With the arrival of spring, gardeners yearning for fresh vegetables from the garden are actively waiting for the first harvest. The vegetable that pleases you the most after a long winter is the cucumber. But spring is unpredictable and changeable, frosts can also occur, and cucumbers are a heat-loving plant. Therefore, breeders develop early varieties, such as the Nastya F1 cucumber.
Features of the hybrid
Cucumber variety Nastya F1 is a super-early self-pollinating hybrid. The first harvest can be harvested within 38–40 days after emergence. It has a long fruiting period.
Description of the plant:
- vigorous, shoot formation is weak;
- female flowering type;
- there are 5–6 ovaries in each leaf axil;
- the yield is high: in open ground - from 12.8 to 14.3 kg per 1 sq. m, indoors - up to 30 kg per 1 sq. m;
- the hybrid is highly resistant to olive spot virus cucumber mosaic and powdery mildew.
Thanks to its early ripening and high yields, “Nastya” is ideal for growing not only in garden plots, but also on an industrial scale.
Fruit characteristics:
- oval-cylindrical shape;
- length 7–10 cm, weight from 80 to 100 grams;
- length to diameter ratio 2.9:1;
- The color of cucumbers is bright green;
- the surface of the fruit is finely tuberculate;
- inside without voids, with a small number of seeds;
- The greens are strong, dense, crispy, without bitterness.
The excellent taste of cucumbers is unchanged both raw and canned.
Agricultural technology
Cucumbers of the hybrid variety Nastya F1 are suitable for cultivation in open and closed ground. It is not difficult to achieve the desired result and get the first cucumbers on time; it is enough to follow the growing conditions and recommendations for caring for the plant.
Cucumbers are very demanding of heat and dependent on light. At low temperatures, plants weaken and become sick, and when the temperature drops to zero or below, they die. Insufficient lighting negatively affects the development and growth of cucumbers. Therefore, the place for growing should be chosen on the sunny side.
Early varieties of cucumbers can be grown in seedlings or sown directly into the ground. But after studying the reviews of experienced vegetable growers, we were able to find out that the seedling method and subsequent cultivation in a greenhouse can speed up the first harvest by two to three weeks:
- Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out at different times, depending on the region: in the northern part - towards the end of April, in the middle zone - in mid-April, in the southern regions - from the beginning of March.
- When sowing, the seeds are buried 1.5–2 cm and covered with film. The optimal temperature for germination is +25 degrees.
- After about a week, when the first shoots hatch, the film is removed and the temperature is lowered to +20 degrees.
- Seedlings should be watered no more than once a week with warm water.
- Seedlings are also planted in greenhouses taking into account climatic conditions: in the northern part - in early June, in the middle zone - in mid-May, and in the southern regions - from the beginning of April.
- It is necessary to prepare the soil in the greenhouse in advance. To do this, add compost or manure (5 kg per 1 sq. m) and a nutrient mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to the soil.
- Planting scheme - 3-4 plants per 1 square. m.
- After transplanting, cucumbers should be watered well and refrain from watering for several days to allow the plants to take root.
- The first feeding is carried out after two weeks and repeated weekly.
- As the cucumbers grow, they are tied to a trellis above the second true leaf.
- Even though Nastya is a weak-climbing cucumber, she also needs formation. To do this, pinch out the lower 4–5 ovaries and 1–2 side shoots. Subsequently, each side lash is pinched over the second sheet.
- During active growth, plants must be provided with regular watering with warm water.
If you follow all the rules and recommendations, Nastya will delight you with cucumbers until the fall.
Reviews
Natalya, Barnaul: “We’ve been imprisoning Nastya for a couple of years now. They grow quickly, ripen early, and bear fruit for a long time. The cucumbers are aromatic, with delicate skin, very tasty.”
Peter, Chelyabinsk: “I have been growing the Nastya variety for many years.No complaints. It grows steadily and bears fruit without getting sick. The cucumbers grow tasty and crispy, just right for pickling.”
Lyudmila, Krasnoyarsk: “I prefer to plant varietal cucumbers, because I don’t really trust store-bought seeds. But I like Nastya, I plant her every year. Self-pollination allows this variety to be planted earlier than varietal varieties. The yield is good and is not affected by diseases or pests.”
Alexey, Orsk: “I like Nastya cucumbers for their amazing yield. At the same time, the taste is excellent and the crunchiness is excellent. They are good both fresh and pickled.”
Marina, Altai Territory: “The neighbors at the dacha advised Nastya to plant cucumbers. I tried it and fell in love. They are so small, pimply, but not prickly. And very tasty, there were no bitter cucumbers. Now I will plant every year so that I can enjoy fresh cucumbers all summer long.”
