Cucumber Monolith F1 (30 photos) - description of the variety, yield, cultivation

This is an excellent hybrid for cultivation in small garden plots and large farmlands. Monolith F1, due to its productivity and marketability, is used for commercial sales and mass processing in canneries.

Description

This hybrid is classified as an indeterminate type, so its central shoot is not limited in growth. Moreover, without pinching its top, the stem can reach a height of 2.9-3.1 m.

In terms of ripening time , the Monolith cucumber is classified as an ultra-early cucumber - less than 1.5 months pass from the moment of seed germination to the harvesting of the first fruits. Due to the short growing season, this cucumber can be grown three times during the summer period.

Since this hybrid is parthenocarpic, it does not require cross-pollination , nor the presence of pollinating insects - only female flowers are formed on its lashes, from which ovaries are formed.

The central shoot is durable and flexible. It produces an average number of side stems of a delicate salad color.

of foliage on the shoots. It is less than medium in size, attached to the vines with long petioles. The leaf plates are heart-shaped, their edges are wavy. The leaves are slightly wrinkled, with a large number of veins, lighter than the main color. Short, harsh pile is clearly visible on the leaf plates.

The roots of this cucumber are located close to the soil surface and grow quickly - the size of the root zone in adult Monolith cucumber bushes can be up to 0.4 m. The central root develops weakly and is only slightly buried in the soil.

The flowers are small, simple, female-type, appear on the vines in large numbers, collected in nodes of 3 pieces. Many ovaries are formed.

The shape of ripe cucumbers is oval, elongated, all cucumbers are approximately the same size and ripen together. Even if the fruits are not collected at the moment of ripening, they do not overripe on the bushes, maintaining their appearance, color and taste.

Important! The fruits do not turn yellow, even if they remain on the vines for a long time after ripening, the only thing is that the skin of such gherkins becomes more compacted and tougher.

The length of ripe greens can reach 13 cm, the average weight is 100-105 g. The skin of the fruit has a characteristic gloss, without a waxy coating, with small tubercles and soft thorns, quite thin, harsh, and perfectly resistant to mechanical damage. The peel is dark emerald green with beige stripes.

The pulp has a delicate taste with a characteristic aroma, compacted, and has no voids. The seed chambers contain many seeds at the stage of milk maturity. There is no bitterness in the pulp. During heat treatment, the skin does not lose its density, and voids do not form in the pulp.

The harvested crop tolerates transportation without losing its good appearance and pleasant taste. Greens can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator at a temperature of about +4 degrees Celsius and a humidity of about 80%.

Harvesting and storage

Since the Monolith variety has a long fruiting period, it is recommended to harvest every day. To ensure that new cucumbers do not lag behind in development, it is recommended to pick the ripe fruit. If the cucumber is kept too long and not picked in a timely manner, it will not change its taste, but its peel will become darker and denser.

Cucumbers of the Monolith f1 variety are recommended to be stored in cold rooms, the temperature of which does not exceed 4 degrees Celsius, and the moisture content is 80%. As a rule, a basement or cellar is used for storage.

To prevent Monolith cucumbers from rotting, they are placed in wooden boxes. Thus, the necessary amount of oxygen reaches the fruits, and they do not begin to rot. If one of the fruits has rotted, it is necessary to remove the rotting fruit and its neighbors, and also sort through all the fruits. If Monolith cucumbers are intended for fresh consumption, they are placed in the refrigerator. If you follow the recommendations for storing Monolith cucumbers, the crop will not lose its appearance and taste.

Main characteristics of the variety

The Monolith cucumber is highly resistant to stressful situations, is grown mainly in regions with moderate climatic conditions, and can easily tolerate temporary temperature drops of up to +9+11 degrees Celsius.

The seedlings do not need to be covered at night, and return frosts in the spring do not cause much harm to cucumber vines, which restore cold-damaged areas within 4-6 days. At the same time, the growth and development of fruits is not reduced.

This cucumber hybrid can be grown in light partial shade, and the process of photosynthesis in their foliage does not slow down. Also, the Monolith cucumber calmly tolerates periods of heat, without shedding either flowers or ovaries during this time. Also, sunburn does not appear on the foliage.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros:

• long-term storage without loss of commercial properties (7 days at 4 degrees and 80% humidity);
• versatility of use;
• balanced taste with a fresh aroma;
• good transportation;
• stress resistance;
• tolerance of temperature drops within 7-8 degrees;
• resistance to return frosts (complete restoration of affected areas in 5-7 days).

