Description of the Parker f1 cucumber variety, features of cultivation and care
Cucumber Parker f1 is intended for both open and closed cultivation. It is also successfully grown under film. It is resistant to high summer temperatures. It was included in the State Register of Russian varieties for cultivation in the southern part of the country, but the area of cultivation of this hybrid goes beyond its borders. It is also used successfully in Ukraine and Moldova.
Description of the variety
This is an early plant variety. It has a predominantly female flowering type. Pollinated by bees. The plant has a powerful stem, on which cucumbers of the same size are formed in large quantities.
The description of these cucumbers emphasizes that the bushes have an average climbing capacity. The leaves are gray-green, with a slightly wrinkled surface. The first ovary appears after 4–5 leaves. Usually, one ovary forms from 1 to 3 cucumbers.
The fruit has a cylindrical shape and a uniform dark green color along the entire length with small white stripes. Cucumbers are covered with large tubercles with white thorns. A feature of these cucumbers can be considered the fact that they do not turn yellow.
This cucumber hybrid is used as a salad variety and can also be preserved. He has high taste.
Growing
Two types of planting of Parker cucumbers are used:
- Seedling.
- Seed (directly into open ground).
The seeds sold in specialized stores have already been treated with the necessary fungicide agents, so no additional soaking is required.
Planting times on open beds are determined by measuring the temperature of the soil. By this time, it should warm up to 10-15 degrees. Nighttime temperatures should not be lower than 8 degrees.
Before planting, furrows are made in the soil, which are filled with rotted manure, sand and mineral fertilizers. Then the bed is thoroughly watered. Only after such preparation are seeds placed in the furrows and covered with soil on top (a layer of about 2-4 cm). Then mulching is carried out and the bed is covered with a film.
The distance between the bushes and the rows of planted cucumbers leaves about 50 cm.
If there is a greenhouse, seeds are sown in them in early May, and for planting seedlings, the best period is mid-May. Seedlings ready for planting should have 3-5 true leaves.
Planting seeds for seedlings is carried out in March, so that by the time of planting in the ground, the seedlings are about 1-1.5 months old.
Seed preparation for planting
The seeds of a hybrid cannot be harvested from their harvest, as they lose their maternal properties. They must be purchased from specialized stores. Cucumber seeds remain viable for about 7 years.
Preparation should start about 1 month before planting. During this time, they are heated and hardened. To establish the suitability of seeds for sowing, they are placed in a saline solution (1 tsp per 250 ml of water). Seeds suitable for planting, placed in a solution, sink to the bottom, and empty ones rise to the surface.
Then the seeds are dried, placed in a bag and placed in the refrigerator, and after a while they are removed from the refrigerator and placed in a warm place.
Immediately before planting, the seeds are soaked in warm water and treated with potassium permanganate in order to prevent diseases. After swelling, the seeds are considered ready for planting.
Construction of a bed on film
Cucumbers can be planted under the film both outdoors and in a greenhouse. The prepared bed should have a flat surface. In addition, wind protection should be provided.
The width of such beds should be about 1 meter, and there are no restrictions in length. Manure and last year's straw are poured over the beds. In the process of their decay, heat will be released to heat the soil. From above, such a layer is covered with a layer of soil.
A week after this preparatory work, the beds are sown with cucumber seeds, and then covered with foil. If warm days are established, the shelters can be removed during the day and covered in the evening.
A frame for stretching the film is not required. Along the edge of the bed, polyethylene is pressed against the ground with boards or bricks. Cover material can be removed after 10 June. Until this moment, the bushes are aired daily.
Loosening of such a planting is not required until the film is removed. The main advantage of this growing method is that the plants are in warmer conditions.
Care features
To cope with weeds when growing cucumbers on their site, they use plastic wrap. This allows you to collect decent yields of cucumbers, and the growing process is greatly simplified. If the cucumbers grow on the beds without the use of a film coating, then a trellis is first drawn, on which a cucumber lash is then tied.
Cucumbers are quite a moisture-loving plant. He needs frequent watering to keep the soil from drying out. Watering should be done only with warm water, and make sure that moisture does not get on the foliage. In addition to weeding weeds, during the summer it is necessary to carry out 1–2 additional fertilizing with mineral fertilizers.
Advantages and disadvantages
The taste of the hybrid is high. There is no bitterness in the pulp. The dense consistency of the inner part of the cucumber, as well as the dense upper skin, allows them to be transported over long distances.
This hybrid has few negative characteristics. The disadvantage is that there is no way to harvest seeds from your crop. And since the variety is pollinated by bees, when planting in greenhouses, it may be difficult to pollinate them.
Pests and diseases
The hybrid has the ability to resist typical diseases of this plant species: powdery mildew, tobacco mosaic, olive spot. To avoid infection with such viruses, pre-planting seed treatment is carried out.
It is not recommended to plant cucumbers on the beds where zucchini or pumpkins grew before. It is advisable to wait several years, since harmful microorganisms can infect the planted cucumbers.
Harvesting and storage
Fruit characteristics:
- The length of the zelents is 9-12 cm.
- The diameter of a cucumber is up to 3-5 cm.
- Fruit weight is approximately 100-110 g.
The time from germination to harvesting of the first harvest is approximately 44–46 days. From 1 sq. m. you can collect up to 11 kg of fruit. Harvesting is carried out from June to October.
Gardeners reviews
Dmitry Gor, Ukraine: “I grew Parker cucumbers strictly according to the recommendations.Carefully prepared the beds, carried out tying and cut off the side shoots. The bushes turned out to be quite strong and viable. The fruits were to match the bushes, just as strong. The taste is excellent, however, they didn’t look very good, they turned out too embossed, but they were perfect for preservation. ”
Anastasia, Rostov region: “I grew Parker cucumbers at my dacha. I liked the hybrid's high yield and disease resistance, but I was not impressed by their taste. Besides, they have a very dense skin. "
Along with the proven cucumber varieties, Parker planted this year. Fertilized only with a growth activator BioGrow... The harvest began earlier than expected, the cucumbers are very tasty and crunchy. The skin is somewhat hard, but due to this, the cucumbers are stored longer. Next year I am thinking of growing this variety under a film.