Cucumber Grasshopper F1: characteristics, planting rules and care methods

Description of Grasshopper cucumbers

Cucumber Grasshopper f1 is a hybrid variety famous for its high productivity and resistance to many crop diseases. The variety was bred by a group of agro breeders in 2004.

The hybrid Grasshopper is intended for cultivation in open soil and in closed beds. According to the period of fruit ripening, Grasshopper belongs to the group of mid-ripening varieties, since cucumbers begin to ripen 40 days after the formation of seedlings.

Vegetable growers note that Grasshopper, like Snubnosik f1, do not change their taste, regardless of whether they have been subjected to some type of processing or not. This is why green vegetables are ideal for canning and pickling.

Characteristics of the variety:

• If a favorable environment for growing the Grasshopper cucumber is maintained, the plant stem becomes strong, creeping and reaches a height of 2 m;
• Description of the tops: the foliage of the bushes of the variety reaches medium size, and their plate is covered with a small fluff with slight waviness and has a light green color;
• The flowers of the bushes are formed in bunches in the leaf axils and are colored yellow;
• Description of greens: cucumbers reach 15 cm and grow in an oblong cylindrical shape;
• The skin of the fruit is dense with small tubercles, frequent white pubescence and is colored bright green with small whitish stripes;
• Description of the pulp: cucumbers are characterized by juicy, dense and crispy pulp that does not contain voids;
• Taste: Grasshopper is famous for its sweet, fresh flavor that is not bitter.

Reviews from practicing gardeners

There are relatively few real reviews about cucumber online. Camea2002 from Voronezh region. praised the hybrid for its complete germination, productivity and excellent taste properties. The summer resident had an average of 4 cucumbers tied into the nodes of the plant. The harvest did not get sick and ripened together. When pickled in a bucket, the fruits become sour, like barrel pickles. The woman named the prickly thorns on the surface of the greens as the only drawback.

The Grasshopper cucumber is a productive and unpretentious variety for any type of farm. It has good taste and early ripening. Gardeners confirm the characteristics of the crop declared by the originator.

Pros and cons of the variety

Since Grasshopper f1 has been cultivated for more than 10 years, vegetable growers identify variety criteria that allow them to judge the ease of cultivation of the cucumber and its whimsicality. Below is a description of all the advantages and disadvantages that have been identified by vegetable growers.

pros

1. Early fruit ripening;
2. Long-term fruiting variety;
3. The grasshopper is famous for its high productivity: more than 15 kg of fruits are collected from 1 m2;
4. The variety has excellent taste characteristics and preservation properties;
5. Excellent indicator of germination of cucumber seeds;
6. Resistance to the most popular crop diseases;
7. Cucumbers are resistant to adverse weather conditions and low temperatures;
8. Cucumbers are characterized by long-term storage and resistance to product transportability;
9. The versatility of using green grass Grasshopper f1.

Minuses

Despite the significant list of advantages of cultivating the variety, cucumbers also have disadvantages:

1. Since Grasshopper f1 is sensitive to soil moisture, the variety requires systematic maintenance of water balance and regular watering;
2. Cucumber bushes require systematic feeding;
3. The pulp of the fruit of the variety does not contain seeds suitable for the next planting.

Landing Features

To ensure that the fruits of the variety ripen early, Grasshopper seeds are planted in seedlings. However, cucumbers are also intended for sowing cultivation. We propose to consider a description of the features of planting a hybrid variety.

Landing dates

Grasshopper seeds are planted in open soil in the second half of May - early June. If cucumbers are grown by seedlings, the seeds are planted in mid-April.

Site preparation

Like other varieties, Grasshopper is grown in areas that are well lit by the sun and protected from strong winds. The most favorable are the beds located on the south side of the site.

The site has been prepared since the fall. To do this, the soil is dug up and cleared of tops of the previous crop and weeds. Afterwards, the soil is fed with minerals and left for the winter. In spring, the beds are loosened to a depth of 5 cm.

