Mid-early self-pollinating cucumber “Patti”: secrets of agricultural technology and reviews of the harvest

When choosing a cucumber variety, gardeners are increasingly paying attention to self-pollinating varieties. The hybrid Patti is in particular demand. This is an excellent option for growing in open and closed ground. What is so remarkable about this cucumber?

Description of culture

Hybrid Patti f1 – self-pollinating crop, the transfer of pollen for plant propagation occurs independently. This allows the species to be cultivated even in a greenhouse, where access to insects is minimized.

Distinctive features

The hybrid was bred specifically for the Russian climate. It is resistant to temperature fluctuations, prolonged rains, and tolerates dry weather and heat. The fruits set throughout the summer, this period lasts until the first frost.

Patti can grow on the balcony and loggias, the yield will not suffer at all.

Composition, properties, benefits, calorie content

The calorie content of the fruit is 15 kcal per 100 g of product. In cucumbers, 95% is structured water. It is very useful for the human body, as it flushes the kidneys and removes unnecessary toxins, waste and heavy metal salts. The fruits also contain beta-carotene, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, PP.

Patti contains minerals:

• potassium;
• magnesium;
• zinc;
• copper;
• manganese;
• iron;
• iodine;
• chlorine;
• chromium;
• sodium;
• phosphorus.

Frequent consumption of fresh cucumbers has a positive effect on thyroid gland, prevents the formation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels, which serves as an excellent prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Characteristics

Features of the hybrid fruits are their small size and weight. Patty is a representative of the gherkin type, which is characterized by small fruits up to 10 cm long and 2 cm in diameter. Cucumbers will not grow larger than the intended genetic size, so there are no barrel-shaped fruits.

The skin of cucumbers is thin and glossy. The color at technical maturity is bright green; there are short and thin light stripes at the top of the fruit. The vegetable is not suitable for long-term storage, since the thin shell does not protect well from moisture loss. The finished harvest should be consumed or processed within 2-3 days.

The pulp is tender, juicy and crispy. The seed chamber occupies up to 2/3 of the cucumber. There are no seeds in its capsules. The taste is high: since the pulp contains sugary substances, its taste is sweet.

Important! The fruits lack cucurbitin, which can cause cucumbers to have a bitter taste.

Feature of the hybrid Patti in early ripeness. The first harvest is harvested 1.5 months after sowing the seeds. Mass fruiting occurs 2 weeks from the beginning of cucumber ripening. From 1 m² you get 5–7 kg of fruit.

How to grow your own

Growing a Patti hybrid is no different. from cultivating other cucumbers.

Planting by seeds and seedlings

Growing cucumbers, regardless of the method (seedlings or non-seedlings), begins from the preparation of seed material. It consists of the following:

1. Place the seeds in a warm pink solution of potassium permanganate or “Fitosporin” for half an hour, and then place them in a damp cloth.
2. Place the planting material in a warm place with a temperature of 30 °C for two days. This time is enough for small sprouts to form.
3. Plant the sprouted seeds in loose, fertile soil consisting of humus and garden soil, taken in equal parts.

Planting work is carried out as follows:

1. Prepare holes 1-2 cm deep and place seeds in them.
2. If you sow seeds for seedlings, first pour the soil into 0.5 liter plastic containers.
3. Until the shoots appear, you need to maintain soil moisture in the holes. Young seedlings should be watered as the top layer of soil dries out.

Important! Seedlings need to be provided with a lot of light. Cups with seedlings are placed on southern windows, where there is sun almost all day.

When the plants have 4-5 leaves, the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place. No more than 4 bushes are placed per 1 m².

Care

When growing Patti cucumbers the following recommendations must be followed:

1. Plants need regular moisture. Use settled warm water for this. It is especially important to water the bushes during the period of their active growth and development.
2. For getting rich harvest It is necessary to apply mineral fertilizers every 10 days. It is better to do this simultaneously with watering.
3. Pinching young leaves on the stem will help you get a richer harvest. To do this, the plant is fixed on a trellis, and when the main stem reaches a height of 0.5 m, the lower side shoots, ovaries and inflorescences are removed. In this way, a blinding zone of the bush is formed. Above this zone you will need to pinch the lashes that form on the sides above the first leaf. At a height of 0.5 m, you need to leave 1 ovary and 2-3 leaves.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

When growing Patti cucumbers the following difficulties may arise:

1. Yellowing of the leaf. The cause is spider mites and improper watering, when drops of water fall on the foliage and lead to burns.
2. Poor growth of young seedlings. The main reason is that the cucumber seedlings are crowded with stronger plants. This can be prevented by removing weeds in a timely manner.
3. Weak harvest. This happens for many reasons, for example, untimely watering and fertilization. But most often the problem arises as a result of inept formation of bushes. It is important to regularly remove excess shoots pinching.

Read about other early ripening cucumbers:

Hybrid "Connie f1", resistant to weather conditions and diseases

Hybrid "Gunnar": characteristics and cultivation techniques

Early ripening Murashka cucumber that does not require pollination

Diseases and pests

Hybrid Patti f1 is resistant to major fungal diseases, therefore not affected by peronosporosis and powdery mildew. Is immune to cucumber mosaic. Plants suffer from root rot only in very rainy and cold summers when grown in dense and airtight soil.

Of the pests that can infect cucumbers, only spider mite. Get rid of it by frequent spraying with plain water. Do this in the evening, when there is no sunlight.

Harvesting and application

Harvesting should be done regularly, without waiting for the fruits to outgrow.. They start doing this in mid-July.

The main purpose of gherkin cucumbers is whole fruit canning. Small fruits look great assorted or separately.Chopped greens are used to prepare winter salads and canned snacks. Patti is indispensable for fresh consumption.

Young gherkins are very popular with children and adults, which is why they are used in dietary nutrition for certain diseases.

Attention! Cucumbers contain a lot of potassium, which helps remove water from the body and reduce swelling.

You can make more than just salads from cucumbers. The tender, aromatic pulp is added to okroshka and kuksi.

Advantages and disadvantages

The following can be distinguished advantages of the Patti f1 hybrid:

• rich harvest even when grown in shaded areas;
• resistance to diseases and pests;
• ease of care;
• high commercial quality of fruits;
• friendly harvest;
• During heat treatment, cucumbers do not form voids.

Of the minuses it is worth noting only that in the absence of proper watering, the peel of the fruit may turn yellow.

Reviews

Patti quickly won the attention of many gardeners due to its unpretentiousness and high yield.

Lyudmila, Volgograd: “I have been growing Patti cucumbers for 6 years in the country. I always manage to collect even and small cucumbers, as in the photo of the package with seeds. They can be eaten fresh or used for preservation. The plant is unpretentious in care: I come to the dacha 1-2 times a week, and that’s enough for Patty.”

Antonina, Belgorod: “I have been growing this variety on my plot for 3 years. To get a high yield, I start seeding 2 weeks before I plan to place them in the ground. I grow seedlings in a peat mixture. Before the young plants take root well, I keep them under a film cover. With standard care, the taste of the fruit is excellent.But if watering is insufficient, the cucumbers begin to turn yellow. Patti also has a high immunity to diseases, but periodic pest control is still necessary.”.

Conclusion

Patti cucumber is a hybrid that produces a high and high-quality harvest with minimal care. You can grow the plant in any region of Russia, choosing the seedling or non-seedling method.

With a minimum of effort, in July it will be possible to collect tasty and juicy fruits that are suitable for fresh consumption, making salads and canning.