Mamluk cucumber variety: description, cultivation techniques

Every summer resident or owner of a personal plot tries to grow cucumbers, since it is difficult to imagine any summer salad without this refreshing vegetable. As for winter preparations, here too it has no equal in popularity. Cucumbers are tasty both salted and pickled, and in a variety of assorted vegetables. But cucumbers, to some extent deservedly, have gained the opinion that they are a rather capricious crop, demanding in terms of fertilizing, watering, and, of course, the amount of heat. Even in the southern regions, in order to get good harvests, they are often grown in greenhouses. And in most other regions of Russia, you can expect good returns from cucumbers only when planting plants in greenhouses or greenhouses.

Recently, with the advent of parthenocarpic hybrids, growing cucumbers in greenhouses has ceased to be a problem. After all, the fruits of such hybrids are formed without pollination at all, which means that there is no need for insects, of which there are not very many in greenhouses. The Mamluk cucumber is a typical representative of parthenocarpic hybrids, and even with a female type of flowering. All the characteristics in the description of the hybrid variety of Mamluk cucumber indicate its promise, therefore, despite its relative youth, this hybrid has every chance of gaining great popularity among gardeners and farmers.

Description of the Mamluk cucumber variety

To understand whether a new plant is needed for planting next year, you will need to study the description and main characteristics of the Mamluk F1 cucumber.

Plants are parthenocarpic; they do not contain seeds suitable for propagation. The hybrid has a large number of side shoots. The main vine reaches 2.5 m, the side ones - about 1 m. The height of the Mamluk cucumber when grown in a greenhouse or in open ground must be normalized in order to increase productivity.

Hybrid Mamluk refers to early ripening plants, or, as people say, early ripening cucumbers. The first fruits are harvested 35-40 days after germination. Fruiting lasts almost 2 months. The taste is excellent throughout the entire period.

The leaf blades are large, rich green, heart-shaped. Mamluk cucumber is distinguished by strong peduncles that are firmly held on the shoot. The inflorescences are mainly of the female type, bunched, with usually 2-3 ovaries in the internodes. All cucumbers are the same length - 10-14 cm, their diameter is 2.5-3 cm. Each fruit weighs 110-130 g.

Important! Cucumbers hanging on the shoots do not ripen for a long time and remain rich green.

The surface of cucumbers is dense, but not hard, with low tubercles. The fruits of the variety are green, each of them has longitudinal white stripes. Cucumbers are distinguished by their juicy, crunchy flesh and their taste is sweetish, without bitterness. There are seeds in the fruits, but they are small and underdeveloped.

Advice! To get more new ovaries, harvesting greens should be done every other day.

Harvesting and storage

The first Mamluk f1 vegetables ripen by the very beginning of July. Fruiting of this variety proceeds smoothly - it is recommended to collect greens for spinning every day in order to have time to obtain a compact-sized harvest. Remove the cucumber from the vine 10 minutes after irrigation, cutting off the vegetable with garden shears, leaving half the stalk on the branch. Do this very carefully, without touching the leaves.

The described variety is stored for 5-7 days. To keep the cucumber juicy, elastic and aromatic longer, immediately after harvesting, carefully wipe it with a thin towel, place it loosely in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator. The optimal temperature for storing the Mamluk f1 crop is 5°C. Pickled greens can be stored for no more than 2 years.

Pros and cons of the Mamluk variety

One of the characteristics of a variety is its positive or negative sides.

Benefits of Mamluk cucumber:

• stable and high productivity with friendly returns;
• unpretentiousness of care;
• full-fledged ovaries are formed both in open and protected ground, regardless of whether there are pollinating insects or not;
• The taste qualities of Mamluk cucumbers, according to consumer reviews, correspond to the description; even with a short-term drought, no bitterness is observed in the fruits;
• the transportability of the fruit is high, the presentation does not suffer during long-term transportation;
• ripe cucumbers remain green for a long time and do not turn yellow;
• universal use of fruits;
• good resistance to diseases and crop pests;
• high shelf life without loss of taste.

