Hummingbird cucumber

The hummingbird cucumber variety is considered relatively young - it was officially recognized only in 2010. The hybrid is especially appreciated by gardeners for its unpretentiousness and abundant fruiting.

Parthenocarpic cucumber variety Hummingbird is not afraid of adverse conditions. It is suitable for growing outdoors, as well as closed ground under a film attached to trellises. A salad-type hybrid can also be bred directly on a windowsill or balcony.

In this type of cucumber, the shoots grow very quickly, but they do not branch much. The height of the main stem of the bush, creeping or climbing, can reach 2.5 m. Short lateral branches are determinant. The leaf plates are small and dark green in color. They sit on long stalks almost horizontally in relation to the ground.

Representatives of the Kolibri variety mainly have female-type inflorescences. In each leaf sinus, from 2 to 10 ovaries are formed. A well-developed root system belongs to the core type, that is, it has a main root and branches extending from it.

The weight of one gherkin-type fruit is about 70 g. Cucumbers reach only 5–8 cm in length, and do not go beyond 2.5–3.5 cm in diameter. Bright green fusiform vegetables with longitudinal light stripes sit on long peduncles. Their surface is covered with tubercles, has white pubescence.

The crunchy juicy pulp of Hummingbird cucumbers has a sweetish taste, devoid of bitterness. Despite the sufficient presence of small seeds, they are practically imperceptible. Vegetables have a pleasant aroma. A significant plus is the absence of cavities in the pulp. Small, dense cucumbers are suitable for fresh consumption, but they are equally often harvested by salting or canning.

The hybrid is considered an early maturing variety that ripens 40–48 days after planting in a permanent habitat or sowing seeds on the ground. Under favorable conditions, the crop is harvested 35 days after planting.

When the crop reaches maturity, harvesting of fruits can be carried out every other day, or even every day. It is worth mentioning that the Hummingbird still shows the best results on protected ground. On average, a gardener manages to collect up to 11-13 kg of vegetables from each square meter.

To obtain a high-quality result, it is recommended to grow the Hummingbird by the seedling method, although it is also allowed to use the seed method. The area where the cucumbers will develop is being prepared the previous fall. The bed is dug up, and also fertilized with organic matter and a potassium-phosphorus complex.

During the spring preparation of the site, you will additionally need to use compost and humus. A well-lit area protected from drafts is suitable for a heat-loving vegetable.

Sowing seeds in the ground can be carried out from late April to mid-May. Planting early will cause the plant to lack light and stretch out, while late planting will reduce yields. On the open ground in each square. m, 4–5 holes are prepared, and on a closed one - 2–3.

The seedling method requires mandatory disinfection of seeds in potassium permanganate, calibration and aging in a freezer. Before germination, it is also recommended to hold the grains in a solution of ash and nitroammophoska. When the material swells, it can be seated in containers. Seedlings are transferred to the ground only when the ground warms up.

When 6-7 leaves appear on the plant, it is recommended to pinch the main stem, as this will contribute to the yield. In the future, the bush will also need to be fixed on a support and regularly thinned out from leaves and shoots that shade greens. Until the danger of recurrent frosts disappears, young cucumbers should be protected at night with plastic wrap or any covering material. The hummingbird should be watered with water warmed up in the sun using a watering can. It is important that during the procedure, moisture soaks only the soil and does not get on the bush.

Irrigation is carried out as the soil dries out, usually once every 3-4 days. As a rule, before flowering, about 5 liters per square meter are consumed in dry weather and 2 liters after rain. When the culture begins to bear fruit, this volume will need to be increased by a couple of liters. It is best to carry out this procedure in the morning, so as not to overcool the roots, and be accompanied by loosening. Timely destruction of the earth crust will ensure a constant supply of oxygen to the roots of the plant.

You will have to feed the cucumbers 5 times during the growing season. The first feeding with mineral or organic fertilizers is organized already a couple of weeks after planting. For this purpose, both complexes containing potassium, magnesium and nitrogen, and infusions of chicken manure or onion husks are suitable.