Cucumber F1 is best suited for outdoor cultivation. He was brought out by domestic breeders of the Gavrish company. Since 2002, the hybrid has been included in the State Register. After lengthy tests, the variety is approved for cultivation in greenhouses and under temporary shelters throughout the country.
Grade description
As shown by many years of practice and reviews, F1 Courage cucumbers are ideal for growing in different conditions. They are highly resistant to disease, give stable yields in all weather conditions.
If agricultural technology is observed, up to sixteen tasty, even cucumbers can be obtained from two plants.
When growing the “Courage F1” cucumber in open ground and in greenhouses, it does not need pollination, since it mainly forms female-type flowers.
The plant does not have the ability to independently stop growth and can reach 4 meters in length. Therefore, it is recommended to limit their growth. When grown in greenhouses, the main stem is limited in growth by pinching it.
Planting is carried out according to the scheme 60X70 cm. This placement improves the illumination of plants, which leads to an increase in yield.
According to the description, the cucumber bushes “Courage F1” are covered with medium-sized green leaves. The plants themselves have a medium-branched, not a large number of stepsons. The type of flowering is mainly female, bunch-shaped. With good agricultural technology, 2-4 green leaves are formed in each internode.
Description of the fetus
According to reviews, Courage F1 cucumbers are suitable for all types of canning and fresh consumption. Zelentsy is a variety of classical form, covered with frequent small tubercles with white pubescence.
The fruits are bright green, but upon closer inspection, you can see light green stripes reaching up to a third of the fruit. The average length of the cucumbers is 12 cm, diameter - 3.5 cm, weight - 100 g.
Bushes
When growing cucumber Kurazh F1 in open ground, vegetable growers must take into account the peculiarities of overgrowth of the main lash. In order to obtain the yield declared by the manufacturer, it is necessary to constantly form the plant. It is best to plant it in one stalk, adhering to a planting pattern of 60 x 70 cm.
The formation of bushes begins with the appearance of the first leaves. First, remove all stepsons and flowers from the sinuses to a height of 50 cm. This method allows for good ventilation to plants, which increases protection against fungal diseases. After pinching, powerful roots are formed.
Formation continues as the central stem grows to a height of 2 meters. At the same time, all antennae and stepsons are removed from the sinuses, only flowers are left. When the central lash reaches two meter height, it is directed down. On the drooping stem, pinching of the crown is carried out at a height of 50 cm from the ground.
Ripening, planting dates
According to characteristics, Cucumber Courage F1 belongs to the early species. When grown indoors, it begins to bear fruit on the 35th day; peak fruiting occurs on the 52nd day from the emergence of seedlings. The yield of the crop is friendly, which is very convenient for small farms that supply crops to the markets.
Planting dates depend on the growing method and region. With the seedling method of cultivation, 30 days are taken from the date of the proposed planting in the greenhouse - this will be the sowing date. When grown in a seedlingless manner, sowing is carried out in the soil as soon as the air warms up to +16 ... + 18 degrees. The beds are necessarily covered with film.
Seed preparation
If the description of the variety of cucumbers Kurag F1 does not say that the seeds are processed, then they should be prepared in advance. This procedure is carried out in several stages:
- Empty seeds are removed first. For this, a spoonful of salt is diluted in a liter of water, seeds are placed in the solution. Those that remain floating on the surface of the water are removed. These are empty seeds unsuitable for sowing. The rest, settled to the bottom of the tank, washed with clean water and used for sowing.
- Seed treatment for disease prevention. To do this, prepare a pink solution of potassium permanganate, in which the seeds are lowered for half an hour.
- To stimulate germination, it is necessary to "activate" the seeds. To do this, they are gently cracked on a damp cloth, covered with a damp cloth and left for several days, constantly wetting the cloth so that it does not dry out.
Some growers harden the seeds by placing them in the refrigerator for two days. The procedure is carried out to increase immunity and stress resistance.
Growing seedlings
The easiest way to grow cucumbers Courage F1 in open ground and greenhouse seedlings. To grow seedlings, it is necessary to prepare individual containers with a volume of at least 0.5 liters. It can be disposable cups, a container of juice or milk. Soil is poured into the container for vegetable seedlings. In the central part make a depression of 1.5 cm and spread the seeds. One seed is placed in one hole. If germinated seeds are used, then two seeds can be planted, and then a weak sprout can be removed.
Cucumber seedlings are ready for planting on the 23rd day since the emergence of seedlings.
Seedling care
Seedlings are watered only with warm water in the mornings or evenings. The scheme of watering plants in greenhouses and when growing cucumbers "Courage F1" in the open ground is similar.
When the second true leaf appears, the plants are fed with complex mineral fertilizers, nitrophosphate or mullein, diluted in a proportion of 1:10.
Permanent landing
Planting cucumbers Courage F1 is carried out at a time when the soil warms up to 12 degrees. Temperature measurement is performed not on the surface, but at a depth of 10 cm - this is where the roots of seedlings will develop. Plants can be planted in the greenhouse at the end of April, and in open ground at the end of May, but only on condition that the garden will be covered. Without shelter, plants are planted in early June, as soon as the threat of return frosts passes. In the southern and northern regions of the country, the timing is different.
To get enough nutrition from the soil, they cannot be placed too close to each other. Cucumbers prefer space, and given that these are gluttonous types of plants, they need to provide a sufficient amount of nutrients. Close landing leads to the development of diseases. Because of these features, planting three bushes on 2 m 2 is considered the best option . Plants are planted on a cloudy day or closer to evening, when the sun no longer burns tender leaves.
