Cucumbers are a symbol of the end of the vitamin deficiency season. The first greens from local gardens appear on markets in the second half of May.
From a huge number of varieties and hybrids, many choose a proven cucumber with the self-explanatory name Competitor. This variety has been present on the domestic market for more than 40 years. During this time, it not only has not lost its popularity, but also successfully competes with more modern breeding achievements. What is the secret of the Competitor’s success? Read on.
Description of cucumbers Competitor
Having studied in more detail the characteristics and description of the Competitor cucumber variety, we can come to the conclusion that this crop is very profitable to plant in a summer cottage.
Competitor - a variety convenient for planting in a summer cottage or greenhouse. This culture has heterosexual flowers and a single ovary. Inflorescences require pollination by bees. The length of the bush can reach 2 m.
Important! To get a good harvest, it is important to carry out the procedure for forming a bush.
Description of fruits
The fruits of the cucumber variety Competitor are rich green, cylindrical in shape with small tubercles and white stripes. The length of one cucumber can reach 12 cm. The flesh of the plant is dense, the fruits are crunchy.
Features of cultivation
The Competitor variety is unpretentious, which is what attracts gardeners from different regions of the country. And yet, there are some growing nuances that will help extend the fruiting period and increase the yield of cucumbers in the garden beds.
Soil composition and placement on the site
The competitor prefers loose, fertile, humus-rich soil. This variety is not suitable for soil with high acidity. In this case, the plant begins to hurt. It may not even come to harvest. To avoid damaging the cucumbers, lime is added to the soil when forming the beds. You can use lime fertilizers, for example, fluff (slaked lime), dolomite flour, ground chalk, oil shale ash, etc.
Photo gallery: products for soil with high acidity
"Pushonka" is also known as slaked lime
Dolomite flour is a frequent assistant to the gardener
Ground chalk is a soft soil deoxidizer
Table: approximate dosage of fertilizers for acidic soil per 1 m2
| Fertilizer | Weight in grams |
| "fluffy" | 135 |
| dolomite flour | 94–110 |
| ground chalk | 89–100 |
| oil shale ash | 65–80 |
It is better to make the beds for this variety high. As most gardeners note, the Competitor grows and bears fruit better on a trellis. There is no need to install complex structures on the site. You can dig a post on different sides of the bed, and stretch strong clotheslines between them, like a fishing net. Cucumber lashes will climb up such supports.
It is not necessary to install complex structures for cucumbers; you can get by with clotheslines
Like all cucumbers, the Competitor does not like drafts, so for planting you will have to find a place protected from the wind. In addition, the area allocated for cucumbers must have sufficient light.
Characteristics of cucumbers Competitor
The cucumber tops of the Competitor variety are powerful and weakly branched. The main stem is long – from 1.5 to 2 m, the stalk – up to 6 cm.
Productivity and fruiting
This variety is called “Competitor” due to the fact that it has practically no competitors in the quantity and quality of the harvest. During the fruiting period, up to 5-6 kg of fruit can be collected from 1 m2. But only with regular watering and proper care. The fruiting period lasts from June to the end of August. The culture matures in 5-6 weeks. It is recommended to collect fruits every 2-3 days. Thus, new ovaries will form.
Cucumber of the Competitor variety during the fruiting period in the photo:
Application area
This variety is delicious to eat fresh, but most gardeners use it for canning. The Competitor cucumber is pickled, salted, and winter salads are prepared from it.
This variety is also used for preparing lightly salted cucumbers. This dish will be an excellent addition to any side dish.
Resistance to diseases and pests
The culture is well resistant to diseases:
- bacteriosis;
- powdery and downy mildew;
- olive spot.
The competitor cucumber has good keeping quality; the fruits can be stored for a long time without turning yellow.
Important! By providing Competitor cucumbers with proper care, you can reduce the risk of contracting many diseases.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Based on the characteristics of the Konkurent variety cucumber, it can be noted that this crop has a number of advantages:
- high germination of seed;
- 100% survival rate of seedlings;
- resistance to bacteriosis, downy and powdery mildew;
- long fruiting period;
- possibility of self-harvesting seeds.
The disadvantages of the plant depend on how high-quality care the crop receives during the fruiting period.
It is also worth considering some of the disadvantages that may arise if the harvest is not harvested on time:
- loss of aroma;
- the appearance of cracks on the fruits;
- thick peel;
- the fruits spoil quickly.
Attention! If you do not provide sufficient watering to the cucumbers, the fruits will become bitter.
History of selection
The name of the cucumber is telling; it was an excellent competitor to varieties in the 80-90s, and has not lost ground today. It is valued by amateurs and is constantly cultivated by farmers in their fields.
For many, the priority is the stable yield of fruits and the excellent taste of the variety.
The Competitor was bred in Crimea, the date noted in the catalogs of the State Varietal Commission is 1980. Tests have been carried out since 1975, registered in the State Register in 1980. According to documents, it is approved for cultivation in the southern regions, but for more than two decades the variety has been planted in the middle zone, in the North-West, and in the Urals.
Planting and caring for cucumbers Competitor
By planting cucumbers of the Competitor variety according to agrotechnical methods, you can get a decent harvest, and what’s more, you can harvest it all summer long. The best time for planting seed is considered to be mid-May to early June. If planting is planned in the southern regions, you can sow the seeds of Competitor cucumbers in April.
