We all love cucumbers for their freshness, juiciness, crunchiness, aroma and excellent pickling properties. But it is one thing to choose greens for salad, and quite another – seeds for planting. Here, not only taste and color are important, but also βcaliberβ, βfertilityβ, ripening time, features of agricultural technology, resistance to diseases and other parameters. We bring to your attention a mini-rating of cucumber hybrids from the Gavrish agricultural company, which includes only the βmost-mostβ – according to various parameters, from size to yield.
1. The very best, or Why do we love ‘Courage F1’?
Now we have cucumbers on sale all year round, the choice is huge even in winter. And yet, take a closer look at the vegetable stalls: what do they offer? Here is a big βcollapseβ, there are a lot of vegetables, including cucumbers. There are selected greens in the boxes, and cucumbers of the same variety are laid out separately in a beautiful slide. Why are they separate and more expensive? β Because it is ‘Courage F1’, best in yield, stability and quality, transportable and tasty.
A scattering of cucumbers of the variety ‘Courage F1’. Photo of the agricultural company “Gavrish”
Its fruits remain marketable in unregulated conditions from 3-4 days to a week, and the taste and aroma allow them to compete with cucumbers from open ground.
‘Courage F1’ is loved not only by farmers, but also by summer residents in almost all regions of Russia. If the gardener finds it difficult to choose a variety or hybrid for planting, then in most cases he will be advised ‘Courage F1’, because he will not let you down. Observing simple agricultural practices available to any summer resident, you can regularly get high yields. Let’s take a closer look at the ‘Courage F1’.
‘Courage F1’.Β Photo of the agricultural company “Gavrish”
‘Courage F1’ is one of the most famous hybrids from Gavrish. This is a cucumber for protected ground, with ovaries abundantly formed on the plant (from 5-8 to 10-12 in one node, depending on the illumination). In 2002, ‘Courage F1’ was included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements Approved for Use in the Russian Federation.
Here is its characteristic:
- Parthenocarpic hybrid (self-pollinated), female flowering type, precocious (fruiting begins on the 45-50th day from the emergence of seedlings), high-yielding.
- It is intended for cultivation in the glazed and film greenhouses.
- Plants are vigorous, medium-branched, with a well-developed root system.
- Lateral shoots are laid along the entire stem.
- Zelentsy 12-14 cm long, weighing 120-140 g, dark green with light stripes, often tuberculate, white-thorned, suitable for fresh consumption and for canning. Genetically without bitterness, that is, the fruits and leaves do not contain cucurbitacin.
- Perfectly retains commercial qualities, cucumbers with dense pulp, transportable. It is these fruits that are most in demand among the consumer.
- Regular harvesting of fruits contributes to the fact that more ovaries start to grow and the yield increases.
- Is different high productivity, therefore, requires the introduction of increased doses of fertilizers. It is tolerant of high salt concentrations in the soil or substrate.
- Resistant to olive blotch and powdery mildew, relatively resistant to downy mildew and root rot.
- Differs in high ecological plasticity.
- For many years, it has been in high demand among summer residents, in farms and greenhouses. The constant sales leader in many regions of Russia.
Here it is, our ‘Courage F1’ – a hybrid with great yield potential. Choosing it for your greenhouses, you can be sure: he will generously thank you for the right care and care.
2. The largest number of ovaries in the node: ‘Emerald Earrings F1’ and ‘Crispy Bed F1’
Today, cucumbers have a new fashion – plants with bouquet arrangement of ovaries. Such cucumbers have a number of advantages over ordinary ones. But there are some nuances in their cultivation.
What is called “bouquet” in cucumbers? Usually in nodes on cucumber plants 1-2, up to 3 ovaries are formed. In cucumbers with a bouquet (beam) arrangement of ovaries in each node, they can be from 3-4 to 8-10.
Why are cucumbers with “bouquets” good? This sign says about high potential yield. It is interesting to note that the flowers in the bouquet bloom alternately with a small interval (1-3 days), sometimes several in one day. Considering that the plant has many similar nodes with bouquets, between which there is also a small gap in flowering time, it is easy to imagine a βgarlandβ of fruits of different stages of development. On plants of cucumber hybrids with a bouquet type of flowering, up to 20-30 fruits can be poured at the same time. That is The fruiting of these hybrids is very amicable..
Cucumber with a bouquet (beam) arrangement of ovaries.Β Photo of the agricultural company “Gavrish”
When growing cucumbers with a bouquet type of ovary arrangement, you need to remember that high potential yield is not a guarantee of a huge yield. This means that not an infinitely large, but a certain amount of fruits can be poured on the plant at the same time, which the plant is able to feed. And here he needs help:
- Timely shaping will allow the plant to properly distribute forces and direct them to fruiting, and not to the growth of excessive vegetative mass or flowering and the setting of extra ovaries, which will die off anyway.
- Of course, cucumbers should also be fed according to the large expected number of fruits.
- It is very important to collect greens on time. The younger the pickled cucumbers, the more they can be harvested from the plant.
But the most popular hybrids of the Gavrish company, which have precisely this wonderful property:
‘Emerald Earrings F1’
‘Emerald Earrings F1’ – early, fruitful parthenocarpic hybrid, fruitful all summer.
