Catalog 2024: The Best Bee-Pollinated Cucumber Varieties

Bee-pollinated cucumbers are easier to grow outdoors, as it's difficult to provide insect access to a greenhouse or hotbed. Breeders have developed numerous varieties for various agroclimatic zones, differing not only in ripening time but also in bush shape, fruit shape, purpose, and yield. Growing is carried out in two ways (horizontal and vertical), providing regular, comprehensive care.

What is this

A vegetable crop from the Cucurbitaceae family that forms an ovary after pollination by insects. These are primarily bees, but bumblebees can also be involved. If natural pollinators are unavailable, you can perform the procedure yourself: pick a male flower and touch the female inflorescences several times. For ease of use, use a brush or cotton swab.

Benefits of growing them

Despite the development of numerous parthenocarpic varieties and the difficulties associated with pollination, especially when grown indoors, bee-pollinated varieties retain a leading position not only among gardeners but also among large commercial producers. The advantages of varieties that require insects for successful fruit set include:

• more intense taste and aroma;
• more benefits due to seeds rich in vitamins and biological substances;
• cold resistance;
• shade tolerance;
• disease resistance;
• versatility of application.

Which cucumbers are better?

Due to the rainy, cool weather that coincides with the vegetable crop's flowering period, insects are scarce. As a result, the inflorescences remain unpollinated: pollen from the male flowers does not reach the female ones. Ovary formation occurs in smaller quantities, and productivity declines. To prevent crop shortfalls, breeders have developed self-pollinating varieties and hybrids that demonstrate stable performance under unfavorable weather conditions in greenhouses.

Parthenocarpic cucumbers (Moskovsky Delikates) are characterized by self-pollination, as they contain both pistils and stamens in a single flower. They don't require insects to transfer pollen. Therefore, self-pollinating varieties have a significant advantage: higher and more consistent yields. However, when comparing flavor, bee-pollinated varieties are superior: they have juicy, dense flesh with a distinctive crunch and intense aroma.

Best for open/indoor use

Breeding institutes are constantly working to develop new advances in plant breeding. New hybrids are developed annually, and the qualities of previously bred bee-pollinated varieties are improved. They are less susceptible to diseases and produce better ovary formation, as they are more attractive to insects.

Zubrenok

A mid-early variety, the result of the work of domestic breeders at the Poisk agrofirm. Recommended for cultivation in the Central Black Earth Region since 2008. The indeterminate, medium-sized "Zubrenok" cucumber plant has a female flowering type. 50 days after germination, short, cylindrical fruits with characteristic tubercles are harvested. Marketable cucumbers weigh 65-70 g.

Twixy F1

A first-generation gherkin hybrid. Ripening is early. The first harvest begins 37 days after germination. The cucumbers are short and spindle-shaped. The marketable cucumber weighs no more than 100 g. With proper cultivation practices, approximately 4 kg of gherkins can be harvested per square meter. The 'Twixy' cucumber is resistant to many specialized diseases.

"Nugget"

Indeterminate plants with a mixed flowering pattern produce a harvest in 45-50 days. The shoots are covered with medium-sized, bright green leaves, in the axils of which the ovaries form after successful pollination by bees. At technical maturity, the fruits weigh approximately 100 g and are 10 cm long. The diameter does not exceed 3.5 cm. "Samorodok" cucumbers are valued for their excellent taste, high commercial quality, and yield—up to 12 kg/m².

Rita F1

This productive hybrid features medium-sized foliage bushes with predominantly female flowering. According to the description, the early-ripening cucumber "Rita F1" is recommended for outdoor cultivation in private gardens and small farms only in the Central Black Earth Region. However, it is also successfully grown in other zones. The gherkins are not prone to overgrowing, weighing approximately 65 g when ripe. With a standard planting pattern, the yield of marketable cucumbers is 2 kg/m².

"Hope"

The cucumber is versatile: suitable for both fresh eating and canning. The bushes are limited in growth, making them easy to care for. The short cucumbers are oval-shaped and covered in black hairs. The flesh is juicy, sweet, and medium-dense. In terms of commercial quality, the gherkin variety "Nadezhda" surpasses "Na Zubok F1" and "Izyashny."

Moringa F1

Another early-ripening hybrid, it yields cylindrical cucumbers covered in a thin skin 45 days after germination. The finely tuberculated gherkins of the "Moringa F1" cucumber weigh 90-110 g and are excellent for canning, retaining their characteristic crunch after cooking. This hybrid is beloved by farmers for its high yield of marketable cucumbers—up to 98%.

Erofey

A mid-season variety that can be grown horizontally for a bountiful harvest. Recommended for open-ground cultivation. Indeterminate plants are resistant to powdery mildew. Short, 1-3-piece cucumbers form in the leaf axils. Marketable yield, with proper planting and care, is 4-5 kg/m².

Planting nuances

Bee-pollinated cucumbers require sunny areas with loose, fertile soil. Prepare the soil in the fall: dig it one and a half spadefuls deep, simultaneously adding compost at a rate of 6 kg/m². If the soil is too acidic, add lime or dolomite flour. In the spring, harrow the area to lock in moisture. In unheated greenhouses and hotbeds, prepare heated beds in the fall, using manure as a "biofuel."

