All cucumbers are divided into two large groups - bee pollinated and parthenocarpic. And those and others quite often can be seen in summer cottages and in vegetable gardens.
Parthenocarpic
varieties of cucumbers are sometimes mistakenly called self-pollinating. They were bred for a long time for use in greenhouses. Zelentsy in this species are formed without any pollination at all. Therefore, it is more correct to call them self-fertile.
At the moment, such cucumbers are used for growing in open ground. Moreover, summer residents most often prefer their self-pollinating varieties. If we compare the characteristics of both groups, self-fertile can be noted a lot of advantages over traditional. Parthenocarpic varieties of cucumbers are distinguished by the absence of bitterness in the fruits, continuous fruiting, better resistance to adverse weather conditions and various kinds of diseases. Their cultivation is also advisable because the population of bees and other pollinating insects has recently decreased significantly in nature.
To date, the most popular variety of cucumbers related to the self-fertile group is F1 Zador. It is an early ripe hybrid of the so-called gherkin type.
It features an unusually high yield. Zelentsy is relatively dark, tuberous, have a beautiful cylindrical shape. The main difference between this hybrid and the previously used self-fertile varieties is that these cucumbers are ideal for canning. They are small in size (8-10 cm) and have excellent palatability.
Parthenocarpic varieties of cucumbers, to which Zador belongs, are also remarkable for the fact that in their fruits there are absolutely no seeds. And this makes them even more suitable for winter harvesting, because in such pickled or pickled cucumbers, the formation of voids is excluded. Their skin is not too thick, and therefore, in the process of canning, salt easily penetrates through it. The flesh remains crisp and strong. If you plan to store them in the cellar, you can not even roll up the lids on the banks. In this case, it is best to use spring water for salting.
Parthenocarpics are high-yielding varieties of cucumbers. The same Zador gives up to 12 kg of fruit per 1 m2. This is facilitated by the intensive development of stems for almost the entire growing season. As a result, the whips form an unusually powerful curtain. It is very easy to collect the fruits of Zador, since the leaves are not too large. Growing can be done both in seedling method, and by sowing seeds directly into open ground. The most commonly used method of planting by gardeners is at the same time.
Zador was the first popular cultivar of hothouse self-fertilizers adapted for cultivation in open ground. However, at the moment he, of course, is far from the only one. Partenocarpic varieties of cucumbers are presented, for example, by Marinda F1, Masha F1, Shchedrik F1 and many others. Perhaps the only downside to self-fertilization is the inability to harvest seeds on their own. But given that they are not too expensive, this can not be considered a particularly big drawback.