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Yakov Pavlovich
Professor, Head of the Department of Vegetable Growing
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It is difficult to imagine a garden plot without such a crop as cucumbers. This vegetable is consumed fresh, salads are prepared from it, and it is covered for the winter. Every gardener wants to grow a crop in the garden that has the best properties. Breeders are working on this problem.
What characteristics do Adam variety cucumbers have, as well as the subtleties of their cultivation, can be found out below.
Description and characteristics of the Adam variety
The Adam variety is considered a parthenocarpic hybrid. The species is listed in the State Register of the Russian Federation in
2002, although it appeared in the country back in 1898. The crop is recommended for cultivation in any climatic region. Adam allows construction in open ground and in a greenhouse.
The species is considered early ripening. The gardener receives the first fruits 45-52 days after germination. The productivity is high: up to 10 kg of cucumbers are harvested from 1 m2. The variety is classified as indeterminate, but the bushes are not too tall. Adam is grown on a trellis.
There is no need for insects when pollinating female flowers. But even if the bees land on the flowers, this will not negatively affect the quality or shape of the cucumbers.
The stems are thick with a light green color, the leaves are small. The fruits are characterized by a bright green color. Zelentsy grow with small bumps and white fluff. The length of each cucumber is 10 cm, diameter – 4 cm, weight – 90 g. It has good taste. The aroma is common, typical of most cucumbers.
The variety is resistant to many diseases. The shelf life is up to 14 days.
History of variety selection
The Adam cucumber variety appeared thanks to the work of Dutch breeders. The creator of the vegetable crop was the company BejoZaden B. V, formed in 1978 by the merger of two Dutch seed organizations. Russian vegetable growers were able to purchase the company's products for the first time in 1989. The main focus of BejoZaden's work was the cultivation of varieties of carrots, onions, cabbage, beets, tomatoes and cucumbers. In total, the company has produced more than 800 hybrid varieties. In 2002, Adam f1 cucumbers were officially included in the State Register of the Russian Federation.
Advantages and disadvantages
The popularity of the variety is justified by the following advantages:
- high productivity;
- early fruiting;
- excellent external characteristics of the fruit;
- resistance to diseases;
- ability to self-pollinate;
- endurance to transportation.
Expert opinion
Stanislav Pavlovich
Gardener with 17 years of experience and our expert
Ask a Question
Attention! The listed advantages allow novice gardeners to grow the crop.
We cannot remain silent about the shortcomings of the Adam species:
- inability to use seeds from the harvest for planting for the next season;
- The fruits have thin skin, so they require a delicate attitude.
Subtleties of growing crops
A gardener who wants to get a high yield must take into account the intricacies of growing Adam cucumbers.
Preparation of planting material
Before growing seedlings, the following activities are carried out:
- cucumber seeds are placed in the refrigerator for a couple of days;
- Germination occurs on wet cloth in a warm place.
It is also necessary to prepare the container where the seedlings will be placed. Peat glasses or plastic containers are suitable for these purposes. As for the latter, they must have drainage holes. The prepared containers are filled with fertile soil.
See also: What are parthenocarpic cucumbers and how to grow them
Growing seedlings
Most gardeners prefer to deal with seedlings. This measure allows you to get the fruits earlier. Work begins in mid-spring. The process of growing seedlings takes 1.5 months.
The prepared planting material is sent into holes, the depth of which should be 2 cm. The seeds are sprinkled with earth on top.
In order for the seedlings to sprout quickly, the beds are covered with plastic film, which ensures a greenhouse effect. The shelter is removed with the appearance of the first shoots.
Culture at this stage needs sufficient illumination. Otherwise, it will go up and the stems will remain thin. For these purposes, you can purchase a phytolamp.
It is also necessary to ensure timely watering and fertilizing. Planting in open ground or a greenhouse occurs when two true leaves appear on the plant.
Expert opinion
Stanislav Pavlovich
Gardener with 17 years of experience and our expert
Ask a Question
Important! One and a half weeks before the intended planting, hardening is carried out. Containers with seedlings are taken out into the air for a short time every day.
Selection and preparation of a site
Before planting, the following varieties can grow in the garden bed: tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, legumes, and onions. Undesirable predecessors for cucumbers are pumpkin crops (zucchini, squash, melons, watermelons).
The Adam species should be planted in a place that is well lit and protected from drafts.
The soil is dug up or loosened to a depth of 25 cm. One of the following fertilizers (per 1 m2) is first sprinkled on the ground:
- a bucket of manure and 250 ml of ash;
- 30 g of complex action mineral fertilizer – nitroammofoska;
- drugs Gumi-Omi, Rodnichok, Zdraven.
Timing and planting process
Cucumbers are planted when the air temperature reaches +19°C. In this case, the earth should warm up to +15°C.
If you plan to grow a crop in a greenhouse, the period will depend on climatic conditions, taking into account the minimum temperature regime.
Planting seedlings in open ground in the regions of the middle zone is carried out at the beginning of summer.
The seedlings are taken out along with a lump of earth and placed on beds without deepening. Watering is important at this stage. The soil is also mulched. If planting with seeds is carried out, it is carried out a week earlier. The depth should be 3 cm.