Forcing seedlings

In warmer climates, seeds are sown directly into the soil. In harsher climates, cucumbers are grown from seedlings. Sowing occurs in late April, so that by the time they are planted in the garden, the seedlings are 25 days old and have three true leaves.

If the seeds are collected independently, they are disinfected in a potassium permanganate solution for about 20 minutes and then sown in peat pots with fertile soil. The seeds are planted at a depth of 1 cm.

The containers are placed under glass on a bright windowsill. Once the sprouts appear, the protection is removed, and the seedlings are provided with additional lighting in the morning and evening hours to ensure the required length of daylight.

Schemes and timing of seedling planting

Bee-pollinated cucumber seedlings can be planted in beds only after consistently warm weather sets in, when the soil at a depth of 10 cm has warmed to 12-15°C. When the optimal time arrives, prepare pits in the garden using a 30 x 50 cm pattern. For vertical cultivation, make furrows with row spacings of 80-100 cm, where a trellis is installed. If the canopies are planted when there is a risk of night frost, a plastic film is stretched over them.

What crops are planted together with cucumbers?

To maintain crop rotation, it's best to grow each vegetable separately. However, if you have a small plot or are growing indoors, you can plant Chinese cabbage, turnips, mustard greens, peppers, and eggplants near cucumbers. Green beans are a good companion plant. They don't take up much space and require the same amount of moisture as cucumbers. To prevent pests, dill is planted between the crops.

Mixed planting of parthenocarpic and bee-pollinated varieties

Self-pollinating varieties will produce a harvest in any case. However, varieties that require insect support are planted based on their flowering type. Cucumbers with female flowers can be planted in the same row, with male flowers planted in the space between rows. However, the same recommendations apply to varieties with mixed flower types. Dividing varieties into groups makes care and harvesting easier, especially since ripening times can vary.

Caring for the crop

To obtain a rich harvest of high-quality fruits, the plantings should be regularly are courtingIf moisture is deficient, the fruits become bitter, and if nutrition is inadequate, the green fruits may not ripen at all. After planting, it's important to carry out the required agricultural practices according to schedule to avoid stressful situations for the plants.

Watering

The plants are watered regularly—every 2-3 days. During the flowering and fruiting stages, the frequency of watering is increased. Use only warm water, as overcooling the shallow root system can promote fungal diseases. It should also be left to settle: chlorine and heavy metal impurities have a detrimental effect on cucumber plants.

Soil treatment

After watering or precipitation, the soil under the bushes is loosened and weeded weekly. To extend the interval between tilling operations, the beds are covered with a layer of mulch. Sawdust or peat are most commonly used as mulch. However, the latter acidifies the soil and should not be used in areas with a slightly acidic pH.

Top dressing and fertilizers

Cucumbers need good nutrition during growth and harvesting. Over the course of the season, they feed 3-4 times:

1. Fourteen days after planting the seedlings in the beds, dilute 30 g of urea in 10 liters of water and water the tree trunks.
2. During flowering, apply a solution made from a bucket of water and 25 g of superphosphate.
3. During the fruiting phase (twice if necessary), use an infusion of wood ash: 200 g per 10 liters of water.

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Formation of bee-pollinated cucumber bushes

With horizontal cultivation, the vines are allowed to grow along the ground. The main stem is pinched only when only male flowers appear. After this manipulation, lateral shoots emerge, on which female inflorescences form. With the trellis method, the bushes are trained into a single stem:

1. The first three nodes are "blinding".
2. In the next four, one ovary and leaf are left, the stepsons are pinched after the second leaf blade.
3. The top is pinched after reaching the top of the trellis.

How to pollinate in a greenhouse

There are two methods. In the first case, the greenhouse doors and windows are opened on a sunny day, allowing insects to enter freely. However, bees are reluctant to enter a confined space. To attract them, honey baits are hung and flowers are planted near the cucumber bushes. In the second case, the plants are pollinated manually, transferring pollen from the male flowers to the female ones with a brush.

Protection from diseases and pests

Most varieties have good immunity to pathogens. However, if cultivation practices are improper or the crop is weakened during transplantation, olive spot, powdery mildew, downy mildew, and mosaic disease may develop. To protect the crop, spray with a fungicide solution. To control cucumber pests, including thrips, spider mites, and melon aphids, insecticide treatments are used.

Reviews

Galina, 57 years old

"I grow several varieties in my garden. One of them is bee-pollinated. In favorable weather conditions, I get an even greater harvest from it than from parthenocarpic cucumbers. I appreciate the intense aroma and richer flavor. However, to ensure that I won't be left without cucumbers, no matter the weather, I also plant self-pollinating hybrids."

Ivan, 42 years old

"I grow cucumbers for sale in a greenhouse to harvest them earlier. Honey baits help attract bees and bumblebees for pollination. This results in vigorous ovary formation, resulting in a rich and high-quality harvest. The fruits have a distinct cucumber aroma, which increases the price of cucumbers in late spring, when outdoor vegetables are not yet available."