In article in detail tells about biological features and an agrotechnology of ancient vegetable culture – a cucumber, its food and medical qualities.
It is one of the most ancient vegetable cultures
It is one of the most ancient vegetable cultures. A cucumber nachali to cultivate for some millennia BC in India and China. In Russia it is known since the IX century. Today it cultivate in all agricultural areas of the earth.
Botanical description. Cucumber (CucumissativusL.) – annual plant of family of the pumpkin. The main escape in a phase of the 3-4th real leaf upright, but in process of growth gets stelyushhuyusya a form. Depending on a grade, its length reaches 1,5-2,0 m. In knots leaves and short moustaches develop. From the kidneys being in bosoms of leaves, lateral escapes develop. On one plant obrazuetsya from 3 to 7 lateral escapes of the first order, on which formiruyutsya shorter escapes of the second order. Root sistema at plants branched out, but it is poorly developed and raspolagaetsya in a soil blanket. At stelyushhixsya on zemle escapes on the bottom party of knots roots are formed, kotoyory easily take roots in the damp soil and in addition supply plants with nutrients.
At plants of a cucumber are formed man’s (tychinochny) and female (pestichny) a flower. They are located on the same plant, i.e. in "one house", but on different knots therefore a cucumber carry to monoecious, diclinous plants. In one knot develops usually 5-7 man’s and 1-2, 3-5 pistillate flowers are more rare. Pistillate flowers are larger man’s and under a nimbus at them is zavyaz (a small cucumber). The cucumber a perekrestnoopylyaemy plant, is pollinated generally pchelami. But there are the grades forming fruits and without an opyleyoniya, the so-called partenokarpichesky. A fruit (zelenets) – false berry of an elongated and cylindrical form. On length distinguish the small – 6-8, average – 8-11, large – 12-18 and very large (over 18 cm) fruits. Their coloring – from light green to dark green. On a surface of a fruit there are white or black thorns. Seeds oblong, whitish and cream color. Mass of 1000 seeds of 20-35 g. Depending on storage conditions they keep vsxozhest from 5-8 and till 10 years.
Biological features. A cucumber very much trebovatelen to growth conditions, especially to heat. For its vyyorashchivaniye choose the most light, solar and zashchishchenyony place from a wind. Optimum air temperature for growth and development of plants of 25-30 °C, the soil 20-25°C. At such temperature in the damp soil shoots appear for the 3-6th day, and at 18 °C – only in 10 days. At temperature below 12-13 °C seeds don’t sprout. In growth the plant (especially root system) is very sensitive to low temperatures. At decrease in temperature below 16 °C growth of plants stops. In the cold soil roots can’t soak up nutrients and quickly die off. The cucumber is very exacting to humidity of the soil and air. It speaks that its large and mnogochisyolenny leaves evaporate a lot of moisture. And roots are located in a blanket of the soil and can’t soak up water from its bottom layers. Plants most of all need water in a phase of mass fructification.
The cucumber well grows on neutral, easy soils rich with organic chemistry. Tyazheyoly clay, boggy and sour soils aren’t suitable for its cultivation.
Agrotechnology and reproduction. This culture semenami breeds. Sow them directly in open soil or on sprouts. The best predecessors: peas, cabbage, tomato. In 2 weeks prior to crops or disembarkation of sprouts to the bed prepared since autumn bring on 1,5-2,0 buckets of humus or compost on 1 mg. The seeds which are storing of 2-3 years more suit crops. They ascend more slowly, but form more pistillate flowers and, therefore, more big crop. Seeds 2-3 h are necessary to Svezheubrannye directly ahead of crops vyderzhivat in hot water (50 °C). Otherwise shoots will be izrezhenny, few female flowers are formed.
Sow to the damp soil when it will get warm to 18-20°C and passes danger of frosts. A way of crops the private soldier in nests. The scheme – 50×30; 70×40; 60×60; 70×70 see. In one nest put some seeds. Depth of their seal 1,0-2,0 see. To accelerate emergence of shoots, sow proklyunuvshimisya seeds, it is obligatory to the damp soil. Depending on temperature shoots appear in 4-10 days. In a phase 1 – go their real leaf prorezhivayut, leaving the most developed seyanets. In a phase of the 3rd nastoyoyashchy leaf of a plant slightly hill, the soil mulch. At a rassadny way of cultivation of cucumbers do it right after sprouts disembarkation. If the soil not pokryta a mulch, to a smykaniye of leaves in row-spacings it loosen in ryadka and row-spacings after each rain or watering. Waterings carry out as required. At hot and suyokhy weather water not less often than two times a week with heated-up water on the sun in the evening so that it didn’t presoak leaves. Plants feed up a razvedenyony feltwort (1:10) or a bird’s dung (1:20), spending on 3-5 l of solution for 1 mg. On the eve of top dressing the soil on a bed water. The first top dressing carry out in a phase of the 3rd real leaf, and in 2-3 weeks – the second the same fertilizers or is sprayed by plants ashes solution (1 glass of ashes insist in 10 l of water within days, then filter). In a phase of the 4-5th real leaf a plant top prishhipyvayut. This agroreception promotes an obrayozovaniye of a large number of lateral escapes, on which formiruyutsya generally pistillate flowers. Zelenets in a phase of technical ripeness clean. At melkoplodny grades cleaning spend daily or every other day, at krupnoplodny – isn’t more rare than two times a week. When collecting ugly, nedoyorazvity and turning yellow zelenets delete.
Chemical composition. A cucumber – low-calorie vegetable. In 100 g of fresh fruits 1,6 % of sugars, 0,1 % kraxmala, 0,6 % of cellulose, 0,5 g of a protein, 20 mg of calcium, 141 mg of potassium, 8 mg of sodium, vitamins C, RR, B1, V2, V6, V9 contain.
Medical properties. The cucumber tempts appetite, improves digestion. Cucumbers are especially useful to people corpulent, suffering cardiovascular diseases, boleznyami a liver and kidneys. The cucumber as tonic in the cosmetic industry is very widely used at creation of creams, lotions.
Use in food. Food value of a cucumber nevelika. Its fruits consist for 95 % of water, but their flavoring kayochestvo high. Well-known that this vegetable use in a fresh, fermented and marinaded look, for preparation of a wide range of dishes.
(On Ogorodnik magazine materials).