The Best Cucumber Varieties for the Rostov Region: Growing Secrets

Specifics of growing cucumbers in the southern region

Cucumbers are an easy-to-grow and fast-growing crop. Excellent results can be achieved in the Rostov region. Here, the first harvest can be obtained as early as early June. This is primarily due to the region's unique climate.

The Rostov Region is located in the south of the Russian Federation. It is characterized by the following factors, which play an important role in agricultural crops:

• good and pleasant climate;
• fertile land.

Thanks to the favorable climate, harvests here ripen 1.5-2 months earlier than in other regions. Moreover, both experienced and amateur vegetable growers reap bountiful harvests.

Therefore, this region is considered an excellent choice for planting early cucumber varieties. Moreover, the plants are planted primarily in the ground without plastic covers.

Video "The Best Varieties of Cucumbers"

This video will tell you about the best cucumber varieties for harvesting a large crop.

Varieties for planting

The most important aspect of growing vegetables is choosing seeds. When planning to plant cucumbers in the Rostov region, it's important to choose the right variety carefully. Today, there are many varieties of this crop that will allow you to achieve a bountiful harvest in these conditions.

Experienced gardeners advise giving preference to those varieties that are preferred by agricultural experts living in a given region.

Many experts agree that hybrid bee-pollinated varieties are the ideal choice for the Rostov Region. The main advantage of these varieties is their early ripening time. They also boast excellent resistance to various diseases and weather conditions.

Last year, farmers named Kai F1, Madam F1 and Gerda F1 as the best varieties that yield the maximum yield here. They have good tolerance to temperature fluctuations and are also undemanding in terms of fertilization. Their yield per hectare is 40 tons.

Experts recommend growing varieties belonging to the "Chinese" group, as well as gherkin varieties, in the Rostov region. Among these, the best are considered to be Alligator F1, Chinese Cold-resistant F1, and Emerald Stream F1. They are characterized by the following characteristics:

• pronounced taste qualities;
• thin skin;
• pronounced cucumber aroma.

Gherkin varieties include Richter F1, Beethoven F1, and Mendelssohn F1. Their distinctive feature is their thick skin, making them ideal for transportation and preservation. They are also resilient to temperature fluctuations and require little fertilizing. These varieties are suitable for growing outdoors and in polycarbonate greenhouses.

The best varieties of seeds

Farmers are confident that the following cucumber varieties are best suited for planting in open ground in the Rostov region:

• Fruitful;
• Donskoy;
• Local Nizhyn;
• Success;
• The first satellite.

Particular attention should be paid to early-ripening varieties specifically bred for open-air cultivation. When planting and caring for these varieties, consider the following plant characteristics:

• do not require the creation of special conditions for growth and development;
• have early fruiting;
• have good resistance to pathogenic microflora;
• have excellent taste characteristics.

When choosing varieties, it's also important to consider ripening time. Since this region has a mild and favorable climate, the vast majority of gardeners prefer to plant early-ripening varieties of this crop.

Early ripening varieties

A distinctive feature of the Rostov region is the rapid ripening of vegetables. For this reason, gardeners here often prefer early-bearing cucumber varieties. This allows for an early harvest with excellent flavor.

The best of them are:

• A delicacy. Suitable for planting in open ground, without the use of plastic covers. Four bushes are planted per square meter. The cucumbers here are cylindrical. Their skin is tender and deep green. The flavor is distinct. The vegetables tolerate short-term drops in air temperature well. The fruiting period is quite long, so cucumbers can be harvested throughout the summer. The fruits are often used for preserving, especially pickling.
• Son of the Regiment. The main advantage of this variety is its resistance to overgrowth and yellowing. The plant is highly resistant to a wide variety of diseases (for example, cucumber mosaic). It forms mini gherkins. The harvest ripens in less than a month. The bushes are dominated by female flowers. This leads to a bountiful harvest. The fruits are oval in shape. The skin has distinct tubercles. The cucumbers have white spines. The average length of the cucumbers is 6-8 cm. They are characterized by excellent flavor.
• Madam. A hybrid bee-pollinated variety. The bushes produce gherkin-type cucumbers. It is considered the best variety for planting in the southern regions of the country. Fruiting occurs approximately 1.5 months after planting. The ovaries are arranged in clusters. A single cluster can contain up to six full-fledged, cylindrical cucumbers. Their surface is ridged. The cucumbers are green in color, with longitudinal white stripes and white spines. The skin itself is thin and delicate. The average fruit weight is 65-85 g.

Another so-called "Rostov cucumber variety" that can grow in this region is the Alligator. It is a hybrid, bee-pollinated variety and produces excellent fruit. Bushes can be planted in greenhouses as well as in open beds. It produces fairly tall plants, producing cucumbers that are richly green and long, cylindrical in shape. The skin has tubercles. The following characteristics are characteristic of this vegetable:

• The skin is thin and delicate. Its surface shines in the sun;
• sweetish taste;
• pleasant and distinct cucumber aroma;
• high resistance of bushes to traditional diseases of this crop.

The fruits are often used for canning, although they are also suitable for fresh consumption.

In the Rostov region, varieties such as Erofey and Aprelskiy are often grown. These are hybrids and begin bearing fruit quite early. It takes about a month from planting the seedlings in the garden for the first cucumbers to appear. Erofey and Aprelskiy are often grown indoors, using portable wooden boxes as containers.

The average fruit length for both varieties is about 25 cm, and they weigh no more than 250 g. April cucumbers have a pleasant flavor without any bitterness. They are an easy-to-grow plant that can be grown in all types of open soil. As the name suggests, seedlings are planted in April. Don't worry about frosts, which can still return at this time of year, as April cucumbers are highly resistant to mild cold snaps. Therefore, they can produce an excellent and abundant harvest even if frost returns.

Late-ripening varieties

Although the Rostov region's climate is best suited for growing early-ripening cucumber varieties, many gardeners also plant late-ripening varieties. In this case, the harvest will ripen somewhat later. On average, it will take about two months to harvest. The harvested cucumbers can be used for canning.

Phoenix is ​​a late-ripening variety. This highly branched plant is grown in open ground. Planting under plastic is also acceptable. Its bushes produce numerous female flowers. However, to obtain a good harvest, good pollination by bees is essential.

Cucumbers take approximately 60-64 days to ripen from planting. Phoenix is ​​characterized by a long fruiting period. The harvest continues until the onset of cold weather.

The average gherkin weighs approximately 220 g and is 16 cm long. They are crisp and have a mildly bitter flavor, making them ideal for cooking and pickling.

Another late-ripening variety is "Pobeditel." Its bushes tolerate both cold and hot temperatures well. The plant has good immunity to various fungal diseases. The fruits are cylindrical in shape. The skin is covered with well-formed, large pimples that have a yellowish tint. The harvest is often used for pickling.

You can also grow the Domovenok F1 variety here. It has a climbing habit and produces delicious fruits that are excellent for pickling.

To grow cucumbers in the Rostov region, you just need to properly follow the rules for caring for them.

Video "Growing"

This video will show you how to grow cucumbers effectively.