The bush cucumber is designed for small areas. Thanks to its unusual structure, the hybrid version does not take up much space in the garden, bears fruit well, and is easy to care for.
Common types of cucumbers require a lot of space, as their vines reach three meters in length. And neat bush cucumbers are compact; they are often planted along fences and paths as ornamental plants.
In terms of ripening time, the vegetable is classified as an early ripening one, and already three weeks after the appearance of the first fruit, the bushes can be removed from the garden. Their fruiting is over. Bush cucumber is an indeterminate species and is intended for planting in open ground. Many varieties require insect pollination, so they are not suitable for greenhouses.
Features of bush cucumber
The characteristics and description of a bush-type vegetable crop are based on the following characteristics:
- The bushes are compact, their lashes reach a length of 50 to 80 centimeters. The shortness of the internodes gives the plant splendor.
- From one square meter of bed you can collect from three to five kilograms of greens. This is not much, but cucumbers can grow quickly, amicably, without getting sick.
- The fruits ripen early, so they are enjoyed at the end of June.
- Greens, small in length and weight, are also suitable for pickling, pickling, and preparing salads.
This type of vegetable is popular among vegetable growers due to its unpretentiousness, high taste, and compactness. But no matter how good conditions cucumbers grow in, large yields cannot be obtained from the bush.
Popular varieties of bush cucumbers
Among the well-known bush cucumbers for open ground are the following:
- Already on the 47th day after germination, the fruits of the Mikrosh variety are obtained. Zelentsy are ten centimeters long, weigh just over one hundred grams, and produce a good harvest. Dark green, slightly pubescent, they are suitable for both fresh consumption and canning.
- Vegetable growers have no complaints about the Kustovaya variety. Since it is pollinated by bees, it is suitable for open beds. Small elongated greens have many tubercles on the surface and are covered with dark fluff. From one square meter to three and a half kilograms of tasty, non-bitter vegetables are collected. They tolerate transportation well and are stored for a long time without turning yellow.
- The Dar variety is ideal for pickling.After all, its fruits reach a size of eleven centimeters, are saturated in green color, with large thorns. It ripens early, the ovaries are formed 47–52 days after full germination.
- Dark green cucumbers of the Malysh variety with tubercles do not reach ten centimeters in length. Although the harvest is small - up to forty-five fruits are harvested from one bush - the excellent taste without bitterness will delight vegetable growers. The harvest is kept fresh for up to ten days.
- Bush cucumber Shorty bears fruit early. On the short stems on the fiftieth day of growth there are a lot of tasty juicy greens.
- Hybrid Baby Sturdy is not afraid of frost and fungal diseases. The lumpy greens are delicious in pickles and summer salads.
- The best varieties of Dutch selection are represented by Hector F1. Cucumbers have become widespread due to their resistance to diseases and low temperatures. The harvested vegetable crops have excellent keeping quality.
- For cucumber boy with thumb There is no need for pollination, so it can be planted in greenhouses and in the garden. The greens ripen quickly, on the fortieth day after emergence, in bunches. The fruits are fragrant, with juicy pulp, and contain almost no seeds. The hybrid is easy to care for and produces high yields.
Bush varieties of cucumbers feel great in open ground, bear fruit well, and are classified as early or mid-season hybrids. Due to their rapid maturation, they rarely get sick or are attacked by pests.
Rules for planting vegetables
There are two ways to plant a garden crop: with seeds in open ground or through seedlings.
Before sowing, choose varieties of cucumbers for open ground. Having sorted out low-quality, empty seeds, the seed is placed in water heated to a temperature of forty degrees. The procedure will speed up the ripening of vegetables.
It is better to plant seeds in a square-cluster method or in rows. For bush cucumbers, the distance between rows should be at least seventy centimeters. When sowing in square nests, the nests are placed at the same distance. Up to six germinated seeds are planted in one nest. Plant the seeds three to five centimeters deep into the soil.
Before planting, the soil is fertilized with humus, thoroughly mixed with turf soil. The soil is thoroughly watered so that the seed gets into the moist soil.
For seedlings for open ground, varieties are sown in peat pots, bringing the seedlings to twenty days of age. As soon as the seedlings are ready, up to four plants are placed in each hole directly in peat cups.
To increase the temperature in the ground and protect the plantings from the wind, corn, peas or beans are planted every three rows of cucumbers in the open ground.
Proper planting of a cucumber plant will increase productivity and save it from spring frosts.
Tips for caring for bush varieties of cucumbers
Growing cucumber bushes does not require special knowledge; caring for them is the same as for ordinary types of vegetables. In order for bush cucumbers to bear fruit together, it is necessary to organize:
- watering;
- feeding;
- loosening;
- weeding.
Despite the fact that bush cucumbers are moisture-loving, they should be watered abundantly only after the ovaries appear. At the beginning of flowering, the amount of watering is reduced. It is best to organize watering in the evening, wetting the bushes from above. The shower has a beneficial effect on the condition of the plant. It washes away dust from leaves and humidifies the surrounding air.
Vegetable crops are fed with mullein, alternating with mineral fertilizers. Organic fertilizer is dissolved in water in a ratio of 1:8.Minerals per bucket of water are taken in the amount of thirty grams of ammonium nitrate, twenty-five grams of superphosphate, ten grams of potassium salt. The second time, only ammonium nitrate and potassium salt are used.
Loosening the soil and weeding are carried out as necessary. According to the rules, they loosen after long rains, when the soil begins to dry out.
On hot days, you need to hide the bushes from the midday sun, covering them with shields made of shingles or twigs.
Although the bush type of vegetable is not susceptible to diseases, it is better to take preventive measures. To do this, vegetable plants are sprayed with a solution of colloidal sulfur, and after ten days - with Bordeaux mixture. When white rot appears on parts of the plant, the diseased areas are sprinkled with lime or crushed charcoal.
Since fungal spores live in the soil, before planting the vegetable it must be poured with boiling water.
For other diseases, the vegetable crop does not have time to survive. Early ripening of greens leads to the end of the plant's growing season already in July. Cucumbers grow well and quickly with proper care.
What vegetable growers say
The opinion of gardeners and their reviews about the bush type of vegetable speaks in favor of choosing a compact plant. What attracts summer residents is that caring for bush crops is easy. They can be conveniently and beautifully placed on the site. Some use the view in the design of their backyard. When the time comes for cucumbers to ripen, clusters of greens in the dense foliage of the bush look original.
The varieties most often chosen for cultivation are those that have proven themselves to be disease-resistant and not afraid of morning frosts. Among these varieties are Malysh, Thumb Boy, and Hector hybrid. Bush cucumbers are easy to care for and convenient for harvesting small herbs.
The grown vegetable is universal in use, has a pleasant appearance, juicy pulp, and almost no seeds.
If you are overwhelmed by thoughts about which cucumbers to plant, then in addition to the usual types, you need to choose bush ones. If large greens are suitable only for fresh consumption and salad cutting, then baby greens, picked from the bush, are suitable for any preparations and dishes.
