Gherkin cucumber Fatima fine-spined

Cucumis sativus - Fatima F1

Cucumbers are undoubtedly among the most popular types of vegetables. Pickling cucumbers or salad cucumbers are probably the most commonly grown vegetable variety. Everyone knows long slicing cucumbers. The fruits measure over thirty centimeters, are smooth, non-bitter, and suitable for cultivation in greenhouses and polytunnel covers. Cucumbers originate from India, where they have been cultivated for 3000 years. The plant grows up to 2 meters long and is climbing. It characteristically has large, deeply lobed, alternately growing leaves. Cucumbers produce large yellow unisexual flowers, both male and female, which are pollinated by insects. The fruit is a cucumber - a berry.

Cucumbers contain the enzyme erepsin, which breaks down proteins. Vitamin E protects cells from free radicals. Consuming cucumbers quickly brings a feeling of satiety, which helps with weight-loss diets.

Besides basic culinary preparations of cucumbers, such as salads or preserving, cucumbers can also be used to make various cream salads, as well as cocktails and various smoothies.

How to Grow Cucumbers

• It's not advisable to plant cucumbers where potatoes or strawberries were previously grown. On the other hand, beds after peas, onions, beets, or beans are suitable. Cucumbers require bright, warm locations that are sheltered from wind. We keep the soil around emerged seedlings loose and clean. Cucumbers have shallow roots, so we don't cultivate deeply. We pinch plants at the six-leaf stage after the fifth leaf and later also pinch side shoots after fruit set. Pinching accelerates harvest by at least fourteen days. Watering during hot sun is not suitable, as plants suffer from scorch and downy mildew. Leaves must be dry at night, so afternoon watering is completely unsuitable and we water only in the morning. For cucumber cultivation, it's advisable to use PVC film which protects seedlings from potential temperature drops. Black non-woven fabric is most suitable.

• Cucumber seeds can be sown directly in the bed around May 20th. Cucumbers are quite susceptible to temperature shocks, so temperatures should not fall below 8°C.

  Another option is pre-cultivation, which helps us avoid cucumber downy mildew. Sowing can be done from mid-April. We sow seeds in growing substrate, one seed per pot or seed tray. We can pre-cultivate indoors by a window or in a greenhouse. Seedlings are pre-grown for 12-16 days and the suitable temperature for seed germination is 15-18°C. Overwatering doesn't suit seeds or young seedlings well, as they could easily die. We place seedlings in their final location only after May 20th.

• They require quality, fertilized, deeply worked soil.

• It's good to fertilize the site before planting with well-aged manure or mature compost. This prepared material should be left to settle for another 2-3 weeks. During vegetation, you can fertilize with diluted cow manure with fermented chicken manure. You can also use artificial fertilizer Cucumin, specially designed for cucumbers. We can also apply Cererit or Floran.

• Sucking pests such as aphids, whiteflies, or spider mites can significantly weaken our cultivated plants during heavy infestation. Fungal diseases include mainly mildews such as cucumber downy mildew, black fruit rot, and powdery mildew. It's suitable to use ROCK EFFECT as prevention, not only against sucking pests but also against fungal diseases. To treat fungal diseases, we can use products like Acrobat MZ WG, Aliette 80 WG, Dithane DG Neotec, Champion 50 WP, Kuprikol 50, Ortiva, Previcur Energy, Ridomil Gold MZ Pepite, and Plíseň STOP.

  Symptoms of cucumber mosaic virus can be observed on approximately month-and-a-half-old plants. Greener irregular spots begin to form on leaves, which turn yellow over time. Leaves wrinkle and deform. It's transmitted by pests such as aphids or whiteflies. Protection involves eliminating sucking pests that transmit the disease and destroying plants in case of infestation.

• We harvest cucumbers at least two to three times a week. During harvest, we take care not to tear the cucumber seedlings and damage the shoots. We harvest ripe fruits.