Cucumber Swallow: characteristics and description of the variety, yield with photos

The Lastochka F1 variety was developed relatively recently, but positive reviews about its characteristics were not long in coming. Compared to the Competitor, Nezhensky, Far Eastern, which many gardeners grow under film and in the garden, the yield of this hybrid is almost 2 times higher.

The first Swallow cucumbers ripen 35 days after pollination and delight with excellent taste and delicate aroma. Fresh fruits are very beneficial for the body, since the liquid they consist of removes toxins and waste. Greens are rich in microelements, beta-carotene, vitamins C, A, B. They are consumed in salads, and it is impossible to refuse pickled and pickled cucumbers.

Type of fruit

Swallow is grown in Ukraine, Moldova, and the central regions of Russia. In the northern part of the country, the yield of the variety is slightly reduced. In the southern regions, the hybrid is sown directly into open ground when the ground temperature rises to 12 degrees. Flowers are pollinated by bees. Up to three dozen cucumbers ripen on one bush, possessing:

cylindrical shape;
surface with large tubercles;
rich green color;
thin skin;
delicate taste;
beautiful design.

In order not to wait for the first fruits, which grow up to 12 cm in length and weigh about 100 g, you can pick small cucumbers that look like gherkins.

Self-pollinating cucumber varieties for open ground

There are several dozen types of vegetables. Choose a cucumber variety taking into account the main parameters: ripening time, shoot height, taste characteristics, size and shape of cucumbers. Think about what you will do with the harvest. When you know what vegetables you need, choosing a variety will be much easier. When choosing cucumbers, you should also consider the climate of the region in which you live.

This variety of cucumbers can even be grown on the balcony. It is perfect for greenhouses. It begins to bear fruit 40 days after the first shoots have sprouted. Cucumbers hang on a long stalk, measure up to 12 centimeters in length and up to 3 cm in diameter.

The fruits do not outgrow for a long time. A lot of cucumbers appear and they remain green and small for a long time. Up to 7 cucumbers can form on one shoot. The plant branches heavily. If you put special sticks, the cucumbers will curl up, which will save horizontal space.

The “City Cucumber” variety is resistant to cucumber diseases. It has good salting characteristics. It can be eaten fresh. Growing this variety is quite simple.

The variety grows actively in greenhouses, on balconies, in loggias, and will ripen quite soon. Cucumbers have medium branching; there are quite a lot of fruits, up to 6 ovaries in one node. Cucumbers grow up to 10 cm in length and have a glossy surface. They can be used for pickling or eaten fresh.

The variety is perfect for growing in a greenhouse or on a balcony. Cucumbers will ripen quickly. They are small in size up to 8 cm and light green in color. The weight of one cucumber is about 80 g. The plant has many shoots, but they are short in length.

Up to 10 ovaries can form in one node. It's comfortable. From a small plantation you can take a large percentage of the harvest. The pickling and taste qualities of these cucumbers are at a high level. You will love this variety of greenhouse cucumbers.

These cucumbers can be easily grown indoors. The variety is resistant to various diseases and ripens quickly. Up to 8 ovaries can form in one node. Cucumbers are not large in size (from 6 to 10 cm) and do not outgrow for a long time.

When there are too many cucumbers on one shoot, they remain small. Cucumbers of this variety can be used for preparing salads, for pickling, and for preparing various types of preserves. The taste of cucumber remains at a high level. The variety is tasty and easy to care for.

Cucumber variety Machaon

This variety belongs to the hybrid varieties. Cucumber is resistant to seedling diseases. The greens ripen quickly and grow up to 110 grams in weight. Up to 11 ovaries can form in one node. The taste of the variety is excellent; they are enjoyed fresh.

You can use cucumbers for pickling and making salads. The greens may have light stripes, there are few pimples, they are located randomly. Caring for plants is easy. The variety can grow on a balcony, loggia, or greenhouse.

Cucumber variety Courage

An early ripening variety of self-pollinating cucumbers. The harvest can be seen from 40 to 47 days after the seedlings have sprouted. One shoot can produce from 2 to 10 cucumbers. The number of greens depends on the amount of light that enters the greenhouse.

