The variety of cucumbers Zozulya F1 was bred more than 40 years ago and still, despite the fact that in recent years many new hybrids have appeared, is popular among vegetable growers. Let's consider what advantages and disadvantages a variety has, how to grow such cucumbers correctly and how to use them.

Description and characteristics of the variety

In the table below, a detailed description of the considered variety of cucumbers is given:

Advantages

• Variety Zozulya F1 does not lose popularity thanks to a considerable list of its advantages:
• the crop ripens early;
• quite a long period of fruiting;
• the plant does not require special care;
• the fruits of the plant have a good presentation;
• resistance to many common diseases;
• the fruits are distinguished by high palatability.

Disadvantages

• Among the disadvantages that this variety of cucumbers also have, it is worth highlighting:
• the need for cultivation in sheltered soil, if you want to achieve a plentiful crop;
• fruits can be bitter in conservation if you choose the wrong recipe.

Growing Features

The considered variety of cucumbers can be grown in several ways: seedlings or sow seeds immediately into the ground. It is worth noting that the first method requires more work and time, however, in this case the plants will be stronger and the fruits will grow earlier than if you used the second method.

Important! Because the Zozulya F1 is a hybrid variety, do not try to get a crop from the seeds that you collected yourself. It is better to purchase them in a specialized store.

If you cannot afford to build a greenhouse for growing cucumbers or you do not have your own plot for seedlings, you can grow these vegetables even on the windowsill in the apartment, since such plants can produce fruits without pollination by insects. To do this, it is better to choose a windowsill on the south side, where there is enough heat and light. However, make sure that the sun's rays do not burn the plant: for this it is necessary that the light is scattered.

Preparatory moments

First of all, you need to choose a place for landing and prepare the soil. Such cucumbers are usually grown in greenhouses. In this case, it is necessary that the greenhouse construction is located on a flat area, which receives a large amount of sunlight. It is important that the place where you are going to grow such cucumbers is protected from the north wind.

Suitable microclimate

It is better to plant cucumbers of the Zozulya F1 variety when the threat of late spring frosts disappears and the soil warms up well in the sun. As a rule, these plants are planted in the second half of May. The optimum temperature for seed germination is + 25–30 ° С. But adult plants are more comfortable to develop at + 25–28 ° С.

Did you know? In the United Arab Emirates, a hybrid of cucumbers, which gives square fruits, was breeders. It is worth noting that, if desired, you can grow fruits from any hybrid, which in the context will have the shape of an asterisk, heart, etc. For this, you just need to put on a special mold on a young fruit.

Soil preparation

The first requirement for the soil is a neutral acid-base reaction. It should also be light and with a high level of fertility. If the quality of the soil in the place for planting vegetables is not very good, prepare a mixture of peat, turf soil and humus in a ratio of 5: 2: 3 and lay this substrate with a layer of about 20 cm. The soil for such cucumbers should be rich in humus and not prone to formation of stagnation of water in it.

Seed preparation

The seeds of cucumbers of the variety Zozulya F1 must be calibrated and soaked for a couple of hours in a solution, which should consist of 1 liter of water at room temperature, 1 tbsp. l nitroammofoski and 1 tbsp. wood ash. However, before you begin to carry out the described manipulations, read the instructions for growing on a package with seeds, since many hybrid seeds do not need to be soaked.

Growing Care

To get a good harvest, you need to follow a few simple rules for growing such cucumbers:

1. Tie cucumber lashes to supports.
2. Carry out regular shallow loosening of the soil between the rows of cucumbers. Clean the area from weeds.
3. Water abundantly.
4. Fertilize the ground with special fertilizing.
5. When the plants begin to bear fruit, pick them every 4 days to allow new cucumbers to grow.

Temperature mode

It is better to grow seedlings at a temperature of + 21–23 ° C during the day and + 18–20 ° C at night in a dry room (if humidity is elevated, fungal diseases can develop). Since most often such cucumbers are grown in greenhouses, it is not difficult to maintain such a temperature. Quite often, after the appearance of the first shoots, the temperature is gradually reduced to +16 ° C in order to strengthen the stems and maintain their active growth. It is also important that in the room where the cucumbers grow, there are no drafts and sudden changes in the temperature regime.