- Designed for growing in greenhouses, under temporary film shelters and in open ground.
- The plant is vigorous, medium-branched, female type of flowering.
- Each node produces 8-10 crisp, neat, dark green cucumbers weighing 100-110 g with medium-sized tubercles and white pubescence.
- The fruits are great for salads and pickling.
‘Emerald Earrings F1’.Β Photo of the agricultural company “Gavrish”
‘Crispy Bed F1’
‘Crispy garden F1’ is valued for miniature, juicy, crispy gherkins of excellent taste, without bitterness, with dense pulp without voids, weighing 90-100 g.
- Parthenocarpic hybrid, early maturing, 10-12 greens are tied in each knot.
- It is intended for cultivation in the open and protected ground.
- Is different early, abundant and long fruiting.
- Use of fruits universal. Great option for sunbathing.
‘Crispy Bed F1’.Β Photo of the agricultural company “Gavrish”
3. The smallest cucumber – ‘Lilliput F1’
Already from the name of this wonderful cucumber it is clear that it is very small, that isΒ does not outgrow. A feature of the hybrid is the production of pickles and gherkins for the preparation of high-quality canned food, because the lack of bitterness in cucumbers is genetically determined. Pickles are collected daily, and gherkins – every other day. Desirable don’t be late with cleaning and produce it regularly, otherwise the cucumbers will not be so elegant.
‘Lilliput F1’.Β Photo of the agricultural company “Gavrish”
‘Lilliput F1’ refers to parthenocarpic cucumbers, predominantly female flowering type, with a bouquet type of ovary formation, and in each sinus of the leaf they form 7, or even 10 pieces. In most bouquet cucumbers, the most common number of greens that have grown to a standard size is from 2 to 4 pieces in one node. A very small number of hybrids can boast of 7-8 standard cucumbers in a node, and 10-12 are few at all. Such hybrids require strict adherence to all agrotechnical measures – competent top dressing, watering, daily cleaning, shaping. That is, it is possible to get all 10 cucumbers, but only at a high agrotechnical level.
Of course, it is also sensitive to weather conditions, which can become a decisive factor in crop shortages – this is especially true when there is a lack of light in prolonged cloudy weather.
When growing these cucumbers, you also need to keep an eye on the side shoots, but the shaping used is quite simple. To improve the filling of the ovaries remove all side shoots at the beginning of their growth, then fruiting goes on the main stem.
- It is intended for cultivation under temporary film shelters and in an open ground.
- Zelentsy are dark green with slight mottling, cylindrical in shape, 7-9 cm long, weighing 80-90 g, with medium, often located tubercles.
- The first cucumbers can be harvested within 38-40 days after germination.
- The yield of the hybrid ‘Lilliput F1’ is 10-11 kg per mΒ², which is quite a lot.
Cucumber ‘Lilliput F1’ has many virtues, including resistance to powdery mildew, downy mildew, olive blotch and root rot. ‘Lilliput F1’ – small, but bold!
4. Leader in fruiting abundance – ‘Shchedryk F1’
Cucumber hybrid ‘Shchedryk F1’ also got its name not by chance. He profuse fruiting. When grown in greenhouses and under temporary film shelters, it shows a very high yield – up to 14-16 kg / mΒ², in open ground – up to 10 kg / mΒ².
In addition, ‘Shchedryk F1’ stands out for its early yield. When planting in May, already at the end of June, you can collect the first fruits, and not one or two, like in other varieties, but 6-7 cucumbers daily. The fruits are dark green with light stripes, often tuberculate, 10-12 cm long, without bitterness, excellent for pickling and pickling, as well as for preparing fresh summer salads.
‘Shchedryk F1’.Β Photo of the agricultural company “Gavrish”
- The fruits are set stably, and since the hybrid ‘Shchedryk F1’ is parthenocarpic, pollination is not necessary for their formation.
- To make the cucumbers especially tasty, once a week it is necessary to feed the plants. soluble complex fertilizers with a high content of nitrogen and potassium.
Properly grown, healthy, strong seedlings are the key to future big harvests. Therefore, during the seedling period, it is recommended to feed the plants at least twice liquid complex fertilizer. Since autumn, the soil where cucumbers will be placed next season, preferably fertilize with rotted manure at the rate of a bucket per 1 mΒ².
Particular attention should be paid to proper watering of plants. It is desirable to water them often, but in small doses. This is due to the fact that the ‘Shchedrik F1’ hybrid has a powerful but delicate root system: it weakly absorbs nutrients, does not like high concentrations of fertilizers – hence the frequent, but not concentrated top dressing and regular watering.
And one more important condition – warm, sunny place.
‘Shchedryk F1’ belongs to the group of hybrids with a female type of flowering, which means that greenery is formed from each flower. Justifying its name, the hybrid ‘Shchedryk F1’ forms 5-8 cucumbers in each node. The plant is characterized by good growth and branching, resistance to major diseases (true and downy mildew, root rot).
Irina Vladimirovna Lipilina,
candidate of agricultural sciences,
agronomist group of companies “Gavrish”.
