Cucumbers are one of the most popular vegetables that are not only consumed fresh, but also canned. Plants are easy to grow, they do not require special care, the main thing is to choose the right crop variety that is suitable for a particular region. One of the best is the "monastery" cucumber, which gives stable crops in any region of the country. The variety attracts with its high taste, good keeping quality.
Grade description
Monastery cucumbers belong to mid-season bee-pollinated varieties recommended for cultivation in open ground and in greenhouses.
A plant of mixed flowering type, medium-sized fruits. The ovaries are located on the 2-4 knot, not allowing Zelentsy to outgrow. They have a cylindrical shape, the color is dark green with light stripes. The length of the cucumbers ranges from six to ten centimeters, weight - about 100 grams. When salted, they remain crispy.
Growing
According to the description, the “monastery” cucumber can be grown both by direct sowing in the soil and by seedling method. Sowing seeds for seedlings is made a month before the date of the planned planting of seedlings in the ground. Seeds are recommended to germinate, which will accelerate the emergence of seedlings.
Direct sowing is carried out only when the soil warms up. The approximate sowing dates are the end of May. However, in more southern regions of the country, sowing may be done earlier.
Direct sowing method
With the seedlingless method of growing the “monastery” cucumber, sowing of seeds is carried out only when the soil is heated at least 15 degrees. At lower temperatures, the seeds die. Seeding depth is about 2 cm, sowing density is up to 7 plants per square meter. Ideally, it is recommended to sow the seeds more often, and after their germination to thin out.
When sowing "monastery" cucumbers, it should be borne in mind that the variety belongs to bee pollinators. Because of this feature, it is recommended to conduct crops together with other varieties, which increases productivity.
Features of soil preparation
The soil for cucumbers should be loose, fertile and retain moisture well. When growing cucumbers of the Monastery variety, it is recommended to apply organic fertilizers directly to the planting pit. This is due to the peculiarity of the root system of culture.
Before sowing or planting seedlings, you should dig a trench with a depth of at least 40 cm. Organic matter is laid out on its bottom and mixed with the lower layers of the soil. Clean soil without impurities is already falling asleep on top. In the process of decaying, organic matter will generate heat and heat plants from below. This accelerates the growth and development of bushes, and after that it will serve as an excellent top dressing.
Choosing a place for the plant
A place for growing cucumbers must be chosen sunny, without drafts. When planting seedlings, corn or other high plantings can be used as a living barrier. Such plants are sown in two lines along the beds, leaving the south side open.
Temperature
The most optimal temperature for growing cucumbers is 25-30 degrees. At the same time, the air temperature should not fall below 15 degrees at night. Otherwise, this can lead to inhibition and complete arrest of plant growth at any stage of its development. Frozen crops are fatal. They not only impede their growth, but can also completely destroy it. Due to the fact that late frosts often occur in the central part of the country and its northern regions, the culture is grown under film shelters, in greenhouses.
Care Features
According to reviews, the "monastery" cucumber needs to be stepson. This procedure involves the removal of all lateral shoots and ovaries growing to the fourth leaf of a young bush. Stepsoning helps develop a healthy, strong root system.
The plant branches well. If necessary, pinch the top. As a result of this procedure, independent branching begins to develop, and only the male type flowers appear on the main stem.
Some vegetable growers pinch the side shoots after the second ovary. However, not all summer residents agree with this opinion.
It is easy to distinguish a male flower from a female. In the latter, a small cucumber is initially laid, which is visible. Male flowers do not have such formations.
Features of watering
At the stage of active growth, it is important to observe the humidity level. Even with short-term drying of the soil, bitterness appears in the plant. It is impossible to remove it even with heavy watering. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to water the cucumbers with warm, settled water every day, and in dry, hot weather - twice a day.
Mulching helps preserve soil moisture. Any organic material, even grass from the garden, is suitable for this. Mulch helps protect the soil in the garden from drying out, prevents the growth of weeds, which will save time on caring for the bushes and reduce the frequency of watering.
With frequent watering, the soil is compacted. In order for air to pass through the roots to it, it is necessary to carry out cultivation. Punctures are made to a depth of at least 10 centimeters.
Fertilizer application
In order to get the “monastic” cucumber as shown in the photo, fertilizers must be applied in a timely manner. Proper top dressing not only increases yield, but also prolongs fruiting.
During the application of fertilizers, it is important to ensure that working solutions do not fall on the leaves, stems of the plant. Do not bring nutrients in cold weather, as it contributes to the slow growth of the plant, and the root system can not absorb nutrients.
Lack of nutrients leads to impaired plant growth and causes deformation of the fruit. To avoid this, it is recommended once a season to fertilize with a complex mineral fertilizer containing nitrogen, magnesium and potassium. You can also periodically use onion infusion for irrigation (pour two handfuls of husk with five liters of water and insist for three days), dairy products (dilute a liter of serum in five liters of water), chicken droppings (two hundred grams of litter are diluted in a bucket of water). Organic dressings attract pests. Therefore, they should be excluded if the site is infected with a spider mite, whitefly.
Diseases, plant pests
According to the description of the variety, the “monastery” cucumbers have excellent resistance to common diseases. But even this does not guarantee that fungi and viruses will not affect the culture. To avoid this, it is recommended to prevent the disease at least once during the entire growing season. To do this, use any drugs available in the garden store.
Timely watering, harvesting, top dressing, pinching, will help to get a good crop of greens with excellent taste.