Planting seeds

Before planting Grasshopper seeds, it is recommended to harden the seed material. This procedure is performed to ensure that the plant does not die at low temperatures or in unfavorable weather conditions. To harden, cucumber seeds are placed in a container with hot water, and then transferred to a container with cold water. Grasshopper seeds are kept in each vessel with liquid for 2-3 minutes.

Seeds are planted in open soil to a depth of 2 cm, sprinkled with a small layer of soil and watered with warm water. Afterwards, the beds are covered with film until shoots appear.

To plant Grasshopper f1 seeds for seedlings, the seed is planted in peat pots to a depth of 2-3 cm and watered. Afterwards, the containers with seedlings are removed to a room with a temperature of 27 degrees. After the seedlings appear, the air temperature is reduced to 20 degrees. In addition, vegetable growers recommend maintaining 15-hour room illumination.

Planting seedlings

Seedlings are planted in a permanent place at a time when 3-4 full-fledged leaves have formed on the seedlings, and their height reaches approximately 30 cm. The bushes are planted in holes to a depth of 6-7 cm and sprinkled with soil up to the bottom leaf of the seedling. Afterwards, the bushes are watered with warm water and provided with film cover for better adaptation.

It is recommended to plant cucumbers at a distance of 30 cm between the beds and 35 cm between the bushes.

Agricultural technology

Cucumbers are grown by seeds and seedlings. To obtain fruits faster in open ground, seedlings are first grown in greenhouse conditions. 20-25 days after sowing the seeds and the appearance of the first 3-4 leaves, it is transplanted into the soil. The optimal period is considered to be the end of May or the beginning of June. To facilitate the immersion of seedlings in the ground, small furrows about 2 cm deep are first made. The distance between them is about 50 cm. After the cucumbers take root, they need to be thinned out. 3-4 bushes are left per square meter.

Next to cucumbers you can plant plants such as:

• Beans.
• Corn.
• Peas.
• Pumpkin.
• Squash.

It is not recommended to plant cucumbers next to potatoes and herbs.

This variety does not require special growing conditions. It is enough to carry out regular watering as the top layer of soil dries out. It should be carried out in the evening and only with warm water. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the root system is not eroded and water does not fall on the leaves. Between waterings, until the stems cover the ground, the soil is loosened shallowly and weeds are removed.

"Grasshopper F1" is usually grown in an open, sunny place, but can also be planted in partial shade. Prefers loose, well-drained soils rich in organic matter. Before planting, add compost to the soil. The optimal pH level for cucumbers is from 5.5 to 6.8. It is also necessary to install trellises for vertical cultivation of cucumbers - so that the fruits do not come into contact with the soil and they get more light.

Trellis diagram for growing cucumbers

Care

Like other varieties of the crop, the fruiting of the Grasshopper variety, the taste characteristics of cucumbers and their external characteristics directly depend on agrotechnical procedures. Experts offer a description of all the necessary processes for caring for a plant.

Watering

Since the hybrid variety is moisture-loving, it is necessary to water the Grasshopper bushes once every 2 days. At the same time, the temperature of the irrigation liquid should be observed: it should not be less than 20 degrees. During severe droughts, the number of watering procedures increases. Cucumbers are usually watered in the morning or evening. When watering, it is undesirable for water to get on the shoots or tops of bushes.

The cucumber bushes are tied to the trellises to a height of 1.5 m. The main stem is fixed along the trellis with a strong rope, and its top is tucked downwards.

Top dressing

Over the entire season, the Grasshopper f1 variety needs 3-4 feedings. Each feeding is carried out with an interval of 14 days. The first feeding of cucumbers is carried out during the period of bush development. The plant must be fed with a solution of nitroammophoska. The following feedings alternate with substances that contain organic matter (manure, droppings, or the preparations “Ideal” and “Korilets”) and minerals (potassium, superphosphate or the substance “Agricola”).

