In order not to make a mistake in choosing seeds and to get a decent harvest of cucumbers, you should decide what type they are. There are two types of cucumbers - determinate and indeterminate. Each of them has its own growing characteristics. However, you are unlikely to find these terms on the packaging. Seed wholesalers strive to attract customers with a beautiful picture and a catchy headline. However, you can determine the type of cucumbers and buy the necessary seeds for your garden.
DETERMINANT CUCUMBER VARIETIES
If the packaging of cucumber seeds indicates that they are intended for cultivation both in greenhouses and greenhouses, and in open ground, then this cucumber can safely be classified as a determinant type. Its peculiarity is that its stem is limited in growth. Such a cucumber will grow upward without side shoots, throwing out empty flowers, until flowers appear on the top of the head. Then its growth stops. And only then will it begin to grow lateral fruiting vines.
As you know, our summer is short and we don’t have time to wait for greens to appear. Therefore, with a determinate variety of cucumbers, you need to do this. When it has its fifth or sixth leaf, we pinch its growth point. Left without a crown, side shoots will begin to grow from the axils of these leaves, on which ovaries will appear.
Side shoots also need to be pinched. It is better to do this when 8–9 leaves grow on each. The same number of lashes will appear in their axils, and female flowers will bloom on each. If this is not done, then you will have to wait a long time for the cucumbers. You may not have time to harvest a decent harvest before the cold weather arrives.
INDETERMINANT CUCUMBER VARIETIES
These cucumbers will grow upward like vines. That is why the package with their seeds says that they are intended for growing in a greenhouse. Indeterminate varieties of cucumbers will bear fruit without pinching, as long as the sun is shining and there is warmth. They form ovaries on the central stem. The peculiarity of their care is tying and securing the stem to a support.
Well, don’t forget that self-pollinating varieties of cucumbers that do not need bees are suitable for greenhouses.
PS Please note the following points:
- If the packaging of cucumbers says “Universal,” this does not mean that they can be grown both in open ground and in a greenhouse. It’s just that these cucumbers are suitable for fresh consumption, that is, in salads, and for pickling and pickles.
- If you do not want your cucumbers to be bitter, do not mix determinate and indeterminate varieties in the same greenhouse. Yes, and hybrids too.
Selecting cucumber seeds for planting. What should you pay attention to?
It is better to prepare for buying seeds in advance, in winter or even in autumn. Therefore, hurry up with your choice, the seeds have already changed in the retail chain. Moreover, the range of seeds offered is much greater than the demand. And how can one sort out such a variety of seeds? Let's decide how to choose cucumber seeds. It’s like, what’s special here? All cucumbers are green, some are larger, others are shorter, with pimples, without them, etc. It turns out that there are many criteria, knowing which, indeed, you can harvest a tasty and rich harvest of cucumbers.
Landing Features
To prevent Herold f1 bushes from withering and developing well, vegetable growers advise adhering to certain planting features: choosing and preparing the site correctly, germinating the seeds of the variety before planting and planting the seedlings, keeping a certain distance.
Site preparation
Hybrid Herold is a heat-loving variety, the cultivation of which is recommended in sunny beds, sheltered as much as possible from strong winds. For planting cucumbers, it is preferable to choose southern plots of land.
After harvesting, the soil is thoroughly cleared of weeds and tops, and also dug up. To treat the land against various diseases and pests, experts advise sowing mustard on the plowed area. After it ripens, the mustard must be mowed and the beds covered with tops. In spring, the soil is cleared of mustard branches, loosened and fed with organic fertilizers: manure, litter, compost.
Germination of seeds
Before planting, the seeds of the variety must be germinated: soak in a damp cloth until the Herold seeds germinate. After pecking the cucumber seeds, they are planted in small vessels with a seed depth of up to 2 cm. The seeds are sprinkled with a small layer of soil on top and the soil is moistened with warm water using a spray bottle.
After planting, containers with future cucumbers are placed in a room where the air temperature varies from 25 to 27 degrees Celsius. It is advisable to place the seedlings on the windowsill so that the plants receive as much light as possible. After pecking the seeds of the variety, the temperature can be lowered to 21 degrees.
Planting seedlings
Cucumbers are planted in a permanent place at the age of 40 days. By this moment, about 6-7 leaves are formed on Herold f1 seedlings (late May - early June). The variety is planted to a depth of 5-7 cm.
The bottom of each hole is sprinkled with a handful of manure. The seedlings are sprinkled with soil up to the bottom leaf of the plant and moistened with warm liquid. After planting, it is advisable to provide the plants with film cover. The Herold variety must be planted at a distance of 40 cm between bushes and 60 cm between beds.
What types of cucumbers are there?
First, let's decide for what purposes the grown crop will be used. The main varieties of cucumbers are
Moreover, salad varieties are not suitable for pickling. They have thicker skin and the fruits will not be salted evenly. Pickling varieties contain more sugars. This is what is important when canning. And universal varieties are suitable for preparing salads and pickling. By type of fruiting:
- Ovaries are formed on the side shoots. These include indeterminate varieties. After 5-6 leaves, it is necessary to pinch the top of the shoot so that ovaries form at the ends. On the grown side shoots, pinch the tops again at the level of 8-9 leaves. Only in such cases will you get a rich harvest.
- Determinate varieties and hybrids are more intended for greenhouses; they have one stem, which cannot be pinched, since the entire fruit harvest is formed in the lateral axils of the leaves.
Climbing determinate cucumbers
This, one might say, is a classic version of a cucumber plant that is limited in growth. It forms lashes, but usually short (although there are exceptions). The varieties and hybrids of this group are famous for their gherkins and pickles - small greens ideal for harvesting. Their length, as a rule, does not exceed 13 centimeters.
F1 debut
Early ripening, bee-pollinated, salad, canning. The plant is short-climbing, medium-sized, with predominantly female flowering type. The leaf is large, green, smooth. The greens are cylindrical, large-tubercular with sparse tubercles, green with light stripes. The pubescence is white. The fruits reach a length of 12-13 centimeters and a weight of 65-70 grams. The taste of fresh and canned fruits is good to excellent. Resistant to olive and angular spotting, powdery mildew.
Magician
Mid-season, bee-pollinated variety of universal use. The plant is medium-sized, medium-branched, of mixed flowering type. Medium sized leaf, green. Greenweed is cylindrical, slightly ribbed, light green with short stripes, tuberculate, black pubescence. The length of the cucumber is 7-10 centimeters. Fruits of high taste, both fresh and canned.
Micron
The variety is early ripening, bee-pollinated, and universal. The plant is medium branched, of mixed flowering type. The leaf is medium, green. Greenweed is short, cylindrical, green, with short stripes, large-tubercular with spines. On average, the fruits reach a weight of 60-80 grams. The taste is good. Resistant to powdery mildew.
Masha F1
Hybrid early ripening, parthenocarpic, salad, canning. The plant is medium-sized, with limited shoot-forming ability, female type of flowering. The leaf is small to medium-sized, green to dark green, wrinkled. The greens are cylindrical, large-tubercular, dark green with light stripes and mild spotting. The pubescence is white. The length of the cucumber is 8-9 centimeters. The taste is good and excellent, without bitterness. Resistant to olive spot, cucumber mosaic virus and powdery mildew.
