Vegetable growing » Cucumbers
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Kira Stoletova
Cucumbers are one of the most common vegetable crops. To obtain an early harvest, gardeners set up greenhouses, for which the most suitable option is parthenocarpic hybrids (which do not require pollination). One of the modern popular varieties is Friendly Family cucumbers.
Characteristics of cucumbers of the Druzhnaya Semeyka variety
The variety was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2003. It is recommended for cultivation in different climatic zones. It has become widespread on farms and in garden plots.
Diseases and pests
The originator does not provide data regarding the variety's resistance to disease. Based on the existing experience of gardeners, we can conclude that the “Friendly Family” is highly resistant to common diseases of pumpkin crops.
As preventive measures, it is recommended to follow the generally accepted rules:
- Maintain humidity in the greenhouse at an average level;
- Prevent the formation of condensation on leaves (installation of screens);
- Select irrigation individually depending on soil density;
- Avoid littering the bed with organic residues;
- Weeding.
Dahlias are funny guys - easy to grow
The classic gherkin “Merry Family f1” is supplied to the Russian seed market by agro. The hybrid is an early ripening one, which means the first cucumbers will appear on the bushes in 39-41 days. The characteristics of the variety make it possible to obtain a harvest in greenhouses and in ordinary beds.
The plant of the variety is a vine-like, branching, creeping stem. The color of the lashes is a rich dark green color. The arrangement of leaves is alternate, the leaf blades are large, pentagonal in shape, with spiny pubescence. The formation of lateral shoots is pronounced. The growth point of the hybrid does not mature on its own and the central lash can reach a length of 1.5-2 meters.
Externally, the vegetables of the “Merry Family” are typical gherkins. They do not grow more than 7-8 cm in length, do not overgrow and do not barrel. The average weight of cucumbers is 90-100 g. The surface of the skin is lumpy with white spines. The taste is aromatic, the flesh is crispy with a lot of juice, slightly sweet. The fruits are good for fresh summer salads, pickling, and snacks. After heat treatment they do not lose their shape and elasticity.
Vegetable growers who have had to grow “Merry Family f1” cucumbers note that the variety has no disadvantages. Based on the reviews, the culture meets all the stated characteristics of the originating company and has many advantages. Compared to other early varieties, “Merry Family f1” has abundant and long-term fruiting. And the fruits are tasty both fresh and canned.
Gherkin cucumbers have distinctive features from ordinary ones. The consistency of the pulp of mini-cucumbers is more elastic and dense. The same characteristics of the fruit are preserved during preservation. Therefore, gherkins are considered ideal for winter preparations.
The germination of the seeds is excellent; usually no soaking in preparations or germination is required: just place the seeds in moist soil to a depth of one and a half to two centimeters, and in a little less than a week they will sprout. Flowers tolerate picking well, but given that the sprouts are initially strong and tall, it is better to place them immediately in separate pots.
We have already figured out when to sow dahlias, funny guys: from March to the end of May. Young plants can be fed with regular fertilizers for seedlings - it is best if these are those preparations that promote rapid growth of the root system and inhibit stretching: “Krepysh” or something similar.
And now summer has come. You have already moved the dahlia bushes to the flowerbed, cheerful guys. Planting and care are usual. This type of dahlia is the most unpretentious, but like all flowering ones, it loves organic fertilizers. Do not forget to pick off faded buds in time so that the plant does not waste energy on seeds. Dahlias are funny guys, the photos of which you see, grow up to a meter in the first year. In the future they can grow up to one and a half meters.
Description of vegetable fruits
However, numerous gardeners value it not only for this. According to a huge number of positive reviews, these cucumbers are distinguished by excellent commercial qualities and good taste.
Vegetables of the hybrid variety “Friendly Family f1” are characterized by:
- Small in length ranging from 10 to 15 cm (at maturity).
- Smooth cylindrical shape.
- Elongated.
- Frequent pubescence.
The weight of one cucumber is about 100 grams
The fruits are medium tuberculate. There are white spines on their surface. The skin of greens is a rich green hue. There are white, short, somewhat blurry stripes on its surface.
The weight of cucumbers of this variety varies from 80 to 100 g. As for the size in diameter, it is 2.8-3 cm. The length of the fruit ranges from 10 to 12 cm.
Advice. Breeders recommend harvesting the “Friendly Family f1” vegetable crop at the pickle stage, when the length of the greens does not exceed 5 cm.
The pulp of cucumbers is tasty, dense and very aromatic. There are no notes of bitterness in it. Due to the excellent taste of the fruit, gardeners grow this variety to produce vegetables intended for fresh consumption. Greens are also suitable for canning, pickling, and preparing salads.
