Unusual round cucumbers “Chupa Shchups” for salads and winter preparations
If you are tired of traditional cucumber varieties grown in the garden and want to try something new, we recommend paying attention to the Chupa-Shchups hybrid. Its spherical fruits taste sweet and resemble small watermelons in appearance. The vegetable is suitable for growing in open ground, greenhouses and even in flower pots.
What are its features and advantages - read on.
Description of cucumbers
The Chupa-Shchups cucumber, popularly called Chupa-Chups, belongs to the parthenocarpic type. This is a high-yielding hybrid with good resistance to cold, diseases and pests. It is distinguished by stable fruiting, early ripening, and ease of care.
Due to these qualities, it is recommended for cultivation under temporary film shelters, greenhouses, and in open ground.
Distinctive features
If ordinary cucumbers have an oblong shape with a fruit length of up to 10 cm, then Chupa-Shchups is distinguished by unusual round-shaped fruits of a bright green color, up to 5 cm in diameter. They do not contain seeds; the plant contains only female flowers.
Small fruits ripen even with insufficient moisture. The main thing is to make sure that they do not outgrow.
Composition, properties, benefits, calorie content
The vegetable has long been known for its beneficial properties for the body: it strengthens the cardiovascular system, removes waste and toxins, helps to lose weight, and get rid of heartburn. Cucumber is 90% water, so it will help replenish the lack of moisture in the body.The vegetable contains fiber, vitamins A, PP, C, and B vitamins. The list of useful substances is complemented by magnesium, potassium, iodine, manganese and others.
100 g of product contains 2.8 g of carbohydrates, 0.1 g of fat, 0.8 g of protein, calorie content is 15 kcal.
Characteristics
Chupa Chups is a medium-branched plant of indeterminate type. During the growing season of the bush, it is formed so that it does not grow to large sizes. Leaves medium-sized, bright green.
The first fruits appear on days 36-38. They resemble large gooseberries: spherical, dark green, weighing 40-60 g. The cucumbers are juicy, crispy, sweet, without bitterness. Suitable for salads, quick snacks, canning.
The yield is 10 kg per 1 sq. m beds. In terms of one bush, this is approximately 2-2.5 kg.
How to grow your own
The Chupa-Shchups hybrid is undemanding in care, so even beginners can grow it. Almost any place is suitable for this: greenhouse, window sill, open ground, balcony.
They are planted in the usual way in the ground or first grown seedlings, which are transferred to an open area or to a greenhouse.
Planting by seeds and seedlings
Planting seeds directly into the ground requires preliminary soil preparation. To do this, the site is dug up for the winter, adding fertilizer and freeing it from debris and stones.
The seeds are soaked in a growth stimulant or potassium permanganate solution, then laid out on a damp cloth or paper. When they hatch, they begin planting. The holes are arranged in a checkerboard or square pattern with a distance of 40*40 cm from each other.
Important! To reduce stress for the plant during transplantation, it is placed in the soil together with a clod of earth.
A more suitable growing method for this hybrid is seedlings.. Soaked and sprouted seeds in a growth stimulator are placed in containers (disposable plastic ones with holes in the bottom or peat cups are suitable) 2 pcs. During the growth period, they are protected from direct sunlight and watered. When 3-4 true leaves appear, the shoots are transferred to open ground.
Growing in stages and care
The plant is undemanding in care and easily tolerates difficult conditions.
Chupa-Shchups, like other cucumbers, needs plenty of watering. It is best to water in the morning or evening with warm water, since cold water can “chill” the root system and lead to rotting.
If it is not possible to water with warm water, then watering work is best done in the evening. By this time the earth will have warmed up in the sun, and the water will not be so cold to the roots.
Important! Watering is carried out when the soil dries 2 cm deep. Pour under the bush, not on the leaves. Drops of water falling on the leaves can cause sunburn.
After watering, when the soil dries out a little, the soil around the bush is loosened and mulched, covering it with fine meadow hay and sawdust. If financial possibilities allow, the soil is covered with agrofibre. It is important to ensure that there are no weeds in the beds.
Don't forget about applying fertilizers. At the beginning of the growing season, phosphorus-containing and potassium fertilizers are applied to the soil. When fruits begin to form, use organic feeding. Throughout the entire growing period (from spring to autumn), a solution of mullein and saltpeter is added every two weeks.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
The bushes must be tied up and shaped - this allows you to increase the yield and simplify plant care.
They do it like this:
- pinching 4-5 lower knots, leaving 5-6 pieces.for propagation, lateral shoots are removed;
- bushes growing near trellises are pinched into three leaves, meter-long or more bushes - into one leaf;
- the main stem is wrapped around the trellis, directed downwards and cut at a height of 1 m from the soil surface.
Diseases and pests
The hybrid is resistant to true and downy mildew, tobacco mosaic viruses, root rot and olive spot. With proper care, they are rarely affected by diseases. As a preventive measure, the bushes are sprayed with fermented milk products or a solution prepared from milk, iodine and laundry soap.
The plant is rarely affected by mites, thrips, and aphids. Dill, onions, and garlic are planted between the holes to repel pests. The lower part of the leaves is inspected once a week - if insects do appear, the plant is treated with a special solution (10 liters of water, 200 g of ash, 50 g of crushed laundry soap) or preparations "Inta-Vir", "Karate", "Confidor" and others , according to instructions.
Important! When treating leaves with fungicides, add 1 tbsp to the prepared solution. l. washing powder or other detergent. The solution adheres better to the leaves and is not washed off by rain.
Harvesting and application
The fruits are removed by hand, carefully twisting them from the stem or cutting them off. Do not allow cucumbers to overgrow - their skin will become tough and the taste will deteriorate.
Chupa-Shchups cucumbers are suitable for fresh consumption and in salads. Due to their compactness, they are successfully used in winter preparations. After collection, they are stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3-4 weeks.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantage of the hybrid is the unusual compact shape of the fruits: children like round, bright green fruits. In addition, the vegetable is valued for the following qualities:
- precocity;
- cold resistance;
- resistance to diseases and pests;
- taste without bitterness;
- possibility of growing on window sills, greenhouses and in flower pots;
- high productivity;
- good keeping quality and transportability;
- versatility in use.
The only known disadvantage is that it quickly outgrows, losing its taste and shape, and the need for tying up the bushes.
Reviews
Let's look at online reviews from real summer residents about the hybrid.
Anatoly, Sverdlovsk: «I leave the ovaries at 5-6 nodes and tear off the lateral shoots. I pinch meter-long braids 1 m from the ground, above 1.2 m - into two leaves, when the plant reaches the trellis, I pinch off three leaves at a time. Then I wrap the main stem around the trellis, point it down and secure it with wire at a height of 1 m from the ground. I consider this method the most productive.”
Antonina, Moscow region: “I received a pack of seeds as a gift. When I saw the photo with cucumbers, at first I didn’t believe that such things existed. But I decided to land it anyway. When the fruits appeared, the grandchildren were the first to try. Since then I have grown it every year. I even liked them canned - they look unusual in a jar. The main thing is not to miss the moment and harvest on time.”
Conclusion
The Chupa-Shchups cucumber hybrid is an unusual representative of its family: the shape of the fruit has never left anyone indifferent. It is easy to grow, has excellent taste and produces high yields. Children are especially delighted with it - in the summer they enjoy crunching on fresh fruits.
Growing will not cause you much trouble if you follow the basic rules of care. Don’t forget about preventing plants from diseases and pests: the latter are also not averse to eating delicious cucumbers. Have a rich harvest and delicious preparations!