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All gardeners want to grow fragrant, sweet, crunchy cucumbers without problems and worries. To do this, select the best varieties of cucumbers, characterized by excellent taste and high yield. But how to choose the best variety from a huge list, the fruits of which will bring taste pleasure and delight with their crunch in early spring, summer and even winter. Surely experienced farmers have a couple of good varieties on their note, among which you can often find Courage F1 cucumbers. This hybrid has an amazing taste and has a number of agrotechnical advantages compared to other varieties of cucumbers. You can get acquainted with this wonderful vegetable, see photos of fresh cucumbers and learn detailed information about their cultivation by reading the article below.
Description of Zelenets
The most important indicator when choosing a variety of cucumbers is the taste of the future harvest. After all, a sweet, fragrant cucumber can become a real delicacy for adults and children. So, it is the amazing taste that is the main and most significant advantage of Courage f1 cucumbers.
Zelentsy “Courage f1” have a pronounced fresh aroma. When breaking a cucumber, you can hear a characteristic crunch. Its flesh is dense, juicy, sweet, absolutely devoid of bitterness. Cucumbers can be used for pickling, pickling, canning, salads and even soups. Wonderful vegetables of the “Courage f1” variety can become the “highlight” of every table, since the special taste of greens surprises not only when consumed fresh, but also after salting and heat treatment. In winter and summer, Courage f1 cucumber will delight the owners and guests of the house with its presence on the table.
The external description of greenery is excellent: the length of the cucumber is at least 13 cm, the shape is classic for culture – oval-cylindrical, leveled. The average weight of each vegetable is 120-140 gr. In cross section, the diameter of the fruit is 3,5-4 cm. Numerous white bumps and spikes can be observed on the surface of the cucumber. You can see Courage f1 cucumbers below in the photo.
Varietal characteristics
The Courage f1 hybrid was bred by domestic breeders of the Gavrish company. Courage f1 cucumber belongs to the category of parthenocarpic, which means that it has flowers of a predominantly female type.
This property is another advantage of the Courage f1 variety of cucumbers, since even under adverse climatic conditions, you can get a plentiful harvest of vegetables. Also, parthenocarpy allows you to plant plants in a greenhouse or greenhouse without attracting insects and carrying out artificial pollination.
The early maturity of the Courage f1 variety allows you to get the earliest harvest of fresh cucumbers on your site, to the envy of all neighbors. So, the period from sowing seeds to the appearance of the first greens is only 35 days. The mass ripening of vegetables occurs 44 days after sowing the crop in the ground. Thanks to such a short period of fruit ripening, using the seedling method of growing, it is possible to get the first, spring, fresh vegetables already in late May – early June.
An additional feature and at the same time an advantage is the high yield of the Courage f1 variety of cucumbers. So, under the condition of growing cucumbers in open areas of land, from each meter you can get 6-6,5 kg of fresh, tasty vegetables. If the crop is grown in greenhouse conditions, then the yield can exceed 8,5 kg / m2.
All the listed agrotechnical characteristics once again prove the superiority of the “Courage f1” variety over other alternative varieties of cucumbers.
Cultivation
Courage f1 cucumber variety can be safely grown not only under film cover, but also on unprotected plots of land.
Zoned “Courage f1” for the central part of Our Country, however, this variety of cucumbers can also be successfully cultivated in the northern regions.
For the cultivation of the Courage f1 variety of cucumbers, various technologies can be used: seedling method or sowing directly with a seed into the ground, with or without preliminary germination of grains. The choice of this or that technology depends, first of all, on the preferences of the farmer, however, the following sequence of actions is the most correct.
Selection and processing of seeds
Filled, viable cucumber seeds “Courage f1” can be selected by soaking the grains in a saline solution. To do this, mix a tablespoon of salt in a liter of water, then dip the seeds of the Courage f1 variety into the solution, mix again and leave for 10-20 minutes. The seeds that float to the surface of the water are empty, while the filled grains should sink to the bottom of the container. They should be used in the future.
On the surface of cucumber seeds, harmful microorganisms may not be visible to the eye. They can subsequently cause the development of diseases and death of plants. That is why even before germination of cucumber seeds, they should be processed. This can be done by placing the seeds in a weak manganese solution for 1-1,5 hours. After such disinfection, the seeds of Courage f1 cucumbers must be thoroughly rinsed with a stream of running water, and then dried for storage or germinated.