Watering

Cucumbers of this variety are in great need of moisture, therefore, abundant watering is very important if you want to get a good crop. For one watering on one young bush, it is necessary to spend 0.5 liters of clean water, and for an already adult plant - 1 liter. As for the irrigation regime, before the first flowers begin to appear on the bushes, watering should be carried out every 5-7 days. When the bushes begin to bloom, they should be watered every 2–4 days.

Important! Watering cucumbers with cold water can cause bitterness in the fruit, so it is better to water the plants with warm water.

Top dressing

This type of cucumber perfectly perceives combined organomineral fertilizers. They, as a rule, are applied both under the root and on the leaves of plants.The most useful preparations for fertilizing cucumbers of the Zozulya F1 variety are:

• potassium sulfate;
• nitrophosk;
• urea;
• infusion from chicken litter;
• ammonium nitrate.

Plant Shaping and Garter

So that the bush and cucumber vines develop better and the plant gives more fruit when it grows, you can make a garter. To do this, it is necessary to put ordinary even sticks at each bush, determine which sprout in the bush is central, and tie it over the third leaf eye.

Video: the easiest and most reliable way to garter cucumbers

Is it possible to salt, preserve, pickle Zozulya F1 cucumbers

Despite the fact that this variety is salad and many gardeners claim that it is unsuitable for canning, if you choose the right recipe, such cucumbers can be salted, pickled or canned.

1. To close 3 three-liter jars of pickles, prepare the following ingredients: cucumbers (6 kg), vegetable oil (250 g), pearl barley (500 g), vinegar (95 ml), coarse salt (80 g), carrots (1 kg), tomato paste or grated tomatoes (600 g), granulated sugar (250 g), white onion (1 kg).
2. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater, cut the onions into rings, and the cucumbers into cubes.
3. Boil the pearl barley porridge until almost cooked.
4. In a pan, mix all the ingredients except porridge and vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 50 minutes.
5. Add all the missing ingredients to the pan and simmer another 15 minutes.
6. Pour the mixture into jars, roll them up, turn them upside down, wrap them in a blanket and leave for a while.

Did you know? Spikes on cucumbers are necessary to remove excess moisture from these vegetables. However, in Europe they prefer smooth fruits, and cucumbers with thorns are called "Russian".

If you want to preserve cucumbers for the winter, you can use the following prescription for preservation in tomato juice:

1. To begin, soak cucumbers (at the rate of 2 kg per one three-liter jar) overnight in clean water (from a well or filtered).
2. Prepare all the necessary ingredients. For one three-liter jar you will need: 100 g of sugar, 120 g of salt, 700 ml of tomato juice, 5 g of chili pepper, 240 g of sweet pepper, 6 g of allspice, 70 g of garlic, 2 kg of cucumbers.
3. Peel the bell peppers.
4. Put cucumbers and chili in jars and pour boiled water.
5. Throw sweet pepper and garlic into a blender, chop. Mix the resulting substrate with tomato juice and boil.
6. Drain the liquid from the cucumbers, put allspice in the jars, pour boiling tomato juice with chili and garlic and you can send the jars for sterilization.

You can pickle cucumbers according to this recipe:

1. Prepare the ingredients: cucumbers (3 kg), garlic (100 g), parsley (30 g), sugar (200 g), salt (3 tbsp.), Vinegar (150 g), vegetable oil (5 tbsp. .).
2. Cut the cucumbers into circles, finely chop the parsley, squeeze the garlic through a press, add sugar, salt and vinegar. Stir all the ingredients in a large container and leave for 12 hours to let the cucumbers pour juice.
3. Arrange the mixture in sterilized jars, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to each and roll up the containers. The above amount of ingredients is designed for 5 liter cans.
4. Store pickled cucumbers in the refrigerator.

The variety of cucumbers Zozulya F1 is distinguished by its mild taste, good presentation of the fruit and unpretentiousness in care, therefore, for several decades it has not lost popularity among gardeners. Despite not very good reviews about the preservation of such vegetables, these cucumbers can be pickled, salted and canned, if you choose the right recipe.

Video: Zozul cucumbers - planting