Minuses:

• inability to collect your own seed material.

Productivity

Neither temporary cold snaps nor heat have a negative impact on the ripening of greens; flowers and ovaries do not fall off in hot weather. Therefore, the yield of the variety remains high.

Since the cucumber hybrid Monolith is an ultra-early plant, three crops of this vegetable can be grown in a season. As a result, up to 35 kg of ripe gherkins are collected from each square of area per season, and up to 10 kg of products can be collected from one bush.

Growing and care

Agricultural technology activities are not difficult:

• shaping into 1 trunk, pinching at trellis level or tucking;
• removing dried and yellowed leaves;
• trimming side lashes;
• moderate watering (3-4 liters of water per plant) in the evening;
• loosening after watering to avoid crusting;
• removal of weeds (serve as a place where pests and pathogens hide);
• installation of vertical structures and garter.

Feeding is carried out 4-5 times per season. Alternate watering with organic matter and minerals. Of the mineral compositions used:

• Nitroammophoska;
• Ammophos;
• Urea;
• Superphosphate.

Complex mixtures – Dobrivo, Agricola, Master, Komplemet – increase productivity.

Diseases and pests

Thanks to the efforts of breeders, the bred hybrid cucumber Monolith is characterized by increased resistance to major diseases and is practically not affected by harmful insects. In particular, this hybrid is resistant to foliage mosaic and downy mildew. However, during a long period of rain, these cucumbers can be affected by anthracnose.

For preventive purposes, Monolith cucumber bushes should be sprayed with preparations containing copper to prevent the appearance of fungal diseases. If pathogenic fungi do appear on cucumber vines, then you can fight them with the help of colloidal sulfur.

Important! No harmful insects appear on this cucumber hybrid.

Diseases and parasites

Despite the strong immunity of the Monolit f1 variety to many cucumber diseases, cucumbers are still susceptible to infections such as downy mildew, BOM-1, and anthracnose. Let's consider a description of each disease and methods of combating them.

Downy mildew

Downy mildew, or downy mildew, is a disease of cucumbers that occurs as a result of high atmospheric pressure, high humidity, and dense plantings.

With downy mildew, the following symptoms are observed: the leaves of the plant become covered with small yellow spots, which soon acquire an oily composition. Also, a gray coating with purple hues forms on the leaves, and the spots become larger and take on a brown color. The leaves of the plant begin to curl, dry out and fall off.

To combat peronosporosis, it is recommended to use the chemical preparations “Previkur”, “Ordan”, “Kurzat”, “Abiga-Pik”, as well as “Oksikhom” and “Signum”.

PTO-1

VOM-1 or common mosaic is a viral disease in which the formation of light green spots on the surface of the leaves is observed. In addition, small swellings begin to form on the leaves, which lead to its corrugation. Also, spots and swellings form on the cucumbers themselves.

To combat VOM-1, the chemical drug “Farmayoda” and the biological agents “Aktelikt” and “Aktara” are used.

Anthracnose

Anthracnose is a fungal infection that can cause damage to the entire bush and its fruits. The second name of the disease is copperhead. With anthracnose, the formation of depressed brown spots is observed that form on the root collar of the plant.

Small spots of a pale green hue form on the leaves of cucumbers, which soon turn brown. At the same time, the leaf begins to dry out and break. With high humidity, rotting of the leaves is observed. Oval-shaped depressed spots that are light brown in color also appear on cucumbers. With anthracnose, cucumbers begin to taste bitter, darken and rot.

To combat anthracnose, it is recommended to use the chemicals Previkur, Quadris, Fundazol and Fitosporin.

The main advantages of the variety

The main advantages of this hybrid include:

• high resistance to stressful situations;
• stable fruiting, high yield;
• the same size of ripe gherkins;
• the fruits do not overripe while on the vines;
• the harvested crop can be stored for a long time in appropriate conditions;
• cucumber Monolith can be grown on personal farmsteads and on an industrial scale;
• wonderful taste of greens;
• resistance to most diseases.

Among the disadvantages of the Monolith cucumber, vegetable growers include the need for regular purchases of seed material.

Pros and cons of the variety

When choosing a vegetable crop, the gardener should read the description of Monolith F1 cucumbers, as well as reviews from those who have already tried them. Based on the information received, the strengths and weaknesses of the plant were determined.

Advantages of the variety:

• stable fruiting;
• resistance to sudden temperature changes;
• possibility of storage for a week;
• high transportability;
• maintaining the presentation and weight of the fruit;
• the skin is thin, tender;
• lack of bitter taste;
• good immunity.