Juventa F1
Mid-season hybrid. It begins to bear fruit 70-75 days after emergence. Parthenocarpic, lettuce. The plant is climbing, medium leafy, female flowering type. The leaf is pentagonal-rounded, medium-dissected, green. The greens are cylindrical, smooth, 22-27 centimeters long, weighing 220-275 grams. The tubercles are rare and weakly expressed. There is no hollowness. The taste is good.
Hope
The variety is early ripening, bee-pollinated, salad, canning. The plant is medium tall, medium branched, female flowering type. Medium sized leaf, green. The plant is short, oval, green, large-tubercular, with black pubescence. Fruit weight is 70-95 grams. The taste is good. Resistant to cladosporiosis, powdery mildew, downy mildew.
Miser
Hybrid mid-season, bee-pollinated, salad. The plant is weakly branched, female type of flowering. The leaf is medium, dark green. Zelenets are long, cylindrical, green, with middle stripes, large-tubercular with spines. The mass of the cucumber is 50-60 grams. The taste is good. Resistant to cladosporiosis and powdery mildew.
Vyazovets
Mid-early variety, bee-pollinated, universally used. The plant is medium branched, of mixed flowering type. Medium sized leaf, green. Greenweed is medium length, cylindrical, green, medium tuberous, with very short light stripes, with sparse thorns. The weight of the fetus can reach 130 grams. The taste is good.
Augustine F1
Hybrid early ripening, parthenocarpic, salad, canning. The plant is medium-sized, medium-branched, with predominantly female flowering type. Up to 3 ovaries are formed in the leaf axil. Medium sized leaf, green. The plant is short, cylindrical, dark green with short stripes and mild spotting, large-tubercular, white pubescence, of medium density. Cucumbers (weighing 70-110 grams) are good and taste great. The hybrid is resistant to downy mildew.
Vigora F1
Mid-early hybrid, parthenocarpic, salad, canning. The plant is vigorous, medium-climbing, female-flowering. The leaves are medium, dark green. The fruit is short, cylindrical, dark green with short stripes and mild spotting, slightly ribbed. The surface is tuberculate, the pubescence is white, dense. The average weight of a cucumber is 80-90 grams. The taste is good. Resistant to olive spot and powdery mildew.
Dimka F1
Hybrid early ripening, parthenocarpic, salad, canning. The plant is medium-sized, medium-branched, with predominantly female flowering type. Medium sized leaf, green. The green leaf is short, cylindrical, green with short stripes, slightly ribbed, tuberculate, white pubescence, of medium density. The fruits reach a weight of 70 to 100 grams. The taste is excellent.
Hedgehog F1
Hybrid mid-season, parthenocarpic, salad, pickling. The plant is medium-sized, medium-branched, with predominantly female flowering type. The leaf is medium, green. The green leaf is short, cylindrical, green with short stripes, slightly ribbed, coarsely tuberculate, the pubescence is black, dense. The average weight of a cucumber is 80-110 grams. The taste is excellent.
Sturdy F1
The hybrid is early ripening, bee-pollinated, salad, pickling. The plant is medium-sized, medium-branched, with predominantly female flowering type. Medium sized leaf, green. The green leaf is short, oval, green with stripes and spots, with tubercles and white pubescence. The mass of the cucumber is 75-100 grams. The taste is good and excellent. Resistant to cladosporiosis, powdery mildew and downy mildew.
Idol F1
Mid-season, bee-pollinated, canned. The plant is climbing, medium leafy, female flowering type. The leaf is green, dissected, slightly wrinkled. The green grass is cylindrical, coarsely tuberous, green with sharply defined stripes reaching to the middle. In cross section, rounded-triangular. Has white pubescence. The fruits grow up to 9-11 centimeters in length and up to 70-95 grams in weight. The taste of cucumbers is good, without bitterness. The hybrid has increased resistance to olive spot and powdery mildew.
Jade F1
The hybrid is early ripening, parthenocarpic, lettuce. The plant is medium-sized, medium-climbing, with predominantly female flowering type. The leaf is green, medium. The green leaf is short, cylindrical, light green, tuberculate, the pubescence is white, dense. The fruits are small, weighing from 50 to 65 grams. The taste is good. Resistant to root rot, fusarium wilt, bacteriosis, powdery mildew, downy mildew.
Ob F1
Medium-late, parthenocarpic hybrid of universal use. The plant is medium-sized, highly branched, with predominantly female flowering type. Medium sized leaf, green. The fruits are cylindrical, slightly ribbed with dense tubercles. The color is green with short stripes, the pubescence is black. Zelenets reaches a length of 7-10 centimeters. The taste of fresh, salted and canned fruits is good to excellent.
Sashenka F1
Hybrid early ripening, parthenocarpic, salad, canning. The plant is medium-sized, highly branched, female type of flowering. The leaf is green, medium size. The greenery is short, cylindrical, green with stripes and moderate spotting, of medium density. The pubescence is white, the tubercles are medium. The fruits reach a weight of no more than 65-90 grams. The taste is good. Resistant to LMR and bacteriosis.
Sokolik
The variety is mid-season, bee-pollinated, salad, pickling. The plant is medium-sized, medium-branched, of mixed flowering type. The leaf is medium sized, green to dark green. Greenweed is short, cylindrical, green to dark green with short stripes and mild spotting, tuberculate. Pubescence black, sparse. The average weight of a cucumber is 100-125 grams. The taste is good. Resistant to downy mildew and powdery mildew.
Tanik F1
An early-ripening, parthenocarpic hybrid of universal use. The plant is weak-growing, weakly branched, with predominantly female flowering type. The leaf is small and green. The green leaf is short, cylindrical, coarsely tuberculate, green with short stripes, the pubescence is black. The taste of fresh and canned fruits is good to excellent.
Chizhik F1
Hybrid early ripening, bee-pollinated, salad, canning. The plant is low-growing, mixed type of flowering. The leaf is green, medium. The greenery is oval-shaped, large-tubercular with sparse tubercles. The color is dark green with short stripes and faint spotting, the pubescence is white. The average length of the fruit is 10-11 centimeters. The taste of both fresh and canned cucumbers is excellent. Resistant to downy mildew, powdery mildew and cucumber mosaic virus.
Information on the packaging
The packages themselves always indicate information about the vegetable itself, what type it is, the preferred place of cultivation, ripening time, etc. When purchasing, it is important to carefully read the description of the variety and only then decide on the purchase.
Varieties and hybrids
The F1 marking means that this is a 1st generation hybrid. Such crops are obtained by crossing two or more varieties. Hybrids inherit the best qualities from their parents, such as
- resistance to diseases,
- high productivity,
- cold resistance, etc.
You can also find the value “S”, indicating the eliteness of cucumber seeds, which are the direct descendants of the best plants of this species. Generations of elite varieties are also designated by numbers - 1 or 2. Seeds with the designation “S” will be a class higher than “F” and have the best qualities.
