This article talks about one of these bunch hybrids - the Mels F1 cucumber.
Description of the hybrid
The ultra-early ripening hybrid "Mels-f1" begins mass fruiting 35-36 days after the appearance of mass shoots. The plant is self-pollinating, parthenocarpic, perfectly adapted to cultivation in open ground, as well as in greenhouses or tunnels.
The hybrid form stands out against the background of other new products due to the abundance of fruits on the cucumber vines, as well as the massive formation of the harvest. Each node can form up to six ovaries. The fruits have a lumpy surface with white spines. The main color of the skin is bright green, with frequent white pubescence. The average length of the fetus does not exceed 9.8 cm.
Degrees of branching
Depending on the variety, the branching of hybrids varies. It is classified as follows:
- Branching is weak. Characteristic of hybrids of this group is a limited period of fruiting, only one and a half months. This is explained by the fact that the side shoots of such plants are short in length and are not pinched, which means that new ones are not formed. But cucumbers with weak branching bear fruit faster.
- Branching is average. Cucumbers of this type are grown in greenhouses. They bear fruit for a long time, easy care, no pinching required.
- The branching is strong. Mels cucumber belongs to this group. Reviews of the high-yielding variety are based on the vegetable’s ability to bear fruit for a long time. Such cucumbers are grown in greenhouses and open ground.
Advantages and disadvantages
Mels-f1 cucumbers not only have an attractive appearance, but also have the following characteristics:
- high preservation properties and excellent taste of the collected fruits;
- resistance to powdery mildew, olive spot, and PTO, which is dangerous for garden crops;
- tolerance to downy mildew;
- early harvest;
- each node forms 5-7 ovaries;
- guaranteed high yield.
Cucumbers "Mels-f1" can be sown with seed material in the ground or through seedlings. It is very important to purchase high-quality seed material, the main producer of which is the Chelyabinsk breeding station.
Pests and diseases
Variety Mels f1 is resistant to major diseases of cucumbers (mealy mosaic virus, olive spot, powdery mildew, etc.). In order to protect the harvest, simple measures are taken to prevent them: regular ventilation of the greenhouse, humidity control; If the greenhouse is glass, you need to periodically wash the glass with a cloth soaked in a soap solution with a small alkali content.
Diseases
A simple recipe of a solution of brilliant green and water will save you from root rot.
You need to dilute 10 drops of brilliant green in 5 liters of water and water the plant. If powdery mildew has overcome cucumber leaves, a solution of water, low-fat milk and iodine will save you: 10 drops of iodine and 1 liter of low-fat milk are diluted to 9 liters of water. The resulting mixture is used to treat the affected areas of the plant.
Pests
The most common pests are: whitefly, sprout fly, spider mite, melon aphids.
Preventative measures must be taken even before sowing seeds. In March-April, after the snow melts, you can smoke the greenhouse with sulfur bombs (0.05 kg per m³). Soil disinsection can be carried out with carbation (2%), the product is sold in gardening stores. It is poured over the entire sown area (5 liters per m²). It is better to carry out disinfection 30-45 days before sowing the soil with seedlings or seeds.
Sowing seeds
Cucumber "Mels f1" seeds are sown at the end of May according to a 60x15 cm pattern or in a nesting method according to a 70x70 cm pattern, taking into account a number of the following recommendations:
- sowing on warm ridges under film cover is carried out with soaked seeds no earlier than the last ten days of May;
- without the use of film cover, soaked seeds are sown at the very beginning of June;
- the soil on the ridges must be fully prepared, fertilized and disinfected with special means;
- seeds should not be buried more than 2.0-2.5 cm, because Significant deepening can delay the emergence of seedlings.
Cucumbers should be sown in ridges located in a well-lit area, with sufficiently drained and warm soil with a pH level of 6-7. As a rule, when growing this hybrid form, there are no problems with germination, and seedlings appear on the third day.
