Choosing the best Siberian cucumber varieties: descriptions and photos

Cucumbers

Siberia is located in a temperate climate zone, where achieving a good harvest is not easy. When growing vegetables at home, they consider the natural and climatic conditions, familiarize themselves with growing techniques, and select varieties that are cold-resistant. Thanks to the painstaking work of breeders, new hybrid seeds appear on the market every year in the catalog of Siberian cucumbers. And 2020 is no exception.

The advantages and disadvantages of Siberian selection

Cucumbers thrive in warmth, lots of light, and don't tolerate lack of moisture. However, breeders are working tirelessly to develop new varieties that thrive in soil, greenhouses, or hotbeds, given the short, cold Siberian summer. The seeds of these crops are highly resistant to temperature fluctuations, retaining their ovaries, and have a strong immune system. Most high-yielding varieties don't require pollination by bees, which is also a definite plus. Breeders are developing early- and mid-season varieties, allowing harvests to begin as early as the first half of summer. Despite these advantages, a number of conditions must be met to ensure abundant fruiting:

The average daily air temperature should not fall below +14 °C.
The poorly developed root system requires meticulous care; when transplanting seedlings, all actions are performed carefully.
Monitor the soil acidity, which should not be higher than 5.6 pH;
Avoid planting seedlings in clay soil. Plants will grow poorly in clay soil, and fruiting will be reduced.
Regular feeding.
For best fruiting, preference is given to varieties with female flowering. As can be seen from the photo, these cucumbers produce 5-7 fruits per ovary.

If not all the seeds are used during sowing, store them properly to preserve their germination capacity. Paper bags are ideal. To prevent rodents from getting to the seeds, place them in a tin container with ventilation holes punched in it. The optimal temperature for seed germination is considered to be +15°C.

Important!

Never use unventilated containers. The seeds will become damp and lose their germination capacity.

Siberian varieties for open ground

Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse or outdoors is a purely personal choice. When making this choice, it's important to consider the pollination method. New cucumber varieties for 2020, bred in Siberia, include self-pollinating and bee-pollinated hybrids. Temperatures are essential before planting seedlings in the garden, and especially when sowing seeds outdoors.

Totosha

An ultra-early, self-pollinating gherkin, adapted to poor climate conditions. The cluster ovary produces up to four gherkins per node. They reach 9 cm in length, weigh 50 g, and yield 30 kg/m². The flesh is not bitter, firm and crisp, and the fruits are a rich green with tubercles. Excellent for pickling and salads. Sow seeds in a 1.5 cm-deep hole at 25°C and cover with plastic wrap. For a larger harvest, water with warm water and fertilize every two weeks.

Uralochka

An early-ripening parthenocarpic hybrid for salads and preserves. The cucumbers are spindle-shaped and light green, with large tubercles and non-bitter flesh. Each cucumber weighs 95-110 g and is 8-10 cm long. A yield of 7-8 kg per square meter is obtained. Sow the seeds when the threat of frost has passed and the soil temperature has reached 12°C. This hybrid variety is resistant to a wide range of diseases, especially cladosporiosis.

Dimka

According to the description, this cold-hardy parthenocarpic variety easily tolerates fluctuating weather conditions. The hybrid ripens early, and the first harvest is collected after 45 days. Short cucumbers, up to 10 cm long and weighing 70-80 g, are suitable for canning. The cucumber flesh is juicy and crisp, and the skin is thin and tender. Up to 5 kg of fruit can be harvested per square meter. The variety has high immunity to a number of diseases and is stress-resistant. It has earned particular value for its ability to maintain its marketable appearance for a long time.

Homer

A parthenocarpic pickling cucumber that tolerates low light conditions well. Fruiting begins 45 days after the first shoots emerge. Thanks to its female flowering pattern, approximately 9 kg of fruit can be harvested per square meter. Cucumbers are cylindrical, 9 cm long, with short stripes and medium-sized tubercles. Each cucumber weighs approximately 50 g. This hybrid's robust immunity makes it resistant to fusarium, bacterial wilt, and downy mildew.

Augustine

A new addition to Siberian cucumber collections, this high-yielding variety is a mid-early, self-pollinating variety with a uniform shape and whitish spines and large tubercles. Cucumbers weigh 70-110 g, are 9-12 cm long, and yield up to 6 kg/m². Resistant to downy mildew and retaining their appearance for a long time, a characteristic that has earned it a special place among farmers. This early cucumber variety is suitable for canning and salads. The first fruits appear 37-40 days after germination.

Apogee

A bee-pollinated, early-ripening canning hybrid. Its smooth, cylindrical shape is tuberculate, and the flesh is tender and not bitter. Fruiting begins in 48-50 days. The female flowering type ensures a high yield of 4 kg/m². Cucumbers reach 10-12 cm in length, with an average weight of 80-100 g. This variety is particularly resistant to downy mildew.