Hilling

It is necessary to hill up and loosen the soil once a week after watering. Loosen the soil to a depth of 3 cm using a fork. Such procedures allow you to remove weeds and stagnant soil.

Harvest and storage

Cucumber differs from other vegetables in that the gardener needs to pick ripe fruits often, ideally every other day. During this time, on warm summer nights, the plant manages to grow young fruits. If you neglect frequent fruit collection, the yield of the bush will be significantly reduced.

One overripe cucumber delays both fruit set and the growth of already formed fruits. The collected fruits are placed in containers with smooth walls. Cucumbers can be stored for 7–10 days in a room with an air temperature not exceeding +12°C, or on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

Important! It is not advisable to pick a cucumber from the vine, so as not to damage the bush. It is much safer to cut the fruits using small, sharp scissors.

The cucumber hybrid Grasshopper F1 is worth growing for gardeners who want to get an early harvest of fresh cucumbers. If agricultural cultivation techniques are followed, the fruit ripening period will be short and the harvest will be plentiful.

Diseases and parasites

The breeders who worked on the creation of the Grasshopper f1 variety developed strong cucumber immunity to diseases such as powdery mildew, olive spot and common mosaic (VOM). However, if the plant is not properly cared for, the bushes are susceptible to pathologies such as downy mildew, gray rot and fusarium. We suggest considering a description of all possible diseases.

Downy mildew

Peronosporosis, or downy mildew, is a disease in which yellow spots form on the surface of the leaves, which subsequently acquire an oily consistency. In addition, the leaves become covered with a gray-violet coating and begin to turn out and dry out. As a result of the destruction of the tops of the plant, the cucumber bush stops developing, and the cucumbers themselves acquire a whitish color and an awkward shape. To combat peronosporosis, chemical preparations “Previkur”, “Kurzat”, “Ordan”, or “Abiga-Pik” are used.

Gray rot

Gray rot is a disease as a result of which the leaves of the plant become covered with a thick gray coating and light brown spots. In addition, the infected bush undergoes rotting. To prevent infection of other bushes, vegetable growers use the chemicals Rovral, Hom and Bayleton.

Fusarium

Fusarium is a pathology that affects a plant during its flowering period. When infected with fusarium, the leaves and stem of the plant begin to turn black, become limp, thin and wither. Biological and chemical substances Trichodermin, Baktofit, Quadris, Planriz and Gymnast help prevent infections.

Characteristics of the variety

This variety of cucumber bears fruit well both in open ground and in greenhouses. When grown in proper conditions, the plant has a strong creeping stem, reaching a length of 1.5-2 meters, and does not form too many lateral vines. The leaves are covered with fluff and are divided into 5 slightly wavy lobes.

Cucumbers of the “Grasshopper” variety are very sensitive to moisture, so it is necessary to maintain a certain balance of water in the soil.

Flowers appear in bunches in the axils of the leaves. This variety, like others used for industrial cultivation, has only female flowers with fruit embryos. This feature of the flowers can be seen in the photo. At the same time, the plants do not require the help of bees or other insects in pollination, since the variety is parthenocarpic.

Cucumbers of the “Grasshopper F1” variety are early ripening. The time from germination to fruiting is less than 40 days.

In place of one leaf sinus, from 2 to 6 ovaries can form. The process of pouring cucumbers occurs sequentially. It is recommended to cut them with scissors and not tear them off from the stalk.

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Greens should be harvested in a slightly unripe state, closer to reaching maximum size, but before the seeds have completed their development and compaction. If the fruits are not removed on time, their interior begins to dry out, cavities and gelatinous contents form.

The fruiting period is quite long - until the first frost.

“Grasshopper F1” is resistant to common diseases that plague plants of this species: olive spot, cucumber mosaic virus and powdery mildew. Has average protection against peronosporosis.