Finger cucumbers: characteristics, planting rules, care methods

Characteristics and description of the cucumber variety Palchik

Cucumbers of the Palchik variety have been listed in the State Register of the Russian Federation since 2001. They are recommended for cultivation in open ground in the Central, Lower Volga and Central Black Earth regions.

Attention! A frost-resistant cucumber variety can withstand a temperature drop to 4°C for no more than 5 days; if conditions do not change, the plant will die.

Cucumber Finger belongs to the indeterminate varieties, the bush is characterized by medium branching with a large number of vines, the height of an adult plant sometimes reaches 2-2.5 m. Flowering is predominantly female, the flowers require pollination by bees or other insects, the ovaries are formed in bunches. The leaf blades are large, rich dark green in color, the lashes are strong and thick.

According to the author's description and reviews from gardeners, Finger cucumbers have a long fruiting period (about 2 months). The variety is early ripening - the first fruits can be harvested 40-45 days after planting the seedlings in a permanent place.

Cucumber greens of the Palchik variety have an elongated cylindrical shape. The skin is dark green with longitudinal stripes and mild spotting; there are rare but large tubercles and white pubescence on the entire surface of the cucumber. The average length of greens is 9.2-12.7 cm, with a diameter of 2.7-3.4 cm, weight - 114-120 g. The pulp of ripe finger cucumbers has a dense structure, it is juicy and aromatic. When biting or breaking, a pronounced crunch is heard.

Harvesting and storage features

The fruits of the Palchik variety of cucumbers grow quickly, so harvesting must be done frequently. It is very important to remove grown fruits on time, since one cucumber that remains unnoticed and overgrown can delay the formation of other fruits on the vine and significantly reduce the overall yield of the bush for the season.

Collected cucumbers can be stored for 7–10 days without loss of quality in a cool, dry room where the air temperature does not exceed +10°C (basement, cellar). You can also keep cucumbers on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and make sure that the vegetables are in plastic bags. This will prevent the cucumbers from losing their elasticity and withering.

Collected cucumbers must be stored in cardboard boxes equipped with special holes for ventilation of vegetables.

Important! Cucumber fruits are collected in the morning, daily or every other day. It is recommended to cut cucumbers with pruning shears and never tear them off the stem - this will minimize injury to the mother plant.

So, in order to have early fresh cucumbers on the table, it is worth sowing cucumber seeds of the Finger variety in the spring. And with proper care for seedlings and adult bushes of this variety, the first harvest can be harvested at the end of May.

Pros and cons of the variety

The following can be considered the undeniable advantages of Finger cucumbers:

• long fruiting period (up to 60 days);
• predominance of female flowers;
• formation of ovaries in the form of a bunch;
• wide range of zoning;
• high taste and commercial qualities;
• resistance to spring and autumn frosts;
• high immunity to many fungal diseases;
• tolerance to downy mildew;
• high productivity;
• excellent transportability;
• versatility of use.

The disadvantages of the Palchik variety include the obligatory timely pinching, pollination by bees, and the need to remove green plants in a timely manner, preventing them from overgrowing.

Advantages and disadvantages

For almost two decades, the Palchik cucumber variety has gained popularity among vegetable growers. Like any plant, this variety has both its advantages and some disadvantages.

• Advantages of the variety:
• high productivity;
• the plant has strong stems and good foliage;
• forms many lashes;
• early fruiting;
• 80% of flowers are female;
• large leaves that can protect the plant from heat;
• smooth fruit skin;
• the versatility of using cucumbers.

• Disadvantages of the variety:
• increased formation of stepsons, which speeds up the process of bush formation;
• the need for pollination of flowers by insects.

Optimal growing conditions

To grow Finger cucumbers in open ground, you need to choose a place protected from direct sunlight during periods of increased solar activity. According to recent studies, more intensive growth of greens occurs in the dark.

The bed where bee-pollinated cucumbers of the Palchik variety will grow should be located in a windless place, so that gusts do not blow away the pollen that is attractive to insects. Cucumber bushes growing in a draft will be visited by bees much less often.

To prevent various diseases and obtain a rich harvest every year, it is necessary to follow the rules of crop rotation and not plant the same crop for several years in one place. Gradually, “soil fatigue” occurs, there are fewer nutrients in the soil, and pathogens that overwintered along with the remains of the previous season’s plants may be present.

