Cucumber Amur: variety description, cultivation and care with photo

At the beginning of 2000, a new Dutch cucumber hybrid "Amur f1" by Bejo Zaden appeared on the seed market. Cucumber Amur f1 quickly entered the list of the best among amateur and professional vegetable growers.

Description of the Amur cucumber variety f1

Breeders have tried and laid down a universal set of characteristics:

parthenocarpic;
ultra-early;
high yield;
medium-sized and beautiful cylindrical shape;
resistant to major diseases;
strong stem with little branching;
high palatability;
suitable for fresh and canned food;
well stored and suitable for transport.

Cucumbers grow medium-sized, neat, with small pimples and spikes, rich green with a light sheen. The skin is dense and elastic enough to use the crop for canning and transportation, but not tough. Juicy pulp without voids with a delicate cucumber flavor will impress any vegetable lover.

Parthenocarpic properties of cucumbers

Sometimes in the description of cucumbers "Amur f1" you can find the definition of "self-pollinated". This is fundamentally wrong and raises doubts about the author's education.

Cucumbers are of two types: bee-pollinated and parthenocarpic, and these definitions are not mutually exclusive.Breeders have introduced into the hybrid the property of laying the ovary without pollination. Such cucumbers will be without seeds. But flowers have the ability to pollinate if there is access for insects.

Important! Parthenocarpic and self-pollinated are not the same thing. There are no self-pollinating cucumbers.

This quality is important for hybrids grown in closed greenhouses, where access to insects is limited. In open ground, parthenocarpic properties are of no particular importance and should not be a priority for a vegetable grower when choosing seeds. The variety of cucumbers "Amur f1" is a pronounced parthenocarpic, which allows it to be grown both in greenhouses and on a balcony, and in open ground.

Growing and care

Vegetable growers very quickly appreciated the amazingly high yield and precocity of the Dutch hybrid. The description of the Amur variety by the manufacturer says that the first cucumbers will begin to ripen in 38-45 days after planting.

It is indeed possible, but only if all necessary conditions are met:

temperature regime;
Sufficiently balanced soil composition;
timely feeding;
bush formation;
water mode.

Temperature conditions

The main condition for the rapid germination of seeds and the development of bushes is the temperature of the soil and air above 24 ℃. This is especially true when planting seeds immediately in open ground. In spring, the air temperature during the day is much higher than at night. And the ground does not have time to warm up even with fairly warm sunny days.

By planting Amur cucumber seeds in soil with a temperature below 20 ℃, it does not make sense to wait for quick germination and crazy growth of bushes. If you really want early cucumbers, it is better to germinate the seeds first and sow the seedlings.

Soil and top dressing

Incorporated in the Amur hybrid high yield and early maturity, cause a large load on the soil, depleting it very quickly. Already at the stage of growing seedlings, it is important to bring the composition of the soil closer to the ideal one for cucumbers. To form a soil mixture, humus, peat, forest soil and sand, mixed in equal parts, are suitable. For 10 liters of this composition, it is useful to add a tablespoon of nitroammophoska and 3-4 tablespoons of ash.

This mixture will cover the requirements of the demanding Cupid in the first 2-3 weeks. After the appearance of 3-4 leaves, watering with liquid dressings begins, alternating potash and nitrogen every 10-14 days. The soil for a permanent place for growing cucumbers of the Amur f1 variety has been prepared since autumn. The soil is dug up and superphosphate is added. In the spring, before planting seedlings, wood ash and rotted manure are poured into the soil. Cucumbers respond well to mulching after planting with crushed peat and sawdust.

Feeding

Without timely top dressing, such a demanding variety as Amur f1 will not give those amazing results, reviews of which can often be heard from vegetable growers.

There are three stages of development that require several feeding modes:

rapid development and growth of the bush: nitrogen and potash fertilizers;
flowering and ovary: phosphorus and potash top dressing;
fruiting: complex fertilizers including potassium and nitrogen.

Shaping a bush

The manufacturer indicates that the Amur cucumber hybrid has a small bush branching. But this does not mean that you should forget about the formation of the plant. When planting seedlings in open ground, sprinkle almost the entire sprout with earth. This will help form a strong root system.It is important not to disturb the earthen ball with the root during transplanting seedlings. One of the best options would be to plant it in peat pots.

If cucumbers are sown immediately in a permanent place, after the appearance of the fourth leaf, high hilling should be carried out. Important! A plentiful harvest is possible only on a powerful plant with a well-developed root system, so the Amur f1 variety requires the formation of a bush. To get a high yield, you need to allow a strong bush to develop. The first inflorescences will have to be removed until the bush grows to 5-6 leaves. Amur f1 requires a garter to a strong base, since there are a lot of cucumbers, 4-8 in each inflorescence, the stem is not able to withstand such a load.

Irrigation and harvesting

Cucumbers are a moisture-loving crop. And the Amur f1 hybrid, with the characteristics of high yield and early maturity artificially incorporated into it, consumes water in huge quantities. Watering is done twice a day with water heated to 24-25 ℃.

Cold water will cool the ground every time and stop the development of the bush. Even such a disease-tolerant variety risks earning rotting of the root system. Timely watering will allow young cucumbers to quickly pour without bitterness. You should try to harvest this variety every 3-4 days. Zelentsy, waiting for the harvest, will slow down the pouring of the next cucumbers.

Conclusion

In general, the characteristics of the variety Amur f1 came out quite optimistic. Reviews of vegetable growers about him are the most positive. With the right agricultural technique, you can get more than 20 kg of delicious crispy cucumbers from 1 m² and enjoy them all season.