Subtleties of growing, description and characteristics of Lukhovitsky cucumbers

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Yakov Pavlovich

Professor, Head of the Department of Vegetable Growing

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Lukhovitsky gardeners and farmers are proud of their achievements, and cucumbers grown in this area of ​​the Moscow region have become the calling card of Russian vegetable growers. But scientists did not stop at the achieved results and developed a new, hybrid form of vegetable crop, cucumbers of the Lukhovitskie F1 variety. The hybrid is characterized by excellent natural immunity to disease, resistance to climatic conditions and high yields.

Description and characteristics of the Lukhovitskie F1 variety

The new variety was developed in the early 2000s, and in 2006 the hybrid form was included in the state registers of vegetable crops. Vegetable crops were zoned in the northern, central and southern regions of the country with recommendations for cultivation in open ground, hotbeds and greenhouses.

The main difference from other varieties of the crop is the ability to fertilize fruit ovaries in the absence of insects. Therefore, Lukhovitsky F1 cucumbers are suitable for growing in greenhouse complexes and greenhouses.

Main characteristics:

• The bushes have no endpoint of growth. Without timely pruning and shaping, the plant reaches a height of more than 4 meters, which greatly complicates the care of the crop.
• The central conductor is powerful and resembles a grapevine in its flexibility and strength.
• The bushes are covered with dense leaf cover with bright green leaves characteristic of cucumbers.
• The rhizomes grow in width, the root reaches a maximum depth of 35-40 centimeters.
• During the flowering period, racemose inflorescences appear on the bushes, blooming with light orange flowers.
• After the appearance of the first shoots, the fruits begin to ripen 1.5 months later.
• From one square meter you get up to 10 kilograms of fresh vegetables.
• Ripe cucumbers reach an average weight of 80 to 100 grams, with a length of no more than 10-12 centimeters.
• The color of the fruit is dark green with whitish stripes.
• The surface of vegetables has a glossy tint and is lumpy.
• Under a thin layer of skin there is aromatic, crispy pulp with small seeds.
• The taste of the fruit is characteristic of a vegetable crop, sweetish, without sour or bitter aftertaste.

Expert opinion

Stanislav Pavlovich

Gardener with 17 years of experience and our expert

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Important! Hybrid cucumber variety Lukhovitsky F1 is not propagated by seed. To grow this variety of vegetable crop, seeds are purchased from trusted garden centers or nurseries annually.

How to grow your own

Cucumbers are cultivated both by seedlings and by direct sowing in the ground.

Planting seeds and seedlings

Direct sowing on the beds is carried out at the end of May. Preparing the soil for this begins in the fall. There is a very original method that significantly increases the yield and germination of seeds. This requires:

• make a trench about 50 cm deep and up to 1.5 m wide;
• put wooden shields on the sides;
• put film on the bottom of the trench;
• sprinkle sawdust and fresh manure on it;
• Cover everything on top with straw and protective material.

In the spring, all that remains is to remove the cover, dig up a bed about the depth of a spade, add urea, a layer of earthen soil and water with hot water. Seeds are planted in holes up to 5 cm deep at a distance of 35–40 cm from each other.

Important ! The site is chosen in a place protected from the wind. Directional sunlight is optional.

The seeds are pre-disinfected in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. They increase their resistance to possible cold on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

The hybrid is early ripening, so it is better to grow it in seedlings. In this case, sowing is carried out in April. In this case, follow simple rules:

• plant seeds in peat pots without subsequent picking, since the root system of all hybrids is weak and they do not tolerate picking;
• ordinary soil is mixed with leaf humus;
• Before the emergence of shoots, the containers are covered with film material, after which the film is removed and the container is placed in a sunny place;
• The walls of the pots are cut before planting;
• planting in the ground is carried out at the end of May;
• Wire frames are installed over the beds and a film is stretched over them (the structure is removed with the onset of persistent warm weather and as the bushes grow);
• The planting scheme is the same as with the seed method.