Cucumbers of this type can be salted, pickled, added to salads for preservation, or eaten fresh. The "Courage" variety is a universal type of cucumber. They are delicious in any form.

The plant is resistant to root rot, downy and true powdery mildew. The "Courage" variety belongs to the hybrid species of cucumbers. It loves light, but if there is not enough light in the greenhouse, the plant’s leaves may turn yellow and die.

Cucumber variety Connie

This variety belongs to the hybrid species of cucumbers. The ripening of greens begins 50 days after planting the crop. Cucumbers taste good and are not bitter. They can be used to prepare winter supplies, or eaten fresh.

The “Connie” variety can be grown both in a greenhouse and outdoors. Cucumbers are not picky about their conditions and care. Zelentsy grow up to 10 cm, have a green color and sparse pimples.

With proper care of the plant, 1 square meter of land can give you up to 14 kg of cucumbers. This is a considerable amount. A small area can grow enough greenery to feed a large family.

Cucumbers of the “Connie” variety are resistant to powdery mildew, root rot and other diseases of cucumber seedlings. Growing them in the garden is quite simple.

This variety of cucumbers grows well in film greenhouses. Refers to varieties that ripen quickly. The first cucumbers will appear 44 days after the seeds have sprouted. Cucumbers are tied from 3 pieces in one knot and grow to medium size.

With normal care, you can take up to 14 kg of cucumbers from one square meter. The Berendey variety is suitable for fresh consumption, pickling and salting. Zelentsy have a dense consistency and do not wither for a long time. They can be stored for a long time. In some situations, the size of one cucumber can be up to 15 centimeters in length.

The variety "Berendey" can also be grown on the balcony, in the loggia. Cucumbers can grow well in a shaded area. Not everyone has the opportunity to equip a greenhouse, but growing cucumbers on the balcony is convenient.

It is recommended to sow seeds at the end of April. The seedlings are transplanted into boxes in early June. There should be a distance of up to 35 cm between the bushes. If you do everything correctly, then one bush of the plant will give you up to 8 kg of cucumbers. The variety is quite resistant to diseases of cucumber seedlings.

This variety can be grown in a greenhouse and does not require much care. The plant is resistant to diseases of cucumber seedlings and does not require special treatment. It begins to bear fruit already on the 48th day after sowing the seeds.

A cucumber grows weighing up to 80 g each. Up to 11 kg of greens can grow on one square meter of land. If you don't have a lot of time to care for cucumbers, this variety is best.

Regatta cucumber variety

The variety belongs to mid-season cucumbers. The bushes begin to bear fruit 48-52 days after sowing the seeds. The ripening of greens depends on the conditions in which you grow cucumbers. The size of the greens can reach up to 20 cm in length, weight - 152 grams.

Cucumbers of this variety are mostly used for fresh consumption, but they can also be made into pickles. The yield of a variety depends on the region and its climatic conditions, and on proper care. From one square meter you can get a minimum of 20 kg of cucumbers, a maximum of 25.6 kg.

This variety of cucumber requires special attention, as it is susceptible to various diseases. Timely prevention and treatment are needed.

Hybrid variety of cucumbers. It can be grown in greenhouses and does not require pollination by bees. There are few leaves on the shoots; the shoots themselves weave upward. If you install a support, you can save space in the greenhouse.

The bushes bloom with the female type of flowering. One node can grow up to 3 fruits. The first cucumbers ripen almost all at once. The harvest will be around 27 kg per square meter. The variety "Claudia" ripens in 25-50 days. Cucumbers are up to 12 cm long and each cucumber weighs about 90 grams.

The appearance of the cucumber is marketable: a little white fluff, there are small pimples. The greens have a bright cucumber aroma and are pleasant to the taste. There is no bitterness in the fruits; you can eat them fresh with skins. When growing this variety, a balance is maintained between the size and weight of each fruit.

