The Kumanek f1 cucumber is adapted to the conditions of the south and center of Russia; it is grown in open ground because it is pollinated by bees. The variety tolerates heat and drought, rainy and cloudy weather in the Volga-Vyatka region.
Description of the hybrid
The determinate bush grows up to 1.7 m in height, sends out many branches with rough leaves of a dark green hue. Clusters of cucumbers look beautiful, because in place of a bunch of inflorescences, up to 5 fruits are tied at once, which have:
- cylindrical shape;
- bright green tint;
- sweetish taste;
- dense pulp.
The first cucumbers ripen a month and a half after the shoots appear.One green leaf weighs up to 100 g and does not exceed 15 cm in length. The peel is covered with tubercles and white stripes. The fruits are not bitter and have no voids. The crunchy characteristics of Kumanek cucumbers set them apart from other hybrids. Pickled greens are even tastier than fresh.
Advantages of the variety
Despite the fact that cucumbers ripen as early as May, the bushes continue to bear fruit until August. Farmers harvest up to 600 centners of crops per hectare from the fields. They value the variety for its sustainability:
- to peronosporosis;
- to powdery mildew;
- To cucumber mosaic;
- to sudden changes in weather.
Even in hot climates, the plant normally tolerates lack of watering for an entire week. Cucumbers do not turn yellow, but lose their marketable appearance within a few days, so farmers strive to sell the crop as quickly as possible.
For summer residents this is not a problem, since they can preserve crispy greens and look forward to the first cucumber appearing.
How to prepare seeds?
Before growing a hybrid in your garden, you should read not only the description of their taste, but also how to plant them. First you need to check the seeds for germination and select damaged and empty ones. After this, they are immersed in a solution of potassium permanganate for three days, which helps protect the seed from fungal spores. There are other methods of hardening.
Aloe leaves are kept in the freezer for a couple of days, the squeezed juice is mixed with water, or a honey solution is prepared, where cucumber seeds are placed, which you can collect yourself from the Kumanek hybrid variety. To make the seeds germinate faster, they are laid out on a wet cotton cloth and covered with 2 layers of gauze on top. The material will remain damp if you wet the cloth with water.
Ready-made seeds are produced by the Russian company Aelita. They do not need to be hardened or treated with potassium permanganate.
Features of planting
Cucumbers are sown in the garden when the air temperature rises to 15 degrees. The location for the hybrid variety should be selected in an area where the sun shines almost all day. Between rows you need to leave a distance of up to 70 cm, between holes - up to half a meter.
So that the cucumbers ripen two weeks earlier, seedlings are prepared. The seeds are placed in peat cups, which serve as food for the bush, and then decompose, and the cucumbers do not suffer from stress when they are moved into open ground. To prevent seedlings from stretching upward and to strengthen the stems, good lighting is needed. Cucumber bushes are moved to the garden bed when they are no more than a month old, subject to the following conditions:
- The spring frosts have ended.
- The temperature does not drop to 10–12 degrees.
- Winds blow from the south and west.
Summer residents who have been growing cucumbers for many years plant calendula flowers around them, which helps attract the attention of bees.
Rules of care
To harvest an excellent harvest of crispy greens, it is better to water the beds in the evening, then the moisture is retained longer and the cucumbers do not become bitter. This hybrid variety tolerates temperature changes if the soil is well fertilized. Feed the soil near the Kumanek hybrid with organic matter. Wood ash and humus are perfect for this purpose. The soil under the cucumbers is saturated with nitrogen and potassium and fertilized with urea. It is recommended to feed the bushes once a week.
Hybrids develop and grow better if weeds are removed in time and the soil begins to loosen after each watering. Cucumber variety Kumanek is not afraid of mosaic, resistant to downy mildew, but in unfavorable weather it is susceptible to root rot.If the plant becomes infected with this disease:
- The leaves are turning yellow.
- The ovary crumbles.
- The bush withers and dries up.
Infection and pests are fought by spraying cucumbers with biological agents such as Integral, Baktofit. It is advisable to treat the seeds with these preparations before planting.
Summer residents who grow the Kumanek cucumber variety write only positive reviews about the hybrid. They like the fact that greens:
- do not outgrow;
- do not turn yellow;
- they don't taste bitter.
Appetizing cucumbers have a crunch, are perfect for canning, and no voids form in the pulp. Even an inexperienced gardener can form bushes; they are cared for as for ordinary determinate hybrid cucumbers.
