Slicing cucumber for field Jogger F1

Cucumis sativus - Jogger F1

Cucumbers undoubtedly rank among the most popular vegetable types. Pickling cucumbers or salad cucumbers are probably the most commonly grown vegetable variety. Everyone knows the long snake 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 male and female flowers, which are pollinated by insects. The fruit is the cucumber - a berry.

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

Besides basic kitchen preparations of cucumbers, such as salads or pickling, 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 contrary, beds after peas, onions, beets, or beans are suitable. Cucumbers require a bright, warm location that is sheltered from wind. We keep the soil around emerged seedlings loose and clean. Cucumbers have shallow roots, so we don't hoe 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 sunny heat 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 growing cucumbers, 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 relatively susceptible to temperature shocks, so temperatures should not fall below 8°C.

  Another option is pre-cultivation, where we avoid cucumber downy mildew. Sowing can be done from mid-April onwards. We sow seeds in seed-starting substrate, one seed per pot or cell tray. We can pre-cultivate behind a window indoors 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 very well - they could easily die. We again 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 matured compost. Leave this prepared soil to settle for another 2-3 weeks. During the growing season, you can fertilize with diluted cow manure with fermented chicken manure. You can also use artificial fertilizer Cucumin, designed specifically 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 advisable to use ROCK EFFECT as prevention, not only against sucking pests but also against fungal diseases. For treatment against 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 in approximately month and a half old plants. Greener irregular spots begin to form on leaves, which yellow over time. Leaves wrinkle and deform. It's transmitted by pests such as aphids or whiteflies. Protection involves eliminating the 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're careful not to tear the cucumber seedlings and damage the shoots. We pick mature fruits.