Cucumbers are resistant to 70% of cucumber diseases. For this reason, the yield figures are quite large. Zelentsy do not outgrow and do not wither during long-term storage. The size of the cucumbers allows them to be rolled into jars, salted and pickled. The Claudia cucumber is perfect for various salads, slices, and fresh vegetable dishes.

It’s nice that when growing cucumbers there won’t be much trouble with them. Bushes can grow in almost any soil. You need to sow the seeds as early as April if you want to get cucumbers before they go on sale. Sow seeds directly into the ground.

Care for seedlings is standard, as for most cucumber seedlings. The bushes are dug in at the end of May. Caring for plants is simple: regular watering, fertilizers, mulching the surface, loosening the soil.

It is convenient to plant this cucumber both in a greenhouse and in the fresh air. With regular care for cucumbers, you can expect a rich harvest.

Hybrid characteristics

Summer residents plant the plant in a film greenhouse, farmers grow it in the fields. In each node of the bush, 3 ovaries are formed; up to 12 kg of strong fruits with black thorns are collected per square meter.

Hybrid Swallow tolerates sudden changes in weather well and is not affected by:

powdery mildew;
cucumber mosaic;
peronosporosis.

In order for a vegetable crop to reward you with a harvest, you need to have an idea of its characteristics and comply with the requirements for planting and care. Swallow, like other cucumbers, loves warmth, but this hybrid is adapted to the conditions of different regions and feels normal in open ground.

Preparing seedlings

The time to prepare seedlings will depend on the region and weather conditions.
In the south, seedlings begin to be grown from the beginning of March, in the central areas - from mid-April, and in the north - from the 20th of April. Seedlings can be propagated in peat pots, which are sold in flower shops, or yogurt (sour cream) cups. The container must first be treated with a 2% solution of potassium permanganate for disinfestation. In this way, the risk of plant disease can be reduced.

The next stage is preparing the soil mixture. This is a very important point, because the health of future cucumbers will depend on it. Both organic and mineral fertilizers are well suited for soil mixtures, which:

will retain moisture;
will provide the plant with constant access to oxygen.

The bottom of the container where the seedlings will be placed should be trimmed so that nothing interferes with the roots of the plants. You can use a regular saucer as a tray. Seedlings can be grown on peat tablets. They are placed in a container, moistened, waited for swelling, and then the seed is sown.

In order not to go through the soil disinfection procedure themselves, many people buy ready-made clean soil. Others like to cook it themselves. For this you will need:

compost or vermicompost;
turf land;
sand;
peat.

In this case, you will have to check the acidity of the soil. It must be disinfected, otherwise fungal or bacterial infections that may be in the soil will cause root rot or other unpleasant diseases.

It often happens that seeds from one pack have different conditions. This may cause not all seeds to germinate or some of them to be very weak.

Please note! In order for the seedlings to germinate evenly, calibration should be carried out. As a test, place the seeds in a glass of water, then add 1.5 teaspoons of table salt. The seeds are thrown into this solution and mixed

After some time, the heavy seeds will sink to the bottom of the glass, and the light ones will rise to the surface. Heavy seeds are washed and then left to dry for a while.

The seeds are thrown into this solution and mixed. After some time, the heavy seeds will sink to the bottom of the glass, and the light ones will rise to the surface. Heavy seeds are washed and then left to dry for a while.

One of the most common methods of seed disinfestation is treatment with a solution of potassium permanganate. Some people use hydrogen peroxide instead of potassium permanganate. To do this, the seeds are soaked in one of the solutions mentioned above for 15 minutes. The soaking time should not be longer than 20 minutes, otherwise it will negatively affect their cultivation.

Disinsection can also be carried out using chemicals:

Gamair-SP;
Alirin-B.

After treatment with the preparations, the seeds do not need to be washed. Simply place them on a cloth and dry at room temperature.

Drainage is poured to the bottom, ¾ cup is filled with clean soil. Then you need to water the soil so that it becomes moist and loose. Place two or three seeds on top. They are sprinkled with 1 cm of soil and compacted a little. The plant can also be covered with film.