It is better to collect “Friendly Family” cucumbers at the pickle stage - up to 5 cm
Methods for growing Friendly Family in open ground
You can grow cucumbers in your garden using several methods, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages.
- Cultivation has grown. With this method, cucumber vines, evenly distributed on the ground, absorb the maximum amount of solar energy. However, this method also has many disadvantages - cucumbers located directly on the soil are always dirty, especially after rain, and are inconvenient to collect. If the position of the vines and leaf blades changes while caring for the plant, fruiting will worsen.
- Growing a friendly family on a trellis. First, stakes are driven into the place of the bed, to which a rail is attached on top. Trellis can be low (0.5 m) and high (1 m and above). When using the first option, the cucumber stems are not fastened, but simply thrown over the rail. In the second case, the cucumber lashes are tied with twine. With the trellis growing method, it is convenient to care for the plants; they are well lit and ventilated, which ensures long-term fruiting.
Advice. It is most convenient to grow cucumbers on a trellis. Harvesting is very easy; cucumbers are always clean and visible.
Growing in barrels. This is a non-standard, but very convenient method. The barrel is filled with rotted manure and grass. Cover with a layer of soil on top and water well. 5-6 dry seeds are sown in a circle on one barrel and covered with film. The growing lashes will simply hang down. With this growing method, the plants are well lit, require minimal care, and are easy to harvest. The main advantage of this method is the early ripening of cucumbers.
Judging by the reviews of gardeners who have already tried to grow the Friendly Family F1 hybrid, we can conclude that it is absolutely undemanding. With minimal care and any planting method, this variety can provide fresh cucumbers from the beginning of summer until autumn frosts.
A little about the characteristics of the variety
Among the mass of positive properties of the hybrid, it is worth highlighting one minus, which seems insignificant against the general background. If you do not harvest on time, the fruits will outgrow quite quickly.
Growing “Friendly Family f1” cucumbers is not difficult at all. The main thing is to choose the right fertilizers. Before planting a vegetable crop, it is not recommended to add manure to the soil, as this leads to spotting and bitterness in mature fruits.
Cucumbers need to be fed regularly
Hybrid “Friendly Family f1” is an excellent variety of cucumbers. Experienced and novice gardeners can successfully cultivate them.
Growing methods
The hybrid can be grown by seedlings or directly planted seeds in the garden bed. Sowing in the ground is carried out after the soil has warmed up to +15…+18°C. The planting is carried out in holes prepared in advance, located at a distance of 50-60 cm from each other.
With the trellis growing method, a distance of 20 cm is allowed between plants. 4-5 seeds are placed in each hole to a depth of 1-2 cm, covered with film to create a greenhouse effect.
Water the crops every 5 days with warm water. Further care of the crop involves implementing a system of agrotechnical measures.
When cultivating by seedling method, the seeds are placed in peat pots with a soil mixture
For seedlings to appear, it is important to ensure an air temperature of +13...+15°C; the optimal temperature for crop development should be +25...+30°C. After the formation of 3-5 leaves, the seedlings are transferred to a permanent place
Cultivation on a trellis simplifies plant care and fruit harvesting. With this method, stakes are installed in place of the bed, to which the slats are attached. The height of the trellises can be 0.5-1 m. When using low supports, the stems are thrown over the rail, and the lashes are tied to the high fastenings with twine.
Growing in barrels involves using a container that is filled with rotted manure and grass. Mulch the top with a layer of soil and water well with warm water.
For 1 container, sow 5-6 dry seeds in a circle and cover with film. Growing lashes will hang down like hanging plants. The main advantage of this method is the early ripening of the crop and minimal care.
Landing Features
The Friendly Family F1 variety is grown in two ways. For the southern regions, the seedless method is suitable. Regions with an unstable climate or poor soils cultivate hybrid cucumbers using the seedling method.
Before sowing, the seeds are processed. Disinfect the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 2-3 hours. After drying, the cucumber seed material is placed in a saline solution. For further work, select the seeds that have sunk to the bottom of the container. To stimulate germination, treatment with growth stimulants is carried out.
Landing dates
For seedlings, cucumber seeds of the Druzhnaya Semeyka variety are planted 3-4 weeks before the planned transplant date. Sowing begins no earlier than the third decade of March. Plants are moved to the greenhouse from the second half of April.
When using a film cover or non-woven material on the site, sowing cucumbers for seedlings begins on April 10. Seed material is sown in open ground from late May to early June.
Site preparation
In spring, the soil on the ridge is spilled with boiling water and covered with film until the next day. After a day, the soil is dug up and leveled. The process is repeated three days later.
Description of the scheme for applying fertilizers per 1 m² for cucumbers of the Friendly Family F1 variety:
- 10 kg of compost or 25 kg of manure;
- 15 g magnesium sulfate;
- 40 g superphosphate;
- 40 g of potassium sulfate.