Planting seedlings
According to reviews from summer residents, Competitor cucumber seeds are planted as seedlings 1 month before the expected planting date in an open bed or greenhouse.
Algorithm for sowing seedlings:
- Plant the seeds in small containers 10 by 10 cm and cover with cling film.
- Place the boxes in a warm place (up to 28 degrees) and keep them until the entrances appear.
- After pecking the seeds, remove the film and water.
- During the growth process, make sure that the seedlings do not touch each other.
- Maintain the growing temperature: during the day – 20-23 degrees, at night – 17-20 degrees.
- During the period of sprout growth, fertilize with organic fertilizers (Agricola Forward, Agricola Vegeta, Kemira-Lux).
Advice! When purchasing fertilizers in specialized stores, you should pay attention to the expiration date.
After 30 days, you can prepare the seedlings for planting in the ground or greenhouse. Planting should be done in fertilized soil. For this you can use wood ash and superphosphate.
It is recommended to plant sprouts in a checkerboard pattern, at a distance of 60 cm.
To understand how to properly place Competitor cucumber seedlings in an open garden bed, you can look at the photo:
Growing cucumbers using the seedless method
Before you start planting cucumbers using the seedless method, you should prepare the seeds:
- Last year's harvested material can be sown dry without soaking.
- If the seeds have been stored for more than a year, it is recommended to soak them in a salt solution for 20 minutes.
- Then disinfect in potassium permanganate.
- After soaking, you can plant the seed.
Soil preparation
To get a good harvest of cucumber Competitor, it is better to sow the seeds at the end of May. Grains should be planted in previously prepared soil. The soil must be at a temperature of at least 15 degrees, saturated with humus and similar fertilizers.
Important! To fertilize the soil, you can use any manure: rabbit, pig, sheep, horse.
Planting scheme
Cucumber of the Competitor variety is grown on special trellises. For this, an agrotechnical planting method is used:
- The seed is planted in 2 rows. The distance between rows is at least 25 cm.
- I moisten the soil well.
- They bury trellises next to them at a distance of 80-100 cm.
Selection of terrain for landing
To regularly get a good harvest, you should plant varietal cucumbers in new places. Some of the best predecessors for cucumbers are tomatoes, onions and potatoes. Experienced summer residents do not recommend planting crops in places where carrots and beans grew.
For proper planting in a new location, you should prepare the bed in the fall. The soil is fertilized with mineral or organic fertilizers, and the area is dug up closer to spring.
Aftercare for cucumbers
The Competitor variety cucumber is absolutely unpretentious in cultivation and care. Well resistant to fungi and other diseases. The basic rules for caring for crops are:
- regular watering;
- removal of weeds;
- feeding with fertilizers;
- loosening the soil.
Bush formation
During the formation of the bush, a number of procedures are performed:
- Blinding procedure on the first 4-leaf axil of the main loop. The ovaries and stepsons are removed. Thus, the plant forms a strong root and is well overgrown with greenery.
- Leave only 1 ovary at node 5-6.
- At the 7-8th node, leave all the shoots and ovaries, pinch them near the first leaf.
- In the uppermost places, pinch the branches after the second leaf.
- When the crop reaches the trellis, wrap the main stem around it several times, lower it down 60 cm, pinching it.
Attention! By correctly forming the bush, you can ensure good development of the crop.
How to harvest and store crops?
Cucumbers are harvested in the early morning so that they still retain their overnight coolness and freshness. Collection is carried out daily or every 2 days. Depending on the yield (the more often ripe fruits are picked, the more ovaries are formed). Remove the fruits using garden shears.
Wooden boxes with large gaps between slats or baskets are used for storage. The containers are placed in the coolest room possible. They retain their structure under such conditions for up to 10 days.
Preparing seeds for sowing
Seeds purchased in a store or obtained independently need to be sorted. To do this, they are placed in an aqueous salt solution for 10 minutes. During this time, the seeds are separated: the unsuitable ones will float to the top, and the viable ones will remain at the bottom, and they will be used for planting. They are washed with clean warm water and disinfected with a weakly concentrated solution of potassium permanganate (the seeds are left in it for a day). After this, they are dried and sown in the ground.
If you plan to get seedlings from the seeds, they are wrapped in a damp cloth and left for 2-3 days. Until the first sprouts appear, they are constantly moistened. When all the seeds have germinated, they are taken out and immediately planted in containers with pre-prepared soil.
The “Competitor” cucumber is most often propagated by seed.
Reviews from gardeners
It depends on what cucumbers are needed for. We usually grow salad varieties. They are large and oblong in shape. Our favorite variety for the whole family, “Competitor,” is early, produces a lot of fruit, and can also be used in marinades. Beard https://agriculturalportal.rf/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1888
Yes, I love “Competitor” too. But we use it not only for salads, but also for pickling on a fairly large scale. Petrov https://xn--80ajgpcpbhkds4a4g.xn--p1ai/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1888
Cucumber Competitor I plant my own seeds from year to year. The seedlings are excellent and germinate much earlier than purchased ones. Andrey Vovchenko https://www.ogorod.ru/forum/topic/271-kakie-sorta-ogurtsa-podoydut-dlya-sbora-svoih-semyan/
The competitor is not a commercial variety, but its yield is quite enough to provide the family with fresh salads and preserves. The bush grows in one stem, so it is advisable to plant it along a vertical support. Care should be focused on regular feeding.
Rate this article:
[Voices: Average: ]