Number of seeds
The number of seeds in a package is now calculated in pieces, not grams. To avoid mistakes, when calculating the number of seeds, take into account their germination rate. In cucumbers it is 70%. In other words, out of 10 seeds planted, only 7 will sprout. Therefore, count on 30% more seeds than required.
Landing place
Be sure to determine where you are going to grow cucumbers: in a greenhouse, in warm beds under cover, or in open ground. Therefore, choose seeds based on this criterion.
The packaging should indicate where it is best to grow this variety. If it is written, “the variety is intended for open ground, film cover and greenhouses,” this means the following. Written first, preferred growing location. If “open ground” comes first, then the cucumbers are pinched and they bear fruit on the side shoots. And vice versa, the “greenhouse” comes first, which means you will need to pinch the side shoots so that the formation of ovaries occurs from the axils.
Harvest time
Pay attention to the timing of the first harvest. Fruiting occurs from the beginning of June until September. It all depends on your preferences. Early varieties of cucumbers begin to bear fruit 45 days from germination to harvest. Plus add 7-10 days for fruiting itself. This way you can calculate the duration of fruiting.
Bee pollination
Some packages say “parthenocarpic”, others say self-pollinating, some say bee-pollinated.
- Parthenocarpic – forms ovaries without pollination;
- Self-pollinating - pollinated due to the presence of pistil and stamens in one flower, that is, plants pollinate themselves;
- Bee-pollinated cucumbers are pollinated only by insects, and only then do ovaries form.
Based on this, bee-pollinated cucumbers are planted only in garden beds where there are enough bees and other insects to fly. And in the greenhouse it is better to plant parthenocarpic or self-pollinating ones.
Peculiarities
When buying seeds, you should pay attention not so much to a bright picture and loud advertising promises, but to information about the characteristics of the plant. It would be a good idea to first find out whether the variety you are interested in is registered in the State Register. Next you need to understand practical issues:
| Characteristic | Description |
| Growing conditions | Open or protected ground. At the same time, the concept of “protected” includes both temporary film shelters and stationary structures, for example polycarbonate greenhouses |
| Zoning | This indicator is more relevant for cultivating cucumbers in open ground, but it is also recommended to take it into account for greenhouse conditions. Many hybrid varieties are well adapted to the climatic conditions of individual light zones or regions (for example, cucumber hybrids for the Urals or Siberia have sufficient cold resistance and shade tolerance) |
| Purpose | According to their intended purpose, cucumbers are classified as salad, pickling and canning. There are also universal ones that have excellent taste when fresh and do not lose them during fermentation or heat treatment. |
| Plant growth and climbing ability | The most common cucumbers are indeterminate (unlimited in the growth of the central stem), but there are also determinate (bush and semi-bush forms), in which the main fruiting is observed on the lateral shoots |
| Ripening time | According to ripening time (from full germination to fruiting), cucumbers are divided into early or early ripening (up to 45 days), mid-ripening (45-50 days) and late ripening (over 50 days). |
| Pollination | All original varieties of cucumbers are bee-pollinated, that is, the ovaries on them develop as a result of fertilization of female flowers with pollen from male flowers with the participation of insects. For protected soil conditions, parthenocarpic hybrids have been specially bred that do not require pollination (they are often mistakenly called self-pollinating) |
| Disease resistance | Greenhouse conditions are favorable not only for plants, but also for various fungal diseases inherent in them. In this regard, it is preferable to plant seeds of hybrids that are resistant or tolerant to cladosporiosis (olive spot), MP (powdery mildew), ascochyta blight (black stem rot), peronosporosis (downy mildew), etc. |
Having considered the listed characteristics, we can conclude that the best varieties of cucumbers for a greenhouse are
- parthenocarpic;
- indeterminate (in the presence of supporting structures with tensioned trellises or nets);
- universal purpose;
- resistant to diseases.
You should immediately clarify the wording of the “variety”, since only hybrids obtained as a result of selection are parthenocarpic. The main task when breeding hybrids is to achieve improved properties by combining the most valuable qualities inherited from different parent varieties, for example, the yield of one and the endurance of another. True, such combinations are unstable and provide the promised result only in the first generation.
On packages with seeds of hybrid cucumbers, their name contains the designation F1, which stands for “children” (from the Italian figli) of the first generation (1).
Now let's move on to considering the best varieties of cucumbers for polycarbonate greenhouses (according to reviews from experts and amateur vegetable growers), intended for different regions.
Which cucumber seeds to choose?
Hybrids or varietal seeds – what to choose?
Hybrids are characterized by high yields, are resistant to many diseases, and tolerate unfavorable growing conditions. Male and female flowers are distributed relatively evenly on cucumbers. The fruits have a short growing season. The disadvantage is the inability to harvest seeds.
Varietal cucumbers are good because you can collect seeds from them for the next season, since the seeds retain their maternal characteristics. Their fruits are tasty and suitable for pickling and salads. And they tolerate heat well. The disadvantage of varietal cucumbers is their instability to many diseases.
What to choose is up to you. And I told you what to look for when buying cucumber seeds.
What are determinate tomatoes: their features, advantages and disadvantages
A determinate variety of tomatoes has a growth limitation, in other words, over time it completely stops growing, so to speak, “getting to the top”.
The growth of determinate tomatoes stops after planting 3-5
(in very rare cases - 6)
flower brushes
, the first of which is placed above the 5-7th leaf, and all subsequent ones - every 1-2 leaves. In this case, the latter is formed at the very top (that’s why they say “tops”), and then growth stops.
Determinate varieties of tomatoes are most often early, mid-early or mid-ripening and have a fairly long fruiting period, as well as relatively high yields.
Among determinant varieties one can also distinguish “super-determinate” ones. These are low-growing (30-60 cm high) compact varieties of tomatoes (they stop growing after the formation of the 3rd flower raceme), which are characterized by noticeably earlier (5-10 days than just determinate) and friendly fruiting, but less long-lasting and abundant.
It is super-determinate (low-growing) varieties that are best suited for open ground. Such tomatoes grow quickly (without wasting extra time on building up green mass, like indeterminate ones) and begin to yield as quickly as possible, thereby ultimately pumping up their fruiting capacity before the active development of late blight.
Particularly popular among determinate low-growing varieties are their standard varieties, which have a thickened short stem. It is precisely these bushes that, as a rule, do not require gartering or pinching.
There are also semi-determinate tomatoes (this is a kind of intermediate type between indeterminate and determinate). These are mid- or late-ripening varieties, in which the stem height can reach 2 meters (within 150-200 cm). The maximum number of flower clusters is 9-12 (however, the plant can limit its growth after 3-4 clusters, so they are most often formed into 2 stems), which are formed after 2-3 leaves, also starting after 5-7 leaves.
Advantages and disadvantages
Thus, the main advantages of determinate tomatoes are:
- precocity;
- higher initial yields;
- friendly return of the harvest (at the same time);
- require less attention and care - forming and growing a bush is much easier;
- often do not have time to become ill with late blight;
- ideal for growing in open ground;
- can be grown in cold regions with short summers (for example, northern ones).