Unfortunately, breeders were unable to avoid disadvantages when creating a hybrid. Although they are few and far between, they exist.

Flaws:

1. It is impossible to obtain seeds from the fruits of the Mamluk variety at home; planting material must be purchased annually. And their cost is high.
2. Even slight frosts can destroy plants.

Fruit characteristics

Tuberous short-fruited cucumbers are the most in demand on the market, especially in summer and autumn. Since they are equally good for consumption both fresh and for various preparations.

Hybrid Mamluk cucumbers are the most typical representatives of this variety.

• The fruits are dark green with small light stripes.
• The shape of cucumbers is smooth, cylindrical with a slight slope.
• The tubercles are medium-sized or larger, evenly distributed over the surface of the fruit. The spikes are white. There are practically no seeds.
• On average, the length of cucumbers reaches 14-16 cm, the weight of one fruit is 130-155 grams.
• The taste of cucumbers is excellent; they lack bitterness at the genetic level.
• The use of cucumbers is universal - you can crunch them to your heart's content, picking them straight from the garden, use them in salads, and also in a variety of preparations for the winter.
• The fruits of the Mamluk cucumber are well stored and can withstand transportation over long distances.

Optimal growing conditions

In order for Mamluk cucumbers to develop well and bear fruit, you need to take care of the growing conditions. They are almost the same for all crop varieties:

1. You can sow seeds when the soil warms up to +12 degrees. At lower rates, the seed will lose viability.
2. When growing in a greenhouse, you need to monitor the air humidity.
3. To germinate seeds, you will need an air temperature of about +27 degrees.
4. When sprouts appear, the indicator is reduced to +25 degrees so that the seedlings do not stretch.
5. Mamluk cucumbers are demanding on lighting.

Description of the hybrid

The Mamluk f1 cucumber was obtained by specialists from the Research Institute of Vegetable Growing in Protected Soil, which works together with the breeding company Gavrish. In 2012, this hybrid was registered in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russia and is recommended for cultivation in closed ground conditions. The originator was the breeding company Gavrish, in the packaging of which Mamluk cucumber seeds can be found on sale.

Due to the excellent adaptability of this hybrid to low light conditions, Mamluk cucumber plants are well suited for growing not only in the summer-autumn, but also in the winter-spring period in heated greenhouses.

The hybrid can be classified as early ripening, since cucumbers begin to ripen within 35-37 days after planting the germinated seeds. Moreover, this ripening period is more typical for winter-spring plantings. And during the summer-autumn growing period, Mamluk cucumbers can ripen even after 30-32 days after emergence.

Comment! Mamluk f1 cucumbers are distinguished by a well-developed and strong root system, which contributes to the active growth of the vine and the formation of a large number of powerful leaves and stable fruiting.

Therefore, the plants of this hybrid are distinguished by their tall growth, the main stem grows especially actively, while the degree of branching of the shoots is below average. Plants of this hybrid are usually classified as indeterminate; they have unlimited growth and require mandatory shaping.

The Mamluk cucumber is characterized by a female type of flowering; it produces only 1-2 ovaries in one node, so it does not require rationing of the ovaries. Of course, cucumbers with a bouquet type of ovary, when up to 10-15 fruits are formed in one node, have great yield potential. But on the other hand, such species are very demanding in terms of compliance with agricultural technology and, at the slightest unfavorable weather disaster, they easily shed their ovaries, which is not observed in the Mamluk hybrid. In addition, it is characterized by uniform filling of cucumbers, so the yield of marketable products is higher.

In terms of productivity, this hybrid is capable of surpassing even such famous cucumber hybrids as Herman or Courage. At least, during testing, he was able to demonstrate marketable yields reaching 13.7 kg per square meter of planting.

In film and polycarbonate greenhouses, quite specific conditions arise that dictate the selection of hybrids that are stable and unpretentious in cultivation.

