Cucumber Serpentine

Serpentine is a hybrid bee-pollinated variety with early maturity. It has been grown by gardeners from many regions for over two decades.

The universal variety Serpantin is the development of breeders Rybalko, Vysochin, Belonosova and Savinova. Has gained popularity since 1999 thanks to:

• excellent yield;

• attractive presentation;

• early ripening;

• universality of use;

• the ability to grow both outdoors and under temporary shelter;

• excellent taste of fruits;

• drought resistance;

• resistance to pests and many diseases of cucumbers.

A negative feature of the variety is susceptibility to downy mildew. An additional conditional minus is thorny thorns on the surface.

Serpentine cucumber bushes have a thick central stem and many side shoots. In open ground, indeterminate plants reach two meters in length, in greenhouses, however, they rarely exceed 1.2 m. The foliage density of the variety is moderate. The green leaves have a slightly wrinkled surface and a heart-like shape. The ovaries are formed in bundles. At the same time, both female and male flowers grow on the bush, the amount is approximately equal.

The standard length of a cucumber is 9.3-9.6 centimeters, the diameter is close to the indicators of 3.6-3.9 cm. The elongated ovoid fruits have a green color with stripes. Large tubercles with black sharp spines are formed on the surface. They are located with medium density. The weight of one green tea ranges from 81-115 grams.

Zelentsy are excellent in taste, they are sweet and crispy. Early cucumbers become a vitamin source in salads, a component of slices. The compact size of the fruits makes it easy to place them in a jar, so the remnants of the housewife's harvest are salted or canned.

Serpentine reaches full maturity very quickly - literally in 36-38 days. It is better to collect it on time, then new cucumbers will sing in a matter of days. Fruiting of the variety is long-term, it can be enjoyed all summer long. In addition, overripe cucumbers do not form voids inside and do not turn yellow.

A square meter of beds allows you to collect 20-25 kg of greens. The average yield per hectare is 129-222 centners. The minimum marketability of fruits is 75%, the maximum is 94.

For the successful cultivation of Serpentine, such zones as Western and Eastern Siberia, Volgo-Vyatka, Central regions, Central Black Earth regions are suitable.

For this variety, the originators recommend an arrangement of 60x15 cm.

In the Central Region and the Central Black Earth Region, seeds are mainly sown directly into the ground. The procedure can be carried out already at the end of May, when the soil is warm (at least +15 degrees). In other regions, it is better to use the seedling method. Seeds prepared for planting are placed in pots in late March - early April.After about a month, they can be planted in the soil, but it is important to take into account the weather. If there is a risk of freezing, it is better to postpone the landing.

Serpentine requires moderate watering. If you pour the bushes, water it incorrectly, the roots can rot, and the crop will die. For irrigation, they take warm water, bring it under the root of a cucumber and on the ground nearby. Before flowering, the liquid is given every 5 days, while the dose per square meter will be about 4 liters. During flowering and fruiting, the plantation is watered every 3 days, pouring a full bucket per square meter.

Serpentine cucumbers are very fond of feeding. From organic matter, they are often fertilized with compost solution and wood ash. And you can also take purchased mineral fertilizers with potassium and superphosphate. Sometimes it happens that during and after fruiting, the foliage becomes coarse. To return it to its original appearance, top dressing is carried out on the sheet with urea (a tablespoon in a bucket of water).

It is necessary to loosen the ground under the cucumbers at least once a week, for this the variety is quite demanding. To prevent the appearance of pests, the substrate is always kept clean, preventing weeds from growing. If the lashes are developing quickly, you need to start building supports for them. This is done both in greenhouses and in the open field.

Serpentine as a whole is not very whimsical to the composition of the soil. It grows well on chernozem, sandy loam substrates, it will also like loamy soil. The only main condition is a deep flow of groundwater, since the variety is afraid of excess liquid. In addition, a normal harvest will only be on the soil that has been fertilized in the fall.

Cucumbers tolerate dry periods well without losing yield. A cold snap also does not harm mature bushes. As for the placement of the culture, it will feel best in a light and windproof area.

Disease and pest resistance

The culture resists major diseases well, but cases of bacteriosis and downy mildew are not uncommon. Of insects, gardeners can be annoyed by aphids. In rare cases, spider mites grow on cucumber bushes.