Description of Ajax cucumbers, characteristics of the variety and cultivation
In 2000, the Dutch Ajax cucumbers were added to the register of plants of the Russian Federation for growing in garden plots, farms and household plots.
Main characteristics of the variety
It is an early bee-pollinated hybrid. It is grown in open areas due to its pollination by bees; it is difficult for bees to access greenhouses. Varieties are often grown for sale due to long storage times.
The plant has a powerful branched stem with medium tuberous dark green leaves. Indeterminate with the majority of female flowers. A stepson with one or three fruitful flowers grows from the bosom. The plant is large, so you need to grow them vertically on a trellis. It is necessary to gradually form the plant by removing unnecessary stepsons.
Description of the cucumber - dark green on one side and bright light green with short yellow stripes on the other. The average size of a ripe fruit is from 9 to 12 centimeters and weighs up to 100 grams. Zelenets has a white edge, which disappears when the vegetable is washed. Ripe cucumbers have hard skin. The variety is high-yielding, up to 5 kilograms of harvest are removed from one bush.
The taste of fresh fruit is mediocre, not bright, but without bitterness. It is more often used for preparations for the winter.
The early harvest is formed together, the harvest begins in June and continues until September. Resistant to temperature rises, as well as minor fluctuations. Therefore, the variety has positive reviews from agronomists and gardeners.
The positive qualities of cucumbers
This type of cucumber has many advantages, among them:
- yield of 5 kilograms per bush;
- storage duration,
- resistance to infections and fungi,
- resistance to temperature extremes,
- the fruit is versatile in use,
- excellent transport features,
- ease of care.
disadvantages
The variety has its drawbacks, but there are much fewer of them than advantages.
- Mediocre fresh taste.
- The impossibility of growing in closed areas.
- Hard skin in cucumbers.
Growing features
The soil for planting is prepared in the same way as for growing other varieties. Humus and manure are added, dug up, a bed is formed with a rake. Untreated seeds are soaked for two hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. You can find out whether the seeds are processed or not by color. Usually, seeds treated with chemicals are red or yellow in color.
Cultivation is carried out at an air temperature of 18 degrees, while the night temperature must be more than 10 degrees, otherwise the seeds will not germinate. Many seeds germinate before sowing, this will increase the likelihood of germination.
The landing pattern is as follows:
- on the garden, they draw stripes with a rake at a distance of 30 centimeters from each other,
- the streaks are spilled with warm water,
- seeds of cucumbers are planted at a distance of 20 centimeters, 1-2 seeds per hole,
- sprinkled with earth per centimeter,
- spill water again.
The characteristic of the cucumber is such that as the plant grows, the stems will begin to weave, in order to prevent confusion in the garden, you need to attach a trellis, on which the creepers then cling to the tendrils and crawl up. For this, two cuttings about 2 meters high are taken and driven into the ground on both sides of the garden bed - in the middle. A trellis clings to them or clotheslines are pulled in the form of a net. For this purpose, you cannot use metal wire - when heated in the sun, the plant will burn.
Ajax cucumber cultivars cling to the structure with antennae. With this method of cultivation, Ajax f1 cucumber is convenient to handle, care for and harvest.
During the season, gardeners feed the plants 2-3 times with mineral and organic fertilizers.
Although the variety is resistant to most diseases, one should beware of powdery mildew. The fungus will overtake the plant by surprise. It is necessary to ensure that the leaves and fruits of the cucumber do not lie on the ground, the fungus from there will move to the crop and infect it. You need to water the cucumbers at the root, avoiding drops of water from falling on the leaves and fruits.
Cucumber care
Ajax cucumber varieties are demanding for watering, you need to carefully monitor the moisture content of the soil, do not allow it to dry out, otherwise the harvest will turn out to be poor. Loosening and weeding of the soil is also an important element of caring for any plant. When there is a lot of weed in the beds, it absorbs all the trace elements and moisture - the cucumbers get nothing. They stop growing, bear fruit and eventually dry up.
A bush should be constantly formed, if neglected, growth will go into the green mass of the plant, not giving the desired yield. To do this, the first three stepsons on the plant break out, then pinching occurs according to scheme 1 after 2 or 1 after 3 breaks out.
Harvesting is carried out constantly, outgrowing fruits will be hard and not tasty, and will delay the growth of new vegetables. Since the variety is early ripe, harvesting of the first fruits will begin in mid-June and, depending on the weather conditions in the region, will continue until September.
With proper care, one bush gives 5 kilograms of fresh, tasty vegetables, which are later used to prepare delicious fresh vegetable dishes, roll into jars, pickles, prepare pickled salads and much more.
