How to grow cucumbers in the Leningrad region: features, timing

Successfully growing cucumbers in the Leningrad Region, both outdoors and indoors, requires strict adherence to agricultural practices. The region is characterized by long springs and cool summers. According to gardeners, such climate conditions negatively impact the quantity and quality of cucumbers. To increase productivity, experienced farmers select only regionalized varieties. Seedlings are planted in open ground once the threat of recurrent night frosts has passed.

Climatic features of the Leningrad region

Cucumbers are a heat-loving crop, so growing them in cool climates can often be challenging. The Leningrad Region covers a vast area with varying agro-climatic conditions. Growing cucumbers in open beds in the northeastern part is unproductive. However, in the southern and central regions, when following proper agricultural practices, growers can harvest 5-8 kg of uniform cucumbers per square meter.

It's no coincidence that the Leningrad Region is considered a high-risk agricultural zone. Meteorological data show significant temperature and climate fluctuations from year to year. At least every five years, the region experiences a late summer, characterized by heavy precipitation, few sunny days, and temperatures that never rise above 25°C.

Landing dates

Since a prolonged spring is common in the Leningrad Region, cucumber seeds are often grown into seedlings beforehand. This shortens the time between germination and harvesting. However, pumpkins have delicate roots that do not tolerate transplanting well. A suitable option is to sow the seeds in peat pots, which can then be used to plant the cucumbers in the garden. This process typically occurs in late April.

Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse

The timing of planting seedlings in protected soil depends on their condition and age. Seedlings should have three true leaves by 20-25 days. Cucumbers typically reach this stage of development by the end of May. Seedlings are planted in unheated plastic or glass greenhouses in pre-fertilized soil. The planting pattern is selected based on the requirements of the variety or hybrid.

Planting cucumbers in open ground

Seedlings are planted in unprotected beds, meeting the same requirements as for greenhouse planting, once the soil temperature at a depth of 10 cm reaches 15°C. Furthermore, the threat of recurrent frosts must have passed. If frost persists, a temporary plastic cover is installed. The "protection" is removed on June 10-15.

Caring for cucumbers

To grow strong plants and reap a bountiful harvest from varieties, even those zoned for the Leningrad Region, vegetable growers participate in every stage of the crop's growth—from forcing seedlings to removing vines from trellises after fruiting. Basic cucumber care includes standard procedures: watering, soil cultivation, fertilizing, and bush training. However, these procedures are tailored to the region's climate.

Watering

Water-loving cucumbers are watered as the surface layer dries. In open ground, natural precipitation is taken into account. If there is a lot of precipitation, additional watering may not be necessary. Systematic overwatering can lead to the development of fungal diseases. In greenhouses, a drip irrigation system is installed or watering the bushes Every 2-3 days, depending on the growing season. When using a watering can, moisten the plants at the roots with settled water in the evening.

Loosening and weeding

To prevent an airtight crust from forming on the soil surface, the beds are regularly loosened, but the hoe is not used very deeply—a maximum of 3 cm. Mulching helps maintain good aeration and also protects the roots from freezing when nighttime temperatures drop in open ground. To ensure clean row spacing and a larger feeding area, weeds are removed as they appear.

Top dressing

During the growing season, cucumbers are fertilized four times. Different fertilizers are used depending on the stage of development:

1. Ten days after planting the seedlings, add a urea solution or mullein infusion.
2. During the flowering period, add to the nutrient composition superphosphate is introduced.
3. During fruiting, at intervals of two weeks after planting fed with wood ash, nitroammophoska or superphosphate in combination with potassium sulfate.

Bush formation

Vigorous indeterminate plants are tied to a trellis after the fourth true leaf has formed. If necessary, the bushes are trained into a single stem, "blinding" the lower leaf axils and pinching out the higher-growing shoots, as is standard for vertical cultivation. When grown horizontally, the shoots are allowed to grow along the ground. No shaping is necessary.

Disease prevention and pest control

Regionalized varieties have excellent immunity to specific diseases. To ensure the plants remain strong, they are regularly fertilized with phosphorus and potassium as a preventative measure. Furthermore, a regular watering regime should be maintained, avoiding overwatering.

To strengthen the immune system, vegetable growers spray their plants with a soda solution containing iodine. Pests that attack melon shoots include aphids and spider mites. It's safer to control them with biological products.

How to increase crop yields

There are several methods for minimizing the risk of crop failure. Each method is used both individually and in combination. The most appropriate method depends on the cucumber growing conditions (greenhouse, hotbed, or open field) and the technology used (vertical or horizontal cultivation).

Planting different varieties on the plot

To increase the yield of bee-pollinated cucumbers, plants with different flowering patterns are placed in the beds. If two varieties have predominantly female inflorescences, plants of another hybrid with male inflorescences are planted next to each other. This prevents barren flowers: in the place of the flowers, ovaries form with high intensity in the leaf axils.

Use of self-pollinating hybrids

Since cloudy weather prevails in the Leningrad region, and insects are passive in such conditions, stable harvest is demonstrated parthenocarpic varietiesThe latter are best planted in hotbeds and greenhouses, as otherwise the vegetable grower will have to pollinate the plants themselves or introduce bees, which requires financial investment.

