Cucumber is a popular vegetable crop that is in demand among gardeners and consumers. The greatest preference is given to hybrid varieties marked with the symbol F1. This means that the vegetable seeds are obtained by crossing two species and have their best qualities. The main ones are fast ripening time, yield and excellent taste.
Breeders are continuously working to develop new varieties of cucumbers that have the necessary characteristics and disease resistance. One of these hybrids, approved for cultivation and included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements in the Russian Federation, is the domestic hybrid Pogrebok.
Characteristics of the species
The early ripening, high-yielding variety Pogrebok F1 is popular among gardeners due to its biological and commercial properties. The hybrid species is grown under film covers that protect vegetables from frost, and in open ground.
Main characteristics of cucumber:
- plant productivity under favorable conditions can reach 15 – 17 kg per 1 m2 — thanks to this growth, the variety is classified as high-yielding;
- Vegetables ripen quickly—after 43–48 days from planting in the soil, the first harvest can be harvested;
- the hybrid’s resistance to disease is the main advantage of breeding work;
- The universal type is suitable for fresh consumption, canning and pickling.
The resulting hybrid has an indeterminate bush and a medium-branched vine structure with small leaves. The plant is characterized by a mixed type of flowering with a predominance of female flowers, especially on the side shoots.
Hybrid resistance to diseases
The description of the species as the most disease-resistant domestic hybrid is confirmed by numerous reviews from gardeners who grow vegetable crops.
The plant is practically immune to downy mildew and cladosporiosis.
General rules for soil preparation and treatment of young plants should be observed to prevent the development of diseases. You cannot plant vegetables in soil where beans or carrots used to grow in order to prevent the spread of white rot that affects these crops. As soon as symptoms of powdery mildew or white rot are detected, the leaves of the plant should be immediately sprayed with copper-containing preparations.
Sometimes the leaves of the Pogrebok cucumber are affected by melon aphids.Spraying with a solution of laundry soap or modern preparations such as Biotlin, Fufanon will help you cope with the parasite.
Features of growing plants
Almost all cucumbers are heat-loving and moisture-loving plants, the Pogrebok variety is no exception. Before you start growing, it is necessary to exclude hypothermia: young plants cannot withstand it.
It is better to plant seeds to obtain seedlings at the beginning of May, and in open soil at the end of May; sprouts will appear within 3–6 days. The place for seed germination should be well lit and protected from winds.
You can purchase ready-made cucumber seedlings and plant them in soil heated by the sun to a constant temperature of 18 °C. In case of cold weather, the sprouts are covered with film. It is optimal to germinate the seeds in early May, and plant the sprouts in loose, humus-rich soil at the end of May - beginning of June according to the 40x40 cm pattern.
The plant requires watering, which is best done in the morning or in the evening after sunset. The optimal ambient temperature for rapid growth and development of fruits is 25 – 30 °C; below 14 °C or above 42 °C the plant stops developing. Vegetable crops must be periodically fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers and the soil loosened. Flowers are pollinated by bees and other insects.
Harvesting
The first cucumbers ripen 1.5 months after germination. The fruits are a hybrid type of cylindrical shape, tapering towards the base, up to 11 cm long, up to 4 cm in diameter and weighing up to 100 g.
The surface of the cucumber is lumpy, green in color with white stripes and brown tubercles. With proper care, the plant bears fruit before the onset of cold weather.
It is recommended to collect the fruits early in the morning, when they are the strongest and most elastic, carefully tearing them off the stem without damaging the fragile lashes. Cucumbers should not be allowed to overripe so as not to stop the fruit formation process. The more often you harvest, the more new ovaries will form on the plant.
The structure of the fruit, excellent taste and lack of bitterness determine the versatility of the Pogrebok variety and allow it to be used for preparing fresh salads and canning, while greens pickled in barrels have received the most positive reviews. Pickles and gherkins are more often used for pickling, and large fruits are used for barrel pickling. Strong vegetables tolerate transportation well.
