Very tasty and aromatic Alligator cucumber for fresh consumption
Every year, summer residents grow a variety of vegetable crops in their gardens. From the very beginning of the season, the main task is to choose which varieties to plant this year, because everyone wants to try something unusual and harvest more than last year.
Among the new crops with an unusual shape, interesting taste and high yield is the Alligator cucumber hybrid.
Description
A bee-pollinated hybrid that produces a crop approximately 45 days after germination and is characterized by long fruiting. Included in the State Register of Varietal Achievements in 2010.
It is recommended to grow alligator in greenhouses, hotbeds or open ground. It has good resistance to adverse conditions and weather changes.
Distinctive features
High yield: 1 sq. m can produce up to 16 kg of cucumbers. From 6 to 8 fruits are formed on one plant at the same time. They are easy to transport and do not lose their appearance. The hybrid is resistant to major stresses during cultivation.
Composition, properties, benefits
The calorie content of cucumbers is approximately 14 kcal per 100 g. They contain vitamins A, K, C, and the minerals fluorine, copper, magnesium and calcium, which improve the functioning of the heart and kidneys.
Characteristics
The bushes of such cucumbers have a well-developed root system. The leaves are deep green, small in size, and pentagonal in shape. The Alligator hybrid produces high yields.
The fruits have an unusual shape - elongated, cylindrical, which attracts many gardeners.They can grow up to 40–45 cm in length. At the same time, they have a small diameter and an average weight of 300 g. The pulp is light in color, with a uniform consistency.
On the surface of the seeds you can see short spines and small tubercles, which makes this cucumber look like a crocodile. This feature gave the variety its name. But despite the thorns, the fruits have delicate and soft skin. The taste is pronounced cucumber, with a slight sweetness.
The photo shows Alligator cucumbers.
How to grow your own
Alligator cucumbers can be grown using seedlings and seeds.
Planting by seedlings and seeds
It is recommended to warm the seeds in advance; for this, the material is kept for 30 days near heat sources, where the temperature does not drop below +25°C.
Before planting, it is worth disinfecting the seed material. Garlic mixture is especially effective in this regard. To prepare it, add 30 g of garlic to 100 g of water, mix everything, and add the seeds. Keep for 60 minutes. Take it out, wash it with water and place it on a damp cloth and leave it for two days.
Important! The seeds should not be allowed to germinate, they should only swell.
Then the seeds are placed in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
It is recommended to plant cucumbers in prepared containers in April. It is best to prepare the soil in advance by taking sawdust, peat and humus in equal parts. For every 10 kg of this mixture, add two tablespoons of nitrophoska.
Fill the containers with prepared soil and place the seeds without deepening them too deeply. Water the soil with a spray bottle. The seedlings will be ready for planting in the ground in a month.
Some summer residents do not grow cucumbers using seedlings, but sow the seeds directly into the ground. It is worth doing this no earlier than mid-May so that the soil has time to warm up. To begin with, the seeds are soaked in potassium permanganate, then dried.
Small holes are made in the ground, where 2-3 seeds are placed. Then, when sprouts appear, it is necessary to remove weak shoots. The depth of planting seeds should not exceed 3-4 cm, the holes are located at a distance of at least half a meter.
Attention! Weak shoots should not be pulled out. They are removed only by pinching them so as not to damage the roots of a strong plant.
Step-by-step cultivation and care
The most important thing in care is watering with warm water. The bushes are watered twice a week, the leaves are periodically irrigated with clean water. They feed twice a season, this will significantly increase the yield.
The vines of cucumbers grow strongly and curl; it is best to attach them to strong trellises.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
Growing Alligator cucumbers has its own characteristics:
- The plant must grow upward, so it needs good, stable support, otherwise the fruits will be deformed into unsightly hooks.
- The hybrid needs frequent watering and regular feeding.
