Cucumber "Partner" F1

* How to grow delicious cucumbers that won't taste bitter?
Modern cucumber hybrids are genetically resistant to bitterness. Choose hybrid varieties of cucumber F1: Adam, Alex, Dirigent, Dolomite, Bobrik, Harmonist, Gerasim, Artist, etc.
What does a parthenocarpic cucumber hybrid mean?
These are hybrids that form fruits without pollination, which increases yield in any conditions. Unlike bee-pollinated cucumbers, parthenocarpic hybrids do not have male flowers and do not require insects for pollination. The main crop is formed not only on the side shoots, but also on the main one, which avoids complex formation with pinching of the side shoots.
Parthenocarpic hybrids most often form not one, but several ovaries in one node. The result of all these properties is a significant increase in yield compared to bee-pollinated cucumbers.
When to sow seeds for seedlings?
Under Estonian conditions (for greenhouses), cucumber seeds are sown for seedlings in mid-April, and under temporary film covers - at the end of April. In open ground - after May 10. The age of cucumber seedlings at the time of planting should be 25-30 days.
Under what conditions do cucumber seeds germinate best?
Before the first shoots appear (two to three days), it is best to cover the seedling boxes with film and keep them at a temperature of +25+28°C, trying not to dry out the soil. It is good to use steamed sawdust for sowing. Seedlings are obtained in boxes with sawdust, which are planted in separate pots.
How to grow seedlings so that they do not stretch?
As soon as the tubercles of the first shoots appear on the soil surface, you need to remove the film, move the containers to the sunniest place and lower the air temperature for three to four days to +16+17°C at night, and also illuminate with specialized phytolamps.
Next, you can slightly increase the temperature to +20+22°C during the day and +17+18°C at night (and you need to provide additional lighting for these 3-4 days for 18 hours a day). Over time, additional illumination should be gradually reduced to 16, 14 and 12 hours, and the day before planting the seedlings, it should be turned off altogether. When sowing in April-May, additional lighting is no longer required.
How to water seedlings correctly?
Watering should be carried out as the earthen clod dries, avoiding waterlogging and drying out with a 0.15-0.20% solution of complex fertilizers. The solution should be enough to completely wet the earthen ball, and a small amount (no more than 10-15%) can even come out through the drainage hole.
Ideally, high-quality seedlings should have 3-4 leaves, 15-20 cm wide and at least 30 cm high.
How to deal with white coating on cucumber leaves?
Most likely, your plants have suffered from powdery mildew. You can fight it in the following way. Firstly, you should grow hybrids that are resistant to this disease, such as F1 Bobrik, F1 Shchedrik, F1 Prince Vladimir, F1 Miracle Bouquet, F1 Emerald Earrings and a number of other modern hybrids. If you prefer old varieties, then the drugs Topaz, Tiovit Jet, Ordan and copper-containing plant protection products such as HOM or Oxyhom will help fight this disease.
Do I need to prepare seedlings for planting in the ground?
Yes. Lighting conditions in the room and outside are significantly different, so plants should be accustomed to outdoor lighting and air three to four days before planting. To do this, take them out to the balcony or loggia for a while. For the first time after planting in the ground, it won’t hurt to cover the cucumbers with non-woven material, which will create a slight shadow - it will be easier for the plants to survive a sudden change in illumination.
Strange dots and insects appeared on cucumber seedlings. What is it and how to get rid of it?
Most likely, your plants have suffered from spider mites.
These pests drink sap from plants. If you do not fight them, the seedlings will die. As a rule, plants become infected with spider mites in your home, especially when there are purchased flowers nearby. Laundry soap and other folk remedies will not exterminate this enemy. It is best to treat plants with Fitoverm, Actara or Bitoxibacillin. The main thing is to notice this pest in time at the very beginning of its harmful activities, then it is easiest to deal with it. Apply three sprays at 5-day intervals. In a greenhouse, mites appear near doors or windows (so, when entering the greenhouse, inspect the plants there with particular care).