To successfully grow cucumbers of the Palchik variety, the soil should be loose, airy, and moderately moist. It is not recommended to place cucumber beds in places where groundwater accumulates; such planting is fraught with rotting of the root system and loss of the entire crop. In an environment that is too humid, many fungal diseases are likely to develop. Light sandy loams and loams are considered the most suitable for cultivating Palchik cucumbers.

Diseases and parasites

Despite the variety’s strong immunity to most cucumber diseases, Finger f1 cucumbers are still susceptible to diseases such as root rot, bacteriosis and mosaic. Let's consider a description of all the listed diseases and ways to combat them.

Root rot

Root rot is an infection that affects a plant after it is transplanted. When affected by root rot, the plant wilts, the stem becomes thinner, and cracks form. Darkening of the root system of the plant, its softening and yellowing of the leaves are also observed. To combat root rot, chemical preparations “Alirin-B”, “Previkur” and “Gamair” are used.

Bacteriosis

Bacteriosis is a disease that results in a slowdown in plant development, deterioration in leaf assimilation and decreased fruit formation. Brown spots also form on the leaves, which soon acquire an oily consistency. To combat bacteriosis, the substances “Champion” and “Kuproksat” are used.

Mosaic

Mosaic is an infection that appears during the growing of plant seedlings. With mosaic, there is the formation of small warts on the leaves, a decrease in the number of leaves, a significant decrease in the number of flowers and shortening of internodes. To combat mosaic, it is recommended to use chemical preparations “Aktara”, “Aktellik”, as well as Burgundy liquid.

Growing cucumbers Finger

The agricultural technology of the Palchik variety is generally standard for cucumbers, but still, there are several nuances that should not be forgotten. This variety is grown on vertical trellises, providing direct access to pollinating insects.

Direct planting in open ground

When planting seeds directly into the ground, you need to focus on the average daily air temperature outside the window. It must be at least 15°C. In the middle zone, cucumbers of the Palchik variety are sown in beds without prior germination in mid-May. Seeds soaked in a damp cloth for several days will sprout several days earlier than dry ones.

Before sowing, the bed is cleared of weeds, thoroughly loosened and fertilized with fresh manure. You can prepare the soil in the fall by digging up the ground and applying fertilizers per 1 m²:

• manure – 25 l;
• wood ash – 200 g;
• potassium – 25 g;
• superphosphate – 40 g.

The seeds are planted in the soil to a depth of 2 cm, positioned at an angle of 45° with the nose up. This arrangement will allow the sprout to quickly free itself from the seed coat and go up without bending in the soil, while the root system will form parallel to the ground and go deep down. The health and strength of the bush in the future, and, therefore, the harvest, will depend on how much energy the plant spends on germination. Before the first shoots appear, the cucumber bed is covered with film or newspapers. According to reviews from vegetable growers, the seeds of Palchik cucumbers germinate a week after sowing.

Growing by seedlings

The seedling growing method is good for greenhouses because it is suitable throughout the year. The seeds are placed in shallow furrows made in the nutrient soil and lightly covered on top. You can use a ready-made commercial substrate, but you can prepare it yourself by mixing the following ingredients:

• turf soil - 4 parts;
• lowland peat – 4 parts;
• manure – 1 part;
• sawdust – 1 part.

Fertilizers are applied per 10 liters of soil:

• urea – 6 g;
• superphosphate – 14 g;
• potassium sulfate – 8 g;
• magnesium sulfate – 2 g.

Containers with crops are covered with polyethylene and placed in a room with a temperature of about 25°C. After the cotyledon leaves open, the temperature is gradually reduced by 5°C. For active growth of cucumber seedlings, it is necessary to provide the plants with good lighting, a temperature of 20-23°C, regular watering and fertilizing.

When transferring seedlings to a permanent place, the plants should have a height of about 25 cm, by which time 5 true leaves should have formed on the stem. It is optimal to adhere to the scheme - 50*30 cm.

Watering and fertilizing

Cucumbers of the Finger variety are watered regularly, but carefully. Excess moisture can cause root rot and the development of fungal infections. The bushes are watered at the root early in the morning or in the evening, using settled warm water. Watering with cold water can cause mass discharge of ovaries; in this case, the harvest will be meager.

