When choosing a variety of cucumbers for planting, first of all, you need to focus on the suitability of the species for a particular climatic zone. At the beginning of the 2000s, a new Dutch hybrid of ultra-early ripening cucumbers Cupid f1 appeared on the seed market, which quickly burst into the list of the best and took a place at its top. At the same time, the variety was included in the state register of the Russian Federation. Amur cucumbers are cultivated both in greenhouses and in the open field.
Description of the variety
Cucumber Cupid f1 is a very early ripening hybrid. As can be understood from the abbreviation "f1" in the name, it belongs to the first generation. Thanks to its “progenitors”, the variety inherited unsurpassed characteristics and even surpassed them in terms of yield, resistance to diseases and pests.
Cucumber Cupid
It has powerful and strong branches that can withstand even very heavy fruits. Cucumber leaves are medium in size, bright green, with smooth, downward-looking edges. As a rule, about eight ovaries can arise in one node. In greenhouses, planting is carried out in the ground, three bushes per square meter, in open areas - five bushes. The cucumber Amur gives the largest harvest in the first month of its fruiting.
Cupid has parthenocarpic flowering, mainly has female inflorescences. This suggests that it is best to plant pollinating varieties in a duet with this variety. Otherwise, the plant will produce many flowers, but few fruits.
The variety is classified as early ripening - the period from the moment the first shoots appear until the moment the fruit is formed varies from 35 to 40 days.
Ovaries on branches of cucumber Cupid
Cucumbers grow small, neat, with small pimples, thorns and a neck, bright green in color with light green stripes. Cupid cucumber peel is dense and elastic enough to be used in conservation. Also, thanks to this property, cucumbers tolerate transportation well.
The length of one fruit varies from 12 to 15 centimeters, the weight is from 90 to 130 grams. Pubescence is quite frequent.
Breeders have introduced to the hybrid the property that it can form ovaries without any pollination. Such fruits will lack seeds, but at the same time, the inflorescences are endowed with the ability to pollinate if insects have access to vegetables. This property is extremely important for hybrids that grow in closed greenhouses, where insects are extremely difficult to get.
Juicy tasty pulp without any voids with a delicate cucumber taste will not leave indifferent vegetable lovers. The hybrid is classified as a salad variety, but at the same time it is excellent for preservation, salting and making marinades.
Advantages and disadvantages
Like any other varieties, Cupid cucumber has a number of advantages and some disadvantages. Among the advantages are:
- excellent presentation;
- excellent taste, no bitterness;
- resistance to diseases: cladosporium, root rot, powdery mildew;
- excellent transportability and productivity, keeping quality;
- independent regulation of the branching process;
- formation of up to eight links on one node;
- early maturity;
- frost resistance;
- versatility in use.
There are only two downsides: the demand for soil fertility and the need for regular watering.
Agricultural rules
Cupid cucumber care standard:
Regular watering. Cucumbers need water. They should be watered regularly as the soil dries. If the summer is dry, you need to water the plant several times a week, using lukewarm water. It should be poured under the very rhizome, trying to avoid moisture getting on the fruits and leaves, so that burns do not appear when the rays of the scorching sun hit.
Loosening the earth. It is required to periodically loosen the soil near the roots. This should be done after watering when the soil is soft. During the dry season, a dense crust forms on the surface of the earth. Loosening allows oxygen and liquid to penetrate into the deepest layers.
Weed removal. Weeds do not allow cucumbers to grow safely, take away the moisture and sunlight they need. Continuous weeding will help you achieve high yields.
Mulching the soil. It makes it possible to greatly simplify the care of plants. Peat, sawdust can be used as mulch. This technique allows you to protect the rhizome of the plant from temperature extremes, preserve moisture and removes the need for constant loosening.
Growing cucumbers Cupid in a greenhouse
Despite the fact that Cupid cucumber is resistant to most diseases, it can suffer from fusarium wilting, as well as powdery mildew and root rot. To save the plant, you need to protect it from a cold snap, if necessary, cover it with a film. In case of infection, it is necessary to carry out the treatment with "Fitosporin" and a 20% solution of colloidal sulfur.
During the season, cucumbers need three root dressings:
- Three weeks after disembarkation.
- During the flowering period.
- During fruiting.
Most gardeners prefer to grow cucumbers on a trellis. This requires tying the lashes to the supports during the growing season. In this case, pinching is not necessary. Competent garter technology provides a chance to save territory in the garden or in the greenhouse, preventing the development of all kinds of healthier ones and making it easier to pick cucumbers.
There are two ways to tie:
- Vertical - the support is installed in the form of the letter "P", ropes are tied to the uppermost crossbar, to which the whips will subsequently be attached.
- Horizontal - metal supports are erected on opposite sides of the ridge, rows with strong ropes or fabric strips are stretched between the ends, along which the lashes subsequently fall down.
Rich harvest of cucumbers Cupid
Cucumber Cupid is unpretentious and has high yield rates, but you should not neglect the simple rules of care, because the result of the work will directly depend on this.