The disadvantages of Monolith cucumbers include the inability to collect seeds. Planting material of hybrid varieties, as a rule, does not germinate or does not give the desired result. The qualities of the mother plant are not preserved.

Reviews from those who planted

Olga, 59 years old, Novgorod region: I have been growing cucumbers in my garden for many years, I have tried many varieties and hybrids. And among the early and ultra-early varieties and hybrids, I chose the Monolith cucumber - I plant this hybrid in our region a couple of times during the season, and from each plant I get up to 10 kg of ripe greens. We eat partly the collected fruits, and partly pickle the whole gherkins. Moreover, my family really likes the taste of pickled cucumbers of this hybrid.

Maria, 45 years old, Saratov: I have been growing the Monolith cucumber in my garden for several seasons. The seeds had 100% germination, the seedlings grew quickly and were strong. After transplanting to the garden beds, the plants quickly began to grow, but due to spring return frosts, the tops of the bushes froze a little, but recovered surprisingly quickly, and this did not affect their growth and productivity in any way. I consider the only disadvantage of this hybrid to be the impossibility of collecting its seed material from mature fruits.

Landing

Sowing time

Seeds for seedlings are sown in the last week of March. Subsequent plantings are carried out after 10-14 days.

Planting on ridges begins when the bushes are 30 days old and have 3-4 leaves. If the transplant is planned in a greenhouse, then the seeds are sown from mid-March.

Selecting a location and preparing beds

For a hybrid, soil is selected that meets the following characteristics:

• fertility;
• looseness and good drainage;
• neutral pH (within 5.8-6.2).

The site should be located in the sun, protected from strong sharp winds, especially northern ones. The beds are fertilized in the fall; per 1 m2 the following is added:

• 1-2 buckets of compost;
• 30 g of phosphorus-potassium mixture;
• 1 cup wood ash.

Dig to a depth of 20 cm.

How to plant correctly?

When planting, add a handful of compost to the holes and mix with soil. Handle the bushes carefully so as not to damage the fragile roots. If seedlings grow in peat cups, then they are planted directly in containers (the holes are made to the depth of the planting cup). The soil is poured to the level of the leaves and lightly compacted. Keep their distances

• in rows 30-35 cm
• and between rows 40-45 cm.

The placement density is 3 bushes per 1 m2.

Video review of the Monolith cucumber variety

Advantages of the variety and experience in growing Monolith cucumbers. Features of sowing, planting in the ground, care rules. Join the viewing!

This hybrid cucumber, due to its high yield, resistance to disease and stress, and the versatility of the harvested crop, quickly became popular among Russian vegetable growers. Since the Monolith cucumber can be grown in garden beds and in greenhouse conditions, it can be found on private farms in most regions of Russia, even with problematic climatic conditions.

Caring for Monolith cucumbers

Monolith cucumbers require regular watering, fertilizing and hilling the bushes, as well as tying and shaping the stems. Below is a description of proper care for the variety.

Watering

The yield level of the variety directly depends on irrigation work. In order for cucumbers to be juicy and sweet, and also to withstand heat well, the plant must be watered regularly.

Watering work is recommended to be carried out daily early in the morning or in the evening when the sun sets. It is advisable to water the bushes at the root so that the leaves of the plant do not turn yellow and begin to rot. 1 bush of the variety requires about 4 liters of water.

The water temperature should match the soil temperature. To do this, the liquid is infused in the sun's rays, or heated independently.

Top dressing

Over the entire growing season, Monolith f1 cucumbers need 4-5 feedings. It is recommended to water the plant with various minerals (superphosphate, ammophos, urea) and organic matter. Also used for feeding are the preparations “Dobrivo”, “Master”, “Agricola” and “Komplemet”.

Garter and shaping

Before planting Monolith bushes, it is necessary to install a trellis, to which the plants will then be tied. The formation of a bush is carried out in 1 stem trellis height. If the bush is too tall, its top must be pinched. It is also recommended to remove all side loops and cut off the bottom dry leaves.

Tying and forming a bush with cucumbers is carried out throughout the entire growing season of the variety.

If you do not follow the rules for forming bushes, the shape of the fruit may be disrupted, resulting in twisted cucumbers.

Hilling

It is not recommended to hill up cucumbers, since the root system of the vegetable is located along the earth's surface, therefore, as a result of hilling, you can catch the root and harm it.