Planting seeds
Seeds for growing as seedlings are placed in separate containers to a depth of 2 cm. Before germination, the cups are placed in a warm place. With the appearance of the first shoots, the temperature is lowered to +18 - +20°C.
When using high-quality soil mixture as a substrate for seedlings, fertilizing is not required. A few days before transplanting, cucumber plants of the Druzhnaya Semeyka variety are hardened off.
Planting seedlings
Transplantation of cucumber seedlings Friendly Family to a permanent place is carried out 25-30 days after planting the seeds. Young plants are transplanted into the greenhouse with the onset of stable warm weather.
Young bushes of the Druzhnaya Semeyka variety are transplanted into open ground beds in early June. The soil should warm up to +16°C. Low temperatures will lead to the death of the plant's root system.
Planting scheme
The crop yield is affected by the location of plants on the site. Close planting of bushes leads to competition between plants for food and lighting. No more than 2-3 seedlings are placed per 1 m² of bed. A distance of 40-50 cm is maintained between cucumber bushes. The row spacing is 70-90 cm.
How to grow?
The variety is grown in seedlings in greenhouses or in open ground under a film. This is a strong culture that is not afraid of cold weather, pests, or diseases. Gives an excellent harvest in any conditions.
If we talk about the characteristics of cultivation, it should be noted that this plant has its own requirements. If you follow them, you can improve the quality of the crop.
Before sowing seeds, they should be treated against fungus and infections. Earthlings must be too sour. After the first leaves peck, make a pick.
They are planted in the soil only when it warms up to 18 degrees. First, the soil is loosened, fertilized and watered. It is better to prepare the land in the fall. Plants should be planted, keeping a distance so that it is convenient to approach them, so that they do not interfere with each other’s development. The distance between the bushes should be about thirty centimeters. If grown correctly, the cheerful company of a friendly family will delight you with a bountiful harvest in greenhouses.
How to remove stepchildren
In order for a cucumber bush to bear fruit well, and not just branch with leaves, you need to remove the stepsons in a timely manner. These are shoots on the main stem that take away strength for active crop growth. They need to be cut with pruning shears or simply removed by hand.
Not all varieties need this procedure. If you do not want to deal with the removal of stepsons, then you can choose a variety that does not require stepsons. Such bushes, as a rule, grow with one stem, do not climb and form a voluminous bush.
Stepchildren need to be cut off in a timely manner before they reach more than 5 centimeters. Removing longer shoots can have a negative impact on the health of the entire bush. Even if fruits have already begun to form on it, it still needs to be removed.
Characteristics and features of the hybrid
Brought out by specialists from a well-known domestic company. Parthenocarpic (self-pollinating) amphidiploid cucumber of mid-early ripening. Long after seed germination. Ant. From the beginning of harvesting, the harvest takes 43-45 days. Produces flowers mostly of the female type.
The bush has medium growth vigor and medium foliage. The stems of this cucumber have indeterminate properties, that is, they have unlimited growth throughout the entire vegetable season. This must be taken into account when growing. And when the cucumber outgrows the trellis wire, it is necessary to pinch the top. In the axils of the leaves on the central stem, 2-4 ovaries are formed. And on the side shoots there are significantly more - 6-8 pieces.
The fruits are cylindrical, bright, light green in color. With slight light stripes on the eve of half the entire length. Greens are medium-tubercular, with white spines, often pubescent. The peel is strong and dense. The fruits are dense and elastic, but the flesh is juicy and without bitterness. With a thick, strong cucumber aroma. Cucumbers have high taste qualities. They are incredibly tasty, crispy and slightly sweet.
The length of the fruit in the season is 10-12 cm, the caliber is 3-4 cm. Moreover, the greens of this hybrid are well suited for harvesting in the “pickle” phase, when they reach a size of 4-5 cm. Bester “Friendly Family F1” has a high level productivity. In open ground conditions, the yield is 10 kg per 1 sq. m. And in closed ground conditions, the yield takes a long time to reach. Ant. from 17-20 kg.
The fruits are universal in use. They retain high quality during salting, pickling and canning. Very good for fresh consumption. And they are also irreplaceable in preparing various salads. Suitable for sale in vegetable markets. The seeds are suitable for growing in various types of greenhouses and temporary shelters, as well as in open ground.
The hybrid “Veselaya Semeyka F1” was included in the State Register of Varieties of the Russian Federation in 2003. Approved for cultivation throughout the entire country.
Main characteristics of the variety
“Friendly family f1” is a hybrid variety of cucumbers.
Breeders bred it for mass cultivation by amateurs in their gardens and farms. The variety is excellent for cultivation:
- in a greenhouse;
- in tunnels;
- under temporary film shelters;
- in open beds.