Flaws:
- the overall yield is significantly lower than that of indeterminate ones;
- simultaneous yield of the crop, while indeterminate fruits bear fruit for a long time (which is ideal for gradual fresh consumption);
- it is believed that they are less tasty, but this is quite controversial;
Video: indeterminate and determinate varieties of tomatoes - their differences
The concept of a determinate plant using tomatoes as an example
If, while analyzing the information on a bag of tomato seeds, you came across the word determinant, this means that the bushes of this plant are formed in a special way and after laying an inflorescence at the top of the main stem, the growth of such shoots in height stops.
The word itself, translated from Latin, means limited growth, therefore determinate plants include those whose growth is limited due to the formation of flowers at the top.
Determinate varieties and hybrids of tomatoes include those whose stems stop growing at around 100 cm. The main shoot and stepsons stop growing as soon as two to four flower clusters are formed on them.
Among the determinate varieties and hybrids of tomatoes, there are those whose height does not exceed 30 cm; they are usually called super-determinant. Growth restriction in such plants occurs when three inflorescences appear on the main shoot.
The first is located above the 5th - 6th leaf, the next two - through one leaf. Such tomatoes do not require pinching; they are good to grow not only in closed and open ground, but even in city apartments. Almost all low-growing tomatoes are early-ripening varieties.
Determinate tomato bushes reach a maximum height of 120 cm. They have short internodes, and the first inflorescence is laid above the sixth - seventh leaf and stops growing after the formation of 4 - 6 inflorescences.
It is convenient to grow such varieties both in open ground and in low film shelters. Almost no bush formation is required.
Of the tomato varieties and hybrids with limited shoot growth, the following deserve attention:
In addition to tomatoes, there are other cultivated plants with limited growth, as a rule, they are the result of the work of breeders and, together with their short growth, have other advantages.
Top 9 sweet cucumbers from the Seeds of Altai company
F1 Smelt. Fruits continuously. An ideal hybrid for collecting pickles (3-4 cm in length) and gherkins (fruits 5-7 cm). Does not require the help of pollinating insects. The first greens will appear on days 37-39. The greens are lumpy, weighing 30-50 g, do not taste bitter, do not overgrow, are sweet and crunchy. Up to 5 ovaries are formed in nodes (see the correct formation on the back of the package), which guarantees stable and friendly ripening of greens.
Altai. A cucumber with a Siberian character. Early ripening (39-41 days) variety, resistant to disease and cold. Bee pollinated. Designed for open ground and film greenhouses. Zelentsy are short, tuberculate, oval, weighing 90-118 g, length 9-13. Perfect for salads, vegetable cuttings and pickling. Can be grown through seedlings or direct sowing in the ground.
F1 City cucumber. For the winter harvest and those who do not have a garden. Super early ripening (38-40 days). Parthenocarpic hybrid, does not require pollination. It branches actively, is not afraid of shade, has small leaves, and forms compact ovaries (3-9 per node). It does not take up much space, so it grows well on loggias, balconies, verandas, as well as in open ground or a greenhouse. Fruits abundantly. The cucumbers are crispy, juicy and sweet. They grow up to 12 cm, weighing 75-90 g, do not outgrow, remaining small and thin (colloquially “finger cucumbers”). A number of diseases are not scary: olive spot, powdery mildew, cucumber mosaic, etc.
F1 Junior Lieutenant. The parthenocarpic hybrid begins to bear fruit on the 39-40th day. More than 3 ovaries are formed in one axil, from which medium-tuberous greens grow, weighing 90-110 g, 9-12 cm long. It bears fruit consistently, avoiding a number of cucumber diseases. Suitable for enjoying greens directly from the garden, as well as for pickling.
F1 Idle-idle. Easy to grow, generous in harvest! Not afraid of cucumber diseases (rot, spotting). It performs well both in open ground and in greenhouses. Mid-early hybrid (48-50 days) for long harvest. The cucumbers are one to one - cylindrical, finely and often tuberous, dark green, up to 10 cm long, tasty, crispy and aromatic. Perfect for pickles and summer slicing.
F1 Beam boom. Ideal for pickles and marinating! Does not require pollination, early ripening variety (39-44 days) for open and protected ground. At the nodes, it forms at least 5 ovaries together and at the same time, and with the correct formation of the plant, you will get a real bunch boom. On the reverse side of the Altai Seeds package there is detailed information about the formation. Greens grow up to 9-11 cm, with a diameter of 3-3.5 cm, sweet, crispy. They do not outgrow, and when harvested in winter they retain their shape, density and elasticity. Continues to bear fruit even with a noticeable drop in temperature.
F1 Guys are awesome. For pickles and gherkins! An early-ripening, self-pollinating cucumber for collecting pickles (at 37-38 days) and gherkins (at 42-44 days). Up to 5 ovaries are formed in one node, which, if formed correctly, ripen evenly. The fruits are not bitter, juicy and crispy. The hybrid is resistant to root rot, cucumber mosaic virus and powdery mildew.
F1 Crispy bunch. Cucumbers without bitterness! Early ripening hybrid (37-40 days). Up to 7 ovaries are formed in one sinus
It is important to form it correctly. As a result, you will get one to one greens (cylindrical, dark green, lumpy, weighing 70-90 g, 8-11 cm long)
The pulp of greens is dense, crispy, sweet, aromatic, absolutely without bitterness.
F1 Nursery group. Cucumber garlands in your garden. Very early (38-42 days) self-pollinating hybrid. A compact plant with an incredible number of ovaries, at least 3-5 fruits. Zelentsy with clearly defined thorns, which is ideal for pickling. The fruits grow up to 11 cm, weighing 90-100 g, with crispy, juicy and sweet pulp. It is not afraid of temperature changes, a number of cucumber diseases, and continues to bear fruit.
Determinate varieties of cucumbers
The biological feature of cucumbers is long vines that stretch along the beds or grow upward, climbing two-meter trellises.
Many gardeners traditionally obtain a harvest of cucumbers by growing them on trellises, and such varieties are common to see in most plots.
The inconvenience when growing long-climbing varieties is primarily due to the need to create additional artificial supports for them and the tendency to break off long and fragile shoots.
In this regard, short-stemmed varieties of cucumbers, which are classified as determinate plants, are now becoming increasingly popular. The length of the lashes of such cucumbers does not exceed 50 - 60 cm when grown in open ground and 80 -100 cm in greenhouses.
The growth of the central shoot in determinate cucumbers ends with the formation of a flower raceme. After this, the plant develops as a bush type and fruiting occurs on numerous lateral branches.
The agricultural technology for growing bush cucumbers is somewhat different from growing conventional varieties with unlimited stem growth.
First of all, bush cucumbers are sown quite often, at a distance of no more than 10 cm from each other. Accordingly, the soil should be more fertile, watering and fertilizing should be done more often.
Short-stemmed cucumbers yield a more uniform harvest, up to four kg per plant. The undoubted advantage of cucumbers with limited growth is resistance to many diseases.
When selecting varieties for cultivation on a personal plot, you should pay attention to cucumbers of the Vyazemsky 37 variety and the hybrid Hector F 1.