Step-by-step cultivation and care

The agricultural technology of the crop is standard, but there are some features:

• the soil should be moist, rich in organic matter;
• at the beginning of the growing season, watering is moderate, as the fruits ripen - abundant;
• the crop is regularly fed with infusion of mullein or bird droppings;
• the soil is systematically loosened and weeds are removed;
• 2 shoots are left on one stem;
• it is possible to grow the hybrid vertically using supports (the stems of Lukhovitsky cucumbers are strong);
• the lower and yellowed leaves are removed.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

The main weakness of the Lukhovitsky hybrid is its superficial root system. Therefore, the sprouts are picked and watered carefully. For the same reason, they carefully loosen the ground.

Important ! If it is not possible to regularly water cucumbers, it is better to refuse to grow them.

Moisten the bushes only with warm, settled water. Make sure that it does not get on the leaves on sunny days and does not erode the root system.

Diseases and pests

The hybrid is resistant to powdery mildew and cladosporiosis, but can be affected by downy mildew.

To prevent and combat the disease, use:

• Bordeaux mixture;
• "Sulfarid";
• "Fitosporin";
• sulfur products in very low concentrations, as they burn the leaves.

One of the worst pests of cucumbers is the melon aphid. To get rid of the insect, the bushes are sprayed with an ash-soap solution. To prevent spider mites from appearing in dry, hot weather, the humidity in the growing area is increased.

Pros and cons of cucumbers

Thanks to the work of breeders, the hybrid variety of cucumbers received only the best qualities and characteristics from the mother plants:

1. The variety is characterized by abundant and high-quality harvests.
2. Due to their high taste characteristics, vegetables are consumed fresh or used for winter preparations.
3. Unpretentiousness to growing conditions.
4. The variety easily adapts to any climate zone and is not susceptible to infectious diseases.
5. Ripe fruits retain their presentation for a long time and are easily transported over long distances.
6. The pollination process is not important for fruit ripening. The absence of pollinating insects does not affect the yield of the variety.
7. Even with irregularities in care and negative weather conditions, cucumbers are never bitter.

One of the disadvantages is the impossibility of propagating the hybrid form of cucumbers using the seed method. Self-collected planting material loses all varietal properties and characteristics.

See also How to properly make a bed for cucumbers in open ground

Harvesting and application

Picking cucumbers daily increases fruiting. Vegetables do not turn yellow or overripe, but it is better to remove them at least every other day.

Thanks to their thin skin, cucumbers are suitable for salads, canning and pickling. Snacks made from slightly undergrown fruits are especially tasty. To do this, they are collected daily.

To keep the harvest longer, cucumbers are cut, leaving a little of the stem. At home, store in the refrigerator in plastic bags. This way they remain fresh for up to a week without losing their presentation.

The nuances of growing a plant

Cucumbers of the Lukhovitsky variety are grown by seedlings or by planting seeds directly into open ground or a greenhouse, correctly observing the timing of planting work.

Preparation of planting material

Purchased seeds do not require additional processing or preparation. In containers with fertile, loose soil, make holes or grooves no more than 2 centimeters deep. Seeds are planted in the holes, sprinkled with soil and moistened generously with a spray bottle.

Containers with plantings are covered with film and sent to a warm, bright place.

When sprouts appear, the film cover is removed and the containers with seedlings are moved to a sunny room.

After 3-4 cucumber leaves appear on the seedlings, the plants are transferred to a permanent place of growth.

Soil selection and preparation

For vegetable gardens, choose flat, well-lit areas that are not blown by drafts or north winds.

The soil of the future garden bed is dug up, loosened, mixed with humus, organic matter and mineral fertilizers. Cucumbers prefer to grow and bear fruit in fertile, loose soil with neutral acidity levels.

Expert opinion

Stanislav Pavlovich

Gardener with 17 years of experience and our expert

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Important! To obtain a bountiful harvest of vegetables, crop rotation must be observed. The cucumber beds are moved to a new location every year. The best precursors for vegetable crops are onions, garlic, zucchini or cabbage.

Planting process

The timing of planting seedlings directly depends on the climatic and weather conditions of the growing region.