Tiger cub

A new hybrid variety for the Siberian garden. It can be grown under plastic cover or in open ground. This early-ripening parthenocarpic variety will produce its first fruits 37 days after flowering. Small cucumbers, 7-8 cm in size, can yield up to 6 kg per square meter. It has strong immunity to root rot and easily survives short-term drought. It is especially prized for its flavor and frequent fruiting, and is suitable for canning and pickling.

Wizard

A mid-season variety for growing in tunnels, greenhouses, and open ground. It takes 42-44 days from the first shoots to fruiting. The plant is pollinated by bees and has high immunity to bacterial wilt and downy mildew. It tolerates short-term moisture stress well. The fruit is light green with large tubercles and dark-colored spines. It grows to 7-9 cm with an average weight of 82-88 g, yielding 7-9.5 kg/m². The fruit is versatile in use.

Note!

The variety is especially valued for its high yield and long-term preservation of its marketable appearance.

For greenhouses

For growing cucumbers in greenhouse conditionsWhen growing cucumbers in greenhouses or tunnels, choose varieties that don't require insect pollination. Everything needed for pollination is contained within the flower. Gardening sites offer a huge catalog of Siberian cucumbers for sale. People confidently buy seeds whose packaging states "parthenocarpic," "self-pollinating," and "pollination-free." These are most often hybrids with strong immunity to various diseases.

Smile

A mid-season greenhouse gherkin. It has a tendency toward parthenocarpy and a cluster-type ovary. The fruits are cylindrical with whitish pimples and large tubercles. The firm flesh makes this variety well-suited for canning. The cucumbers grow to 6-8 cm in height and weigh 40 g. Up to 10 kg of yield can be harvested per square meter. This hybrid is prized for its excellent flavor and disease resistance. Seeds are planted 1 cm deep, with 35 cm between holes. For more vigorous growth and a larger yield, after moistening the soil, fertilize with alternating mineral and organic fertilizers.

Altai

This early-ripening, low-maintenance variety produces a bountiful harvest in Siberia's cool climate. The first fruits can be enjoyed in 5 weeks. The bushes reach 1.3 m in height, and the fruits themselves are 8-10 cm long. The average cucumber weight is 85-115 g. The skin is rich, dark green, and covered with pimples, the tips of which are white. It thrives in both greenhouses and open ground, and is fairly resistant to common diseases. 5-7 kg of fruit can easily be harvested from 1 m². When sowing in the ground, the seeds are planted 1.5-2 cm deep, and the beds are initially covered. Germination requires temperatures of 23°C or higher. Straw is considered the best covering material, as it gradually decomposes and fertilizes the soil.

Hedgehog

A parthenocarpic, mid-season variety for greenhouse cultivation. It prefers sunny locations but can easily tolerate light shade. The fruit is 12-16 cm long, weighs 110 g, and yields 8 kg/m². The female flowering type produces five fruits per axil. The cylindrical shape has large tubercles. Valued for its flavor, it is excellent for salads and canning. This hybrid is particularly resistant to sudden temperature changes, high humidity, and bacterial wilt.

Shustrets

A versatile, self-pollinating variety that produces fruit in greenhouses and open ground, it's also suitable for pickling. Tall plants, with fruits measuring 11-13 cm in length and weighing 120-150 g, begin to bear fruit in just 40-45 days after planting. With proper care, 5 kg of cucumbers can be harvested per square meter. This variety is resistant to cucumber mosaic, root rot, and powdery mildew. The cucumbers are cylindrical in shape with small, light-colored stripes, and the thin skin is covered with tubercles with whitish spines. These cucumbers are suitable for long-distance transport because they retain their marketable appearance well.

Ural gherkin

An early-ripening, parthenocarpic variety with a female ovary. This versatile variety thrives in greenhouses, hothouses, and open ground. The first harvest can be enjoyed in 48-50 days. The cucumbers are cylindrical, 6-8 cm long, and weigh 80-100 g. The fruit is not bitter and is crisp, making it suitable for pickling. Seedlings are resistant to fungal and bacterial diseases. Yield is approximately 6 kg/m². Seeds are planted 2 cm deep in the soil and covered with plastic wrap.

Attention!

Further care consists of regularly moistening the soil with warm water and fertilizing with water-soluble fertilizer, which provides young crops with complex nutrition.

The Siberian collection of fruitful varieties is expanded annually with new hybrids. Even living in a region with a harsh climate, where summers can be completely unpredictable, people grow and harvest excellent cucumber crops. They prefer varieties bred in this region and adapted to specific climatic conditions. They also regularly water and fertilize, and harvest on time.