Cucumber Likhach

Likhach is a salad cucumber variety bred by Russian breeders and approved for use in 2021. So far, few have been able to evaluate the properties of this variety in practice, but some information about it is already available.

This is a parthenocarpic species, that is, a hybrid that does not need pollination. It is grown under a film cover or in greenhouses and has a pleasant taste.

The bush of the presented variety belongs to indeterminate varieties, that is, its growth is not limited, and has medium branching. In one bunch, 5-10 fruits are formed with a length of 11-12 cm and a mass of 80-100 g. In shape, zelents are elongated-cylindrical, and in color they are green with light lines.

The fruits are distinguished by exemplary marketability and are stored for about a week at a temperature of + 8 ... 9 degrees, while maintaining taste and aroma. The skin of the vegetable is dense, so the fruit can be transported even over long distances without losing marketability.

Consumers note the sweet, without bitterness, taste of the fruit. Dense, juicy, crunchy pulp has a wonderful fresh aroma. Zelentsy are recommended for pickling and canning.

Fruits on the plant are formed already 45 days after the appearance of the first shoots, which is typical for varieties with an early ripening period.

With all the rules of agricultural technology, a hardworking gardener can, on average, collect more than 14 kg of fruits from each square meter.

If the gardener decided to plant the Likhach variety on the plot, then the preparation of the land for planting should be carried out in the fall. For this, the selected bed is dug up and mixed with wood ash. In the spring, 4 days before planting the seedlings, the soil is loosened again, treated with saline, and the mullein is introduced. In dry spring, the garden is watered.

Sowing is carried out at the end of April. Seeds are planted to a depth of 1.5 cm in peat pots, two grains each. To make future seedlings feel comfortable, keep the room temperature + 25 ... 26 degrees, but when shoots appear, lower the temperature to +23 degrees. Seedlings need watering daily in the morning, and a week after sprouting, they need to be fed with nitroammophos.

You can plant shoots in a greenhouse in mid-May, by this time they will have reached the age of 25-27 days and will have 4 leaves. Temper the seedlings 7-10 days before transplanting, that is, take them outside, increasing the time spent in the fresh air every day. Seedlings are transplanted when the outside temperature reaches + 21 ... 22 degrees, and the ground warms up to + 15 ... 16 degrees.

Plant three bushes per square meter. Between the plants they usually leave 45-50 cm, and between the rows - 60-65 cm. After planting, water and loosen the garden bed.

Caring for a vegetable of the presented variety is not difficult. It is important to tie the bushes to the trellis, and form into one stem, while the side shoots should be cut off, leaving two branches of the first and second order. And also once a week weed the ridge and huddle, a couple of times a week inspect the bushes for insects and signs of disease. Pay particular attention to the following points.

• Watering

You need to moisten the soil every day in the morning with warm, settled water. Direct the jet at the root so that drops do not fall on the foliage, as this can cause burns.Loosen the soil after every second irrigation, do not allow the formation of a crust, which will impede the penetration of moisture and oxygen to the root system.

• Top dressing

The presented variety needs fertilization 4 times per season. It reacts best of all to liquid complex compounds that are added at the root.

1. The first top dressing is used a week after transplanting seedlings to a summer cottage. During this period, ammonium nitrate and potassium sulfate are used.

2. The plant is fed a second time before flowering. Boric acid and nitrophoska will be appropriate this time.

3. The third dressing is applied at the end of the flowering period. Ash powder and potassium nitrate are now becoming more relevant.

4. The fourth time, the culture is fertilized at the stage of ovary formation with a urea solution.

If there are signs of disease on the leaves, then feeding should be stopped.

The Likhach variety has a high resistance to the most common diseases, namely: to the mosaic virus, cladosporium disease, powdery mildew, the variety also tolerates adverse weather conditions well. Rarely, a plant is also affected by insect pests, however, to prevent all these problems, preventive measures should be taken:

• plant garlic, mint or thyme next to the garden - these plants repel insects;

• twice a season process the vegetable with "Trichodermin" or onion peel infusion;

• process the walls of the greenhouse with formalin a few days before transplanting seedlings and twice a season;

• observe the watering regime, avoid waterlogging of the soil;

• ventilate the greenhouse regularly.