Content
Just a few years ago, a magnificent variety of cucumbers, bred by Dutch breeders, appeared and immediately became popular. Numerous positive reviews and descriptions characterize the Gunnar F1 cucumber as an early ripening variety with excellent taste.
Tall, indeterminate hybrid cucumber bushes with short side shoots are excellent for greenhouse cultivation, but they do well in open beds.
Variety characteristic
Early ripening and high yield rates make Gunnar F1 cucumber attractive for industrial plantings. The first crop of cucumbers can be harvested within 6-7 weeks after germination. Bushes with large green leaves form 2 to 4 ovaries in each axil. Gunnar F1 cucumbers are characterized by:
- saturated green;
- small size - the length of the cucumber is no more than 12-15 cm;
- cylindrical, rounded at the ends, shape;
- bumpy, slightly pubescent, skin;
- dense tasty pulp without the slightest bitterness;
- excellent presentation - even the overgrown Gunnar cucumbers do not lose their attractive appearance and taste;
- excellent keeping quality without loss of taste;
- versatility in application;
- excellent transportability;
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the possibility of growing cucumbers under the film and in the open field;
- high yield when planting in an open area - more than 20 kg per 1 sq. m, and in unheated greenhouses - up to 9 kg per 1 sq. m;
- undemanding to the salt composition of the soil;
- resistance to small frosts;
- resistance to cladosporium disease.
Despite the excellent characteristics of the Gunnar cucumber variety, some of its disadvantages should be noted:
- high cost of seed material;
- insufficient resistance of the Gunnar F1 cucumber to common diseases;
-
exactingness to the observance of agricultural technology.
Sowing seeds
A decent harvest Gunnar cucumbers will give, subject to the rules of cultivation. Before sowing, it is advisable to soak the seeds of cucumbers in phytosporin, many gardeners advise soaking them in aloe or potassium permanganate juice. This prophylactic treatment will provide them with high antibacterial resistance.
Seeding boxes with good drainage should be filled with loose soil. The looseness of the soil mixture will provide the addition of humus and peat to the garden soil. A small amount of ash is a good addition. Gunnar cucumber seeds, as the reviews advise, are placed evenly over the surface and sprinkled with a layer of soil up to 1.5-2 cm thick.To accelerate the germination of cucumber seeds, cover the boxes with transparent film or glass and put them in a room with a temperature of up to 26-27 degrees.
As soon as the shoots of the Gunnar F1 cucumber hatch, the temperature is reduced to 19-20 degrees. Watering cucumber sprouts is carried out by spraying. The soil should not be allowed to dry out, but it should not remain too wet.
The technology of growing cucumber Gunnar recommends replanting the seedlings to a permanent place after the appearance of 4 true leaves. If Gunnar cucumbers are grown in plastic greenhouses, transplanting takes place around mid-May.Overexposing cucumber seedlings is not worth it, since its ability to adapt decreases, a large number of sick and weak plants appear, which will affect the harvest.
Many gardeners prefer to sow cucumber seeds in separate containers, which subsequently makes it easier to transplant seedlings to the beds.
Transplanting seedlings into open ground
Cucumber Gunnar F1 loves open, sunny places, sheltered from the wind. Therefore, the site for planting should be selected with these characteristics in mind. The best option would be the arrangement of beds with Gunnar cucumbers from north to south.
Cucumber roots need good aeration, but keep in mind that the bulk of the root system is horizontal, just a few centimeters from the surface. Therefore, the usual loosening of cucumber bushes leads to damage to the roots, after which the plants have to recover for a long time. Adequate air access can be ensured by mulching and organic fertilizing, as well as the correct predecessors of Gunnar cucumbers. These include different types of cabbage, peas and other green manures.
Cucumber care
Cucumber shoots are formed into one stem, moreover:
- shoots and ovaries are removed from the first five sinuses, in cloudy weather - the ovaries are removed in 8 sinuses;
- from the fifth to the ninth leaf, one fruit is left in the bosom;
- in the following sinuses, all shoots are removed without touching the ovary;
- behind the fifth sheet, the description of the cucumber variety Gunnar recommends pinching the growing point;
- the yellowed lower leaves are systematically removed - the operation should be carried out in the morning or evening;
- at a height of more than 2 m, a horizontal trellis is strengthened, around which a cucumber stalk is wrapped;
- during the first two weeks, the greens of the Gunnar F1 cucumber variety are harvested without waiting for them to fully ripen;
- in the future, the harvest is removed every other day;
- with active fruiting, Gunnar cucumbers are harvested every day.
Organization of watering
The superficial root system of the cucumber requires a constant moisture regime. With a lack of moisture, plants get stressed, their foliage becomes dark and fragile. Mulching will help keep moisture in the soil. However, excess moisture is also harmful, it leads to:
- to a decrease in the content of oxygen in the soil;
- inhibition of the growth of cucumber shoots and the formation of fruits;
- discoloration of foliage.
The characteristic of Gunnar cucumbers warns of the appearance of bitterness in zelents with sharp jumps in humidity and temperature. The best way to water cucumbers is with a drip system. If it is not there, you can settle the water in barrels, its temperature when watering cucumbers should be at least +18 degrees, and the best moisture indicator is 80%.
Top dressing for cucumbers
The Gunnar variety is distinguished by active fruiting and requires regular feeding:
- for the first time, plants are fed with ammophos immediately after transplanting to a greenhouse or to open beds;
- after rooting in a new place about two weeks later, a complex fertilizer containing all the necessary minerals is applied under the cucumbers;
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in a week you can feed the bushes of cucumbers of the Gunnar F1 variety with rotted manure;
- before flowering, plants are watered with mineral fertilizer diluted with water at the root;
- after watering, the cucumber beds are sprinkled with ash;
- after fruit setting, nitrogenous fertilizing is reduced - at this time, potassium and magnesium are required for cucumbers to ripen and form taste.
Many summer residents use folk remedies as top dressing for cucumbers, which become an excellent alternative to mineral additives - bread yeast, onion husks, stale bread.
Root dressing for Gunnar cucumbers should be applied after watering or rain, preferably in the evening or cloudy weather. They are more effective during warmer seasons.If the summer is cool, it is easier for plants to assimilate foliar feeding. The procedure for spraying Gunnar cucumbers, as can be seen from the description and photo, is carried out in the evening, the solution is sprayed in small drops and as evenly as possible.
Diseases and pests
Subject to the rules of agricultural technology in greenhouses, Gunnar cucumbers are not afraid of diseases and pests, but in the open ground, plants may be damaged by fungal diseases:
- powdery mildew, which can reduce the yield of Gunnar cucumbers by almost half;
- downy mildew, which can practically destroy all plantings.
The best way to combat diseases of Gunnar F1 cucumbers is to maintain the optimum temperature and humidity, as well as preventive treatments with special preparations.
Of the pests, the appearance on cucumber bushes of a melon aphid or a spider mite is possible, against which treatments with solutions of tobacco, garlic and other drugs are effective.
Reviews of vegetable growers
The Gunnar F1 cucumber variety is highly appreciated not only by summer residents, but also by farmers who grow it in a greenhouse method on an industrial scale.
Conclusion
Cucumber Gunnar F1 has excellent characteristics, which are confirmed by numerous reviews. For many gardeners, they have become a real boon.