Important! The Mamluk cucumber can be described as stress-resistant; it is even able to withstand a relative drop in temperature.

Mamluk cucumber is characterized by resistance to olive spot, powdery mildew and various root rots. The hybrid is also quite tolerant to ascochyta blight and downy mildew. Among cucumber diseases for which there is no genetic resistance, green mottled mosaic virus can be noted. Nevertheless, according to the official observations of the originator, for at least two years, the Mamluk cucumber hybrid has been affected by this virus to a lesser extent than other hybrids.

Mamluk F1 cucumber growing technology

Agricultural technology for growing Mamluk cucumbers is not difficult even for beginners. Seeds for seedlings are sown from April to May, depending on the region of residence. Since the plants are heat-loving, planting in a greenhouse or open ground is carried out after the onset of stable heat.

Attention! The Mamluk cucumber variety can be grown all year round in heated greenhouses without loss of taste and commercial qualities.

Direct planting in open ground

The hybrid can be grown by seedlings or direct sowing in open ground. The time for sowing cucumber seeds to obtain early green products depends on the climatic conditions of the region. In the south, work can be planned for April, in temperate climates - at the end of May. In the risky farming zone, seeds are sown in the second ten days of June.

Attention! To obtain a late harvest of cucumbers, planting can be repeated at the end of July in order to harvest cucumbers in September.

Growing by seedlings

To collect greens in early June, it is recommended to grow the Mamluk variety through seedlings in closed ground. Since a little over a month passes from the moment of germination to the harvesting of the first cucumbers of the Mamluk variety, the seeds should be sown in mid-April.

For sowing you will need nutritious soil. You can use a ready-made one by buying it in a store. If you compose the soil yourself, then, in addition to garden soil, humus or compost, sand and wood ash are added to the mixture. A week before sowing, the soil is spilled with boiling water with the addition of several crystals of potassium permanganate to destroy spores of diseases and pests.

Cucumber seeds are pickled in a pink solution of potassium permanganate or Fitosporin. You can grow seedlings in boxes, but it is better in cups, since seedlings do not tolerate transplantation well.

Plant 2 seeds into each cup to a depth of 3 cm. Cover the containers with film to speed up germination. When the sprouts appear, the cups are placed on a lighted window.

Important! If cucumber seedlings do not have enough light, they will have to be additionally illuminated with phytolamps.

By the time of transplantation, Mamluk cucumber seedlings, according to the description of the variety, should have 2-3 leaves, as in the photo below. Healthy plants are distinguished by lush green leaf blades without signs of diseases and pests.

Caring for cucumber seedlings comes down to moderate watering, superficial loosening of the soil and fertilizing with green fertilizer and wood ash extract. Before planting in a permanent place, plants are hardened off so that they develop successfully in new conditions.

Watering and fertilizing

Any varieties of cucumbers require watering, since they themselves mostly consist of water. For irrigation, only warm water is used. If you have a greenhouse, then watering containers can be installed in it.

At first, the bushes are watered once every 6-8 days. When fruiting begins, the frequency of watering is increased - every 3-4 days.

Irrigate only at the root, since moisture on the leaves can provoke fungal diseases.

As for fertilizing, in recent years gardeners have been striving to obtain environmentally friendly products, so they give preference to organics:

• mullein solution;
• wood ash extraction;
• infusion of fermented green herbs;
• foliar feeding with iodine and boric acid.

Cucumber plantings are fed taking into account the condition of the plants. If the soil is well-filled with organic matter, then at the initial stage you can get by only with foliar fertilizing and sprinkling the soil and leaves with dry ash.

Important! Feeding cucumbers at the root is carried out on previously spilled soil.

Formation

The hybrid can grow indefinitely in height, but part of the harvest is lost. That's why cucumbers are specially shaped. At a height of 25 nodes, the main stem is pinched so that increased growth of side shoots with ovaries begins. The first stepsons and ovaries located under the 2-3rd leaf are removed. The remaining side shoots produce 1 bouquet of ovaries. The next shoots are pinched, leaving 2 bunches and so on. The last side stems are shortened at a length of 90 cm.

