More recently, the Zozulya F1 cucumber was a favorite among summer residents. Now the variety has lost a little of its popularity due to the abundance of new hybrids, but it still remains one of the most reliable and productive. I can recommend it with a clear conscience to a beginning gardener.
Characteristics and features of growing Zozulya cucumber
The creation of the Zozulya F1 cucumber for growing indoors was carried out in the 70s of the last century. Nowadays, the variety is still relevant as an early-ripening crop for protected soil.
Zozulya F1 is a parthenocarpic plant that does not require pollination; the percentage of fruit set in protected soil is high.
Fruit
The description of the variety states that the medium-sized fruits of the Zozulya cucumber do not contain bitterness, their size is from 15 to 25 cm, respectively, weight is from 140 to 300 g. The shape of the fruit is cylindrical, with slight ribbing at the end. There are few thorns, they are white, which indicates the salad purpose of the Zozulya cucumber.
Although if you read reviews from summer residents on the forums, it becomes clear that the fruits are successfully used for preparing lightly salted and pickled preparations for the winter. When grown in a greenhouse, Zozulya cucumbers produce 12 kg/m² in the initial period of fruiting, and 20 kg/m² at the peak of fruiting.
Fruiting
According to the description, the Zozulya cucumber begins to bear fruit 45–50 days after germination. When growing cucumbers in seedlings, the early harvest in a polycarbonate greenhouse can be harvested from the first days of June.
A distinctive feature of the hybrid is a gradual increase in the number of fruits formed on the bushes by the end of the first month of fruiting. The average duration of fruiting is 2 months.
Growing cucumber seedlings from seeds
You can speed up the germination rate of Zozulya cucumber seeds using the old proven method. Take regular toilet paper, roll it in several layers, put it on a saucer with a small amount of water. When the paper is completely saturated with moisture, spread the cucumber seeds on one half and cover them with the other half. Place the saucer closer to the heating device, preferably in a bag, so that the toilet paper does not dry out. After 3–4 days, if germination is good, the seeds will split open and a sprout will emerge.
Zozulya F1 cucumbers, like other varieties, do not like transplanting. To grow full-fledged seedlings, you need to take care of separate pots for each seedling. Many gardeners choose peat pots, not without reason believing that this is the most gentle way to grow cucumber seedlings.
Let us highlight the necessary conditions for obtaining healthy seedlings:
- Loose, fertile soil containing the optimal amount of peat and humus.
- Keeping the soil moist.
- Water only with warm (22 – 25°) water that has settled for 24 hours.
- Artificial lighting.
- No drafts.
- At least two feedings with liquid fertilizers for cucumber seedlings.
Vegetable growers living in country houses prefer to grow seedlings in a greenhouse, filling it with fresh cow manure. Manure spilled with hot water begins to actively rot, due to which the soil is ready in early April.
Transplanting seedlings
The Zozulya F1 cucumber variety is planted in the greenhouse from late April to late May, and later in the ground - early to mid-June. It is important to remember: cucumber seedlings are ready for transplanting at the age of 25 days. By this time, a full-fledged root system and 3–4 leaves are formed. The stem of healthy seedlings is short, strong, and the leaves are bright green.
The description on the pack of Zozulya cucumbers contains all the necessary recommendations for planting seedlings in a greenhouse made of film or polycarbonate. When marking planting rows, maintain an interval of 50 cm between them. Place the holes in the rows no closer than 30 cm from each other. It is not forbidden to increase the distance further.
Planting seeds in the ground
Planting and caring for Zozulya cucumbers differs little from growing them in a greenhouse. The landing pattern is the same.From 3 to 5 dry cucumber seeds are planted in one well-watered hole. The holes with cucumber seeds are sprinkled with a layer of compost (humus) 2 - 2.5 cm thick. The entire ridge is covered with a layer of non-woven covering material and PVC film.
The shelter is removed after germination. In cold weather, you can install arcs and stretch covering material over them. In open ground, cucumber seeds are sown at the end of May, but in the conditions of the Urals and Siberia, frosts are possible at the beginning of June.
Planting care
How to pinch cucumbers - the first question that appears in the head of a novice vegetable grower. The question is reasonable, since only by correctly forming a cucumber bush can one obtain the fruit yield declared by the manufacturer.
In the greenhouse, pinching the tops of the central stems of the cucumber may not be necessary. The formation of lateral shoots in this variety is weak. In order not to thicken the greenhouse space, the side shoots that appear on the bush should be pinched over 2–3 leaves. Attach the central stem to the trellis.
For those who are engaged in breeding a hybrid in open ground, it is necessary to form the bushes in a different way. Be sure to pinch the crown of the central stem when the 5th leaf is formed. This pinching will provoke active growth of side shoots. In open ground, cucumbers can be grown without a trellis - the more side vines there are, the greater the yield.
To pick the first cucumber from the garden, the summer resident needs to work hard:
- Before fruiting begins, water at least once every 4 days.
- For irrigation, use only warm water (20 – 25 °C).
- Apply at least one root feeding with ammonium nitrate - a heaping tablespoon per 10-liter watering can.
- During flowering, spray the cucumber ridge with an aqueous solution of boric acid: 2 g per 10 liters.
- To prevent aphids and other pests, spray young plantings of cucumbers with onion or garlic infusion, and powder the soil around the stems with sifted wood ash.
Zozulenok F1 - growing in a greenhouse
The new cucumber Zozulenok was bred specifically for film greenhouses and polycarbonate greenhouses. The hybrid successfully passed the test and was registered in the State Register in 2008. Fruiting occurs on the 40th day from emergence. Zozulenok is an early-ripening hybrid with a female type of flowering that does not require pollination. 3 female flowers are formed in the internodes.
Zozulenok F1 is a parthenocarpic hybrid, which is very good for greenhouses; you don’t have to plant pollinating plants, the fruits set well in any case. Cucumbers are harvested when they reach a length of 16–20 cm. Cucumbers have few seeds and no bitter taste.
The shape of cucumbers is elongated-cylindrical with slightly noticeable ribbing. The spines are sparse and white. The color of the cucumber skin is dark green with separate, faint stripes at one end.
Cucumber bushes grown according to all the rules produce up to 15 kg of high-quality salad greens per square meter. The yield of commercial products is high. About 90% of all collected cucumbers meet quality requirements. In open ground, the yield of the hybrid is lower.
Opinions of summer residents about the Zozulya hybrid
Irina, Minusinsk:
“The Zozulya cucumber variety was my first successful experience in growing cucumbers. I sowed dry seeds 3 - 4 in one hole, covered them with a layer of humus 1 - 2 cm thick. The ridge was covered first with agrospan, then with film, and removed after the shoots appeared. If germination was good, I planted the cucumbers in other holes. The growing vines of the cucumber were tied to a crossbar attached to two supports.I planted it on May 26th and started picking cucumbers in the first ten days of July. The description says that this is a salad variety, but this characteristic did not bother me. I pickled them: I cut large cucumbers crosswise into several pieces. The jars never exploded, the pickled cucumbers taste excellent.”
Marina, Saratov:
“I plant Zozulya in open ground. One row of cucumbers is enough for a family of four. We eat fresh cucumbers and pickle them. Zozulya's pulp is tender, aromatic, and there is no bitterness. The skin is dark green, not rough. I use overgrown cucumbers to make a spicy appetizer called “Korean-style cucumbers.”