After planting in the greenhouse for four days, you need to maintain a constant high temperature and humidity of 90%. In the open ground, it is more difficult to provide comfortable conditions, but you can cover the seedlings with a film or covering material.
Watering
Judging by the description, F1 Courage cucumbers are very fond of moisture. Productivity and its quality depend on its quantity. Plants are watered every two days with warm settling water in the evening or morning hours. Irrigation rate - 5 liters per bush.
It is necessary to water not a specific bush, but the entire area of the garden. This is due to the peculiarity of the growth of the root system, which is located close to the surface.
If there is intense heat, then water the plants every day, and on cloudy days, the interval between waterings is increased.
Cucumbers need increased watering when they only form fruits and after harvesting. During these periods, about ten liters of water are consumed every 1 day per 1 m 2 .
In the event that the plants begin to fade, the leaves need to be urgently watered, even if the next period has not arrived, observing the irrigation regime.
Feeding Features
Judging by the description and photo, F1 Courage cucumbers form 2-4 green leaves in each node. Due to the beam type of fruiting, plants need an increased amount of fertilizer, but do not apply them uncontrollably. During the growing season, plants are fed 4-6 times. If the weather is hot, then top dressing is done at the root. In other cases, fertilizing is recommended according to the sheet.
The best time for feeding is evening. The ideal day is the day it rained. If it was not, then before applying fertilizers, the bed is pre-watered.
The standard fertilizer application is as follows:
- After 12 days from the time of planting the bushes in the ground, the first top dressing is carried out. For her, it is recommended to use mullein (1:10) or bird droppings (1:15), an infusion of green grass. To cook it, take young green grass and chop finely. They fill the container with composition, fill it with water and insist under the sun for three days. Before use, the product is filtered and diluted in a ratio of 1: 5.
- The second top dressing is carried out after the appearance of the first flowers. To do this, use the same means as for the first top dressing, and mineral fertilizers: a mixture of potassium or ammonium nitrate, taken in a spoon, with the addition of two tablespoons of superphosphate. The composition is diluted in ten liters of water. You can add a glass of ash to this composition. For foliar feeding, a composition is prepared from a teaspoon of superphosphate diluted in 10 liters of water.
- After mass fruiting, fertilizers are applied a third time. To do this, take one and a half tablespoons of urea and a spoonful of potassium nitrate per 10 liters of water. You can apply the infusion of wood ash, prepared from 500 grams of ash and 10 liters of water. The composition is infused for three days. For top dressing, 10 grams of urea diluted in 10 liters of water are used.
- After 10 days from the moment of the third fertilizer application, the last top dressing is carried out. An infusion of ash prepared from a glass of composition and 10 liters of water is used for it. You can use a soda solution or infusion of fresh hay. When applying fertilizers in a non-root way, urea is used - 10 grams per 10 liters of water.
Diseases, pests
Judging by the reviews and description, Cucumber F1 cucumbers are practically not amenable to certain types of diseases, but this suggests that plants do not suffer from powdery mildew, mosaic virus, olive spotting and root rot.
In addition to these diseases, plants often suffer from others:
- Cladosporiosis. The disease is characterized by the appearance of dark gray spots of an almost regular shape. Gradually, the affected areas dry out, the leaves die off. As the fungus grows, the fruit is also affected. For prevention, it is recommended to ventilate the greenhouse daily, and treat the soil with a 1% solution of Bordeaux fluid. The processing interval is once every two weeks.
- White rot. The disease affects the leaves and fruits. First, white spots appear, resembling a whitish coating. Then the leaf blade and cucumbers at the lesion sites become soft, watery, translucent. To avoid the appearance of this disease, it is necessary to follow the rules of irrigation. If suddenly white rot has arisen, then a 2% solution of copper sulfate is used to combat it. If the bush is completely rotten, it is removed.
- Fusarium The disease develops rapidly. Absolutely healthy bushes can die within a day. There is no cure for the disease, but for prophylaxis, it is recommended to carry out prophylaxis of seed and cultivate the soil before planting seedlings.
- Mosaic. The disease is characterized by the appearance of whitish or yellowish spots in the shape of a star. White longitudinal stripes appear on the fruits. Fighting the disease is useless. If the plants are very young, then you can try to transplant them to another place, having previously disinfected the soil.
- Bacteriosis. This disease is characterized by the appearance of small brown sores on the leaves. They are slightly convex, as if there is a liquid inside. If the humidity in the greenhouse is too high, dark brown muddy drops appear on the back of the leaf blade. Infected leaves fall off. Bacteriosis affects not only the leaves - both the lashes and the fruits suffer. So that the plant does not hurt, it should be protected from drafts and cold. If any disease is suspected, the leaves are removed. Bushes should be immediately treated with 2% Bordeaux fluid.
Photos, reviews, a description of the cucumber Courage F1 make it clear that this is a unique variety. Its fruits are loved not only by people, but also by pests. And in this the breeders are powerless so far - they cannot protect their achievements from insects, but the vegetable grower can do this.
The most common pests of cucumbers are aphids and whiteflies. The first species prefers to live in colonies under leaves, on lashes. Aphid is a carrier of viral and bacterial diseases of plants. To deal with it, the bushes are treated with special drugs or use alternative methods of pest control.
Often, plants are affected by the pest of a whitefly: a white small insect that can fly. Whitefly infects leaves, whips. In those places where the pest was sitting, the plant becomes sticky. “Aktofit” helps with the pest, which they process the plant in accordance with the instructions.
Among the pests, often affecting cucumbers, a spider mite is isolated, which settles on the inner surface of the leaves. You can determine the pest by the characteristic cobweb on which small insects sit. They can be light or black. You can fight it with the help of special drugs - depending on the degree of damage, it is better to consult a specialist.