Overview of the best cold-resistant varieties of cucumbers for a cold summer ⋆ 👨‍🌾 Farmer-online ⋆

Summer in our climatic zone is not always warm, so the demand for vegetables that are resistant to weather changes and diseases is always high. Below is a selection of modern varieties and hybrids of cucumbers for cold summer conditions.

Is it possible to grow cucumbers without a greenhouse?

Can! But for open ground, it is desirable to choose early-ripening and early-ripening hybrids that bear fruit in 40–45 days or less from germination. Pay attention to the nature of branching: in the conditions of a short cold summer, strongly branching cucumbers may not have time to give the entire crop.

But don’t let that scare you: in the middle lane, when nighttime cooling sets in, such hybrids often bring a big harvest in late summer – early autumn. Cucumbers with a moderate type of branching are easier to form, and besides, they bear fruit for a long time. Therefore, such hybrids are often recommended as a “golden mean” for cool regions. Weakly branching forms begin to bear fruit faster than others, but this period does not last long, about a month. Such “sprinters” are suitable for those who come to the country on weekends or spend their summer holidays there.

Cucumbers grown in the open field should be distinguished by increased cold resistance, resistance to powdery mildew and downy mildew, and have a high regenerative capacity.

The subtleties of growing greenhouse varieties of cucumbers

Parthenocarpic hybrids are grown in greenhouses: they are able to set fruits without pollination. Naturally, greenhouse conditions allow harvesting for 2 months or more, which means that it is better for them to choose hybrids with good or moderate branching. But with temperature changes, greenhouse cucumbers are often affected by Fusarium, so pay attention to the resistance of the hybrid to this fungal disease. And finally, do not forget that on one hybrid, no matter how good it is, the choice cannot be stopped – even one stress factor can leave you without a cucumber crop. Plant at least two or three hybrids.

How to get a crop of cucumbers in a cold summer

First, check the long-range weather forecast for your area. What do services promise: drought, rain, heat, cold?

„„To increase cold resistance, cucumber seeds are hardened and treated with stimulants. Seedlings a week before planting in the ground are kept at temperatures up to + 16 … + 18 ° С. In good weather, it can be taken out to the balcony, but just do not put it in direct sunlight.

„„If a cold June is predicted, start planting outdoors as soon as the threat of frost has passed and the soil has warmed up. Shelter with lutrasil or film will help protect plants from cooling. Don’t rush to take it off! If you remove the shelter in cold weather, the growth of plants and fruits will stop. Due to abrupt changes in the growth rate, crooked or “constricted” fruits may appear. Only when the weather is very hot and the shelters can cause leaf burns are they opened a little during the daytime. If the shelters are completely removed, the plants are early damaged by powdery mildew. For ventilation, it is enough to raise the shelter on one side.

Cucumbers are a moisture-loving crop, but in cool and rainy weather, the frequency and volume of watering should be reduced. In the greenhouse and hotbed, plants are watered in the first half of the day only with warm water (not lower than + 18 … + 20 ° С). „„In prolonged cloudy weather, it is recommended to feed the plants leaf by leaf with complex water-soluble fertilizers with trace elements at a concentration of 0,1% (1 g of fertilizer per 1 liter of water).

Often, due to sudden changes in temperature, plants stop growing vegetative mass and instead form a large number of female flowers with ovaries at the top of the shoot. If the topping is not strong, you need to remove the ovaries or greens at the bottom of the stem and several large ones at the top, with a strong one, all ovaries and flowers are removed at the top. Feed the plants on the leaf with nitrogen fertilizers or growth stimulants (Epin-extra, Zircon).