Germination
Sprouting seeds speeds up the process of growing the crop as a whole. For the germination of seeds of Courage f1 cucumbers, it is necessary to create optimal conditions with a temperature of + 28- + 300C and high humidity. Such a microclimate can be created by placing seeds in a flap of damp cloth or gauze. To reduce evaporation and prevent drying out, it is recommended to place a wet shred with seeds in a plastic bag. You can also place the fabric on a saucer, but in this case you will need to check its moisture content regularly.
The required temperature for the germination of seeds of cucumbers “Courage f1” “can be found” near stoves, radiators or directly on human skin. It is worth noting that some experienced gardeners put a plastic bag of seeds in the pocket of their everyday clothes and claim that in such a strange but really warm location, cucumber seeds germinate very quickly.
Seeds of cucumbers “Courage f1” in the presence of favorable conditions hatch in 4-6 days. Seeds that do not develop green sprouts are non-viable or weak. They should be sorted. Germinated grains can be sown in the ground or for seedlings.
Sowing seeds in the ground
It is possible to sow the seeds of Courage f1 cucumbers in open ground only when the soil at a depth of 10-15 cm has warmed up to a temperature of over +150C, and the threat of night frost has passed. In central Our Country, as a rule, such climatic conditions are typical for the end of May.
Germinated seeds of Courage f1 cucumbers are recommended to be sown on plots of land where cabbage, legumes or potatoes used to grow. Fertilizing the soil should be taken care of in advance, in the fall, since fresh manure with a high nitrogen content can burn plants. In the spring, before sowing Courage f1 cucumbers, only well-rotted compost is allowed.
Courage f1 cucumbers form a medium-sized, rather compact bush, so you can sow their seeds into the soil in 4-5 pieces. for 1m2. Ridges with crops should be covered with plastic wrap. When shoots appear, the film must be lifted onto the arcs. In the presence of relatively stable summer temperatures, shelter can be omitted.
Growing seedlings
The seedling method of growing has several advantages:
- room conditions are favorable for growing healthy, strong seedlings of cucumbers;
- at the time of diving into the ground, cucumbers have enough strength to resist the disease and pests;
- diving grown plants speeds up the process of obtaining a crop;
- when planting cucumbers, stronger plants can be selected in order not to occupy land with seedlings with a slow growth rate.
Germinated seeds of Courage f1 cucumbers are sown on seedlings in the second half of April. To do this, use plastic cups or peat pots. Soil for plants can be purchased or prepared independently by mixing peat, sand, fertile soil and compost in equal proportions. Soil acidity can be reduced by adding wood ash. In each container filled with soil, 1-2 seeds should be placed. After that, the crops must be watered and covered with a protective material (film, glass). Containers are recommended to be placed in a warm place. When seedlings appear, seedlings of cucumbers are placed on an illuminated surface. It is worth noting that with a lack of light, the seedlings of Courage f1 cucumbers will begin to stretch and slow down growth, so the lack of lighting should be compensated by highlighting the plants with fluorescent lamps.
It is possible to dive seedlings of Courage f1 cucumbers into the greenhouse in mid-May. In open ground, plants can be transplanted in early June. Seedlings by the time of picking should have 3-4 true leaves.
Basic care
Courage f1 cucumbers are relatively unpretentious. For their full growth and fruiting, it is necessary to regularly water with warm water (+220C) directly under the root after sunset. Top dressing is recommended to be carried out 4 times per season. As a fertilizer, a solution of chicken manure, mullein or complex fertilizer can be used. Foliar feeding will also help increase yields. Experienced gardeners practice spraying plants with urea.
Conclusion
Other important points related to the cultivation of Courage f1 cucumbers can be found in the video:
Growing delicious, fruitful cucumbers on your site is very simple. To do this, you need to choose such a good variety as “Courage f1” and make a little effort. These wonderful cucumbers grow successfully in open areas of soil, under film cover and in polycarbonate greenhouses. This variety will thank the farmer even for the most minimal care and give an excellent harvest, which will please the early spring with the first greens and the harsh winter with a crispy, pickled cucumber.
