Cucumber variety Graceful - features, advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The fewer problems cucumbers cause during cultivation, those more willingly are planted by summer residents from year to year. Cucumber Graceful, firmly established in summer cottages of a temperate and cool climate, is considered to be such a problem-free cucumber.

Variety history

The cucumber variety Graceful was created by specialists from VNIISSOK (the current name is the Federal Scientific Center for Vegetable Growing, Moscow Region) more than half a century ago - in 1966 it was submitted for state testing. And in 1971, this cucumber was included in the State Register and recommended for cultivation in open ground from Kaliningrad to the Far East.

The breeders were faced with the task of obtaining a variety resistant to cold and disease, with which they coped brilliantly - the Graceful cucumber is popular among summer residents to this day.

What is interesting about the variety

Graceful is of particular interest for regions whose climatic conditions are far from ideal - with frequent summer cold snaps, late short summers. Although its yield is moderate compared to modern hybrids, it bears fruit reliably, without giving summer residents additional trouble to protect against a sudden drop in temperature.

This variety does not give record yields, but serves as an excellent "supplier" of pollen for other varieties and hybrids growing in open beds and needing pollination for fruit setting.

Cucumber variety Graceful can grow under film, but for greenhouses it is not very suitable: greenhouse conditions require the formation of vines in 1-2 stems, which reduces the yield of bee-pollinated varieties almost to zero.

Description of the variety

A brief description of the variety and its characteristics are summarized in the table:

Plant appearance

An indeterminate variety of medium height. Moderate branching. Flowers are formed in the axils of the leaves: male - on the main stem, female - on the lateral shoots. Leaves are medium in size, bright green.

Fruit

Fruits are elliptical, maximum length - up to 13 cm and weight up to 140 g. The skin is thin, dense, rich green, with a white tip, the sides often have light spots. The body of zelents is leveled, with small tubercles, a uniform white edge.

The pulp is juicy, crunchy, rich taste, bright aroma. The seeds are practically not felt when eaten, their shell remains soft until almost completely ripe.

The purpose of zelents is universal, that is, they are consumed fresh, lightly salted, canned, salted.

Pros and cons of the variety

Advantages of the Graceful variety:

• early technical ripening of fruits;
• unpretentiousness;
• cold resistance;
• resistance to major diseases of culture;
• greens do not turn yellow when overripe, the pulp remains firm, the seeds do not coarse;
• excellent taste;
• the ability to collect your own cucumber seeds;
• good commodity safety during transportation.

The disadvantages include only low yield (compared to modern hybrids). Also, often if the technology of home canning or salting is violated, the fruit may soften with a deterioration in taste.

Growing features

Cucumber Graceful is intended for open field cultivation through seedlings or direct sowing. In cold climates, Graceful are grown in greenhouses, less often in greenhouses. In the latter case, they need artificial pollination.

An interesting feature of the variety is that the minimum permissible soil temperature when planting seedlings stimulates the development of the root system. This is what determines its disease resistance, cold resistance, endurance, early maturity.

To get a good harvest, agronomists recommend forming a vine in 5-6 lashes. This causes difficulties when tying to trellises, therefore, the usual practice of growing the Graceful is either in high containers (barrels), in high beds, so that the shoots, main and side, can hang freely.

To attract pollinating insects, especially in greenhouses, borage foliage is sprayed with a sweet solution at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. bee honey per 10 liters of water. At the same time, it serves as an excellent foliar feeding - honey contains many trace elements useful for plants.

If it is necessary to pinch the main shoot, do it earlier than above the fifth or sixth leaf in order to form a sufficient number of fruitful branches. Pinching earlier will significantly reduce the chances of a decent crop.

Often, even the seed producers on the packaging give the wrong advice on the formation of cucumbers. The peculiarity of bee-pollinated varieties is that female flowers are formed only on the branches!

Reviews of gardeners

Although the Graceful variety is often older than the summer residents themselves, its popularity has not decreased. Summer residents, especially those living in regions with a continental and temperate continental climate, appreciate it for its excellent resistance to summer cold snaps without losing yield.

In the reviews, summer residents note the good, friendly germination of seeds - their own or purchased ones, as well as their other feature - they do not coarse, even if the Zelensky lingered on the lashes.

Cucumbers Graceful - a godsend for those summer residents who do not have enough time for anxious care of capricious hybrids of the latest generation. They are also ideal for novice gardeners - they are undemanding to care for, respond well to feeding, giving, albeit not very large, but stable yield with excellent taste characteristics.