Cucumbers “Friendly family f1”
The vegetable crop was bred by breeders from agriculture. Already in 2003, the variety was included in the Russian state register. The plant is intended for cultivation in all Russian regions.
The bushes of the variety are characterized by medium branching and medium height. An indeterminate, parthenocarpic variety of cucumbers is characterized by high yield. The plant bears fruit for a long time, until the onset of frost. The vegetable crop yields its harvest uniformly, which makes it possible to grow it for commercial purposes and to create large volumes of preparations for the winter.
Attention! From 1 m² you can harvest an average of 10 kg of ripe cucumbers.
The hybrid variety “Friendly Family” with a female type of flowering is distinguished by medium-early ripening. On average, 45 days pass from the appearance of the first shoots to the time of harvest. The ovaries are formed in bunches in the area of the nodes. Moreover, on the main stem there are usually from 2 to 4 pieces. There are slightly more of them on the side branches (from 6 to 8 pieces).
From 1 sq.m. you can collect up to 10 kg of cucumbers
One of the key advantages of the “Friendly Family f1” variety is its resistance to most diseases common among this type of vegetable crops. Also, the variety is completely undemanding to care.
Planting cucumbers for seedlings and in open ground
Many experienced gardeners believe that it is possible to plant cucumber seeds directly into beds or greenhouses. But some still adhere to the seedling method. What your choice will be is up to you.
Prepared seeds, in the seedling method, are placed in special soil to a depth of no more than 3 centimeters, with the sprout facing up. If you skipped the pre-germination time, you can plant 2 seeds in one hole.
When the sprout grows 4 centimeters in length, it is better to plant the plants in cups. Many people use special peat pots or eggshells. In these cases, there is no need to remove the seedlings from the “pots”. True, in the case of shells, you will have to make a hole at the bottom for the roots to come out.
The optimal temperature for normal germination and growth is 25 degrees Celsius. When 2 or more true leaves appear on each bush, the seedlings can be transplanted into the ground, according to the instructions on the seed package. But before this it is necessary to carry out hardening. Namely, a week before the intended planting, you need to move them to a cool room (16 degrees Celsius). This process will help the seedlings quickly adapt to new growth conditions in a greenhouse or open ground.
Care
Cucumbers in a bucket: growing
The beds should be watered 3 times a week with warm water (25 degrees), watered at the roots, otherwise the stem and leaves can be damaged. It is advisable to water not with plain water, but with organic fertilizers, so the harvest will be of better quality. The proportions for diluting fertilizers are indicated on the packaging; usually a couple of teaspoons per 10-15 liter bucket of water is enough.
Proper care
Important! If the plants do not receive enough moisture, the fruits will grow bitter. If you can them, the bitterness will go away, but fresh they will be tasteless.
To get a high yield, you need to do tying and pinching. To do this, you need to stretch the wire to a height of 2 meters and fix the plant under 2-4 leaves. You need to tie it carefully so as not to crush the delicate stems. Although there is an opinion that for parthenocarpic varieties there is no need for garter.
How to sow cucumbers for seedlings
It is best to plant one seed at a time in a small pot so that you do not have to thin out if several seeds germinate nearby. For such planting at the initial stage, an empty cellular egg carton is suitable.
Cucumber seedlings can get quite large before you decide to move them outside. Therefore, when the seeds germinate, carefully, together with a lump of earth, transplant them into pots with a diameter of 9 cm. They will be sufficient in size so that the seedlings can form additional roots and gain strength before transplanting them into open ground.
To sow seeds, use well-drained soil with the addition of coarse sand to maintain water balance. Coconut substrate with neutral acidity is also good for growing cucumber seedlings.
The seeds are planted to a depth of half a centimeter, covering them with coarse sand or a 1:1 mixture of sand and soil.
Pots with seeds are placed in a warm room on the sunny side. The soil should be moderately moist. Under favorable conditions, seeds germinate in 7-10 days.
If you have a propagator, this will greatly facilitate the cultivation of seedlings for early cucumbers. Modern propagators maintain the specified optimal parameters of temperature, light and humidity throughout the entire period of seed development. In such a device, seedlings emerge much faster and seedlings germinate more viable. To germinate seeds, set the temperature to +21°…+23°C.
There is one “secret” technique for germinating cucumber seeds for an early harvest: before planting, pour very hot water over them, tightly close the container with the seeds with a lid and wrap it so that the heat is retained as long as possible. Or pour boiling water over the soil intended for germination, quickly plant the seeds there, cover and also try to keep warm. This technique disinfects the seeds and promotes faster germination.
It is best to plant cucumbers one seed at a time in a small pot or cassette so that you do not have to thin out. Garden