These cucumbers have short vines and compact bushes. Purpose - universal, disease resistant, fruits are uniform in size and ripening.
If you plant cucumbers with limited growth, you can forever get rid of the construction of trellises and the tedious fastening of cucumber shoots on it. For determinate cucumbers, it is easier to create shelter from late frosts, which allows you to preserve the crop in unfavorable weather conditions.
Characteristics of indeterminate varieties
Russia has its own state register, which includes the most grown indeterminate varieties of cucumbers. Almost all f1 hybrids are immediately approved by leading farming experts.
When choosing seeds for planting, pay attention to the instructions. If the purpose is written only for greenhouse cultivation, then we are talking about an indeterminate species.
Growth and development
The bush develops in height, reaching 1.5 m in height or more. Indeterminate bushes do not require pinching as long as they have sufficient light and a comfortable temperature.
The bush will not grow in width. All main ovaries pass along the main stem. The plant continuously grows and develops, producing more and more new crops.
Care and planting
Planting is carried out in greenhouse conditions. The crop is planted at a distance of 25-30 cm between the bushes. First, the soil is mulched and aerated.
Manure is perfect as a fertilizer, in the amount of one bucket per 1 square meter. You will need to tie up the stems and build a support.
Determinate varieties of pumpkin, buckwheat and legumes
A close relative of the cucumber is the pumpkin, a plant that is distinguished by multi-meter shoots; sometimes it is able to stretch its lashes across the entire plot, overcome the fence and produce a crop in the neighboring plot.
It is very difficult to control the growth of pumpkin shoots. They can grow up to 8 and 10 meters. To avoid filling the area with pumpkin shoots with unlimited growth, it is convenient to plant bush varieties.
Determinate pumpkin varieties are compact in size and very easy to grow. A variety of varieties with limited growth allow you to choose pumpkins based on taste, color and fruit size. The following pumpkin varieties may be of interest to gardeners:
- Spaghetti
- Freckle
- Gribovskaya bush
- Medical
- Bush orange
Determinate varieties of legumes are also in demand: peas and beans. The creation of varieties with shortened stems solves the problems of lodging and shedding, as well as increasing manufacturability during harvesting.
It is worth mentioning cereal plants, the low-growing varieties of which are important for the agricultural industry. For example, much attention is paid to the cultivation of determinate buckwheat.
The growth of its shoots stops with the appearance of a flower cluster at the top, similar to the inflorescence of other cereals, wheat, and rye. In ordinary varieties, a shield is formed. Low-growing varieties are profitable to grow, as they are very resistant to lodging.
A more developed root system provides a better supply of nutrients to the plant, immediately after watering or fertilizing has been done. Nowadays, low-growing buckwheat of the Dozhd and Smuglyanka varieties is in demand.
Based on the above, we can conclude that tall and powerful plants are not always superior in their characteristics and productivity to low varieties and hybrids with limited growth.
To make sure of this, it makes sense to plant both determinate and indeterminate tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins and other plants. A good harvest with minimal effort will help you make a choice in favor of certain plants.
Productive varieties of cucumbers for greenhouses - domestic or foreign?
Productive varieties of cucumbers for greenhouses are constantly being bred by breeders. Now on the market and in stores there is a large selection of cucumber seeds from domestic and foreign producers that will satisfy even the most demanding customers. The right choice will be a good help to you for a large and tasty harvest of cucumbers.
Content
Content:
Productive varieties of cucumbers for greenhouses are constantly being bred by breeders. Now on the market and in stores there is a large selection of cucumber seeds from domestic and foreign producers that will satisfy even the most demanding customers. The right choice will be a good help to you for a large and tasty harvest of cucumbers.
Greenhouse varieties of cucumbers - what do we know about them?
When choosing a cucumber variety for a greenhouse, first of all, decide on your preferences. A clear understanding of what you want to receive will become your guide when choosing seeds: to collect a large volume of cucumbers, to get early vegetables, to grow late cucumbers or for preparations.
variety "Courage"
Different varieties are similar in appearance, but taste criteria, pulp and peel thickness can vary significantly. For salads and winter preparations, these are the defining characteristics. When pickled, some varieties of cucumbers turn out crispy and tasty, while others simply fall apart.
There are universal cucumber varieties for greenhouses, good both in preparation and in their natural form, and have an excellent taste. Such cucumbers, as a rule, have a small yield.
Advice! To prevent the roots of cucumbers from rotting in greenhouses, you need to spray them with a solution of 5 ml of iodine per 5 liters of water every 10 days. Treat the root collar from the soil and 10 cm up the stem with an iodine solution: 1 part iodine, 2 parts water. Spray the ground with a solution of 40 ml of brilliant green per 10 liters of water every 10 days after planting cucumbers
Hybrid greenhouse cucumbers have excellent disease resistance and can withstand temperature fluctuations, and this is a very important point for many vegetable growers. As a rule, they are self-pollinating, crops germinate well, fruits ripen quickly, and the yield is very high.
The type of pollination is of great importance when choosing greenhouse varieties of cucumbers. Bee-pollinated varieties in a greenhouse will not pollinate well due to the enclosed space. It is not possible to have the same number of bees as in an open garden bed. And in winter, bee-pollinated varieties will produce only barren flowers. The problem can be solved by hand pollination, but this method is only suitable for small greenhouses.
Breeders have developed and presented a huge variety of parthenocarpic hybrids of cucumbers that do not require pollination and are intended for cultivation specifically in a greenhouse.
variety "Herman"
Experienced agronomists advise planting several varieties and hybrids of cucumbers at once in order to obtain high yields of cucumbers with excellent taste.
The best cucumbers for greenhouses from domestic and foreign producers
Cucumbers for greenhouses, both domestic and foreign selection, are in good demand among summer residents and gardeners. When growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, it is better to choose self-pollinating varieties.
The best cucumbers for a greenhouse are:
- Herman is a self-pollinating, very productive early-ripening hybrid. No bitterness, excellent taste, good for preservation. With proper care, the stems grow very powerful, the fruits have the same dark green color and large tubercles;
- Emelya - refers to pickling varieties. The bushes are indeterminate, the ovaries are bunched, the yield is 12-16 kg per square meter of plants. The hybrid does not require pollination. Well resistant to olive spot and cucumber mosaic;
variety "Zozulya"
- Zozulya is a well-known early hybrid; the fruits are harvested already 45-50 days after germination. Cucumbers are deep green in color with faded white stripes, taste without distinctive features, suitable for pickling. It is distinguished by its resistance to root rot, therefore it is valued by gardeners;
- Courage is very high-yielding; up to 20-25 kilograms of cucumbers can be harvested from one plant. Refers to early ripening hybrids; the first vegetables can be picked after 38-39 days. Cucumbers are green, pimply, and taste great. Resistant to common cucumber diseases. Valued for its good keeping quality;
- Masha is the only very early hybrid of gherkin cucumbers. The plant grows powerful, with a high predominance of female flowers. A lot of fruits are formed, on each node from five to seven cucumbers;
Greenhouse varieties of cucumbers, such as Anyuta, Crystal, Solnechny, Konni, Berendey, Marfinsky, Zarya, Manul, are in no way inferior in quality to their counterparts.