In the first 2 weeks after germination or planting seedlings in open ground, Palchik cucumbers need to be fertilized with nitrogen fertilizer. This will allow the bush to grow the necessary green mass. During the flowering period, cucumbers are fertilized with phosphorus, and during the active growing season - with nitrogen-potassium fertilizers.

Advice! When filling greens slowly, they need to be fed with mullein.

Formation

Cucumbers of the Finger variety are quite tall, so when grown in greenhouses or hotbeds, the main vine must be pinched over the trellis. Vertical growth on a trellis facilitates harvesting and spraying procedures, if necessary.

Protection from diseases and pests

The first rule for preventing fungal diseases in cucumbers of the Finger variety is to avoid waterlogging of the soil. To protect against pests (ticks, caterpillars, aphids, beetles), you can use both chemicals and folk remedies. In the case of the bee-pollinated variety Palchik, it is better to treat the bushes with a decoction of potato or tomato tops or a soap solution. To repel slugs, wood ash is scattered under the cucumber.

Features of agricultural technology

Cucumber Finger is grown by seedlings or without seedlings. When cultivating, the following are taken into account:

• seeds are sown when the nighttime soil temperature is more than 8 degrees, and the daytime temperature is above 15;
• seed depth – minimum 1.5 – maximum – 2 cm;
• the seedlings are ready for planting at the stage of appearance of the 4th leaf;
• during the formation of the ovary, the plant is irrigated exclusively with warm water;
• The main stem is pinched after the 3rd leaf;
• side shoots are shortened in this way: each next layer of shoots should be longer by 1 - 2 nodes;
• The soil under the bushes is kept moderately moist.

Agricultural technology for growing seeds in open ground

The technique of planting seeds directly into open ground is practically no different from the previous one. The differences are related only to maintenance and care, as well as the choice of location.

Open ground conditions

Sowing in the ground can be carried out both in greenhouse conditions and in open areas. If you grow cucumbers in a greenhouse, they will receive the necessary conditions for seed growth, but they will need abundant watering during flowering and harvesting.

If you plant seeds in open ground, then the beds will need to be covered for several days, creating a greenhouse. A damp newspaper (not allowed to dry out) or polyethylene is suitable for this. After the first shoots appear, the greenhouse is removed.

The place should warm up well, with enough sun and loamy nutritious soil. Water in the soil should not stagnate.

The process of planting seeds in the ground

Sowing is carried out throughout May. You can use both dry and soaked seeds. Identical and full-weight seeds are selected, the soil should be fertilized and slightly moist. Planting is carried out in holes 2-3 centimeters deep.

If a trellis is used, it is better to sow the seeds using the nesting method. The nests are placed at a distance of 20 centimeters from each other. The width between the beds is 40 centimeters. It is not recommended to plant plants in soil where cucumbers constantly grew - it is better to choose another fertile area.

Watering is carried out frequently and abundantly, at least twice a day in warm and hot weather (morning and evening). The first few weeks the water should be warm; it can be settled in large barrels. You can also use rain water.

If drought occurs, the number of waterings is increased to 3 or 4 times a day. In rainy weather, watering is carried out as the soil dries. Be sure to ensure that the soil does not dry out. Also, watering is increased during flowering and fruit harvesting.

Loosening the soil and weeding

All weeds must be removed from the beds. Weeding is carried out as they grow

Loosening is carried out after watering or rain, very carefully and shallowly, so as not to damage the root system. You can also mulch using manure or peat.

Stepsoning

Pinching allows you to increase the number of fruits in the future and stimulate the plant. It can be carried out in two ways.

1. The first involves working with one main lash. Suitable if the cucumbers in the garden are planted close to each other. The main lash is tied vertically or horizontally, which allows it to receive enough sunlight. Such a bed looks quite neat, in addition, with this method of pinching, harvesting is much easier.
2. The second method is that the lateral processes are not removed, but pinched. This allows you to create a large, lush bush. For this hybrid, the second method of pinching is recommended, which allows stimulating the growth of side shoots and obtaining higher yields. Pinching is carried out on the fourth or fifth true leaf of the plant.

