Cucumbers for a polycarbonate greenhouse: the best varieties for the Moscow region

Cucumbers

Many gardeners prefer to grow vegetables in greenhouses, which allow for year-round harvests. Recently, polycarbonate has been used for greenhouses, as this material retains heat well and protects seedlings from harmful ultraviolet rays.

These structures are ideal for growing cucumbers in the Moscow region, as the weather conditions in this region are quite variable. Not all varieties can be grown this way, so beginners should familiarize themselves with the most productive varieties.

Advantages and disadvantages of polycarbonate greenhouses

Polyethylene and glass are traditional materials for greenhouse construction. The main advantage of polycarbonate construction is its durability, which cannot be said of polyethylene structures.

In addition, working with polycarbonate is quite simple and you can independently assemble a greenhouse of the required size.

The material consists of a honeycomb structure filled with air, so it perfectly retains the heat needed for growing vegetables. Its surface is coated with special varnishes that block ultraviolet radiation.

The polycarbonate construction has the following advantages:

allows maximum amount of sunlight to pass through;
Due to the strength of the material, the greenhouse is not susceptible to mechanical damage;
Polycarbonate is quite flexible, so a summer resident can give the structure any shape;
service life - 10-20 years;
The material is resistant to high humidity and water.

It looks great on the property, as it's quite attractive. Its light weight and flexibility make it very easy and comfortable to work with, as partitions or vents can be easily installed in this structure. Polycarbonate can also be welded, glued, and drilled. It can be cut with either a jigsaw or heavy-duty scissors.

This allows cucumbers to ripen slightly earlier than in film-covered alternatives. During colder months, polycarbonate helps save on heating costs, as it creates a greenhouse effect and has low heat loss.

The material's drawbacks include flammability, as it will melt if exposed to an open flame. Its cost is quite high, but this depends on the quality of the material and the size of the planned structure.

The best varieties

Before purchasing seeds, every beginner should decide which varieties are best grown in a greenhouse and for what purposes they will be used.

For example, if vegetables are intended for sale, you should choose cucumbers that have a long shelf life and do not spoil during transportation. If the harvest is to be preserved for the winter, then select varieties specifically designed for canning.

Berendey F1

Berendey F1 is a parthenocarpic, early-ripening hybrid. These medium-sized cucumbers produce three or more ovaries per node. Harvesting begins 45 days after germination. These cylindrical cucumbers, growing to about 14 cm, have a bumpy surface with white spines. This versatile hybrid is excellent for both salads and canning.

Under optimal conditions, a single bush can yield approximately 8 kg of juicy cucumbers. This hybrid is shade-tolerant and produces a high yield. When grown in a greenhouse, trellises should be installed. Water as needed, as the frequency depends on temperature and light conditions.

April F1

An early-ripening variety that ripens 40-45 days after germination. This parthenocarpic variety, with medium branching, requires pinching and trellis support. Its distinguishing feature is its long fruiting period, and the cucumbers remain yellow for a long time. The hybrid's main drawback is its vulnerability to white rot.

Courage F1

This parthenocarpic variety produces clustered ovaries. Two to four fruits grow on a single node on the main shoot, and five to eight on the side shoots. A single plant can produce approximately 30 cucumbers at a time. Cucumbers range in length from 12 to 15 cm and weight from 12 to 140 g. This early-ripening hybrid produces its first harvest 38 to 44 days after germination. The plant should be trained as a single stem, so remove all side shoots and ovaries from the axils of the first six leaves.

Murashka F1

Murashka is also an early-ripening variety. Fruiting begins 35-40 days after full germination. This medium-sized plant has shortened internodes, and 2-4 ovaries form simultaneously in a single axil.

The cylindrical, large-tuberculate cucumbers grow to about 10 cm in length. This variety tastes excellent when pickled and marinated. The plant requires pinching, which is done on the main stem after the fifth or sixth leaf. Lateral shoots are cut back to a length of 40 cm.

Tom Thumb F1

Tom Thumb is an early cluster parthenocarpic gherkin hybrid. The medium-sized, vine-like bushes produce 2 to 6 cluster-type ovaries. The fruit length does not exceed 11 cm.

Cucumbers are considered versatile, as they are used both fresh and for canning. For longer fruiting, plants are tied to a tall transverse trellis. To stimulate the development of lateral shoots, the bush is pinched after the fifth true leaf has formed.

Horn of Plenty F1

This parthenocarpic hybrid is successfully grown not only in greenhouses but also in open ground. The cucumbers reach 12 cm in length. A distinctive feature is their lack of tendency to overgrow. This high-yielding variety, grown indoors, yields approximately 29 kg/m² per season.