Attention! The pinching procedure is important for the Mamluk cucumber variety; it allows for faster formation of ovaries in subsequent internodes.

Features of growing and caring for the plant

Since this variety of cucumbers is an indeterminate species, the plant needs to be shaped. Experts advise pinching the shoots in time.

Seedling and non-seedling method

In order for cucumber seeds to germinate faster, they need to be placed in pre-dug holes. The seed should be located at a depth of 1.5 - 2 cm. Seeds can be sown not only in spring, but also in summer. The technology for growing F1 hybrids makes it possible to avoid pre-planting seed treatment. To grow seedlings, seeds are planted in separate small cups filled with nutritious soil mixture. Water the seedlings once a week. By the time of planting in the ground, plants must have at least three true leaves. Seedlings reach this size at 2-3 weeks of age. The bushes are planted in prepared holes up to the cotyledon leaves. The seedling method allows you to reduce the time for growing plants.

Dates of planting in the ground and planting scheme

Seeds are planted only after the soil has warmed to 14°C. Sowing is done in loose soil, to a depth of 4 cm. The most convenient planting pattern is 50x50 cm

It is important not to rush into the planting deadline. A sudden drop in soil temperature below 13°C will cause growth to stop and the ovaries may fall off

You will get the same effect if you water the bushes with cold water.

Photo: collage Vosaduli.ru

Watering and loosening

Like all varieties of cucumbers, plants need constant loosening and abundant watering. Cucumbers need to be moistened with warm, settled water. It is very convenient to use a barrel to prepare for watering. It should be installed in an open, sunny place. During the day, the water in the barrel heats up and becomes ready for use. During the hot season, plants are watered at least four times a week. If cold weather sets in, watering is reduced.

Since the Mamluk roots are very powerful, the soil between the rows must be kept loose. Otherwise, a dense crust will form around the stems. This will make it difficult for oxygen and moisture to reach the roots.

Fertilizing: timing and types of fertilizers

It is advisable to use organic fertilizers to feed cucumbers. Manure and chicken droppings are perfect as a base. Feeding should be done throughout the growing season, but no more than four times per season. It is important to remember that an excess of nitrogen will cause rapid growth of the green mass of the plant. This may lead to a reduction in yield.

How to deal with pests and diseases

The characteristics of the variety indicate the resistance of the variety to diseases such as cladosporiosis and downy mildew. “Mamluk” confidently resists powdery mildew and olive spot. Unfortunately, cucumbers can fall victim to green mottled mosaic virus. In order to avoid disease, it is necessary to maintain the plant’s immunity. Treating bushes with Trichodermin will help avoid many problems.

Photo: collage Vosaduli.ru

All sorts of pests cause great damage to plants. You can cope with them using folk remedies. Treating bushes with infusions of wormwood, garlic, and onion peel helps a lot. In more advanced cases, the drug “Gaupsin” can help out. The uniqueness of this medicine lies in its dual action. With the help of the drug, you can not only destroy pests, but also prevent fungal diseases, since the drug has a fungicidal effect. Regular treatment of cucumbers with this drug will help to reliably protect the bushes from possible troubles.

Diseases and pests

The originators took care of the hybrid's immunity to many cucumber diseases. So, Mamluk has high resistance to:

• parasporosis;
• cladosporiosis;
• root rot.

But damage to Mamluk cucumbers by diseases such as anthracnose, powdery mildew, and fusarium cannot always be avoided. To spray plantings, you can use biological preparations that are safe for humans and beneficial insects:

• "Trichodermin";
• "Fitosporin".

For pests such as aphids and spider mites, it is better to use folk remedies:

• infusion of garlic or onion peel;
• decoction of wormwood or Bogorodskaya herb.

In a greenhouse or in cucumber beds, experienced gardeners hang tea bags soaked in iodine. Pests don't like the smell. Folk remedies do not harm either the plants with ovaries themselves or humans.