As the plant grows, the leaves may turn yellow or develop powdery mildew. To prevent this from happening, the seedlings are covered at night, and potassium is added to the fertilizing.
Typical diseases and pests
Powdery mildew most often appears on the leaves of the plant, less often on the fruits themselves. After infection, several vines may fall off the bushes. Such a plant begins to slowly die, and if it grows, the fruits will be of low quality and in small quantities.
For prevention diseases High humidity, frequent temperature changes, and weeds should not be allowed.
Attention! If you plant cucumbers in the same place every year, this can lead to disease.
If the disease peronosporosis (downy mildew) is not noticed in time and the plants are not helped, entire fields may die. Yellow-green spots covered with a light green coating appear on the leaves. They attack the upper part of the leaf and quickly spread to other plants.
Downy mildew spreads due to high humidity and watering with cold water. It affects cucumbers quickly, since even the wind can spread the disease to other cucumbers.
White rot covers the entire plant, covering it with white bloom and so-called mucus. It spreads especially quickly in greenhouses, since there is high air humidity and many closely planted plants.
Slugs most often crawl out in the dark, when the pulp of cucumbers can be eaten without obstacles, causing the fruits to become unsuitable for food and the quality of the harvest decreases.
Harvesting and application
Cucumbers are harvested with care. It is necessary to “unscrew” the vegetable crop along with part of the stalkso as not to damage the fruit itself.
After harvesting, it is best to place the cucumbers in wooden or plastic boxes, lined with paper, and transport them in this form. However, you can’t count on long-term storage - it’s best to eat cucumbers as soon as possible.
Attention! Since this is a salad variety, cucumbers are not processed but are eaten fresh.
Advantages and disadvantages
Pros of the Alligator hybrid:
- Unusuality. The presence of pimples makes cucumbers look like alligators, which is surprising, especially when you compare them with other varieties.
- Can be eaten fresh because they have a sweetish taste without bitterness.When cut, you can see the juicy pulp, from which juice will immediately flow.
- It has a fresh, bright and long-lasting scent. When preparing a dish with such a cucumber, its aroma will spread throughout the room very quickly.
- Excellent for pickling. You don’t have to tinker with them for a long time, you just need to place the jar and fill with brine. It penetrates well through the pimples, and in just a few days delicious salted cucumbers.
- High yield. At the peak of fruiting, 6–8 fruits can form on a plant at a time.
The hybrid has very few disadvantages:
- Prickly. This can be easily corrected by running your hand up and down several times, breaking off the thorns.
- Big size. Since the fruits can reach 40–45 centimeters, they are inconvenient salt. To fit them into the jar, you need to cut them into slices or cubes.
Reviews
Summer residents fell in love with the Alligator hybrid for its unusualness and high fruit yield.
Valentina and Igor, Nizhny Novgorod: “We have been looking for a good variety of cucumbers for open ground at the dacha for a long time. We became interested in the Alligator variety and began to study the intricacies of planting. We followed the advice of our colleagues and a few weeks later we harvested our first harvest of cucumbers. We are pleased with the result."
Alexandra, Belgorod: “My husband and I found a good way to relax from the bustle of the city and started growing cucumbers in the country. Friends advised me to pay attention to varieties of Chinese cucumbers, which may be called Alligator and Chinese Miracle. We still thank them for this valuable advice and are ready to recommend them to everyone who wants to get into farming.”
Timofey Alekseevich, Uslan: “It is important for me that with minimal expenditure of effort and time in the garden I get a good result.The Alligator cucumber hybrid fully meets the requirements. The fruits grow large, are stored for a long time, and are good in salads. I recommend it to everyone."
Conclusion
Hybrid Alligator - cucumbers are large, early ripening and unusual, and therefore attract the attention of many summer residents. They have a sweetish taste without bitterness and are used fresh for salads.
If you follow simple rules, it will not be difficult to grow cucumbers on your plot, which will bear fruit within 45 days after sowing and produce large, tasty fruits.