Remember!

During the growing season, plants should be fed no more than 3 times with complex mineral fertilizers in liquid form.

Most often, the fruits are used for winter preparations.

Zozulya F1

Zozulya F1 is a partially parthenocarpic plant, allowing it to produce fruit without pollination. To increase the yield, it is recommended to interplant this variety with male plants. The cucumbers are covered with sparse, large tubercles and white spines. The fruit length is 14-24 cm. These cucumbers are easy to care for and disease-resistant. Lateral branching is very limited, so pinching and side-shooting are not necessary.

Business F1

This hybrid is mid-early and has a mixed flowering pattern. Bee-pollinated, it is most often grown outdoors, but can also be grown in greenhouses with self-pollination. The fruit is 8-10 cm long, covered with sparse tubercles and black spines. The fruit is recommended for pickling and canning.

Features of cultivation

After selecting seeds, beginning gardeners should learn when to sow cucumbers for seedlings, when to plant seedlings in a greenhouse, and how to care for the plants.

To achieve a high yield, it's important not only to select the best varieties but also to know the best time to plant seeds for seedlings in 2024 in the Moscow region.

When choosing a sowing date, gardeners advise paying attention to the following factors that affect germination:

temperature conditions of the region;
suitable days for sowing;
a certain time during the day.

To choose the right day, some vegetable growers use the phases of the moon (the lunar calendar). The waxing moon is considered an excellent time for sowing, and the closer to the new moon, the better the germination. Read the current calendar for the Moscow region. and you won't be mistaken.

Planting seedlings in a greenhouse

Cucumbers are heat-loving crops, so they produce an excellent harvest indoors. The optimal time for planting is three weeks after sowing.

Important!

By the time of planting, daytime temperatures should be no lower than 18°C, and nighttime temperatures should be no lower than 15°C. In the Moscow region, this temperature typically occurs in late May.

Before plant seedlings in a greenhouse, prepare the soil. This procedure is carried out once every 3-4 years. To do this, prepare:

liquid chicken manure;
urea;
polyethylene film.

Add 1 teaspoon of urea per 1 m² and dig the soil thoroughly. After this, water the beds with hot water and chicken manure (200 g of manure per 10 liters of water). Cover the soil with plastic wrap for 10 days.

Once the seedlings have formed three leaves, they are transferred to the greenhouse. The soil is divided into longitudinal beds, in which small holes are dug 50 cm apart. The hole should be no more than 10 cm deep. It is recommended to water each hole with a solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate. The plant is transplanted into the hole, covered with soil, and lightly pressed down to ensure stability around the seedling.

Rules for caring for cucumbers

With proper care, even a novice gardener can grow a superb harvest. Greenhouse crop care includes:

loosening the soil and regular weeding;
watering;
application of fertilizers;
treatment of plants with fungicides;
pinching the bush.

After planting, water the seedlings no more than once every three days. As hot weather approaches, increase the frequency to once every one to two days. After watering, loosen the soil.

Watering — When the fruits ripen, water them frequently and generously; about 7 liters of water will be needed per 1 m².

Growing the crop requires fertilizing. Fertilizers should be applied at least three times per season. Chicken or cow manure, diluted with water, can be used. Mineral fertilizers are selected based on the composition of the underlying soil.

Greenhouse cucumbers are trained on a vine with eight leaves. This is done by pinching the shoot, but if the plant is being trained into a single stem, the top should not be pinched. Greenhouse varieties are grown vertically, so a trellis should be installed. Plants should be inspected regularly to avoid diseases or pests.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to choose the right seeds?

Self-pollinating and parthenocarpic varieties are most often chosen for greenhouses. In such conditions, F1 hybrids, which adapt well to greenhouse conditions, produce good yields. It's important to decide what the crop will be grown for: salads, pickling, or canning. It's also important for beginners to know when they want to harvest their fruit, as there are early, mid-season, and late-ripening varieties.

Which variety is considered the most productive?

Among the wide variety of cucumber varieties, vegetable growers highlight the early-ripening hybrid Zozulya. In addition to its high yield (approximately 14 kg per square meter), these cucumbers have a distinctive feature: they remain yellow for a long time, making them ideal for gardeners who can only harvest on weekends. The Amur variety is considered the highest yielder, yielding up to 30 kg per square meter.

What does the F1 inscription on the packaging mean?

If a variety's name includes the designation "F1," it's a hybrid plant, the result of crossing two varieties. These crops are called first-generation hybrids. "F" (for "Filli") means "children" in Italian, and "1" is the generation number.