Cucumbers from Dutch producers are especially popular and popular among summer residents. Almost all varieties are self-pollinating, without bitterness, suitable for fresh consumption and preservation. As a rule, the yield is high and very good resistance to diseases and various parasites. Among the large variety of Dutch varieties, the best cucumbers for the greenhouse can be distinguished: Santana F1, Pasadena F1, Ceres F1. They have stable, long-term fruiting, excellent taste, excellent keeping quality, and cucumbers do not lose their presentation for a long time. They are used fresh and canned.
If you want to grow unusual cucumbers, among exotic species, you can mention Chinese ones. Chinese white, Chinese snakes, Chinese miracle - all these varieties can be grown in a greenhouse. Unusually tasty, and at the same time easy to care for, productive, and rarely affected by diseases.
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What does determinate tomato mean?
Determinate means that the plant will be short, branched, and early ripening.
The variety is divided into the following subspecies:
- semi-determinate;
- determinant;
- superdeterminant;
- super-superdeterminant.
Let's take a closer look at each variety.
Semi-determinant
The height of a tomato bush reaches 1-1.2 m. They are grown in two stems in greenhouses and open ground.
Determinant
This species differs from the previous one in that its height is 70 cm. With the appearance of the first fruit cluster, the growth of the main stem stops, new fruits are formed on the side shoots. Determinate varieties are suitable for growing in open beds.
Superdeterminant
These are early ripening low-growing plants with strong branching. Their fruits are of medium size; pinching is not required.
Supersuperdeterminant
These include super early-ripening tomatoes of dwarf growth. Their bushes are highly branched, pinching and pinching are not required, and they bear fruit abundantly with small tomatoes.
Gherkin cucumbers - varieties
First, let's look at the difference between crispy gherkins and other varieties. The word “cornichon” is translated extremely simply and means “cucumber”. This popular name was invented by the French, it caught on and quickly became fashionable in other countries. Standard gherkin cucumbers for open ground can be obtained by removing young juicy greens up to 9 cm long from ordinary bushes. Smaller cucumbers measuring from 3 cm to 5 cm are called pickles.
Reputable vegetable growers and chefs say that it is better to purchase special small-fruited varieties of gherkin cucumbers for sowing, intended for pickling, characterized by improved characteristics. Their fruits are crispy and do not form a cavity inside when ripe. When ripe, gherkins do not grow to enormous sizes; they are always easily placed in jars or used for processing into salads.
The most popular cucumbers are gherkins:
- Parisian gherkin,
- Funny company,
- Moth F1,
- Marinade F1,
- Moravian gherkin,
- Children's,
- Philippok F1,
- Sweet crunch
- Son of the F1 regiment,
- Beloved son-in-law F1,
- Brownie F1.
It is recommended that instead of old varieties, purchase hybrid gherkin cucumbers, which produce mini fruits suitable for harvesting at a very early stage. These plants have a predominantly female flowering type and form even green foliage. Their one- or two-day-old ligature reaches a length of up to 4 cm and is excellent for processing. It is not thin, tasteless “pencils”, but juicy, high-quality cucumbers.
Cucumber Moravian gherkin
Listing the best varieties of gherkin cucumbers, we can highlight the Moravian gherkin F1, which is distinguished by excellent characteristics. By growing this hybrid, you will receive a stable production of smooth marketable fruits without bitterness, weighing 68-94 g, resistant to major diseases. The yield of bushes reaches 8 kg/m2. The average growing season is 45 days. Seeds are sown at a planting density of up to 5 sprouts per 1 m2.
Cucumber variety Parisian gherkin
You can’t miss the famous Parisian gherkin cucumbers; the description of the French variety will appeal to most gardeners who want to get a stable harvest of vegetables on their plot every year. The shape of the greens is spindle-shaped, they weigh about 57-78 g, the ripening period is about 45 days. The crunchy fruits with large tubercles have a characteristic dark fluff; when they ripen, no bitterness appears in the taste.
What is the difference between determinate and indeterminate tomatoes?
These tomato varieties are popular among Russian gardeners; each of them has admirers. Before choosing, you should know the differences.
Differences between indeterminate and determinate varieties and hybrids
№
| Characteristics | Determinant | Indeterminate | |
| 1 | Bush growth | Limited, no more than 1.2 meters | Unlimited, up to 4 meters |
| 2 | Plant Formation | Does not require pinching the top or garter. | Pinching the top of the main stem at a height of 2 meters, gartering. |
| 3 | Stepsoning | You don't have to stepchild. | Remove the shoots and leave one stem. |
| 4 | Fruit cluster size | Small in size, small in super-super-determinants. | Large. |
| 5 | Ripening time | Early and super early | Large ones. |
| 6 | Fruit size | Small or medium. | Large ones. |
| 7 | Growing regions | All regions of Russia. | Southern, central regions in greenhouses. |
Among determinate tomatoes, standard ones are popular. They have a thick stem and do not require staking or pinching. They are grown on an industrial scale in open ground. They are early ripening, the first ripe tomatoes appear at the end of June.
Landing
When the third leaf appears, the seedlings can be planted
The hybrid can be grown either by seedlings or by planting seeds in open ground. If you plant a crop in greenhouses, it is better to first grow seedlings. In protected soil it will be stronger and more productive.
Seedlings are planted in open ground at the end of May or at the beginning of June, as soon as they have 2-3 true leaves.
Seeds in the ground
In mid-April, the soil should be dug up and leveled. In May, humus and mineral fertilizers are added to the soil. The soil is disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and covered with a dark film. For planting, you should choose a warm day when the ground is warm and there is no chance of night frosts.
For seedlings
Seeds are planted for seedlings in March-April. First they are disinfected. This treatment will help protect the plant from diseases. Place one seed at a time in prepared peat-humus containers. The use of individual cups will help you avoid picking.
You can make the substrate yourself: for this you take compost, peat and sawdust in a ratio of 2:2:1. Seeds are not planted deep. Watering is carried out with warm water and the temperature is maintained at 23-25 °C. To increase it and create a greenhouse effect, the containers are covered with film. Periodically provide air supply to the seedlings.
Ukhazher f1 cucumber seedlings are planted in a permanent place of growth in May-June. The sprouts are ready for transplanting when they have 3-4 leaves. The landing site should be well lit and protected from the wind.
Which type of tomatoes is better?
There is no consensus on which tomato variety is better. Everyone is good in their own way. We can only highlight their advantages and disadvantages.
Determinant. Positive characteristics include early ripening and abundance of fruits. Disadvantage: lower yield, need for frequent feeding, susceptibility to diseases.
Indeterminate. Plus - obtaining a high yield per unit area, resistance to diseases, long-term fruiting, you can harvest tomatoes until late autumn. The downside is that it's difficult to care for. Constant shaping of the bush, removal of shoots and leaves, repeated staking of the plant.