Gartering can be done in several ways. The simplest and most effective are horizontal and vertical garters.

1. The horizontal method requires placing two long supports along the edges of the bed, between which a rope or twine is stretched in several layers. The stems are already placed on it. The only negative is that if the stems are very large, they can hang down and shade the plant.
2. A vertical garter implies the presence of two high supports on opposite edges of the bed. A strong wire or rope is stretched between them at the very top, onto which ropes or fabric strips are tied according to the number of bushes or stems. The stems are tied to the supports hanging down.

You can also use a special mesh for cucumbers, which you can buy in the store. Any of the garter methods is suitable for this hybrid, but the second one shows better results during fruiting.

The first feeding is carried out while preparing the holes. Peat or humus is used for this. After the sprouts reach three weeks of age, a small amount of mineral fertilizer is applied.

Next, fertilizing is carried out in half with organic and mineral fertilizers up to 6 times over the entire season.

They are applied before watering the plants, loosening the soil in the hole and deepening the fertilizer to a depth of 5-7 centimeters.

What will make a little boy happy?

The authorship of the hybrid belongs to the seed breeding industry, which has given gardeners many interesting and high-quality varieties and hybrids, and not only cucumbers. In this regard, it would be useful to recall: the key to a rich harvest is purchasing seeds from the manufacturer or its representatives, but in no case from random sellers in spontaneous markets.

By purchasing seeds from reliable suppliers (for example, “Manul”), you are guaranteed to provide yourself with a good harvest

Since we are specifically interested in the Boy Thumb F1 cucumber, let’s consider its positive and negative sides. Those who are familiar with the F1 designation know that plants of this type have much more advantages than disadvantages. Boy Thumb is a heterotic hybrid, that is, a plant obtained by crossing two different varieties with the desired characteristics.

The letter “F” is abbreviated as “Filli”, that is, “offspring”, and the number “1” indicates that we are offered the first generation, which has the best and most clearly manifested positive qualities of both “parents”.

“Heterosis” is translated from Greek as “improvement.” Unfortunately, it only appears in the first generation, so seeds from F1 hybrids are not collected, otherwise you can get a harvest of deformed, tasteless fruits.

But high-quality varietal seeds of the Thumb-sized cucumber, purchased in specialized stores, will delight you with the following advantages:

• wide regionalization - Little Thumb has successfully passed tests and is recommended for cultivation in all regions of Russia. True, the State Register of Breeding Achievements makes a reservation: the hybrid should be grown under film covers. But practice shows: these cucumbers feel great in the open ground of the southern and central regions of Russia. Naturally, this does not cancel more frequent watering in the arid south and temporary shelters when there is a threat of frost in regions with a harsh climate;
• parthenocarpy is another foreign word that denotes a very useful property: the ability of a plant to form fruits without pollination; that is, the hybrid is not self-pollinating, as is sometimes written about it, but is self-fertile;

  Cucumbers of the Boy Thumb variety are capable of producing fruits without pollination - very good quality for greenhouses

• Like many parthenocarpics, Thumb Boy has self-regulation of growth, that is, it does not require pinching. Although the plant is quite large, side shoots are formed less frequently and are shorter than those of conventional varieties. They are limited in length only when they too actively “climb” beyond the boundaries of the allotted area or very outgrow the trellis when grown vertically in a low greenhouse. Therefore, the formation of plants does not require much time and labor. This quality is especially valuable when the area of ​​a summer cottage or greenhouse is small: for example, in protected soil, plants can be placed a little denser: not 3–4, but 5–6 bushes per 1 sq. m. m;
• excellent quality and taste. A boy the size of a thumb genetically does not have bitterness and voids, in addition, he is not prone to yellowing and overgrowth. This is not just a hybrid, but a gherkin hybrid, that is, its fruits do not grow more than 8–10 cm long and their weight is only 50–70 g. If for some reason you are late in harvesting, the cucumbers will be waiting for you in their best form. However, it is still recommended to harvest the harvest at least once every two to three days - not so much the type of existing fruits depends on this, but the quantity and quality of new ones;
• high yield - from one plant you can collect up to 3-3.5 kg of gherkins (which is almost half a bucket), and from a square meter - up to 14 kg;
• early ripeness - the first crispy fruits appear on the 35–40th day after full germination. This is a very good indicator, and if you plant the hybrid with adult seedlings of three or four true leaves under cover in mid-April, then the harvest can be obtained quite early, at the end of May, when cucumbers are still quite expensive on the market;
• long period of fruit production - these cucumbers can be harvested from June to August;
• bunch formation of the ovary - A boy the size of a finger forms the so-called bouquet type of ovary with three to four flowers in a bunch, which explains its considerable yield with a small fruit size;

