Surely many have heard such a name as "Chinese cucumber". However, not everyone knows what kind of vegetable it is, and, of course, even fewer have tried to grow it.
What is this miracle - Chinese cucumber?
Despite the fact that both in name and in appearance, the Chinese cucumber is clearly similar to the usual one, in fact, this is not a variety of the common cucumber we are used to, but its variety. It differs from its garden counterpart in size, taste, and some biological features, but in general it has the same agricultural technology and belongs to the same genus - Pumpkin.
Features of Chinese cucumber
If you once meet a Chinese cucumber, you will never confuse it again. The length of its fetus is from 35 and ... to 80, and more centimeters! It tastes sweeter, and even fresher than usual, and depending on the variety, it can have a watermelon or melon flavor. At the same time, the skin of the Chinese cucumber is sweetish, there is no bitterness in it, the flesh is dense, like wax, without voids. Small seeds are collected in a narrow chamber located in the center. The vast majority of flowers on the plant are female, collected several in bunches. Productivity is high, with good care up to 30 kg per bush.
The best crop yields can be achieved in a greenhouse, however, as practice shows, this cucumber does well in the open field. And not only in the southern, but also more northern regions. A pleasant feature is the precocity of the varieties available to us - only 25 - 35 days pass from germination to the removal of the first greens. But the main thing is that for an ordinary family you don’t need to plant a whole garden, but just 3-4 plants are enough, since one cucumber makes a full-fledged salad for 3-4 people!
The indisputable advantage of the Chinese cucumber is its high, stable, long (up to frost) yield, resistance to most "cucumber" diseases, self-pollination, excellent presentation and shade tolerance.
But this variety also has its “cons”. The first of them is poor keeping quality. Despite the fact that the Chinese cucumber is beautiful and tasty, you need to consume it on the same day on which it was plucked, otherwise it becomes soft in a day. The second is the suitability of some varieties only for salads. The third is a small germination of seeds. The fourth is a mandatory vertical garter (if the lashes are not tied up, the fruits grow in an ugly hook-like shape).
How to grow Chinese cucumber
In general, all the rules for growing Chinese cucumber coincide with the requirements of the varieties of cucumber we are used to. However, due to the fact that plants are formed mainly in one stem (about 3 meters high) and form little side shoots (if any, then short ones), they can be planted thicker than ordinary cucumbers.
Varieties of Chinese cucumber
Most varieties of Chinese cucumber came to us from China, but there are varieties of domestic seed production. What to choose is up to each individual. However, the most popular are:
- “Chinese snake” (fruits do not turn yellow for a long time, have an excellent presentation, grow quickly - growth can be up to 5-7 cm per day. Taste qualities are impeccable, fruiting is long, suitable for summer sowing);
- "Chinese salad" (the fruits are dark green, even and neat, the length of the fruit can reach from 30 to 35 cm when mature, cylindrical in shape. It has a high resistance to most diseases of cucumbers);
- "Chinese cold-resistant" (fruits are dark green, even, long, cylindrical in shape. When mature, cucumbers grow to a length of 30 to 50 cm. Universal purpose);
- "Chinese Farm" (fruits are dark green, even and neat, the length of the fruit can reach from 35 to 45 cm when mature, cylindrical in shape. The surface of the fruit is usually smooth, the skin is rather thin, not bitter. The variety is ideal for growing in open ground);
- "Chinese miracle" (fruits with dark green delicate skin, long (30-45 cm) and thin. Used for salads, pickling and marinating in pieces).
