Description and characteristics of the Konkurent cucumber variety, planting and care

The cucumbers are cylindrical in shape with a slightly pointed tip. The skin has small bumps, and stripes extend from the top. This is a versatile vegetable variety. It is eaten fresh and pickled. To grow this cucumber in your garden, you should know the characteristics of the Konkurent cucumber and study the description of this popular variety.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Competitor Culture

The advantages of this cucumber variety include:

• the salts contained help slow down the aging process;
• The fruits are low in calories due to their high water content (about 97%), making them suitable for diets;
• due to the high concentration of iodine, the functioning of the thyroid gland, heart muscle and blood vessels improves;
• the product helps strengthen gums;
• Eating this vegetable variety prevents the formation of kidney stones;
• The fiber it contains improves stomach function and rids the body of cholesterol;
• stimulates brain activity, prevents the development of sclerosis;
• helps to remove swelling and reduce blood pressure;
• the variety produces high yields;
• 98% of planted seeds germinate;
• the sprouts are very hardy;
• pollinate well;
• resistant to diseases - powdery mildew, bacteriosis;
• bear fruit for a long time;
• the fruits reach 10-12 cm in length and are easy to preserve;
• grow in greenhouses and in open ground.

Cucumbers have few disadvantages, but they manifest themselves in the following:

• If there is not enough moisture, the fruits will have a bitter taste;
• When a cucumber variety becomes overripe, the skin turns yellow, cracks, and loses its scent.

Main characteristics of the variety

You should read the description of the Competitor.

Appearance of the bush and shoots

The plant's foliage is robust and sparsely branched. The main stem reaches 1.5-2 meters in length, and the peduncle grows up to 6 cm.

Flowering and yield

The Konkurent variety is an early-ripening, high-yielding variety. The cucumbers are pollinated by bees. If the seeds are planted in late spring, the first shoots will appear in 50 days. The fruits are harvested in July.

The first flowering begins almost immediately after seed germination. This variety has female reproductive organs with ovaries and male reproductive organs with sterile flowers. Because of this, the cucumbers are uniform—both female and male flowers grow on the same fruit.

Flowers open at 6:00 a.m., typically in northern regions, and at 4:00 a.m. or 5:00 a.m. in southern regions. Pollen is active only during the first few hours after bud opening, and pollination is performed by bees.

Twelve days after pollination, the flowers fall off. The ovaries develop into cucumbers.

Resistance to diseases and insects

The culture is quite resistant to the following diseases:

• downy and powdery mildew;
• bacteriosis;
• olive spot.

Cucumbers keep for a long time after being picked and do not turn yellow. Proper care of the variety significantly reduces the risk of disease.

Features of planting the variety

To get a good harvest, seeds must be sown in accordance with certain rules.

Seed preparation

If you have any seeds left over from last year, you can safely plant them in dry form. Cucumber seeds can be sown throughout the 6th year.

Preparatory work begins with soaking the seeds in salt water for 10 minutes. The seeds that emerge are discarded, and the remaining ones are washed and immersed in a mixture of water and potassium permanganate for 24 hours. The planting material is then germinated or sown into the soil.

We select a suitable location on the site

This variety grows in greenhouses and open ground. Cucumbers thrive in fertile, loose, humus-rich soil. They also thrive in moist, warm soil. Choose a sunny spot. Protect the bed from the wind, and make it deep.

Required soil composition

The bush dislikes acidic soil, so lime the soil before planting. You can use fertilizers such as slaked lime, ground chalk, or dolomite flour. The soil pH should be between 6.4 and 7.0.

Timing and technology of planting seedlings

The best time for planting is considered to be late May or early June. In the southern region, work begins in mid-April.

The Konkurent variety isn't particularly demanding when it comes to soil. The key is fertile, loose soil with moderate acidity.

One month before planting the seedlings, the beds are treated with a strong solution of potassium permanganate. Two weeks after disinfection, the soil is thoroughly dug over and fertilized.

For 1 square meter you will need a mixture of:

• 1 bucket of fertilizer;
• 30 g of urea and superphosphate;
• 15 g potassium chloride;
• 20 g potassium sulfate.

Two weeks after the soil has settled and the fertilizer has dissolved, begin planting the seedlings. Leave 35 cm between them, and 60-70 cm between rows.

It's not recommended to plant the Konkurent variety near or alongside tomatoes, as tomatoes require a dry environment, while cucumbers require moisture. Planting two types of vegetables in the same greenhouse isn't a good idea.

How to care for Konkurent in open ground and in a greenhouse

Proper irrigation, fertilizing, loosening and related procedures will help you get excellent fruits.

Irrigation frequency

Newly planted seedlings don't need to be watered immediately. This increases the likelihood of developing strong roots and stems. It's best to begin watering the variety when the soil has dried out slightly.

If the crop doesn't get enough water, the leaves will darken and become brittle. If overwatered, they will turn pale, and the cucumbers themselves will taste bitter. The ideal water temperature is 18°C.

Gardeners recommend using a drip irrigation system, which can be used for fertilizing.

Fertilizing cucumbers

Some gardeners believe this variety doesn't require fertilizing because it produces fruit well. However, to avoid damaging the soil, care is still necessary.

The first feeding is done using fresh chicken manure, cow manure, and green grass infusion. If desired, mineral fertilizers such as superphosphates and urea can be added.

The second time, add green grass or mineral mixtures to the soil. You can also apply foliar feeding by preparing the following mixture: 100 g of sugar and 10 g of boric acid, added to 1 liter of hot water.

Formation of cucumber vines

For the Konkurent variety, it's important to develop a thick main stem and strong roots. It's recommended to remove the ovary and side shoots on the lower part up to the fourth leaf. Then, we recommend the following procedures:

• at the 6th node leave 2 ovaries and cut off all the stepsons;
• at the 7th node, fix the ovaries and lateral shoots after the first leaf;
• pinch off the lateral shoots at the top after the 2nd or 3rd leaf, depending on the degree of density.

When the vine reaches the horizontal trellis, wrap the main stem around it twice. Then lower it down 50 cm and secure it again.

Disease prevention measures

To prevent the emergence and development of viral and fungal diseases, the variety must be treated with special preparations containing copper.

You can purchase copper oxychloride or Bordeaux mixture. Treatment is carried out as soon as the sprouts develop 2-3 leaves. These products are used when cucumbers begin to show signs of disease.

It is necessary to treat the variety with chemicals in the morning or evening to prevent burns from forming on the leaves.

Reviews from experienced gardeners about the Konkurent variety

Experienced growers recommend planting cucumbers on a trellis. It's also important to remove shoots and side shoots when the first four leaves of the main stem form. This will provide the root system with the necessary reserves for normal development and high yields.

Galina: "In conventional garden beds, the yield of the Konkurent variety is significantly lower. Timely and adequate watering during the growing season is crucial. This heat-loving crop is capricious and does not tolerate fluctuations in soil temperature, so this must be taken into account."

The Konkurent cucumber variety is popular with gardeners and summer residents. Its main advantages are its high yield and ease of care. By following simple instructions, you can harvest plenty of delicious cucumbers and enjoy the fruits all summer long. This pickling variety sells well in winter.