Zelentsy with clearly defined spikes, which is ideal for pickling. Fruits grow up to 11 cm, weighing 90-100 g, with crispy, juicy and sweet pulp.
cucumbers F1 Nursery not afraid of temperature changes, a number of cucumber diseases, continues to bear fruit together.
Top 5 sweet cucumbers from the Siberian Garden company
1. Cucumbers F1 Ecole
Newest parthenocarpic hybrid cucumber F1 Ecole medium early ripening (45-48 days) with intensive fruit set and very high yield. It grows well and bears fruit in greenhouses, film shelters and open ground. In each fruiting node, it forms up to 6-9 cucumbers, 5 to 10 cm long. The fruits are short, cylindrical, dark green in color, medium tuberculate, genetically without bitterness, great for picking greens for pickles 4-5 cm in size. Good fresh, especially tasty in pickling and pickling.
cucumber hybrid F1 Ecole resistant to cladosporiosis and powdery mildew, relatively resistant to cucumber mosaic ricus.
Care: do not form in open ground. In greenhouses grown on a trellis. To obtain the maximum yield, it is necessary to remove the first 3-4 ovaries and pinch 2-3 lower side shoots. Harvest: Harvest every 2-3 days. Irregular collections reduce the yield and quality of greens.
(!) Seeds are treated with fungicides (antifungal drugs). Do not soak before sowing.
2. Cucumbers grade Shanghai long
shanghai long – a new early ripe bee-pollinated variety of cucumbers for greenhouses and open ground. The plant is powerful, long-leafed, medium-leaved, forms rare-tuberous fruits up to 50 cm long. The taste and structure of the fruits will provide excellent summer salads, lemonades, lightly salted pickles. Fruiting is long, until the first frost, which will allow summer residents to enjoy sweet fresh cucumbers of this variety all summer.
Grade shanghai long quite resistant to major cucumber diseases, high yield.
3. Cucumbers F1 April
Popular early maturing parthenocarpic hybrid F1 April female type of flowering for protected ground. It is characterized by a long period of fruiting and a friendly return of the crop. Zelentsy tuberculate, white-thorned, 14-22 cm long, weighing up to 200 g, high taste, salad use. The hybrid is relatively cold-resistant, resistant to olive blotch, cucumber mosaic virus-1, tolerant to root rot. Average yield per season up to 40 kg per 1 m2.
To accelerate the process of germination of cucumber seeds, improve plant health, and improve fruit set, it is recommended to use specially designed plant growth and development stimulants.
4. Cucumber F1 June early ripening
Early maturing self-pollinating hybrid F1 June precocious gherkin type with a female type of flowering and a bouquet arrangement of ovaries. Designed for early harvests even in risky farming regions! Perhaps you will get the earliest harvest and be the first of the neighbors to enjoy the taste of fresh cucumbers! The hybrid is stress-resistant, highly resistant to major cucumber diseases. From germination to the beginning of fruiting 42-44 days. The plant is medium climbing, the ovary is bouquet, 2-4 beautiful greens 9-10 cm long, weighing 45-50 g are formed in the node. The fruits are dark green, large-tuberculate, without bitterness. Dense crunchy pulp provides excellent pickling qualities of the hybrid. Fruiting is powerful, friendly. Yield up to 25 kg/m2.
To protect against aphids and greenhouse whiteflies, it is recommended to treat with Biotlin at the first sign of the appearance of pests. The drug destroys insects in 2 days, its further activity is at least 2 weeks.
5. Cucumber F1 Gypsy camp
For open ground, wonderful pickling fruits, sweet, dense, without voids. Very unpretentious mid-early hybrid. Fruits are dark green, black-thorned, cylindrical, 8-10 cm long with a smooth elongated base. They have an excellent delicate sweetish taste, they are not empty inside. Productive, requires frequent harvesting of fruits.
