Many try to grow cucumbers on their own, so in the winter they begin to think about which variety is best to plant. Some prefer only proven varieties, while others are not averse to experimenting. For those who want to try new unusual varieties, we suggest you familiarize yourself with the Emerald Stream.

Characterization and description of the variety

This variety is a hybrid of Russian selection. We received it at the Zedek agricultural company in Moscow in 2007. It is intended for cultivation in open ground and in greenhouses. It is early ripe. Gives a crop 40–48 days after emergence. The bushes grow vigorous, medium weaving, which is why they require mandatory support. The leaves are dark green, medium in size. Flowers are exclusively female, do not need pollinators to form an ovary. The fruit is elongated cylindrical, 15-50 cm in length.On average 200-300 g weigh, some specimens up to 0.5 kg. Their skin is thin, dark green with whitish stripes, covered with white prickly spikes. The pulp is sweetish, aromatic. The seeds are small, even in overripe fruits. Seed chambers are small. On one bush, 4-5 such fruits can be tied at the same time. Harvest with 1 m² of open beds is 5-7 kg. Fruits the variety for a long time and continuously.

Emerald flow favorably distinguishes from other varieties such characteristics:

• good reaction of the shoots to pinching (more yield);
• green leaves are long, sweet, with small seeds;
• the variety bears fruit well even at home on the windowsill;
• cold and shade resistant.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Among the positive qualities of the Emerald Stream can be identified:
• the hybrid does not need pollinators;
• early appearance of fruits and prolonged bearing;
• excellent taste;
• good commercial quality;
• pronounced aroma;
• resistance to diseases and pests;
• unpretentiousness;
• relatively long shelf life.

• The variety has a few negative qualities:
• affected by root rot;
• very large fruits, so not all harvesting methods are suitable for them.

When is it better to plant a variety

Sowing seedlings is carried out in late March - April. You can sow in greenhouses from the beginning of April, but in open ground only when the soil warms up to + 10 ... + 12 ° С.

Important! The average daily air temperature should not be lower than +15°C, because if it suddenly drops below, there will be bad shoots.

Planting and growing varieties

It is best to grow the Emerald Stream through seedlings. Immediately in open ground, sowing of seeds is possible only in the southern regions.

Seedling method

The variety is unusual, but getting its seeds is not problematic. They are sold in all specialized stores. Before planting, seed should be carefully inspected. It is necessary to try to detect the presence of a surface film. If it is, then the seed does not need to be soaked. Otherwise, this procedure should be carried out.

To do this, a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide is diluted in 100 ml of water and the seeds are placed in this solution for three hours. Disinfection and growth stimulation occurs. After processing, the seed is dried if it is planted in open ground. The one for seedlings can not be dried.The soil is light, crumbly, nutritious. It can be purchased at the store or prepared independently. 2 parts of humus and the same amount of peat are mixed with one part of overripe sawdust. A glass of wood ash and a teaspoon of urea, the same amount of superphosphate and potassium sulfate are added to 10 liters of such a mixture. For greater loosening of the soil, you can mix vermiculite or expanded clay.

Usually, after soaking, the seed begins to germinate quickly. In order not to injure the delicate sprout, each seed must be taken very carefully and carefully laid out in a seedling tank filled with moist soil. They need to be deepened by 1.5-2 cm. Top should be sprinkled with soil. The container is covered with a film and maintained at a temperature of + 25 ° C in a dark place.

Important! Dates of landing in open ground are indicated earlier. Usually in the middle lane the necessary conditions are established after the May holidays.

With the advent of seedlings, the temperature drops to + 19 ° C, and the film is removed. Seedlings must be transferred to a well-lit place, for example, a windowsill. Sprouts are watered as the soil dries. Irrigation should be moderate, as the delicate root system of seedlings is very sensitive to waterlogging and drought. With the appearance of two true leaflets on seedlings, they are pickled. Planted either in greenhouses or in separate cups.

Before planting in open ground, seedlings need a mandatory hardening procedure. It is carried out 10 days before the planned landing in the ground. Pots are taken out onto the street or balcony. It is desirable that at this moment the weather is favorable: sunny and windless.

Seed directly into the ground

Cucumber beds are arranged in a sunny place, from east to west, so that the sun's rays warm the plant all day. The soil in this place should be fertile, light and loose. Strongly acidic, heavy, waterlogged soils are categorically not suitable. The preparation of the beds is made in the fall. It is cleared of weed and the remnants of the predecessor crops. Then organic fertilizer is scattered and the bed is dug up.

Did you know? To prevent the mirror in the bathroom from fogging, it is enough to wipe it with a cucumber before bath procedures.

If the soil is very depleted, then you still need to make nitrogen, phosphorus, potash fertilizers. It is also acceptable to prepare the soil in the spring if it was not possible to do this in the fall. Sowing seeds is carried out according to the scheme of 0.5 × 0.3 cm per well. The seed penetrates 3-4 cm. 3-4 plants are laid out in each well. This increases germination. If several seeds hatch, then they are seated.

Cucumber care after planting

The Emerald Stream variety is unpretentious, so it does not need special care.

Top dressing and watering

Cucumbers are almost completely composed of water, so moisture is extremely necessary for the formation of greenery. Watering is carried out regularly, preferably in the evening. Warm water flows into the hole. It is best to use a drip irrigation system. On hot and dry days, bushes are irrigated twice a day. In cool time it is enough to water once a day.

Did you know? You want to clean plastic objects in the house, but do not like chemistry - a cucumber will help you. Wipe the slices of vegetable on the desired surface, as if cleaning it with a detergent.

To get a good crop, the crop needs to be fed the entire growing season. It is best to use manure, humus. The first time fertilizers are applied with transplanting seedlings into the ground or after the appearance of the first leaf. The next feeding is carried out after 21 days. The last feeding is carried out before closing the lashes.

Shaping and Garter

The bush of the Emerald Stream grows higher than in breadth more, so you do not need to form it especially, unless of course you want to increase the crop yield. Then one main stem and several lateral shoots are left. Ovaries and shoots are removed from the sinuses of the first three to four true leaves. In the rest, until the eighth, the ovary is left, and the shoots are nipped after the leaf nearest to the base.The main shoot is also nipped. 60–70 cm of its length is left. A tall bush needs a garter. It must be run on a trellis or net, and in two or three places, attach the stem to the support with a twine. This is necessary so that the bush can withstand the weight of the imposed fruits.

Soil care

After natural or artificial moistening of the soil, it is necessary to loosen it. It is enough to dry only a thin top layer of soil. Cucumbers do not tolerate the proximity of weeds, so the cleanliness of the beds must be monitored very carefully.

Pest Control

The variety is bred resistant to cladosporiosis, downy mildew and a number of other common diseases. The only disease that can cause trouble is root rot. You can avoid it while observing the rules of irrigation. Sometimes it can be attacked by aphids or spider mites. You can overcome them with special insecticides.

Harvesting and storage

A vegetable is gathered every day or every other day. The fruit must be picked carefully, not pulling the bush, and scrolling green leaves on the stalk. This action will prevent damage to the fresh ovary. For storage, the crop is stored in a cool room with good ventilation.

Usually Emerald Stream is consumed fresh in salads. Some housewives salt it, preparing a salted product. You can pickle, but only the smallest fruits. But preservation is unlikely to succeed, so very long grow greens. Sometimes they still preserve the fruits, but cut them into pieces. Unfortunately, in this form they quickly lose their taste.

Emerald Stream is a profitable variety for those who like to feast on fresh cucumbers. Fruiting occurs early and lasts a long period. In addition, the variety is so unpretentious that it can be grown even on the windowsill.