  Thanks to the bouquet (3-4 in a bunch) type of ovary, gherkin cucumber varieties have high yields

• immunity to most cucumber diseases;
• versatility of use - these gherkins are good both fresh and canned. The thick skin gives a pleasant crunch, and the small size of the cucumbers allows you to seal them entirely even in liter jars.

Seedling care

After planting the finger cucumber in open ground, it is necessary to organize proper care for it, which consists of carrying out a number of agrotechnical measures.

Organization of an optimal microclimate

If a vegetable crop is grown in a greenhouse, the air temperature in it must be maintained at +21...+23°C, since it is optimal for the growth, development and abundant fruiting of cucumbers. To bring in fresh air, the room must be regularly ventilated.

Watering and loosening

The cucumber crop loves moisture, but it must be watered carefully, since excessive moisture will lead to rotting of the roots and the development of fungal diseases. There should also be no lack of moisture, as this will cause bitterness in ripened cucumbers.

When watering a plant, you should proceed from the following rules:

After watering, the soil between the rows should be loosened from crusts, which is necessary for the rapid growth of the plant. At the same time, it is worth weeding from weeds. After such manipulations, it is recommended to mulch the bed with dry grass or straw to prevent excessive evaporation of moisture on hot days.

An overview of the rules and methods of watering cucumbers in open ground and greenhouses can be read in this article.

Top dressing

During the entire growing season, the cucumber needs to be fed several times in clear sunny weather. Here is an approximate scheme for applying fertilizing:

• on the 14th day after emergence or after transplanting seedlings into the ground, apply nitrogen-potassium fertilizers under the bush, which will help the plant grow green mass and become stronger;
• at the stage of mass flowering, fertilize the plant with phosphorus;
• if the thermal regime is violated, foliar fertilize the plant with potassium, phosphorus and iron in order to stabilize the shaken balance in its body;
• When filling greens slowly or developing weak and small fruits, add diluted liquid mullein (1:10) to the soil, and also periodically feed the plant with urea or humus.

Bush formation

Cucumbers of the Finger variety are tall, so they should be grown on vertical trellises along which the seedlings will climb. This will make it easier to spray the plant and harvest.

If the vegetable crop is grown in a greenhouse or greenhouse with a high ceiling, with the appearance of 3-4 true leaves, the main vine of the bush must be pinched over the trellis.

Protection from diseases and pests

To protect the plant from fungal diseases, you must follow all watering rules, avoiding excessive waterlogging of the soil. Preventive treatment of bushes with chemical and poisonous preparations will help protect the crop from cucumber diseases and pests.

Good results in the fight against mites, various beetles, caterpillars and aphids are shown by folk remedies that are harmless to the plant. Among them, the most effective for the bee-pollinated variety Finger are decoctions of potato and tomato tops. Spraying the leaves and stems with copper sulfate also helps. If this is not the case, you can use a soap solution.

To scare away slugs and parasites that settle on the roots of bushes, the bed should be sprinkled with wood ash or ash flour.

Characteristics of distinctive features

The variety with the original name “Finger” is an early ripening hybrid pollinated by bees. Its distinctive feature is its long fruiting period. Cucumbers bear fruit for more than 2 months. Other benefits include resistance to downy mildew.

• strong stems;
• abundant climbing;
• predominance of female flowers;
• large dark green leaves;
• smooth surface of the fruit without thorns or thorns;
• versatility of use.

Cucumbers are consumed fresh, salted, canned and pickled. There is no bitterness in the taste. The size reaches 12 cm, weight – 130 g. The fruits are long and thin, hence the name.

Fruits cannot be left on the bushes for a long time; they lose their attractive shape, overgrow and become tasteless.