Finding the most appropriate type of cucumber seeds
Criteria to choose cucumber seeds
Cucumber is the first vegetable that comes to our mind when we think of fresh and healthy nutrition with little calories. As a pickle or fresh fruit, it is the main ingredient of many salads and sandwiches, and for that reason, it is grown all over the world. Small gardens and urban surroundings included. Cucumber seeds are available in the large variety of sorts mostly of American or Asian origin. Making a choice what kind of cucumber to grow depends mostly on the personal preferences of farmers and gardeners. Flavor, appearance, productivity, and disease resistance belong to the main criteria. Some sorts of cucumber seeds are bitter while the others have less quantity of cucurbitacin that causes bitter flavor and sometimes burping. Regular and frequent watering decreases bitterness and some hybrids have been developed in the favor of certain characteristics.
Special Characteristics of Cucumber
Cucumber varies in shape and size but it is always delicious. It belongs to garden favorites since it is easy to cultivate in terms of the ground requirements and available space and time. If you do it all correctly from the choice of cucumber seeds to the final harvest, you can be confident in the good results. Special characteristics of certain sorts are sweet flavor, seedless fruits, and the right measure of crispness and juiciness. Most breeders pay the attention exactly to these features when they are deciding which cucumber seeds would be the best choice for their crop. Some seeds produce fruits over months, and they increase the overall productivity whilst other seeds are disease resistant, and therefore without the risk of bacterial and fungi infections. By hybrids, it is possible to grow cucumbers really easy on digestion or huge in size.
Nice and Natural Flavor is the Priority
After all mentioned features of cucumbers that are possible to develop from certain seed, most important is that the final product has nice and natural flavor and not just tasteless shape. There are cucumbers that were selected at the beginning of the 19th century. Over the long history, these old sorts have shown durability that preserved them until today. The variety of cucumber seeds can be planted inside and outside but inside plants grow heavier. In compare to hybrids, non-hybrid cucumbers are easy and less demanding. After a certain period of time, a new seed will ripen, and you can save it for the next year. Some sorts are equally suitable to grow big for fresh consuming or they can be used small for pickling. It is up to the breeder to decide when he wants to harvest the fruits and for what purpose.
Protect Cucumber Seedlings from the Bird Pest
If cucumber seeds have been planted outside, the bird netting is necessary. It is a kind of practical bird pest control that can be lifted on the side for harvesting at any time. Birds are always present around crops, and they enjoy fresh vegetables. Cucumber is not an exception. You might have experienced that cucumber is not developing on the healthy vine or that there are no blossoms. Even if you have fenced your crop for larger animals, the fence will not prevent birds from attacking your vegetables. Cover your vines with bird netting available in different shapes and sizes and your plants can continue to grow. After so much effort to establish the plantation, not even birds cannot compromise production and final harvest. If the fruits are damaged, they have lost the value and the opportunity to be competitive products on the market. The additional advantage of netting is that it also provides solar rays protection.
Train Cucumbers Vertically off the Ground
Certain sorts of cucumber grow nice on the ground especially if the crop is covered. To accomplish the maximum from the minimum space, you can train cucumber up trellis netting. After you have chosen the cucumber seeds, beware that this vegetable grows very fast. Early spring time after the last frost is the right time to plant the seed. Rich soil under a lot of Sun guarantees high productivity. As cucumbers are basically vine crops, they are supposed to grow off the ground. Engaging trellis netting provides stability, straight grow, and pest protection. It also plays a significant role in preventing diseases. The installation is quick and easy, and once installed it does not require so much effort as single plant supporters. The netting can be implemented on several different heights. It depends on the chosen sort of cucumber. The installation should be placed 30-40 cm above the ground.
From Seeding to Harvesting
The first step in establishing the plantation is to find the right cucumber seeds that correspond with the type and quality of the soil. As cucumber is a plant that loves the sun vertical growth is a natural consequence. Instead of exposing plants to stress by handling single supporters, training on the trellis is much better solution. The plants will adjust to trellis quickly, and it will enable the plant to have sufficient space for the natural growth. Phytosanitary conditions will be better preserved due to less manual work. Depending on the seed, you can choose when to harvest the fruits since many sorts can be harvested early when the fruits are still small or later when they reach bigger size. To have cucumbers at all stages sounds like a huge benefit. Whether you are a domestic breeder or you intend to play a greater role in the export, you have to be certain that your plantation is well watered, provided with sufficient sun and must be healthy. Every plant has to have its own space to grow and produce fruits of supreme quality that will be competitive in the market.