The temperature for germination should not be lower than +20 °C, but not higher than +28. When the first few leaves open, the temperature can be slowly reduced to +18-+20. From the second week, it is time to accustom the seedlings to temperature changes, that is, to harden them. To do this, the containers are taken outside for a short time. At first 5 minutes will be enough, but gradually increase the time to 20 minutes a day.

When is it planted?

Cucumbers are sown when the temperature of the top layer of the earth rises to 12 degrees. This usually happens in mid-May; in the middle zone, the plant is planted in the first ten days of June. In cold and wet soil, sprouts simply will not appear. When the heat is above 30 degrees, the culture slows down its development. Seeds are placed in 20 ml of soil, up to 6 bushes are placed per square meter.

The roots of cucumbers are located close to the surface; you cannot loosen the soil near them. To prevent the hybrid from getting sick, you should not plant it in an area where melons, carrots or beans previously grew. The culture takes root well in slightly darkened places.

Agricultural technology

Sow seeds when the temperature at the top of the ground is at least 12 °C. Traditionally, the time for sowing begins on the 15th of May; in the north, planting is carried out in early June. The seeds are placed in the soil to a depth of 20 mm. There are 6 bushes on one square. The rhizome of cucumbers is located close to the surface of the earth, so loosening near the roots is prohibited so as not to injure them.

Attention!

For planting, you should select a shady area. If the soil is very cold, the seeds simply will not sprout.

You cannot plant cucumbers in the place where they grew before:

carrot;
bean crops.

The sprouts will hatch approximately a week after sowing. The length of the main shoot can be 1.5 m. In order to simplify the care and collection of fruits, it is recommended to tie the lashes to a trellis or other supports. Swallows are planted in rows. In one hole you need to plant 3 seeds. You should leave more free space between the plants, as the vines will crawl. Approximately 500 mm is left between adjacent holes.

Rules of care

In order for the harvest to please and the plants not to die, watering should be carried out systematically. If the bushes lack fluid, then:

flowers begin to fly around;
the foliage becomes darker;
the ovaries do not develop.

An excess of water can lead to a lack of oxygen in the soil and the foliage will be pale. In addition, excess moisture in the soil is fraught with the development of root rot. With sudden changes in temperature and humidity, the fruits may begin to taste bitter. Water with warm, settled water. For cucumber crops, drip irrigation is preferable. After this, it is necessary to destroy the weeds.

Weeds take away useful elements from the soil that cucumber bushes require for healthy development.

Fertilizers

A hybrid plant needs timely fertilizing. After planting the seeds, fertilizing should be applied. For more active absorption of nutrients, small trenches are built around the bushes and nutrients are placed there. When the seedlings grow to 400 mm, you will need to remove the shoots from the side. During flowering, you need to cut off the lower foliage. Despite their resistance to diseases and parasites, plantings are treated with special compounds for preventive purposes.

Fertilizer as you grow

To obtain maximum high-quality fruiting of cucumbers, they must be fed throughout the entire growing season. It is important to do this even after the ovaries appear on the plant. To obtain a rich harvest, it is very important to know what fertilizers to use for the fruit-bearing Swallow. After the ovaries have formed on the lashes, you need to feed them twice. 1 time to increase and improve the quality of the fruit. 2nd to extend the period of fruit production. In each of them, it is recommended to use several types of fertilizers; you need to choose, taking into account the needs of the vegetable. At this time, the cucumber needs minerals, especially K, Mg and N.

Fertilizer at the beginning of fruiting

From organic matter, it is good to add vegetable fertilizers in the form of compost or infusion in a concentration of 1:5, diluted mullein or ash. Among the abundance of minerals, it is correct to take the following:

Potassium nitrate - 25-30 g per bucket of water.
Urea - 50 g per bucket of water.

These fertilizers must be applied to moist soil, then the effect of their use will be greater.

Note!

The cucumber crop responds well to treatment with a urea solution (12 g per 10 liters of water), but this can only be done when it is cloudy or in the evening, otherwise burns may be observed on the foliage of the plant.