Pros and cons of the variety
Before planting the crop, it is necessary to determine the advantages and disadvantages of cultivating the Bobrik f1 variety. Vegetable growers suggest considering the following description of the positive characteristics of cucumber cultivation.
pros
- High yield: more than 15 kg of cucumbers are harvested from 1 bush;
- Excellent taste of fruits;
- Cucumbers are famous for their early ripening;
- Possibility of cultivating the variety in open and protected beds;
- Attractive external characteristics of cucumbers;
- The bushes of the variety do not require pollination by insects;
- Resistance to major crop infections;
- Resistance of the variety to sudden changes in air temperature;
- The versatility of using cucumbers.
Minuses
The only disadvantage of cultivating the Bobrik f1 hybrid is the absence of seeds in cucumbers suitable for the next sowing.
Features of cultivation
Caring for determinate and indeterminate tomatoes has some differences.
Planting and caring for low-growing tomatoes
The seeds are sown at the end of February in fertile soil. The containers are covered with film and placed in a warm place until shoots appear. Next, the film is removed and sufficient lighting is provided to the plant. When the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, they are picked into separate cups.
Determinate tomatoes can be planted in a greenhouse or open ground. Carry out the usual care - water, loosen, feed. Dwarf varieties are not planted or tied up. Taller ones require garters; there is no need to remove the stepsons.
Growing indeterminate varieties of tomatoes
Sowing seeds and caring for seedlings is no different from determinate species; differences appear at the stage of formation of tomato bushes. It is important to carry out pinching in time and remove all side shoots. The bush is formed into one trunk. You can leave a shoot under the first fruit cluster and form a bush into two stems. After the plant reaches a height of 2 m, the top of the stem is pinched to limit its growth.
Landing
When the third leaf appears, the seedlings can be planted
The hybrid can be grown either by seedlings or by planting seeds in open ground. If you plant a crop in greenhouses, it is better to first grow seedlings. In protected soil it will be stronger and more productive.
Seedlings are planted in open ground at the end of May or at the beginning of June, as soon as they have 2-3 true leaves.
Seeds in the ground
In mid-April, the soil should be dug up and leveled. In May, humus and mineral fertilizers are added to the soil. The soil is disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and covered with a dark film. For planting, you should choose a warm day when the ground is warm and there is no chance of night frosts.
For seedlings
Seeds are planted for seedlings in March-April. First they are disinfected. This treatment will help protect the plant from diseases. Place one seed at a time in prepared peat-humus containers. The use of individual cups will help you avoid picking.
You can make the substrate yourself: for this you take compost, peat and sawdust in a ratio of 2:2:1. Seeds are not planted deep. Watering is carried out with warm water and the temperature is maintained at 23-25 °C. To increase it and create a greenhouse effect, the containers are covered with film. Periodically provide air supply to the seedlings.
Ukhazher f1 cucumber seedlings are planted in a permanent place of growth in May-June. The sprouts are ready for transplanting when they have 3-4 leaves. The landing site should be well lit and protected from the wind.
The best varieties
It is important to choose high-yielding and disease-resistant tomato varieties. Let's consider the proposals of breeders.
Determinate tomatoes
Plants of Siberian selection are good for open ground and cool climates. Among the popular ones:
- “Snow Fairy Tale”, early ripening, prolific, with small fruits (35 g), does not require support.
- "Hospitable." Medium ripening period, tomatoes weigh up to 500 g.
- "Destructive force". Fruit weight 150 g.
Suitable for greenhouses:
- Apricot. It has a yellow fleshy fruit weighing 110 g. It is grown in greenhouses and open ground.
- Agatha. Low-growing up to 45 cm. Early, productive, for growing in greenhouses and open beds.
- "Lyubasha-F2". Early ripening, low growing. Red fleshy, weight 120-200 g.
Indeterminate tomatoes
Tall varieties require cultivation in a greenhouse. The best:
- "33 heroes." Salad variety. The fruits are fleshy, weighing up to 500 g, raspberry in color. Drought resistant.
- "Africa Zebra". Raspberry color with brown-green stripes. Sweet, large. Mid-season.
- "An amateur's dream." Late ripening. Large red tomatoes. Productivity can reach 8-10 kg per bush.
- "Martha." Mid-season. Fleshy, sweet, red. Well stored and transported.
- "Orange Miracle" Tomatoes are orange, dense, sweet. Weight up to 150 g.
German cucumbers are the most popular among hybrid varieties
Masha F1 is one of the relatively new hybrids, it is also considered the earliest. The size of its fruits is medium, so it is excellent for fresh consumption, pickling, and canning. Judging by the reviews from gardeners, Masha F1 is a real find.
History of cucumber cultivation
canned (used for pickling and salting);
Like any garden plant, cucumber varieties for greenhouses also have a classification. According to the harvest period, they are divided into three groups:
Description of the variety
It is one of the most productive cucumbers for suitable cultivation in open ground. Bee-pollinated, medium ripening period. The bush is tall, long-climbing, spreading. Resistant to many diseases, such as olive spot, bacteriosis, downy and powdery mildew, as well as pests such as gray mites. The fruits are medium-small, weighing 115-150 g, 13-14 cm long, elongated, ovoid, black-spiked, large-tubercular, the skin is not dense, does not turn yellow for a long time, the flesh is crisp. With high taste qualities. Optimally suitable for pickling.
Every gardener is puzzled by the question of how to grow a good harvest of cucumbers. Today there are a very large number of hybrids and varieties. They differ in ripening period, growth pattern, taste characteristics and fruit size. However, a guaranteed high yield will only be achieved through a competent, correct choice. We will try to figure out in this article which varieties of cucumbers are the most productive and popular among amateur vegetable growers and farms.
Popular varieties for universal purposes
Agrotechnics of planting
"Muromsky 36" is the earliest, requires frequent harvesting;
and I like Murashka better
And yet, damage to the bushes by the disease is not excluded. If yellow spots are found on the surface of the leaves, this is a sign of downy mildew. White spots that eventually spread to the entire leaf indicate powdery mildew. But rust is especially dangerous for German cucumbers, which manifests itself externally in the appearance of orange spots on shoots and leaves. Fungicides are used against all cucumber diseases. And one more note: cold, wet summers greatly contribute to disease, to the point that fungicides may not be effective.
In addition to ordinary varieties of cucumbers, f1 hybrids, that is, plants obtained by crossing two lines in the first generation, are now widespread. Such hybrids have high yields, but they are more expensive than varietal cucumbers due to the complexity of their cultivation. And their properties are lost in subsequent generations. Despite this, hybrid varieties are very popular, and the most popular among them are German cucumbers. A closer acquaintance with them promises to be interesting.
Growing German cucumbers
Hybrid Hector. Gardeners fell in love with these Dutch early-ripening cucumbers because the fruits of the vegetable do not turn yellow, are very tasty and have dense pulp. It is used both fresh for preparing various dishes, and also for pickling fruits.
salad;
winter-spring;
Requires fertile soil with high aeration. Planting density – no more than 3-4 plants per 1 sq.m.
Harvesting
For cultivation in greenhouses, as a rule, F1 hybrids are used, less often specially bred for this variety. They have compact bushes with short side branches and do not need pinching. At the same time, the most common question, which cucumbers are the most productive, disappears by itself, since hybrid varieties are characterized by high fruiting and resistance to many diseases.
