Mid-season cucumber variety “Competitor” with good yield and simple growing conditions

Cucumbers are a symbol of the end of the vitamin deficiency season. The first greens from local gardens appear on markets in the second half of May.

From a huge number of varieties and hybrids, many choose a proven cucumber with the self-explanatory name Competitor. This variety has been present on the domestic market for more than 40 years. During this time, it not only has not lost its popularity, but also successfully competes with more modern breeding achievements. What is the secret of the Competitor’s success? Read on.

Description of the cucumber variety

The competitor is a cucumber variety bred by Crimean breeders back in the Soviet Union..

It was added to the state register in 1980.

Initially, the variety was recommended for cultivation in the southern regions. However, farmers claim that the Competitor bears fruit well in open ground and in regions with a temperate climate.

Suitable for growing seeds collected from fruits on your own site. Cucumbers are allowed to ripen, outgrow and turn yellow on the bush. The seeds are carefully removed from them, washed to remove the pulp, dried and stored in fabric bags in a dark place.

Distinctive features of the Competitor

Competitor has crunchy fruits of compact size (up to 12 cm). They cannot be called gherkins, but they are shorter than classic cucumbers. Look what the variety looks like in the photo.

The fruits of this variety are bright and crunchy. They have a sweet taste and rich cucumber aroma.

Variety is resistant to cold weather. It is grown in open ground in the central and southern part of our country.

Competitor has strong immunity to diseases melon crops. He is not even afraid of powdery mildew, which often affects cucumbers.

The negative traits of the variety include sensitivity to dry weather. In such conditions, the fruits quickly wither and acquire a bitter taste.

Useful properties of the variety

Cucumber Competitor is 95% water. Its fruits are considered dietary. There are only 14 kcal per 100 g of product.

The fruits have a number of beneficial properties:

1. Alkaline compounds in the composition slow down the aging process of the body and prevent the formation of liver and kidney stones.
2. Easily digestible iodine compounds have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the thyroid gland and the cardiovascular system.
3. Fiber improves intestinal motility and removes toxins from the body.
4. Folic acid is especially beneficial for pregnant women. It ensures proper development of the fetus.
5. Chlorophyll activates cellular respiration and improves the general condition of the body.
6. Potassium normalizes blood pressure and eliminates swelling.

Cucumbers contain vitamins B, C and A, phosphorus, iron, zinc, manganese, sodium, zinc, copper. This combination of micro- and macroelements helps rejuvenate the body, cleanse it of harmful substances, optimize brain activity, and strengthen gums and teeth.

About other varieties and hybrids of cucumber:

Early hybrid cucumber "Grasshopper"

Early ripening and self-pollinating cucumber “Shchedrik”

Hybrid "Herman" for greenhouses and open ground

General characteristics

Cucumber Competitor is an old variety, but beloved by domestic summer residents. He produces tasty small cucumbers and can grow in unprotected soil conditions not only in the southern, but also in the central regions.

Description and characteristics of the variety:

This is interesting! The Competitor's inflorescences open at 4-6 hours. After that, the pollen remains viable for two hours. After 12-14 days the flowers fall off.

How to grow this variety yourself

Competitor cucumbers are grown both in greenhouses and in open ground. At the same time, yields will be higher outside.

Cucumbers cannot tolerate the scorching sun.Shaded areas of the garden are chosen for them. Shade is also created artificially by planting tall crops on both sides of the beds.

In the place where the Competitor will grow, no other melon crops should be cultivated during the previous two years. In greenhouses, it is enough to replace the top layer of soil; in open ground, new beds are selected for plants.

Pay attention to the correct neighborhood. Melons are not planted next to cucumber beds. The culture gets along well with root vegetables and nightshade plants.

Cucumber beds begin to be prepared in the fall. They are dug up and cleared of all plant debris. The soil is mixed with rotted chicken droppings, crushed plant residues treated with a light pink solution of potassium permanganate, or humus at the rate of 6 kg per 1 sq. m. m.