If in southern latitudes seedlings are transferred to open ground at the end of April, then in temperate climates work begins 3-4 weeks later.

In the prepared bed, planting holes are dug, 30-40 centimeters in size.

The distance between plantings is left from 30 to 40 centimeters. Given the tendency for bushes to grow, the distance between the beds is left at 90-100 centimeters.

Seedlings are carefully transferred into each hole. In order not to damage the rhizomes, transplantation is carried out together with a lump of earth in which the plants were located.

The bushes are sprinkled with soil, watered abundantly, and mulched on top with dry grass or sawdust.

Expert opinion

Stanislav Pavlovich

Gardener with 17 years of experience and our expert

Ask a Question

Important! Cucumbers of the Lukhovitskie F1 variety require additional support during the process of growth and development. Therefore, high pegs are driven into the beds or support structures are built.

Features of growing in a greenhouse

Seedlings are transferred to the greenhouse 10-14 days earlier than to open ground. Ropes or fishing line are used as support structures for cucumber vines, to which the plants are tied.

Watering in greenhouse conditions is carried out as needed, avoiding waterlogging of the soil. Also, we must not forget about daily ventilation of the room. Otherwise, there is a risk of developing fungal or viral infections.

Due to active growth and development, cucumbers are fed more often in greenhouse conditions than in open ground.

Otherwise, growing cucumbers in greenhouse conditions does not differ from the same procedure in open ground.

Main characteristics

The hybrid is approved for cultivation in the 1st-7th regions: Northern, Northwestern, Central, Volga-Vyatka, Central Black Earth, North Caucasus and Middle Volga in protected soil conditions (under film covers) in private farms.

Let us consider in detail the features and advantages of this hybrid.

Subtleties of caring for the variety

Like any other vegetable crop, cucumbers require some care. Timely measures for watering, fertilizing, preventive treatment and formation of bushes guarantee an abundant and high-quality harvest of vegetables.

Watering and fertilizing

Water the cucumbers 2-3 times a week. During drought, the amount of watering is increased. If the weather is rainy, irrigation work is not carried out.

See also: How to pick cucumbers correctly

Watering is carried out with warm, settled water. Cold water can damage the surface rhizomes of plants.

Vegetable crops are fed several times a season.

The first feeding is carried out 8-10 days after the transfer of plants. For this purpose, universal nitrogen-containing fertilizers are used.

The next feeding is carried out during the period of flowering and fruit formation. Preparations based on potassium and phosphorus are used as fertilizers.

The last fertilizing is carried out during the period of active ripening of vegetables, but no later than 10 days before the full ripening of the crop.

Also, for better growth and fruiting, herbal and organic infusions are used.

Formation

The formation of a cucumber vine is carried out from two, less often from three shoots. As soon as the top of the bush reaches the highest point on the supporting structure, it is pinched back.

The side shoots of cucumber are not prone to growth, so they do not require additional shaping. The exception is damaged or diseased branches. In this case, the shoots are cut off.

The first flowers are also plucked off to give time for the formation of a stable stem and leaf cover.

History of Lukhovitsk cucumbers

Of course, cucumbers in the middle of the last century were called Lukhovitsky only due to the name of the area where they were grown. The most commonly used varieties were “Muromsky” and “Vyaznikovsky” . In 1970, these varieties were supplemented by the varieties "Graceful", "Libella" and "Mirinda".

Then, two parthenocarpic Dutch hybrids called “Adam” and “Solinas”, which were very successfully grown in Lukhovitsy for quite a long time, became leaders among Lukhovitsy borage plants.

Methods of protection against diseases and pests

Although the variety has received natural immunity, if the rules of care are violated or there is a sudden change in weather, the risk of fungal, viral, bacterial infections and pest attacks increases.

Preventive measures to protect vegetable crops are carried out before flowering and ovary formation. If plants need help during the period of fruit ripening, biological protection agents are used or traditional methods of plant treatment are used.

Description of fruits

Cucumber Lukhovitsky f1 agro always has the same shape and weight of fruit. As they age, cucumbers do not thicken and do not grow longer than at the stage of biological ripeness.