Seedling method
To obtain earlier production, “Mels-f1” cucumbers should be grown in seedlings. To obtain strong and high-quality seedlings, seeds must be sown in late March - early April, adhering to the following technology:
- seedlings can be grown in glass or polycarbonate greenhouses, as well as at home;
- the optimal result is achieved when growing cucumber seedlings in special peat pots or cassettes;
- to fill the pots, you can use a ready-made soil mixture suitable for growing vegetables, or a self-made soil substrate;
- Sprinkling the soil with special growth stimulants, which can be used as biological agents, has a good effect;
- at first, before the seedlings’ loops appear, the seedling containers are covered with translucent material to maintain moisture;
- watering is carried out as the top layer of soil dries;
- the temperature regime, which in the first days should be at least 25°C, after opening the cotyledon leaves, should be lowered by 5°C.
Planting of seedlings is carried out with preliminary hardening procedures, with preference given to the morning hours. When replanting, you need to be very careful and attentive so as not to damage the delicate root system of the plant.
Seedlings should be placed with a distance of 90 cm in a row and approximately 1.20-1.5 m between rows, which will ensure full development of the plants and make them easier to care for. Rare planting is due to the power of the plants.
Mels cucumbers: planting and growing
This variety can be grown either by seedlings or without seedlings.
Planting Mels cucumbers directly into the ground without seedlings
Seed material can be planted in the ground in the first or second ten days of May - depending on the weather conditions of the growing region
.
The fact is that the soil for planting cucumbers must be well heated - up to 15-16 degrees Celsius, and the average daily air temperature must not fall below 16 degrees.
The beds for cucumbers are prepared in advance - the remains of vegetation are removed, and organic matter is added for autumn digging - at least 12-14 kg of humus or compost for each square of area. In the spring, superphosphate, potassium salt and wood ash are added to the beds.
Secrets of growing cucumbers in open ground
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The area for planting cucumbers should be well lit by sunlight and protected from gusts of cold wind. You should not grow cucumbers of this variety in lowlands, where moisture constantly stagnates.
Mels cucumber seeds are sown in heated, loose, fertile soil, deepening them to about 2 cm. Typically, the sprouts hatch a few days after planting.
Growing cucumber seedlings Mels
Planting material for seedlings should be sown 25-30 days before transplanting the plants to a permanent place. Depending on the region of planting and climatic conditions, the time for planting Mels cucumbers for seedlings is from the last ten days of March to the first ten days of April.
Seed preparation
Since the Mels cucumber is a hybrid variety, its seeds can only be purchased in specialized stores - they are not collected from your own garden for further planting, since they practically do not ripen in greens. Seeds from the store do not require special preparation before sowing, since all this is done by specialists from the seed manufacturer.
Before sowing the seed, it should be soaked for germination. Usually the seeds are wrapped in wet gauze and left in a container for germination. The gauze needs to be wetted periodically. Seed material germinates in a few days.
Soil preparation
Nutrient substrate for growing cucumber seedlings can be purchased at Garden/Vegetable Garden stores or prepared at home.
To do this, mix garden and leaf soil, humus, peat and river sand in equal proportions. You can also add rotted sawdust or sphagnum moss to the soil for looseness. The nutritious soil mixture prepared at home must be disinfected - calcined in the oven or spilled with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.
Planting cucumber seeds for seedlings - video
Planting seeds for seedlings
The root system of cucumbers is very delicate, so it is not recommended to subject these plants to unnecessary transplants, including picking. Therefore, Mels cucumber seeds are immediately planted in separate containers
. They are buried 1 cm into moist soil, and this must be done carefully so as not to break off the sprouts that appear on the seeds.
After sowing, the soil is sprayed with a spray bottle, covered with plastic wrap and placed in a warm, bright room until sprouts appear. Typically, seed material germinates in 5-6 days.
After the sprouts appear, the film is removed and the cups are moved to a well-lit place.
Further care of cucumber seedlings
In the future, the seedlings of this vegetable crop require regular watering - the soil in the cups must remain constantly moist.
Water for irrigation is used filtered and heated. When young Mels cucumbers have two permanent leaves, they can be fed with organic matter - a solution of mullein diluted in a ratio of 1:10 or chicken manure (concentration 1:15). The next feeding can be done a couple of weeks after the first, using a urea solution or other nitrogen fertilizer.