Cucumbers love slightly acidic soils. If this indicator is increased, add dry lime. Sand is used to loosen the soil.

In spring, the beds are leveled with a rake and cleared of weeds. For 1 sq. m add 25 g of superphosphate and 15 g of urea. The beds are watered with a hot solution prepared from Art. l. copper sulfate and a bucket of water.

For the Competitor, a 40x40 cm planting pattern is used. For 1 sq. m can accommodate up to five plants.

Landing

Cucumbers are grown by seed (in the southern regions) and seedlings. Both options are used with equal frequency. When growing seedlings, the harvest will appear faster.

Before sowing the seeds, they are prepared. This is especially important if they were not processed in a factory or were collected from their own harvest:

1. For planting, choose dense, large specimens without damage or dark spots. They are soaked in warm water for three minutes.
2. The seeds are immersed for 10 minutes in a solution prepared from a glass of water and 1 tsp. salt. The floated specimens are thrown out, those that have sunk to the bottom are washed and further work is done with them.
3. Planting material is disinfected. To do this, soak it for half an hour in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate or for 15 minutes in hydrogen peroxide. The seeds are washed again with warm water and dried with a towel.
4. After this, they are wrapped in cloth or sent back to the packaging. They are placed for 30 days in a warm place (on a radiator).
5. Stimulates seed germination. To do this, they are soaked in store-bought preparations (“Epine”) according to the instructions or in an ash solution for 12 hours. An ash solution is prepared from 0.5 tbsp. l. ash and a glass of water.
6. The treated seeds are wrapped in damp material and waited for it to hatch.
7. The sprouted planting material is put into the refrigerator for four days.

Note! Disinfection and testing of seeds for germination are considered mandatory. Some summer residents skip the remaining stages - in this case, germination will be lower.

By seed method

Cucumbers are grown without seedlings only in the southern regions. Seeds are sown in the ground in early June. The first harvest in this case will be ready for harvest at the end of the month.

Before sowing the seeds, the holes are prepared. 5 cm of rotted manure and the same amount of earth are poured into the bottom. The ingredients are thoroughly mixed. The rest of the space is filled with garden soil.

Important! Holes for cucumbers are dug 25 cm deep.

The beds are watered with warm water. Two seeds are sown in each hole, deepening them to 3 cm.

The beds are covered with film, which is removed seven days after the seeds germinate.Before this, it is opened slightly every day so that the seedlings are ventilated.

When the seeds germinate and two true leaves appear, the weaker stem is pinched. It is important to break the plant and not uproot it, otherwise it will damage the roots of its neighbor.

Read also:

Hybrid "Grandma's granddaughter f1": description and agricultural technology

Promising and high-yielding hybrid "Kibria"

Seedling method

The seedling method is suitable for all regions of Russia and allows you to get an early harvest. Seeds are sown for seedlings in late April.

The competitor’s planting material is placed directly into individual pots. It is more convenient to use peat containers, from which the plants are not removed when transplanting. Plastic containers 15 cm high with drainage holes are also suitable.

First, the containers are disinfected: soaked for half an hour in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate.

The soil for cucumber seedlings should be light and nutritious. It is prepared from equal parts of garden soil, humus and half a portion of sand.

Be sure to add 2-3 cm of drainage (sand, broken ceramics) to the bottom of the pots.

The soil and drainage are disinfected. To do this, they are calcined in the oven or poured with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate.

One seed is sown in each container to a depth of 4 cm. The containers are covered with film and put in a warm place. When the seeds germinate, the containers with seedlings are moved to the windowsill, and the film is removed.

When growing seedlings, it is important to follow the following rules:

1. The soil is moistened by rain as it dries. Use warm water.
2. If the leaves turn yellow, this means that the cucumbers do not have enough light. A fluorescent lamp will help compensate for its deficiency.
3. When two true leaves appear, the seedlings are fed. It is watered with a solution of nitrophoska (1 tsp per 1 liter of water).
4. A week before planting the seedlings in a permanent place, they begin to take them outside in the warm part of the day. The hardening procedure will help the plants take root after picking.
5. Two days before planting the seedlings in a permanent place, they are watered.