The drug "Guapsin" can be used as a prophylactic agent. When spraying with chemicals, you must use protective equipment.

Features of cultivation and care

The seeds are placed in grooves 3–4 cm deep at an angle of 45 degrees with the nose up. It is in this position that the sprouts quickly make their way to the surface, rather than wasting time unraveling and searching for light. The seeds are sown immediately after the air temperature rises to +10–+12 C. In the middle zone, this time occurs in April – May. The crop can be sown not only in spring, but also in summer and even in autumn.

In order for the description of the Mamluk cucumber to be confirmed, the following garden manipulations are carried out during the growing season:

• Watering. As you know, cucumbers are very demanding of moisture. The Mamluk variety is no exception to this rule. To harvest a good harvest of crispy greens, the soil in the garden bed must be constantly moist. In order to prevent rot, water is applied not under the stem, but at a distance of 5–10 cm from it.
• Feeding. During the growing season, organic solutions based on chicken droppings and manure are added. The liquid is applied at a short distance from the stem, trying not to splash the leaves. Please note that the characteristics of the variety will be spoiled if you overfeed the bushes with nitrogen: instead of crispy cucumbers, lush greenery will form.
• Topping. To ensure that nutrients are sent directly only to fruit set, and not to unnecessary shoots, the shoots are shortened. Side shoots, except those formed at the 18,19,20 node. The remaining shoots are pinched on 2–3 leaves. The central conductor is shortened after 25 knots. The manipulation will be effective only if the length of the shoots at the time of blinding does not exceed 5 cm. This method of pinching prevents the ovary from shedding and increases productivity.
• Loosening and weeding. Cucumbers like to grow in loose soil, so after watering or rain, loosen the soil. Since the root system of the plant is located close to the surface, it is recommended to loosen only the row spaces. A carelessly carried out manipulation ends in numerous wounds to the rhizome and the rapid death of the plant. Weeds harm garden crops, so they are pulled out as they appear.

And remember, only gardeners who follow this technology have the right to count on a good harvest. With poor care, normal development of the vegetable crop cannot be expected.

Reviews of Mamluk cucumbers

Ekaterina Viktorovna Gorbets, 37 years old, Yaroslavl.

I have a heated greenhouse in which I grow Mamluk cucumbers throughout the year. The fruits are in demand in the market. I grow each new batch through seedlings. This speeds up the harvest by 2 weeks. I grow the Mamluk variety of cucumbers on a trellis with the obligatory tying of the shoots. The variety is distinguished by the fact that the ovaries never fall off. Despite the fact that in winter you have to spend money on heating the greenhouse, the sale of early cucumbers in winter and early spring pays for itself.

Evgenia Osipovna Lebedeva, 47 years old, Irkutsk.

I grow different varieties and hybrid forms of cucumbers in open ground and in a greenhouse for my own needs. I bought Mamluk seeds 3 years ago. I liked the variety for its productivity and tasty juicy fruits that never taste bitter. We pick the first cucumbers in mid-June and continue collecting until frost. The hybrid hardly gets sick, grows quickly, looks beautiful due to its green leaves and clusters of fruits. The only drawback is that it is impossible to obtain Mamluk cucumber seeds at home; you have to buy them in the store.

Features of agricultural technology: gardeners' experience

It is better to grow cucumber as seedlings. Carry out care using standard technology. Plant 2-3 plants per 1 square. m. Completely blind the lower 4-5 sinuses. Then simply delete according to the scheme. After the 25th leaf, finish the indeterminate whip.

Advice. Be sure to secure the plants to the trellis.

Pick cucumbers every day

Reviews from gardeners

Irina, Dolgoprudny

I, too, have never planted in early April, but this year I was tempted by everyone. They are staying warm at home for now. Cucumbers really don’t like it when they are cold. It’s probably necessary to make a warm bed to keep your feet warm. Grandfather always said sit on the ground, if you sit, then plant.

