Cucumber Altai

If you do not have much experience in growing cucumbers, then it is better to choose proven varieties with a long history and simple agricultural technology, which consistently bear fruit, delighting with tasty greens. One of the picky varieties is the early maturing cucumber Altai of domestic selection.

The Altai variety was obtained by breeders of the Federal Research Center of Vegetable Growing in 1977. After variety trials and numerous improvements, the vegetable crop in 1981 was added to the State Register of approved for use.

Altai is a bee-pollinated cucumber variety with excellent cold resistance. The variety is allowed for cultivation in the Central, Ural, Far Eastern, Volgo-Vyatka, East Siberian and West Siberian regions. A productive culture when grown in a garden bed.

The early ripe cucumber Altai is a sturdy plant with an average spreading of branches, producing up to 5 lashes, the length of which does not exceed 100-130 cm. The bush has a strong foliage with bright green leaves, a taproot system and many shoots extending a full meter from the central stem. Due to the antennae, the plant weaves along the supports. A characteristic feature of the plant is the presence of small villi over the entire surface of the stems and processes. During the flowering period, large yellow and five-lobed flowers are formed on the bushes, which are divided into male and female.

Altai cucumbers ripen aligned, almost the same shape and size. On average, green plants grow on the bushes weighing from 90 to 120 grams and a length of 9-13 cm. The shape of the vegetable is neat, oval. Ripe fruits are evenly covered with bright green color. The rind of zelents of medium density, covered with tubercles and small thorns, which easily crumble when touched by the vegetable.

The harvested crop can be transported over long distances. In addition, vegetables are perfectly stored without loss of taste and marketability for a long time.

Zelentsy Altai are remembered for their excellent taste. Cucumber pulp is characterized by firmness, tenderness, juiciness and pleasant crunch. Fruit taste is harmonious: pleasant sweetness goes well with bright refreshing aroma. The advantage of the variety is the absence of bitterness and a huge amount of seeds in the pulp.

Collected greens can be eaten fresh, added to salads and assorted vegetables, pickled, canned and salted.

Altai early variety. From the emergence of seedlings to the ripening of cucumbers on the bushes, 35-38 days pass. The fruits ripen together. The variety has a fairly short fruiting period. Mass harvesting begins in the first half of July. It is recommended to collect greens every 3-4 days.

High-yielding variety. You can count on a good harvest - up to 4 kg per 1 m2.

When planting cucumber bushes, it is important to maintain the correct distance between plantings. It is recommended to plant up to 8 bushes per 1 m2. The optimal scheme for planting is considered to be a 70x30 cm scheme.

Planting crops in a greenhouse can be carried out at the end of May, and in open ground - in the first week of June. At this time, the soil was well warmed up and the temperature stabilized.For planting, it is recommended to choose seedling bushes with a height of 15-20 cm, with 2-3 true leaves and a strengthened root system. The crop grows best after onions, cabbage, tomatoes and legumes.

Intensive cultivation of cucumbers consists of irrigation with warm water, top dressing (3-4 times per season), loosening and weeding of the soil every 10-14 days, garter, thinning and formation of bushes, prevention of diseases and pest infestations. Greenhouses require periodic ventilation to help control the moisture level inside the structure.

The plant is unpretentious, therefore it can grow on almost any substrates, the main thing is that they are highly nutritious, drained and do not contain a huge amount of nitrogenous compounds. The maximum yield will be obtained if cucumbers are planted in loamy or sandy loam soils that are well fluffed, fertilized, permeable to moisture and air, and are endowed with a neutral level of acidity.

Altai is a vegetable crop that tolerates temperature fluctuations, short cold snaps. You need to plant cucumbers in an area where there is protection from drafts. Both sun and partial shade are acceptable.

Thanks to its strong immune system, the plant is able to withstand many diseases, such as downy mildew. Cucumbers are vulnerable to anthracnose and bacteriosis. The most dangerous plant pests are mites, thrips, aphids and cucumber bug.