Description of the fruit of the variety:

• cylindrical elongated shape, length 12 cm, average weight 95 g;
• dark green color with elongated light lines;
• the surface is glossy, without a waxy coating, lumpy, softly prickly;
• the peel is thin, elastic, withstands heat treatment well;
• the pulp is dense, juicy, without voids, the seeds are small, presented in small quantities;
• taste without acid and bitterness, with a delicate aroma.

According to reviews from vegetable growers, the Lukhovitsky f1 cucumber is ideal for commercial cultivation. The fruits are evenly shaped and ripen simultaneously. The harvested crop retains its presentation for 5 days, the cucumbers do not lose moisture. The dense peel is not subject to mechanical damage during transportation.

Cucumbers of this variety are universal in use. They go to prepare salads and cut vegetables. Zelentsy are small in size and canned whole. When salted, they do not lose their shape and do not form voids. After heat treatment, the color is retained.

Possible difficulties

The weak point of the hybrid form of cucumbers is the superficial rhizomes, which become bare during watering and rainy weather. To avoid damage and death of plants, the tree trunk circle is mulched with a thick layer of dry grass or peat mixed with sawdust. When loosening the beds, it is also necessary to take into account the surface location of the roots.

Watering cucumbers is carried out early in the morning or after sunset. Otherwise, the plant will suffer serious burns.

What varieties and hybrids are grown in Lukhovitsy

In a fertile corner of the Moscow region, various cucumbers are planted, all of them are very popular and have become a brand under which they are trying to sell vegetables from other regions that are inferior in taste to Lukhovitsy greens. Residents of the region and city prefer to grow varieties that differ:

• early maturation;
• small fruits;
• resistance to low temperatures.

The Libella cucumber produces a high yield. A lot of ovaries are laid on the bushes, which are replaced by green plants. The Graceful variety is valued for the original shape of its fruits, growing up to 13 cm in length.

The Muromsky cucumber is immune to fungal infections and is not affected by bacteriosis. Mirinda ripens a little later, forms lateral shoots on which cylindrical fruits ripen.

A lot of green plants are always picked from the bushes of the Adam variety, which form tall vines, since the female flowers, which appear already in April, are actively pollinated.

On Solinas cucumbers, the ovary is laid in bunches, the plant pleases with a large number of oval fruits. The Vyaznikovsky variety can withstand temperature fluctuations; many people really like its elongated small greens.

Cultivation technology

As in the last century, this year the weight and quality of Lukhovitsk cucumbers is greatly influenced by the unique microclimate of the lower Oka. As before, owners of dacha plots, thanks to high air humidity and a long frost-free period, collect rich harvests of the most delicious greens in Russia on the fatty soils of the floodplain. Lukhovitsk cucumbers are grown (photos of such fruits of different varieties can be seen in the article) using the following technology:

• Straw is placed in a dense layer at the bottom of large greenhouses. Subsequently, it will begin to rot and heat the seedlings from below.
• A special soil mixture consisting of earth, humus and peat is poured on top of the straw.
• Next, the Lukhovitsy cucumber itself is planted. The seeds are soaked in water for some time and placed in a greenhouse.
• The top of the seedling greenhouse is covered with two layers of plastic film.

Planting using this technology is carried out in early spring, even before the snow melts. After a month, the grown seedlings are transferred to ordinary beds covered with film. First, the soil surface is mulched with a special material with slots. This subsequently prevents the growth of weeds.

When growing seedlings in beds, the air temperature is manually controlled (by opening and closing the film). Of course, the cucumbers are watered periodically. Subsequently, the greens, which have reached optimal size, are picked periodically (about every other day). This traditional technology for growing cucumbers has been passed down from generation to generation in Lukhovitsa families for many years.

