Pickling Cucumber Karolina F1

Cucumis sativus - Karolina F1

Cucumbers undoubtedly rank among the most popular types of vegetables. Pickling cucumbers or salad cucumbers are probably the most commonly grown vegetable variety. Everyone knows the long snake cucumbers. The fruits measure over thirty centimeters, are smooth, not bitter, and are suitable for growing in greenhouses and polytunnel covers. Cucumbers originate from India, where they have been cultivated for 3000 years. The plant is up to 2 meters long and climbing. It characteristically has large, deeply serrated, alternately growing leaves. Cucumbers produce large yellow unisexual male and female flowers, which are pollinated by insects. The fruit are cucumbers - berries.

Cucumbers heal sunburns. They contain the enzyme erepsin, which breaks down proteins and kills bacteria and parasitic worms. And on top of that, they can also cleanse the intestines. Vitamin E protects cells from free radicals. Bitter substances that we don't like in cucumbers reportedly affect tumor growth. In addition, cucurbitacin type C works similarly and also has anti-inflammatory effects. When consuming cucumbers, a feeling of satiety soon sets in, which helps with weight-loss diets.

Besides basic culinary preparations of cucumbers, such as salads or for preserving, cucumbers can also be used to make various creamy salads, as well as cocktails and various smoothies.

How to Grow Cucumbers

• It is not advisable to plant cucumbers where potatoes or strawberries were previously grown. On the other hand, beds after peas, onions, beets, or beans are suitable. Cucumbers require a bright, warm location that is sheltered. We keep the soil around the emerged seedlings loose and clean. Cucumbers are shallow-rooted, so we don't dig deep. We pinch plants at the six-leaf stage after the fifth leaf and later also pinch side shoots after the set fruits. Pinching accelerates harvest by at least fourteen days. Watering during sunny heat is not suitable, as plants suffer from scald and downy mildew. Leaves must be dry at night, so afternoon watering is completely unsuitable and we only water in the morning. For growing cucumbers, it is advisable to use PVC film which protects seedlings from potential temperature drops. Black non-woven fabric is most suitable.

• Cucumber seeds can be sown directly into the bed around May 20th. Cucumbers are quite susceptible to temperature shocks, so temperatures should not fall below 8°C.

  Another option is pre-cultivation, which helps us avoid cucumber downy mildew. Sowing can be done from mid-April. Seeds are sown in sowing substrate, one seed per pot or seed tray. We can pre-cultivate behind a window indoors or in a greenhouse. Seedlings are pre-cultivated for 12-16 days and the suitable temperature for seed germination is 15-18°C. Waterlogging does not suit seeds or young seedlings well, as they could easily die. We place seedlings in their final location only after May 20th.

• They require quality, fertilized, deeply worked soil.

• It is good to fertilize the site before planting with well-aged manure or matured compost. This prepared soil should be left to settle for another 2-3 weeks. During vegetation, you can fertilize with diluted cow manure mixed with fermented chicken manure. You can also use Cucumin artificial fertilizer, specially designed for cucumbers. We can also apply Cererit or Floran.

• Sucking pests such as aphids, whiteflies, or spider mites can significantly weaken our cultivated plants when heavily infested. Among fungal diseases, mainly mildews such as cucumber downy mildew, black fruit rot, and powdery mildew. It is advisable to use ROCK EFFECT as prevention, not only against sucking pests but also against fungal diseases. For treatment against fungal diseases, we can use Acrobat MZ WG, Aliette 80 WG, Dithane DG Neotec, Champion 50 WP, Kuprikol 50, Ortiva, Previcur Energy, Ridomil Gold MZ Pepite, and Plíseň STOP.

  Symptoms of cucumber mosaic virus can be observed in plants about a month and a half old. Greener irregular spots begin to form on the leaves, which turn yellow over time. Leaves wrinkle and deform. The disease is transmitted by pests such as aphids or whiteflies. Protection includes elimination of sucking pests that transmit the disease and destruction of plants if infected.

• We harvest cucumbers at least two to three times a week. During harvesting, we take care not to tear the cucumber seedlings and damage the shoots. We harvest ripe fruits.