After three weeks (second half of May), the cucumbers dive into a permanent place. They are transplanted into holes together with a lump of earth, without deepening the root collar.

A liter of water is poured under each bush. Then add 25 g of nitrophoska. For the first two weeks, the beds are covered with film to prevent the plants from dying due to frost.

Growing and care

Cucumbers Competitor must be tied up, for example, to trellises or any vertical objects. Many people install a structure over the garden bed made from an arc of thick wire. They throw whips at her.

To get a good harvest, cucumbers are planted. This is done in the following way:

1. In the first four axils of the leaves, all stepsons and ties are removed. This is necessary to ventilate the bush and form a powerful root system.
2. At the fifth and sixth nodes, two ovaries are left. All stepchildren are removed.
3. After the sixth and seventh leaves, all stepsons and ovaries are left. The lashes are pinched after the first leaf.
4. In the upper part of the plant, leave all the ovaries, pinching them after the second or third leaf.
5. When the plant outgrows the support, the stem is wrapped around the pole three times. It is lowered 80 cm and pinched.

Water the cucumbers daily. After this procedure, the soil is loosened and cleared of weeds.

Fertilizing is applied at least three times during the entire growing period.. Alternate a solution of chicken manure (1:10) with superphosphate (25 g per bucket of water) and urea diluted in water (10 liters of water and 1 tablespoon of urea).

Useful tips for growing

Advice from experienced gardeners will help you get a rich harvest and avoid many problems. Here are some of them:

1. If the fruits turn out bitter and curved, it means that the plants do not have enough potassium. The same problem occurs with insufficient watering.
2. To help plants adapt more easily after being transplanted to a permanent place, they are sprayed with Epin solution. The same technique is used during cold weather.
3. Spraying the bushes with nitrophoska will increase the number of ovaries.
4. To attract pollinating insects, the bushes are sprayed with sweet water. This will also increase the number of ovaries.

Diseases and pests

Competitor is highly resistant to melon and melon diseases. You just need to follow the rules of plant care.

It is important to protect plants from pestswhich carry infections and damage bushes. To do this, use purchased drugs (“Barrier”) or homemade products (tobacco powder, soap solution for spraying, wormwood decoction, pepper tincture).

Harvesting and application

The first cucumbers are ready for harvest in mid-June. They are picked as soon as the length reaches 8-12 cm. If you leave the fruits on the bush, they will turn yellow, become unflavoured and hard.

Cucumbers Competitor used for fresh consumption and preparations for the winter. They stay firm and crispy in the brine.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Competitor

Advantages of the variety:

• high productivity;
• cold resistance;
• transportability and keeping quality of the crop;
• immunity to melon and melon diseases;
• possibility of cultivation in a greenhouse and open ground;
• the possibility of using seeds from the harvested crop for sowing.

The disadvantage is considered to be the need garters and formation of the Competitor's bushes.

Reviews

Reviews about the Competitor are mostly positive. This is an old and proven variety that beginners and experienced summer residents like.

Vitaly, Lipetsk: “I’ve been growing Competitor for more than 10 years. An excellent variety that will never let you down. Not afraid of diseases and slight cold snaps. The main thing is to plant and water in time. In this case, the cucumbers will turn out sweet and crispy".

Sonya, Voronezh: “I took the Competitor seeds from a neighbor. Not a bad variety. I wasn't sick. I liked the cucumbers. They are tasty and crispy. Suitable for both salting and marinating. I recommend to everyone".

Conclusion

Cucumbers Competitor are one of the most popular varieties in Russia. It was bred more than 40 years ago, but gardeners still love it. He is not afraid of diseases and is easy to care for.

The Competitor's fruits are small in size, have an excellent taste and cucumber aroma. This variety is good both fresh and in marinade.