Cultivation is carried out on a trellis, so a dense planting option of 30 cm is possible.
Reviews
There are both positive and negative reviews about the Adam hybrid .
Ivan, Belgorod : “I will never plant Adam cucumbers on my plot again. The greens are prickly, dry, tasteless, and also barrely. On the plus side, cucumbers do not have bitterness or voids, so they used the harvest for winter harvesting.”
Oksana, Borisoglebsk : “I’ve been growing this wonderful hybrid Adam for three years in a row. It is easy to care for. The culture pleases with its high yield and excellent taste of fruits. The plant requires proper shaping, frequent watering and fertilizing. Otherwise, there are no worries with him.”
Makar, Kalach : “I plant cucumbers in 200 liter barrels. I haven’t been able to breed a mole cricket on my property for years now, but this method saves me from unnecessary work. I like the Adam hybrid for its ease of planting and care, and long-lasting fruiting.”
Recommendations for plant care
Adam cucumbers do not have any special care requirements. The following fundamentals of agricultural technology must be observed:
- Cucumbers need to be cultivated once every five years. Otherwise, the crop is susceptible to diseases and pests.
- Beds located in open ground or a greenhouse must always be free of weeds.
- Since the roots of cucumbers are usually bare, it is necessary to systematically loosen the soil shallowly and hill up the plants.
- Watering is carried out weekly until the flowering period. During the fruiting stage, this process should occur twice a week. Watering is carried out with water without chlorine; the temperature of the liquid must be at least +24°C.
- If the variety is grown in a greenhouse, fertilizing is carried out 5 times. It is preferable to use organic and mineral fertilizers.
See also: How to properly soak cucumber seeds before planting
How to properly care for Adam
It’s not that the crop requires careful care, but if you follow the recommendations, you will be able to significantly increase the quality of the harvest.
Regularity of irrigation and fertilization
If you decide to sow or plant seedlings, then do not forget about watering and fertilizing:
- It is better to water the bushes in the middle of the day;
- watering is moderate, do not worry about air humidity if you grow cucumbers in greenhouse conditions;
- for irrigation it is better to use warm rainwater heated to 20 degrees;
- before flowering, add mullein solution, after 10 days the procedure is repeated;
- Potassium nitrate is used during the fruiting period.
Formation and garter of bushes
When 5 leaves appear on the stem, it is worth tying the bush to a support, this will make it more convenient to harvest. It is recommended to use vertical trellises, especially if we are talking about a greenhouse. When planting in the ground, use pegs.
When the plant reaches a height of 40-50 centimeters, the side shoots and stepsons should be removed.
Protection from diseases
If you follow the watering rules and carry out timely fertilizing, no specific protection is required. If signs of disease appear, shoots are removed and diseased plants are burned.
How to form bushes?
The formation of cucumbers grown on a trellis occurs as follows:
- the stepsons, ovaries and flowers on the first five leaves are pinched;
- the central lash is tied with twine to the trellis as the bush grows upward;
- the central lash is pinched or thrown over the top point of the trellis so that its growth is directed downwards.
Care
Hybrid Adam requires abundant watering, but it is necessary to focus on the weather. Water the plants only with settled and warm water. The best results are watering along the furrows, as well as drip irrigation. To retain moisture in the soil and protect against weeds, mulching is recommended.
Feeding is mandatory; during the summer season, a productive hybrid will need at least five good “dinners”. Mullein, bird droppings diluted with water, infusions of wood ash, as well as solutions of special preparations (Ideal, Breadwinner) are suitable.
IMPORTANT! Growing the Adam hybrid using a trellis method helps increase productivity.
The installation of trellises is carried out before planting cucumbers. To do this, poles are installed along the edges of the ridge or greenhouse (metal pipes can be used), between which wire is pulled in three or four rows. You can use strong rope instead.
Adam requires the formation of a bush, for which all the ovaries are removed from the bottom in the first two or three axils and the side shoots are pinched. Further up the stem, an ovary and one leaf are left at each node, and only after the cucumber “reaches” the horizontal trellis is the stem released freely.
Protection from diseases and pests
The variety is resistant to viral mosaic and powdery mildew, but is susceptible to the following diseases:
- white rot - diseased plants are destroyed, and healthy ones must be treated with Bordeaux mixture;
- anthracosis - drugs with a high sulfur content, Bordeaux mixture, are used against this problem;
- gray rot - the affected cucumbers are thrown away, and the rest of the crop is treated with a mixture of calcium nitrate;
- downy mildew - for the purpose of prevention, the crop is treated with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture.
- Pests for the crop are aphids and mole crickets. For preventative purposes, garlic, calendula, marigolds or coriander are planted near the beds.
Harvesting and application
Cucumbers can be harvested in early June. But in general, everything depends on the timing of planting seedlings in the soil. The collection is carried out as carefully as possible, picking cucumbers without damaging the stem of the bush. The greens are also placed in prepared containers carefully so as not to injure the skin.
The harvest is stored in a cool place. Thus, it will be stored for up to 14 days. If everything is done correctly, the variety will not lose its appearance and taste.
Cucumbers can be salted, pickled and eaten fresh. Farmers use the Adam species for sale.