What amateur gardeners say

Reviews from people growing Lukhovitsk cucumbers:

Maria, 42 years old, Stavropol:

“I always try to pickle and pickle as many cucumbers as possible during the summer season. As soon as my beloved Lukhovitskie gherkins are ready at the dacha, followed by Zyatek and Mother-in-law, I begin to actively prepare them. No matter how much you close it, everything sells out with a bang over the winter! The cucumbers are vigorous, strong and crispy, and are excellent for salting and pickling. We buy seeds from agro in a specialized store. So far we haven't let you down even once. The germination rate is high and they grow well, they practically do not get sick.”

Source ogorodum.ru

Andrey, 36 years old, Sibay:

“I always wanted to get my harvest of real Lukhovitsky cucumbers. I recently saw seeds of a hybrid with that name on sale and immediately got excited. In mid-April, I started preparing the seedlings, then planted them in a greenhouse, formed the bushes into one stem, and fertilized them. The harvest was good, but the taste was still not what I expected.”

Source ogorodum.ru

From the cucumber past

Now everything is in the hands of large-scale manufacturers. But in earlier times, all products saw the light of day as a result of the work of a private farmstead. The process has been traditional for a very long time. Zelentsy grew to the delight of those who planted them; the harvest was measured in tons.

Capitalism has made adjustments to everything. Exports increased, product prices began to jump, and despite the fact that “foreign” cucumbers were cheaper, the cucumbers still survived, although the plantations were reduced significantly.

A good monument to the breadwinner PHOTO: avatars.mds.yandex.net
The Lukhovichi residents turned out to be grateful, and a monument was erected to the green man. Indeed, such a breadwinner deserves recognition! Cultivation continues to this day.

What are Lukhovitsk cucumbers?

Why are greens from this area so valued in the markets of Moscow and other Russian cities? The ideal Lukhovitsk cucumber is considered to be a fruit that is small in size - 5-7 cm in length, absolutely even in shape, fresh, with a thin delicate crust, crispy and covered with pimples. In addition to the special cultivation technology, local residents also observe the culture of trading such greens. A cucumber picked the day before should be on the counter by morning.

Several years ago, supposedly Lukhovitsk greens, actually grown in the Ryazan, Rostov or Tambov regions, began to appear in the markets of Moscow and nearby regions. Therefore, the administration of the Lukhovitsky district decided to patent their cucumbers. All farmers growing this crop were required to receive special certificates.

Pollination and disease resistance

Lukhovitsky cucumbers have only female flowers, so there is no need for pollination. At the genetic level, the variety has resistance to major diseases:

• peronospora;
• cladosporiosis;
• white rot;
• root rot;
• anthracnose.

However, powdery mildew is dangerous for the entire crop of Lukhovitsky cucumbers. Since the disease is practically untreatable, it is recommended to take preventive actions:

• observe the watering regime;
• monitor for parasites appearing on foliage;
• reduce the use of nitrogen-containing fertilizers during the growing season.

Lukhovitsky cucumbers are not susceptible to pests, but preventive treatment at the beginning of the season is not prohibited.

Features of agricultural technology

Cucumber is grown with or without seedlings (seeds). The main aspects of cultivation technology:

• seeds are sown in open beds after positive temperatures have been established at night and during the day (not earlier than May);
• cucumber in the form of seedlings is planted after the formation of 3 - 4 leaves;
• the seedling is deepened into the soil until the first leaf forms;
• no more than 3 bushes should be placed per 1 m²;
• the cucumber is formed into 2 lashes;
• When the maximum height of the trellis or greenhouse is reached, the main lash is pinched.

Advice. To get a good harvest, the fruits should not be allowed to linger on the bushes for a long time. Timely harvesting of vegetables will give the plant the opportunity to accelerate the formation of new ovaries.

Advantages and disadvantages of the described culture

Cucumber has many benefits:

1. Sweet taste without a single sign of bitterness.
2. Fruit density, which has a positive effect on the transportability of the crop.
3. Versatility in culinary use.
4. High immune protection against common diseases.
5. Early yield of fruits.
6. High degree of productivity.
7. There is no tendency to overgrow when left on the bush for a long time.

Negative characteristics:

• cucumber has a short, compared to many hybrids, storage period for ripened fruits (3 – 5 days);
• It will not be possible to collect seeds from the plant for planting next spring.