Cucumber "Zozulya": description of the variety and cultivation agrotechnics

The value of ultraearly cucumbers is that fruits formed in a short time are not bitter.

Among vegetable growers, the cucumber variety "Zozulya F1" is very popular among vegetable growers. In 40 years of its existence and growing 100 times it justified the trust of consumers.

Consider the features of its cultivation in the greenhouse and in the garden.

Cucumber "Zozulya F1": the history of breeding

About forty years ago, specialists from the Vital Endelshtein Vegetable Experimental Training and Production Center worked on the development of a new hybrid.

Scientists Yuri Kudryashov, Vladimir Mukhin and Vasily Skachko managed not only to get a new very early hybrid with high yields, but also to find out the optimal humidity and lighting conditions for good fruiting, to develop guidelines for the cultivation of vegetables. It did not take long for the gardeners to look at the unknown variety. Almost immediately after its appearance on the seed market, he gained fame for fast results, high yields, disease resistance and excellent taste characteristics.

Description of the variety

Cucumber "Zozulya" in the descriptions and reviews of consumers is an early ripe variety, the fruits of which can be consumed within 45 days after planting seeds. Externally, cucumbers are slightly lumpy, have a cylindrical shape. A pale striped pattern is barely visible on the dark green skin. The fruit tastes pleasant, not bitter. This feature of the variety is due to its genetic properties. The length of one cucumber ranges from 20 cm with an average weight of about 170 g. Up to 12 kg of fruits can be collected from one square meter of cucumber planting.

The ovary is formed without the intervention of insects, which is a particularly valuable quality for vegetable growers of greenhouse and balcony production. Another advantage of the variety is the increased resistance to viruses of cucumber mosaic, root rot, olive blotch, askohitoza. Taste characteristics of cucumbers "Zozulya" predispose to their use in fresh and canned form.

Growing cucumber seedlings

The quantity and quality of the harvest are also satisfied by those who collected it on open ground, in a greenhouse, and even under a film cover. What is needed in order to successfully sow and grow seedlings?

Seed preparation before planting

For good germination of hybrid seed, it is imperative to go through, discarding empty and unusable kernels. Calibrated seed is soaked for several hours in a growth promoter. Some gardeners prefer the biological products "Ecosil", "Emistim", "Acrobat MC". Others use the old-fashioned method, which consists in preparing a special solution from equal parts of wood ash, a nitroammofoski and 1 liter of warm water.It should be noted that not all vegetable growers conduct seedbed seed treatment of hybrids. Many believe that such grains do not need such events and warming up.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

Agrarians practice cultivation of cucumber plants by seedling and seedless methods. But in the first variant more active vegetation is noted than in the second. Therefore, many previously planted the prepared seed in the purchased peat tablets: the first thing they are placed in disposable plastic cups and watered abundantly. And when the content is fully saturated with moisture and softens, the grain is deepened with a finger one and a half centimeters. Top cover with a second cup, creating the conditions of the greenhouse. This technology of growing any seedlings has earned positive feedback from gardening enthusiasts, since it does not require a dive and protects the root system from injury during transplantation.

Care for cucumber seedlings

Cucumbers "Zozulya" throughout the growing season - from planting to harvest - require some attention. We will understand everything in order.

Lighting

Capacities with cucumber shoots need to be put on the southern windowsill, where it is always warm and light. In case of strong sunshine, it is advisable to shade the window so that the lighting is diffused, otherwise young sprouts may suffer from burns.

If it is not possible to grow seedlings on the sunny side, it will be necessary to additionally install fluorescent lamps so that the cucumbers will be lit for 12-16 hours. Otherwise, the shoots will stretch greatly, will be fragile and thin.

Temperature

In a room where cucumber seedlings are cultivated, it should be dry and warm. The optimum daytime temperature regime is considered at the level of 23-25 ​​° С, at night -19-20 ° С.

Some growers practice a gradual decrease in temperature after the emergence of shoots: this is done to a minimum thermometer mark of 16 ° C, so that the stalks strengthen and do not reduce growth activity. In no case should there be sudden changes in temperature and drafts.

Watering

Peat substrate in cups should not dry out.Each stalk, depending on the level of humidity in the room and temperature, must be watered daily in small portions of distilled water at room temperature. If the soil is heavily moistened, take a break of 1 day.

Top dressing

In order for the cucumber stems to harden and quickly bloom before a permanent transplant, it is necessary to feed the seedlings with organic or mineral complex fertilizers. It is desirable to carry out 2 dressings. Some advise for the first time to do this with a solution of urea or infusion of chicken manure. Then repeat after 2-3 weeks "Effecton". It is important to ensure that the tool does not fall on the foliage of the seedlings. Feed must be gently injected at the root.

If the foliage has turned yellow on the plants, nitrogen-containing components will help; if the leaves look pale, you need iron, and if the stems are elongated, superphosphate will not interfere.

Hardening

"Zozulya" does not like cold either in the soil or in the air.Therefore, unhardened seedlings react very painfully to the conditions of the open ground. To avoid losses, a few weeks before the planned transplantation of cucumbers in sunny warm weather, put cups on the street. You need to start in the period from 4 to 5 pm, when the outside air is warm enough. You can also harden seedlings by opening a window for several hours.

Fresh air has a beneficial effect on it, contributing to an increase in immune forces. The main thing that "Zozulya" did not fall under the influence of cold currents of wind, drafts. Minimum temperature + 8 ° С is allowed.

