What is good about the Tumi cucumber and why it is worth growing it on your own plot
What unites an experienced gardener and a city dweller who has never seen a garden bed in his life? Love for crispy and fresh cucumbers, without which national Russian cuisine is unthinkable. Nowadays, the greenhouse hybrid Tumi is becoming increasingly popular. Why did he deserve universal recognition?
Description
The Tumi cucumber is characterized by the ability to produce a rich early harvest that is stable even in cool weather. The plant has compact internodes, each of which produces 2-3 fruits. The cucumber is easy to care for, resistant to diseases and does not require frequent watering.
Tumi is a parthenocarpic hybrid and is therefore labeled “F1”.
Composition, properties and benefits
Tumi, like all cucumbers, is 97% water; 3% - useful elements.
It contains:
- potassium, which ensures conductivity in the nervous system;
- calcium is the main material for bones;
- phosphorus - part of bone tissue;
- magnesium, sulfur, iron;
- vitamin B1, which plays an important role in healthy metabolism;
- vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system;
- vitamin B2.
Cucumbers have low calorie content, so this vegetable is considered an excellent dietary product for people prone to obesity.
Characteristics
The bush grows on average to 1.5 m and higher. Side shoots grow quickly and actively; old shoots must be removed in a timely manner. Branching is average. The leaves are dark green, slightly wavy in texture.
The average fruit weight is 120-150 g (sometimes 90-100 g). The type of fruit shape is gherkin - elongated, oval.The peel has a rich, dark green color. There are small whitish tubercles that resemble thorns. Pubescence is weak or practically absent.
The pulp of the fruit is tender, crispy, pleasant to the taste, without bitterness and with a pronounced aroma. The hybrid is universal in use: it can be cut into salads, cooked pickled blanks and salting.
Productivity is about 9-20 kg of fruits per 1 m².
How to grow your own
The place where the cucumbers will grow is dug up in the fall. Already in early May, you can plant seeds in open ground. It is better to plant where tomatoes, potatoes, and cabbage used to grow. For the beds, you need to choose a place in the shade with a temperature of about 27 °C. The soil should be sufficiently warm (about 16 °C). The soil is fed with organic and mineral fertilizer (“Agricola”, “Superphosphate”).
Water need to be done regularly to maintain humidity levels. It is impossible to loosen the soil; weeding is only permissible by hand, since the roots of the cucumber do not go deep underground. You can plant several times from early May to early June in case it gets colder again.
For Tumi cucumber, the seedling method is more suitable. Seedlings are grown in pots or paper cups, then the sprouts are transplanted into a greenhouse. The seeds of this hybrid can be planted at the end of April in order to be transferred to open ground by summer (for autumn and spring rotation, the planting time is shifted).
A special mixture (peat, sawdust and mullein in a ratio of 3:1:0.5), diluted with water, is poured into the planting container. Then add some nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and lime. There is no need to water the sprouts, since a sufficient level of humidity is already maintained (about 70%).
20-25 days after sowing, the sprouts are taken to the greenhouse, by this time they already have 3-4 leaves. A few days before planting, the seedlings are accustomed to the outside air, and a day before feed mineral fertilizers. Fertilizers are washed off with clean water.
Attention! Suitable seedling density is 3 plants per 1 m².
Growing and care
Growing order:
- The seeds are sown at the end of April and transferred to the greenhouse at the end of May or beginning of June.
- When 3 full-fledged leaves are formed, the plant is given the first mineral supplement.
- Regularly water with settled warm water (cold water causes gray rot), but you should avoid soil moisture above 90%.
- During the growing season, which lasts 38-40 days for Tumi, you need to feed the cucumbers 2-3 times with mineral fertilizers, alternating with organic ones.
Cucumber can grow in cool weather, but does not tolerate temperature changes well, so the greenhouse is constantly maintained at about 25 °C (when flowering begins - 27 °C). If crust appears on the ground, the soil is loosened to enrich the plant roots with oxygen and improve growth. Mulching is carried out with peat, straw, leaves and sawdust. This helps protect the cucumbers from weeds and climate influences.
Shoots that form above the first 3-4 leaves must be pinched so that the root system develops well. If the bush is growing actively, pinching is not necessary.
Water with warm and settled water only at the root. The stem, leaves and fruits are sprayed with drip irrigation to prevent olive spot and bacteriosis. During periods of drought, you need to water more often - once every 1-2 days. With a lack of moisture, the fruits become bitter.
“Nitrophoska” is suitable as a top dressing.It improves the growth of seedlings and makes the fruits tastier.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
Growing this hybrid is easy; even a beginner can handle it. The main thing is to maintain regular watering, mulching, weeding and fertilizing. It is important to maintain a constant level of humidity and heat and check plants for pests.
It is necessary to tie the plants to trellises to give them shape. Gardeners drive strong stakes 1.5-2 m long into the ground, stretch a rope (twine) between them and tie cucumber vines.
Attention! Hybrid seeds will have to be purchased every year.
Susceptibility to diseases and pests
Tumi is resistant to various diseases, especially brown spot (cladosporiosis).
It is important to periodically inspect the plants. Possible infections include cucumber mosaic virus, powdery mildew, and yellow vein virus. As a preventative measure, ventilate the greenhouse once every 2 weeks and wash the doors and windows with a disinfectant solution. Tumi is not resistant to white and gray rot and may suffer from whiteflies.
Harvesting and application
Tumi produces a bountiful harvest 38 days after the first shoots appear. This hybrid is universal in use - it is eaten fresh, it is suitable for banquet cuts, and thanks to its crispy skin, it makes delicious pickles.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages:
- high commercial quality and shelf life;
- stable yield;
- high stress resistance;
- resistance to pests and diseases;
- powerful root system;
- long fruiting period;
- excellent taste;
- does not deteriorate in bad weather.
Flaws:
- instability to temperature fluctuations;
- the need to tie up;
- You cannot get the seeds yourself.
Reviews
When describing cucumber varieties, gardeners pay attention to resistance to weather conditions and the taste of the fruit. Toomey scores well on these measures.
Larisa, Volkhov: “We have a cool and not very sunny climate. The weather has no effect on the appearance of fruits and a huge number of shoots, the old ones of which must be removed. You don’t need insects for pollination, it’s convenient.”
Igor, Mozhaisk: “The Tumi cucumber grows equally well in a greenhouse and in open ground. The fruits are large and beautiful, as in the photo on the package. Good taste - the flesh is juicy, dense and without a bitter aftertaste.”
Conclusion
The Tumi cucumber is a well-known hybrid that is liked by many gardeners (both professionals and beginners) because it does not require much effort to grow it, and the fruits surprise with their excellent taste and versatility in use. This vegetable is a good choice for areas with little sun. It is not surprising that many experienced gardeners recommend it for growing.