Source: forum.prihoz.ru

Oksana, Chernigov

I did a very simple thing: I bought a net for cucumbers at the Garden and Vegetable Garden store. Plastic mesh, sold by the meter, inexpensive. I bury two long sticks along the edges of the row and attach a net to them. Comfortable.

Source: chudo-ogorod.ru

Advantages and disadvantages

The Mamluk variety (F1) has a large number of undeniable advantages:

• Early maturation;
• Low maintenance;
• Self-pollinating;
• Tolerates adverse weather conditions well;
• Resistance to most dangerous diseases;
• High taste qualities;
• Good presentation;
• Excellent keeping quality;
• Cucumbers can withstand long-term transportation.

The only disadvantage of the hybrid is its poor tolerance of sudden drops in air temperature.

Features of cultivation

Cucumber Director

The methods of cultivating the Mamluk hybrid are not much different from the methods of growing other varieties.

To get a good harvest of Mamluk cucumbers, you need to take the seeds and place them in moons prepared in advance at an angle of 45 degrees. The depth of planting the seeds is no more than 3 cm. Thanks to this position of the seeds, the sprouts will break through to the surface of the earth in the shortest possible time.

The best time for planting seeds is the end of April and the beginning of May, since by this time the soil has warmed up to the required temperature, which is 12°C. Cucumbers must be tied to trellises.

The technological process of cultivating a hybrid in heated greenhouses has its own characteristics. Seeds for growing seedlings begin to be sown at the end of December, and in February the grown seedlings are planted in a heated greenhouse. For quick and friendly germination of cucumber seeds, they need an air temperature of at least 25°C. With the appearance of the first leaves, the temperature is lowered to 20-22°C and 24-hour lighting is provided for one week.

Drip irrigation scheme

The relative humidity in the room with seedlings should not exceed 75%.

Cucumbers should be planted at a distance of 50 cm from each other, tying each of them to a trellis.

Note! It is important to provide cucumbers with proper care from a very early stage of development. To do this, you just need to monitor the temperature of the air and water intended for watering them. Exposure of ovaries to low temperatures can cause them to die

Exposure of ovaries to low temperatures can cause them to die

Exposure of ovaries to low temperatures can cause them to die.

Another feature of cultivating Mamluk F1 cucumber is the need for proper formation of the bush. It is formed into one trunk, despite the small number of ovaries formed. The four lower leaves are cut off completely along with the ovaries. Next, only one ovary and one leaf are left.

Note! The root system of the presented hybrid is quite powerful, so the soil under it constantly needs to be loosened. This will provide oxygen access to the roots, which will allow the plant to develop and grow properly. There is also a seedless method of sowing seeds, that is, the seed must be planted directly in the prepared bed.

Before sowing, the seeds need to be soaked in a solution of a growth stimulator. The soaking time depends on the type of solution, in any case it will not exceed 24 hours. After this, the seeds can be planted. The main rule for planting cucumbers directly in the garden bed is that the soil on it must warm up thoroughly. And this, as a rule, happens at the end of May or at the beginning of June. In addition, at this time the risk of frost is reduced to zero. Only in this case will the hybrid please the gardener with fast and friendly shoots

There is also a seedless method of sowing seeds, that is, the seed must be planted directly in the prepared bed. Before sowing, the seeds need to be soaked in a solution of a growth stimulator. The soaking time depends on the type of solution, in any case it will not exceed 24 hours. After this, the seeds can be planted. The main rule for planting cucumbers directly in the garden bed is that the soil on it must warm up thoroughly. And this, as a rule, happens at the end of May or at the beginning of June. In addition, at this time the risk of frost is reduced to zero. Only in this case will the hybrid please the gardener with fast and friendly shoots.

Seedless sowing method

During fruit ripening, the daytime air temperature should not be lower than 25°C, and the night temperature should not be 18°C.

The cucumber crop needs to be watered regularly and quite abundantly, only with warm water.