Cucumber Tchaikovsky

The Tchaikovsky cucumber variety is supplied to the Russian market by the Dutch company Rijk Zwaan, which also created it. It was withdrawn in 2013, and was officially approved for use in Russia only 4 years later.

The parthenocarpic variety Chaikovskiy, also known as Chaikovskiy, has a female flowering type and, since it is self-pollinated, does not require the attraction of insects. It is recommended for cultivation only on closed ground: under a film cover or in winter greenhouses.

The variety is distinguished by good immunity to the most common diseases - two types of powdery mildew, mosaic and brown spot. Despite the fact that the culture feels best in the sun, it is able to thrive in the shade.

The bush of the Tchaikovsky variety branches medium, but forms lateral shoots well, the length of which reaches 200-250 centimeters. Strong lashes are covered with medium-sized dark green leaf blades. The plant has powerful roots. In the leaf axils, no more than 2-3 ovaries are formed.

Cucumbers in the plant appear small, 12 to 14 centimeters long and 3.5-4 centimeters in diameter. The mass of uniform cylindrical fruits ranges from 84 to 110 grams. The surface of the peel is dark green, covered with well-defined small tubercles.

Tchaikovsky cucumbers have a delicate and even sweetish taste, devoid of bitterness. The dense and juicy pulp of the salad variety can be eaten fresh, or it can be used for preparations. A small amount of seeds is almost invisible when eating. Fragrant fruits are not prone to yellowing, tolerate transportation well and are characterized by a decent keeping quality.

The Tchaikovsky variety is considered to be medium early, since it takes from 40 to 43 days from the moment of emergence to the beginning of fruiting. Ripening of cucumbers can occur throughout the summer months. In order for the greenery to be recognized as ripe, it must acquire a well-felt smell and a length of 8 to 10 centimeters.

Gardeners manage to collect about 20 kilograms of fruit from each square meter of planting. Under optimal conditions, this figure can increase up to 25 kilograms. If the variety is planted outdoors, then its yield will not exceed 4-6 kilograms per square meter.

The Tchaikovsky hybrid does not differ in whimsicality, the main thing is to plant the crop on nutritious and loose soil with good air permeability. Seeds of the Dutch variety do not require pre-treatment, as they are subjected to it while still in production.

They can be planted first in containers for receiving seedlings, or immediately in the ground. The seedling method gives an earlier harvest, and in the second case, ripe cucumbers ripen by the end of summer and early autumn. It is better to sow seeds for seedlings in individual containers - peat pots or plastic cups filled with soil mixture.

The seeds are sprinkled with a layer of loose earth 1-2 centimeters thick, and then removed to a well-lit place and watered when the topsoil dries out. The appearance of 4-5 full-fledged leaves indicates that the cucumbers can be transferred to their permanent habitat.

Both seedlings and seeds are located in the garden in such a way that there are no more than 5 specimens per square meter. Humus is laid out at the bottom of the pits, after which they are well watered, and then you can proceed to planting. It is important that this procedure is carried out when the threat of return frost blows, and the earth warms up to +15 degrees.

At first, during watering, it will be necessary to use about 10 liters of liquid per square meter. When the Tchaikovsky variety begins to set fruit, then this amount will be enough for only one bush. During irrigation, it is important to direct the moisture strictly to the root, since drops on the leaves will provoke burns.

If the weather is dry, then watering is organized more often, and on rainy days, special grooves are formed to remove the excess. The procedure is performed in the morning or in the evening. The water must first warm up to at least +10 degrees, otherwise the root system of the cucumbers will be supercooled and will begin to rot in the future. Between watering, the bed on which Tchaikovsky is growing will need to be loosened to a depth of 5-7 centimeters and cleaned of weeds.

For the first time, fertilizers are applied at the stage of preparing the hole. Then, when 2-3 leaves appear on the seedlings, it will be possible to use a combination of potassium sulfate, nitrate and double superphosphate. After 14 days, each cucumber bush will need to be irrigated with mullein infusion. When the plant begins to bloom, it will need top dressing from wood ash and urea, diluted in a bucket of water. A fruiting crop responds best to a mixture of wood ash and chicken droppings.

Long vines of cucumber are fixed on special trellises both vertically and horizontally. Another important component of care is mulching - protecting the root zone with sawdust, straw and other materials. The presence of this layer 5 centimeters thick will slow down the evaporation of moisture and prevent the active development of weeds.