To know how to feed a cucumber with ash, it is important to master the subtleties. It is enough to dilute 250 g of ash in a bucket of settled water, stir and water. This feeding of cucumbers can be done in the garden and in the greenhouse every week and a half.

Feeding to prolong fruit production

It is possible to stimulate re-coloring after harvesting the fruit. The following fertilizers must be used:

Wood ash – 200 g per 10 liters of water.
An infusion of rotted hay, aged for 2 days.
Baking soda solution – 30 g per 10 liters of water.
Urea – 15 g per bucket of water (process on top).

A non-standard preparation for cucumber crops during fruiting is the use of a yeast solution (10 g per bucket of water) or bread soup. This technique is becoming increasingly popular among vegetable growers.

Knowing what to feed the hybrid during fruiting, the summer resident will not encounter problems that they grow poorly or that the fruits have turned yellow or become deformed.

Features of watering

In order for the Swallow hybrid to develop and bear fruit, it is necessary to create the correct moisture regime. If the soil gets too dry:

Flowers are falling.
The leaves are darkening.
The ovary does not form.

With excessive watering, the amount of oxygen in the ground decreases, the plant turns pale, and there will be few cucumbers.

With sharp fluctuations in temperature and humidity, the fruits begin to taste bitter. After the rain, before the flowers appear, watering is stopped, then the green plants will begin to set together.

How to increase the yield?

Hybrid Swallow, like other varieties of cucumbers, needs feeding. To help the roots absorb nutrients faster, small channels are made around them. After planting, the soil is fertilized with potassium and phosphorus. These microelements contribute to the formation of cucumbers. To make more of them, the first ovary is cut off.

When the plant reaches 40 cm in height, the stepsons are removed. During flowering, the lower leaves are removed and the top is pinched. Girding the stems and alternating plantings of hybrids with varietal cucumbers helps to increase productivity.

With proper care, the Swallow will delight you with crispy and tasty fruits that are suitable for salads and pickles.

Stages of planting peppers Swallow

Typically, this vegetable crop is grown by seedlings in order to obtain a harvest of ripe fruits earlier by about a month and a half.

Seed preparation

And you should start by preparing the seed material of the Swallow pepper for planting as seedlings. Seeds purchased in specialized stores or online do not require pre-sowing preparation - all necessary procedures were carried out by specialists from the seed manufacturer.

Photo of checking pepper seeds for germination

Seeds obtained from your own garden should first be checked for germination. To do this, you need to place the seeds in a container with salted water; only those that have sunk to the bottom are selected for sowing; all the rest are thrown away.

Then a light solution of potassium permanganate is prepared, into which the seed material is placed for disinfection for half an hour. Then the seeds can be wrapped in damp gauze and left to germinate for 3-4 days (the gauze should be wetted all the time!).

Preparing soil and containers

Usually soil for planting is purchased from gardening stores - a special soil mixture for growing vegetable seedlings is best. But many vegetable growers prefer to prepare the nutrient substrate at home. To do this, they mix compost, high peat and river sand in equal quantities. Wood ash and complex mineral fertilizers are also added to this mixture. The prepared nutrient substrate should be spilled for disinfection with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After the soil has dried, it can be laid out in prepared containers.

On a note!

The containers in which the Lastochka bell pepper seedlings will be grown should also be disinfected beforehand by washing with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Planting seeds

Seeds of the Swallow bell pepper should be planted for seedlings in February.

Typically, vegetable growers plant in two terms with an interval of 2-2.5 weeks. In this case, the first harvest is used for food, and the second is used exclusively for preservation.

Since pepper seedlings have a very delicate root system, it is better not to subject them to unnecessary replanting or picking procedures. Therefore, usually the seeds are planted immediately in different cups, or in wide containers, but at a distance of 2.5-3 cm from each other.

After planting the seeds, they are sprinkled with a layer of soil and the soil is moistened with a spray bottle. The cups are covered with film on top and placed in a bright place with an air temperature of at least 24 degrees Celsius until shoots appear.