Zozulya's cucumber

Not so long ago, the bee-pollinated hybrid parthenocarpic variety Zozulya was necessarily present in the line of cucumbers chosen for planting. In the last fifteen years, it has been seriously pushed by competitors - new varieties for every taste. However, there was another confirmation of the thesis that the classics are immortal. Zozulya again returns to garden and farm plots, gaining its former popularity due to its high marketability and versatility.

The most popular variety appeared as a result of long and careful work carried out by a group of the following breeders: Borisov A.V., Tarakanov G.I., Panova M.D., Dodonov G.P. at the V.I.Edelstein Vegetable Experimental Station of the TSKHA. Their goal was to obtain an efficient greenhouse variety suitable for private and industrial cultivation. Greenhouse conditions allow Zozulya to be planted in any region, up to the Arctic. The year of approval for use is 1977.

The parthenocarpic variety, which means partial self-pollination, belongs to early maturing hybrids and gives the first fruits 1.5 months after the appearance of the cotyledons. The maximum number of fruits is formed in the first month of fruiting, then the number of ovaries decreases. Zozulya can be grown in cold regions, not only in greenhouses, but even on loggias and balconies. The unpretentious and strong plant bears fruit equally well even in such conditions. Sowing seeds for seedlings in April for growing in greenhouses guarantees long-term fruiting from June to October.

Zozuli's appearance is quite effective. The green foliage is medium in size. Wide plates with weak pubescence have a rounded pentagonal shape with a mild dissection. Mostly female flowers are painted in a pleasant yellow palette. Thick lashes of medium length branch weakly, the standard shoot height is kept around 100 cm, it is rarely higher. Lateral shoots are shorter in length. Slightly lumpy cylindrical fruits with a diameter of 4-5 cm grow from 14 to 23 centimeters or more in length and weigh 156-289 g. Rare tubercles are equipped with white thorns.

Advantages of the variety:

• early maturity;
• self-pollination;
• high productivity;
• lack of bitterness and bright aroma;
• pleasant taste without bitterness, crunchy dense pulp;
• storage duration and high transportability;
• good immunity, the ability to grow in any region, and in most of them, not only in greenhouses, but also in the open field.

A conditional disadvantage can be called a low unsuitability for whole-fruit canning due to its long length. A clear disadvantage is that the variety belongs to the first generation hybrids, which is why the seeds do not inherit parental qualities. Moreover, now the market is oversaturated with all sorts of clones from unscrupulous manufacturers, so the quality is getting lower. The hybrid is able to grow and bear fruit perfectly, not only in open areas, but also in partial shade. The ovaries are formed in bunches or bunches.

Universal fruits are used fresh, for slicing and salads, and they are also excellent in preservation due to the absence of voids, crispy pulp and excellent taste.For whole-fruit canning, it is necessary to collect cucumbers that have not reached the technical and physiological ripeness so that they can fit into the jar. The taste of the fruit is sweetish, the absence of bitterness and light sweetness make them dessert. The crispy, dense flesh has a refreshing effect and a strong cucumber aroma.

The hybrid belongs to early maturing varieties: from germination to harvesting, an average of 46-48 days pass.

Zozulya is famous for its good harvests: from 15.6 to 24.9 kilograms of tasty fruits are harvested from one square meter.

The hybrid is adapted for growing in greenhouse conditions in all regions of the country. In the open ground, it is grown in the North, North-West, Central, Volgo-Vyatka, North Caucasian, Middle Volga regions, Central Black Earth Region.

The optimal planting pattern is 50x50 cm.

The standard time for sowing seeds for seasonal cultivation of cucumbers is the end of April. Plants are transplanted into greenhouses and greenhouses in the phase of 3-4 true leaves. This usually occurs at the end of May - beginning of June. In open ground, seeds are sown in mid-May, in the southern regions - in the second half of April. Do not forget the main principle of growing cucumbers: feeding and watering with warm water. For climbing plants, tying is required.

The recommended frequency of watering is once every 4 days before flowering. After the intensive formation of ovaries has begun, the regularity of irrigation is increased to 1 time in 2 days. Evening hours are considered the best time for watering. Care should be taken to ensure that the soil is always moist, but swamps should not be allowed to form. Sometimes spontaneous exposure of the root system occurs. In this case, they resort to hilling, combining this event with the introduction of root dressings, for example, wood ash.

They begin to direct the growth of plants up the trellis when they reach 40 cm. By that time, mustaches have already appeared, firmly fixing the lashes on the support. Before flowering, cucumbers are fed with a urea solution to help them build up a powerful vegetative mass. According to experts, leaf spraying is much more effective than watering. To stimulate the bush to grow lateral shoots, thereby increasing the yield, after 5 leaves, pinch the central shoot.

Cucumber is a heat-loving vegetable, so it requires a well-heated area that is protected from northerly winds and strong penetrating drafts. Any soil can be used, however, for depleted soils, it is necessary to use additional fertilizing in the form of superphosphate, azophoska, humus and even fresh manure. Fresh manure is often used to organize warm beds, allowing seeds to be sown in the garden as early as April under a plastic cover. Outdoor cultivation involves the application of crop rotation principles. The best precursors are cabbage, beets, onions, garlic, green manure, beans, peas and potatoes.

Since the hybrid was bred specifically for growing in greenhouse conditions, there are no fundamental climatic requirements for it.And if the gardener cultivates Zozulya in the open field, then one should proceed from the general agrotechnical requirements for the culture. Zozulya can be considered a relatively cold-resistant hybrid variety.

Strong immunity allows Zozula to successfully resist such diseases as the cucumber mosaic virus, cladosporium disease. The hybrid is slightly less resistant to root rot, but this is not an obstacle to its cultivation. To avoid damage to plants in greenhouses by whiteflies and aphids, preventive treatments with insecticides should be used.