Before transplanting Mels cucumber seedlings to a permanent place, it is advisable to harden them by taking them out into the fresh air for a short time at first, but gradually increasing the time the plants spend in the fresh air.
Transplantation to a permanent place
The beds for planting cucumber seedlings are prepared in the same way as for planting seeds in the ground. No more than 2 Mels cucumber plants are planted on one square of area, since they require a lot of light, free space and a large amount of fertilizers for normal growth and fruiting. When plantings are dense, the yield of the variety decreases sharply.
The plants are moved to a new place along with a lump of earth - in this case, the delicate roots are practically not injured, so the cucumber bushes quickly acclimatize in the new place and immediately begin to grow.
Rules of care
Bundle hybrid vegetable crops, which include the Mels-f1 cucumber, should be grown in compliance with certain biological characteristics:
- blinding the lower nodes is an extremely important and necessary operation that must be carried out to protect the root system from depletion and increase productivity;
- mulching helps preserve and retain moisture in the soil, and also helps suppress the growth of weeds;
- for proper development and abundant fruiting, it is necessary to feed cucumbers with nitrogen and potassium, the ratio of which should be 1:2;
- feeding plants with nitrogen fertilizers after the first harvest stimulates the appearance of new ovaries and increases fruit formation;
- Before the period of active fruiting, it is recommended to water the cucumbers at intervals of 3 days, spending approximately 4 liters of warm water per square meter;
- during the fruiting phase, the frequency of watering increases to three or four times a week, and the volume of warm water should be at least 10 liters per square meter.
It is advisable to form modern hybrid bunch-type forms into one stem. After blinding the first four nodes, the lateral branches should be removed.
Main characteristics of cucumber Mels F1
These gherkin cucumbers are distinguished by active fruiting, extended over time; they require the mandatory formation and regular collection of ripened greens so that new bunched ovaries can form on the vines.
Productivity of hybrid Mels
Each plant can produce up to 400 greens, so the yield of each bush is 35-40 kg of ripe and tender fruits.
For the successful ripening of a new wave of harvest, it is necessary to regularly collect ripening gherkins. But many housewives collect cucumbers at the pickle stage for further preservation - almost everyone likes small, delicate cucumbers.
Application area
The harvested crop is of universal use.
Therefore, the fruits can be eaten fresh, added to vegetable salads or twists. Gherkins and pickles of the Mels variety are especially good when preserved – pickled or salted. One of the positive characteristics of the fruits of this variety is the preservation of their presentation and taste during heat treatment - they remain compacted and crispy, and no voids are formed inside.
Diseases and pests
Like most hybrids, the Mels cucumber has high immunity, so it is practically not affected by the main diseases that are typical for other varieties of this vegetable crop.
Among insect pests, vegetable growers have to deal with aphids and spider mites, which can settle on this variety of cucumbers.
The photo shows spider mites on cucumbers:
You can fight these pests using traditional methods (soap solution or infusion of red pepper), and also treat cucumber vines with appropriate insecticides.
Reviews from gardeners
Currently, reviews of “Mels f1” cucumbers are, alas, few. This promising hybrid form is a new product and is not widely distributed today. Gardeners cultivating the hybrid, in general, speak very positively about it.
The fantastic taste of very juicy and crispy fruits, which do not have bitterness or voids, is preserved even after canning. Of course, the hybrid form requires some knowledge of growing technology, but following agricultural technology allows you to get more than 35 kg of tasty and beautiful cucumbers in one season from each square meter.
Advantages
Bunch cucumbers of a hybrid type have many advantages, thanks to which they are very popular:
- Resistant to various diseases.
- Bunch cucumbers are not afraid of temperature changes.
- They have early ripening periods.
- Characterized by high productivity.
- They have excellent taste.
Few varieties of vegetables of this species can compare with the viability of hybrids. They are distinguished by fast growth and endurance. In a lean year for other crops, cucumbers bear fruit abundantly. This is explained by the fact that the best qualities are inherited from them.