:
Scheme for parthenocarpic varieties and hybrids
It is important to promptly get rid of excess leaf mass for hybrids and parthenocarpics; these plants form differently than varietal cucumbers. They are usually grown in a greenhouse, on a horizontal trellis. Up to the 5th node, all ovaries and stepsons are removed. In the zone from the 5th to the 8th node, 1 leaf and 1 ovary are left. In the interval from the 9th to the 11th node, 2 leaves and 2 ovaries are preserved. From the 12th to the 14th node, 3 ovaries and 3 leaves are allowed to develop.
4 leaves and 4 fruits are left above. After the main lash grows to the top of the trellis, it is thrown over and sent down. After allowing the stem to grow another 70 cm, its crown is pinched. At the same time, all growing whiskers on the main lash are removed, as they take away nutrition without bringing any benefit.
August root feeding of cucumbers with homemade complex fertilizer to increase yield
Determinate and indeterminate tomatoes, which are better?
A wide variety of tomato varieties and hybrids creates certain difficulties for the gardener in choosing the right seed material. On the colorful packaging you can find a lot of advertising information about how tasty, large, sweet tomatoes are and much more. However, in addition to definitions that are understandable to everyone, there are terms that are difficult for many vegetable growers. Take, for example, the designation “determinate and indeterminate varieties of tomatoes” found on every package of seeds. We will try to find out what it is and how these cultures differ.
Popular varieties of indeterminate tomatoes
- Octopus. This is a real leader among indeterminate tomatoes. It has dark red fruits, its distinctive feature is the absence of green spots near the stem. This is one of the year-round varieties, ideal for growing in greenhouse conditions. If you provide him with good conditions, you can grow several harvests a year.
- Major. This is a sought-after variety that attracts gardeners with its very sweet sugar fruits. Thanks to the dense pulp, the fruits easily tolerate transportation, which explains the popularity of the variety in commercial cultivation. Due to the very pleasant taste of the pulp, tomatoes of this variety are constantly used for salads. The color of the fruit is pink, the plant calmly tolerates temperature fluctuations and is not afraid of many diseases.
- Happiness is a tomato variety with large red fruits that have a pleasant smell. Due to the large size of the bush, this variety is preferable to choose for large greenhouses; the bush will grow very quickly. Vigorous growth ensures rapid flowering and fairly early fruit ripening.
- Russian happiness is a variety of the above-mentioned variety. It is characterized by shorter distances between nodes. Because of this, the growth of the bush is smaller, and it is easier for it to find a place in a regular greenhouse. The fruits have another important advantage: they do not crack during transportation and storage, which ensures their preservation for a longer time.
These are just some varieties; the choice for gardeners is much wider. When buying seeds, you need to pay attention to the inscriptions on the back of the bag of seeds: it not only indicates the type of variety, but also indicates basic recommendations for growing.
Determinate tomatoes
In determinate varieties, the first flower cluster is laid above the 5-7th leaf, and each subsequent one after 1-2 leaves. Such tomatoes, as a rule, are grown in open ground or film tunnels, since there is no point in occupying greenhouses with them - they will not master the required volume there - the height of determinate tomatoes is usually no more than a meter, and most of them do not exceed 60 cm.
Determinate varieties of tomatoes are divided, in turn, into the following types:
- Superdeterminate - plants in which the first inflorescence is located above the 7th - 8th leaf of the main shoot. Growth stops after the formation of only 2-3 inflorescences, so the yield of such varieties is quite low.
- Actually determinate tomatoes are plants with the first inflorescence above the 8th - 9th leaf. The yield is slightly higher because growth is complete after about 5 inflorescences have formed.
- Semi-determinate - plants with the first inflorescence above the 10 - 12 leaf of the main shoot and about 4 side shoots. The fruits ripen, it turns out, later. The fruiting period is even more extended - throughout the entire growing season.
Do indeterminate tomatoes produce tastier fruit than determinate ones?
How I decided to grow tall tomatoes with unsurpassed taste
I haven't had a greenhouse for a long time. The tomato variety was suitable for open ground. But one day I went to the website of a private collector and found indets there: bicolors, anthocyanins and simply sweet ones. She was discharged and admitted, and even earlier than usual - at the end of February.
Already at the seedling stage, I repented a hundred times. Tall, they are like that on the windowsill: they stretch, fall, break. I planted it in the ground and it didn’t break. It’s good to have a vegetable garden under the windows; you don’t need to take it to the dacha.
I described how I tie up tall and climbing plants in open ground here:
My Indians have grown up. Varieties planted: Bright Gem, Koenigsberg, Cosmic Eclipse, Minusinsk, Damascus Steel, Palmyra. I liked the taste. But I think that among children you can find tomatoes with a similar taste.
My Minusinsky, grew up in open ground.
Tomato Minusinsky Harvest
My tomatoes are all different.
Get ready in September
Determinate and indeterminate: difference in taste?
Koenigsberg's fruits are fleshy, sugary at the edges, sweet with a slight sourness for harmony. Determinate Ox ears have exactly the same tomatoes.
Tomato Koenigsberg Tomato Ox ears
Now look how the tomatoes looked on the bushes in the open ground.
Koenigsberg on a bush
By the way, in many greenhouses, indets look exactly the same.
The photo is not mine, I don’t have a greenhouse.
Indets in the greenhouse
And below are my determinate tomatoes in open ground
Ox ears on a bush
Ox ears in tomatoes from the ground to the top. And in Indeta Koenigsberg, the first brush is about 30 cm from the ground and then after 3 leaves it is about another 30 cm. From the outside it looks like a long stem with sparse brushes.
And which variety is more productive with the same quality of fruit: determinate or indeterminate?
I liked the Tall Bright Gem - it doesn’t taste like a tomato at all, it’s sweet and fleshy like a peach.
Bright gem Bright gem on a bush
Tall tomatoes produce tasty fruits, but not enough per unit area. Perhaps this is only true in open ground, but in a greenhouse they are more productive. Now I'm looking for children with sweet fruits. I relied on Persimmon, it grew sour. Now I will try the Fig variety.
What do you think about determinate and indeterminate tomatoes? Which ones do you grow in greenhouses and which ones in open ground? Do you follow the rule: high ones - in the greenhouse, low ones - in the open ground? Share early varieties for open ground with sweet and fleshy fruits.
I have a selection of determinate tomatoes:
Popular varieties of determinate tomatoes
- Bourgeois and Azhur are valued for their large, dense red fruits. Hybrids of this variety are resistant to temperature changes and diseases.
- Kukla, Vesna Severa, Kukla Masha have sweet, large, pink fruits with dense flesh, making them ideal for transportation.
- Denis, Pyshka, Piglet, Gina, Lionheart are among the shortest tomatoes, so they take up little space. Resistant to weather conditions and diseases. Excellent for growing in any way. Most often they are grown in open ground. They do not require sonning.
- Dama, Malyshok, Vehlioka, Golden Horn, Portland, Pink Honey, Asteroid are greenhouse varieties. They require the formation of a bush in the form of one or two stems. It is better to plant bushes at a considerable distance from each other for better yield.