Why do cucumber ovaries fall off?
There may be several reasons. Firstly, you could grow bee-pollinated hybrids, which are preferable for open ground. If insects did not fly into the greenhouse, the ovaries simply dried out. Sometimes cucumbers can behave this way due to a lack of micronutrients. This crop simply needs nitrogen and potassium for normal growth and fruiting, and their ratio should be 1:2. It is quite possible that the reason was bad weather. Bouquet cucumbers shed their ovaries with insufficient nutrition and watering, as well as with inappropriate formation.
How often do you need to water cucumbers in a greenhouse?
Before fruiting begins, plants should be watered at intervals of 3-5 days using 3-4 l/m2, after fruiting begins - 10-12 l/m2 every 2-3 days. The main thing is to constantly keep the soil slightly moist. The bed can be covered with plastic film already during planting of cucumbers.
Is it necessary to mulch the soil near cucumbers?
Mulch will preserve and retain moisture in the soil and will also suppress weed growth. It will speed up the appearance of fruits and increase productivity. In addition to organic mulch, you can use black plastic film or a more modern covering material that transmits infrared radiation.
Do cucumbers need to be protected from heat?
Cucumbers do not like hot weather. High temperatures not only negatively affect fruit quality, but can also cause an increase in the number of male flowers.
For those who grow cucumbers in hot climates, it is better to provide the plants with openwork shade, especially in the afternoon. Tall crops planted on the south side of the cucumber bed or a fabric awning that does not allow 40-50% of sunlight to pass through will help you with this.
When should you sow seeds under film?
In Estonia, cucumbers are sown from May 20 in warm beds covered with film.
When can I sow seeds in beds for growing without shelter?
When the threat of frost has passed. In Estonia, in the first ten days of June, you can safely sow the seeds that have sprouted in ordinary beds.
How to plant cucumbers to get a good harvest?
To get an optimal harvest of tasty cucumbers, plant them in a well-lit place in warm and drained soil with a pH level of 6-7.
Raised beds are ideal for cucumbers. Do not sow seeds or plant seedlings if there is a threat of frost or the soil has not warmed up to +15°C. Frosts will kill plants, and cold soil will slow their growth and cause stress. Plant the seeds for seedlings at home 3-4 weeks before the expected date of planting them in open ground and be careful not to damage the delicate roots when transplanting.
Do cucumbers need to be fertilized?
Cucumbers will delight you with an excellent harvest if the soil in which they grow is enriched with organic matter in advance: add good compost or mature manure. The soil should be light and loose. After shoots form on the vines and the first flowers appear, add compost or other organic fertilizer to the rows again. Yellowed leaves indicate that the plants do not have enough nitrogen and need additional feeding.
At what distance from each other should cucumbers be planted?
The distance between the beds of cucumbers (row spacing) is 90-120 cm. The distance between the rows in the bed is 70-90 cm.
The holes in the row are placed at a distance of 20-30 cm from each other.
Plant bush varieties ("Kustovoy", "Dar", Russian Fun" etc.), as well as hybrids, at a distance of 90 cm from each other and between rows.
Which cucumbers have unusual fruits?
The cucumber hybrid "White Angel" F1 and the variety "White Wonder" stand out with their unusual colour. Its fruits are white or light green in color and have a pleasant and delicate taste.
In the cucumber hybrid F1 "Chupa-Shchups", the greens have a round shape with a diameter of 4-5 cm. They look like small watermelons and have a sweet taste.
Why is it necessary to remove flowers and side shoots at the lower nodes?
Removing of the lower nodes is a necessary operation:
Firstly, the fruits in them grow more slowly and the harvest from these nodes is obtained in the same time frame as from higher ones.
Secondly, with the beginning of fruit filling, the growth of the root system decreases, which weakens the plants.
Thirdly, the plants are still small and they may simply not have enough nutrition, which will result in a “failure” in fruiting - so the next cucumbers will not grow very soon.