Planting seedlings on a permanent place

It is time to transplant cucumber seedlings with the arrival of stable heat, when there is no threat of spring frosts, and the earth has already warmed up. Most often, this period falls on the last 2 weeks of May.

A 25-day-old seedling of cucumbers, on which 4 leaflets have developed, is transplanted into a greenhouse or an open ground.

Choosing and preparing a place for cucumbers

Planning landings need to be organized in advance. First of all, pay attention to the predecessors of the cucumber culture (we will talk about them later).Then from the remaining areas, choose a cucumber that is well lit and protected from the north winds.

The soil in this place should be soft and nourishing. Sandy loam and loam are not suitable for such purposes. Ideally, it should be enriched with black soil that absorbs moisture well. The terrain should not be located in lowlands, where cold air is always collected, and on hills, where moisture evaporates quickly.

By the time of planting, weed plants will most likely appear on the bed. Therefore, it is important to remove them by crushing the upper earth crust with a hoe and loosen the substrate. Some growers make organic supplements locally - directly in the wells before planting, while others embed them in the soil during the autumn plowing of the garden. Also, be careful with the neighbors "Zozuli". Experts recommend planting corn, dill and coriander on the north side of cucumbers, which, to the extent of growth, will protect the vines from cold winds. Such neighbors from the south are extremely undesirable, since, having darkened the sun, they will deprive the culture of conditions for full development.

Good and bad predecessors

When it comes time to plant cucumbers "Zozulya", it is important to pay attention to the plant, which last year were planted in the left area for seedlings.

Experts name the best predecessors for cucumbers:

• all kinds of cabbage;
• tomatoes;
• potatoes;
• greenery;
• legumes;
• carrot; bow;
• beetroot;
• rhubarb.

Among unsuitable cultures:

• cucumbers;
• watermelons;
• melons;
• squash;
• pumpkin;
• zucchini.

Planting plantation

At the site of the proposed planting, it is necessary to make holes up to 45 cm wide. Up to 40 g of compost or humus is brought to the bottom, after which squeezed peat lumps with seedlings are squeezed out of the cups or cut them. Three plants are planted in watered holes, and then they are poured. In the open ground, cucumbers are usually planted in rows, leaving half-meter spacing. When greenhouse cultivation between plants observe a distance of 1 m. It is important not to thicken the planting, otherwise you risk growing hollow flowers. Experts believe that, regardless of the technology of growing vegetables, per 1 square meter should be no more than 3 stems.

Care and cultivation of cucumbers "Zozulya"

Proper agricultural technology is the key to fast ripening. If you do not make mistakes, then fresh cucumbers from your own garden bed can appear on your table as early as 25 days after transplantation of seedlings.

Shelter beds

So that the early cucumbers of the variety "Zozulya" do not suffer from possible temperature drops, as well as to accelerate the formation of the bush, it is recommended that even seasoned seedlings be covered after planting. In recent years, small structures of several arched rods and polyethylene films have been particularly popular. The pins are fixed in the ground, and on top of them stretch the shelter. It forms a favorable microclimate that allows cucumbers to quickly tie up inflorescences. For this hybrid, this technique is very appropriate, since it is mainly dominated by female-type flowers (that is, those on which cucumbers are tied).

Consider that such shelters are bad protection for plants from spring frosts. In the case of their threat, it is better to take care of the second layer of the film in advance, which will allow to create thermal insulation of air. Single-layer construction is not removed until, until it begins to interfere with the development of bushes.

Watering, loosening and hilling

Cucumbers love heat and moisture. Therefore, the number of wetting beds should be such that the earthy room does not dry out. Water for watering uphold a few days. During this period, it will also be heated, since cold irrigation will do more harm than good. It is desirable to bring the liquid to a temperature of 20 degrees. You can water from a watering can or drip technology. Multiply the amount of moisture in the soil will be required during flowering and formation of the ovary. Make sure that the drops are not sprayed on the foliage. All water should go under the root. In hot weather every day, pour about 2 liters of water under the plants.

However, an excess of moisture provokes the development of fungal pathogens, therefore, at temperatures below 25 ° C, there is no need for daily watering. It is enough to control the condition of the soil on a cucumber bed at a depth of 10 cm.

It is strictly forbidden to do sprinkling or other water procedures during the day. The best time for watering is early morning or evening, and the crops that have started fruiting are watered twice a day.

Agronomists call regular loosening of the earth and weeding from weeds as another important condition for the full-fledged vegetation of the plantation. First, these activities contribute to the aeration of the root system. And secondly, they do not allow unnecessary crops to take nutrients from the soil. You can also destroy the soil crust with a rake, and these procedures should be repeated after each watering.

In order to provoke the appearance of additional roots on the seedlings, the rows spud. This technique helps retain moisture and protects the stems from wind and cold. In addition, in cucumbers in rainy summer cucumbers will never get wet.

Pinching the main shoot

At the request of the grower, you can pinch the central sprout. This is done to better develop the bush and cucumber vines. The place where the pinching takes place is above the third leaf eye. By the way, this cardinal method often saves cucumbers from fruitless inflorescences, because with the loss of the top of the main shoot, the stem begins to intensively increase the lateral branches with female flowers.

Top dressing

Fertilize the hybrid should be every 14 days. For these activities, a mixture of 1 liter of urea and manure is used, which is dissolved in a 10-liter bucket of water.

In the reviews about the early ripe hybrid "Zozulya F1" gardeners pay attention to the many positive moments of cultivation of the variety. He demands no more attention than other vegetable plants, but he will generously thank him with a stable and high-quality harvest.