Covering plantings

In cloudy and cold weather, plants planted in open ground are protected with covering material. The easiest way is to install metal arches, then stretch the plastic over them. The plastic will protect the plants not only from nighttime cold snaps but also from frequent rains, which can cause root rot, powdery mildew, or downy mildew.

The best cucumber varieties for the Leningrad region

In the long spring, with mostly cloudy weather, it's best to use cucumbers with a short ripening period for open ground and greenhouses. Fruits of mid-season, and especially late-season varieties, do not have time to reach technical maturity in unprotected beds, and in greenhouses, long-season hybrids are only marginally able to realize their potential.

For open ground

Despite the challenging agroclimatic conditions in the Leningrad Region, vegetables can be grown even in unprotected beds. Choosing the right cucumber variety is crucial for success. bred specifically for open groundSuch hybrids are more resilient and tolerant to many diseases that develop due to exposure to low air temperatures.

Madagascar F1

A first-generation, short-fruited hybrid. The gherkin-type fruits do not overgrow. They weigh 90 g and are excellent for canning and pickling. The cultivation technique involves training the plant into a single stem. This facilitates care and allows for weekly harvesting, making it ideal for summer cottage owners who don't live there permanently.

Fast and Furious F1

An early-ripening variety. The first fruits are harvested as early as 38 days after planting the seedlings in the garden. The cylindrical cucumbers are dark green. The cucumbers reach no more than 12 cm in length. The hybrid is resistant to most specialized diseases. Its excellent marketability and shelf life make it suitable for commercial use. The flesh is sweet and juicy.

"Azhur F1"

An early-ripening parthenocarpic hybrid with 40-45 days of active growth. Cucumbers are large-tuberculate with short stripes along their entire length, no longer than 11 cm. Resistant to cucumber mosaic virus and powdery mildew, and tolerant of stress. In the Leningrad region, the yield of marketable fruits is 8 kg/m². Suitable for both fresh consumption and pickling.

Atos F1

This hybrid produces vigorous plants that require ample space. It ripens early and requires no pollination. It produces female flowers. The ovaries form in clusters. Approximately 20 uniform, cylindrical cucumbers with aromatic flesh are harvested from a single plant at a time. Germination is 100% when sown for seedlings. The marketable cucumber weighs 110 g and has no bitterness.

Claudius F1

A mid-early hybrid (45-50 days). Indeterminate plants with medium vine growth. Cucumbers are cylindrical, evenly spaced, gently ribbed, and covered with small tubercles. They are 10-12 cm long and 3-4 cm in diameter. They weigh 60-90 g. The sweet, smooth flesh is covered with a bright to dark green skin with faint spots and short, light stripes extending up to a third of the way down the fruit.

For protected

For greenhouses, there's a wider range of cucumber varieties suitable for the Leningrad Region. However, in other regions, the lack of insects and the need to plant only parthenocarpic varieties are limitations when choosing a hybrid for greenhouse cultivation. However, in rainy and cloudy climates, parthenocarpic varieties are best grown outdoors.

Erika F1

An early-ripening hybrid recommended for greenhouse cultivation. Fruits weigh up to 120 g and are 12 cm long. The vines, reaching up to 3 m in height, require trellis cultivation. 'Erica' is resistant to powdery mildew and tolerant of downy mildew and root rot. With proper cultivation practices, a single bush yields approximately 5 kg of marketable cucumbers.

Our Dasha F1

A hardy hybrid that's ideal for growing in greenhouses and unheated glasshouses. It tolerates low temperatures well. Vigorous vines with self-regulating side shoots produce knobbly fruits weighing up to 90 g. The flesh is firm, with a distinctive crunch. At maturity, approximately 10-12 kg are harvested per square meter.

Emelya F1

Recommended for cultivation under plastic covers. Tall plants with medium foliage and branching produce predominantly female inflorescences. Ovaries soon develop in their place. Fruits grow to 13-15 cm. The hybrid is valued for its resistance to powdery mildew and root rot, which develop rapidly in greenhouse conditions due to high humidity.

Zozulya F1

https://youtu.be/I_2-uC_Lw4w

The result of domestic selection. In a short period, elongated cucumbers weighing up to 300 g form on the vines, reaching up to 24 cm in length. Among its many advantages (high yield, excellent marketability and shelf life, sweet taste without bitterness), one drawback stands out. The fruits are not suitable for traditional whole pickles. "Zozulya" is most often grown as a salad cucumber.

Tchaikovsky F1

Another early hybrid suitable for protected soil. Covering can be either plastic or glass. Ripening occurs early, 45 days after the seedlings take root. The cucumbers are bumpy with black spines. A distinct crunch is heard when breaking the dense flesh. The fruits are versatile: they are used to make vegetable slices and various preserves.

To achieve a bountiful cucumber harvest in the Leningrad Region, vegetable growers use regionalized and hardy varieties. Hybrids specially bred for this zone are capable of producing a good harvest even in rainy, cool weather.