Cucumber "athlete" was added to the lists of the State Register in 2002. This variety is highly valued by gardeners and is considered the best for cultivation in greenhouses and hotbeds. The advantages, disadvantages and rules for growing crops will be discussed in this material.
Variety description
Cucumber "athlete" is a mid-early hybrid bred by breeders of the Moscow company "Gavrish". The variety was added to the State Register in 2002 and is recommended for cultivation in the following regions:
- Central Black Earth;
- Volga-Vyatka;
- Northwest;
- North Caucasian.
The hybrid belongs to mid-early varieties. From the moment of sowing to the ripening of the first fruits, 55–60 days pass. Cucumbers are oblong cylindrical in shape, reach 20–30 cm in length and 3–5 cm in diameter. The average weight is 120-140 grams. The skin of cucumbers "athlete" is dark green with light longitudinal stripes. It is covered with large tubercles and white spikes.
Fruits have excellent taste and attractive presentation. They easily tolerate transportation and are stored for a long time even in unregulated conditions. Therefore, this hybrid is suitable forcommercial cultivation.
Like other mid-early varieties, athlete cucumbers are recommended to be grown for fresh consumption. This variety is not subject to conservation.
Pros and cons
Reviews about cucumbers "athlete" are positive. In particular, gardeners note the high yield of the variety. With proper agricultural technology from 1 square. meters of planting harvest up to 35 kg of fruit. In addition, the culture is shade-tolerant, and for it you do not need to choose the most illuminated areas. This makes it possible to grow vegetables in the winter in greenhouses and even on the windowsill.
And also the following characteristics are among the advantages of the variety:
- attractive fruit appearance;
- keeping quality;
- excellent transportability;
- excellent fruit taste;
- soft and crunchy flesh;
- no cavities;
- immunity to powdery mildew.
The variety is not without flaws. With untimely care, the fruits quickly outgrow. In addition, without regular watering and at high temperatures, bitterness appears in the “athlete” cucumbers. Therefore, it is important to follow the rules for growing a vegetable.
Agricultural activities
For planting "athlete" cucumbers, choose areas on a hill. In a lowland or in wetlands, the plant will rot. As for the soil, the cucumber lash does not impose special requirements on it. The main thing is that the soil is loose, nutritious and retains moisture. the bestPotatoes, onions, tomatoes, beans and celery will be the forerunners for the crop.
There are two ways to plant a variety.
- Seedling method. Sowing is carried out in boxes with moist soil 30 days before transplanting into open ground. The seeding depth is 1–2 cm. The temperature in the greenhouse is maintained at +21° C.
- Sowing in open ground. Work begins when the soil warms up to +12 ° C. Sowing is carried out to a depth of 2–2.5 cm. Per 1 sq. meter of plot is allowed to grow 8 bushes.
Care for cucumbers "athlete" consists of regular top dressing, timely watering and weeding. The yield of the variety depends on the correct formation of the crown of plants. It is advisable to install trellises next to the bed and tie cucumber mustaches to them.
