The Emerald Stream F1 is an early ripe hybrid of cucumber for salad purposes. This hybrid fully lives up to its name, as it bears fruit for a long time with elongated cylindrical green leaves with delicate thin skin, sweet taste and great aroma.
cucumber seeds "Emerald Stream"
The ripened fruits of cucumbers "Emerald Stream"
Cucumber "Emerald Stream" can grow up to 50 cm in length
Hybrid Description
In 2007, the Emerald Stream cucumber appeared in the State Register of Plants of the Russian Federation for all regions, which fully justifies its name due to abundant long-term fruiting. Bred by the breeders of the Moscow agricultural company Zedek. Its authors are Dubinina I.N., Dubinin S.V. and Lukyanenko A.N.
The hybrid is early ripe, so the first crop can be harvested on 44-48 days after emergence. What are characterized by bushes and fruits of the plant, we will consider separately.
Bushes
The plant is parthenocarpic (self-pollinated), which makes the hybrid universal, since it brings an equally good crop both under film shelters and in open ground. Moreover, it is suitable for both spring-summer and summer-autumn traffic.
As for the other characteristics of the plant, they are as follows:
- bushes are powerful, medium-tall and medium-braided;
- stems are strong;
- leaves are dark green and relatively large;
- copious and bundle-like ovaries;
- lateral shoots with good regrowth;
- type of flowering - predominantly female (exclusively female flowers appear in the sinuses).
It should be borne in mind that a tall plant needs stable support. So, the bushes should be tied up, using a mesh or trellis for this. In addition, the formation of new ovaries stimulates pinching of the side shoots.
With proper care, 4-5 vegetables can be poured simultaneously on each bush.
Fruit
Representatives of this cucumber culture are often called giants, since their length can reach up to half a meter, and weight - up to 250-300 g. From the moment of planting, when the first cucumbers suitable for fresh consumption appear, it takes about 1.5 months. Their exact characteristics look like this:
- The form. Elongated-cylindrical, often curved, with weak ribbing, medium tuberosity and a long handle (neck).
- Dimensions. On average, the length of the fruit is 30-50 cm, and the mass is 150-200 g.
- Skin. Soft, thin and dark green with small whitish stripes, pubescence of medium density, prickly and white spikes.
- Pulp. Crispy, with a small seed chamber and small seeds, a pronounced cucumber aroma and excellent sweet taste, without bitterness.
The most delicious are cucumbers, which have reached a length of no more than 25 cm. Such instances are the most tender, sweet and crunchy. It is undesirable to allow them to outgrow more than 45-50 cm, since in this case they will lose their taste, may thicken, crack and turn yellow.
What the ripe fruits look like can be seen in the video below:
Feature table
More details about the main qualities of the hybrid can be found below:
Parameter | Description |
general description | A hybrid of early ripening, which gives the first crop 44-48 days after sowing seeds. |
Growing conditions | It can be cultivated throughout the country, grown in open beds, in sheltered ground, under temporary film shelter. The hybrid is cold-resistant, shade-tolerant and drought-resistant, therefore it tolerates adverse weather conditions and adapts to temperature extremes. Just keep in mind that the plant is tall and powerful, so it requires a lot of space for growth. |
Productivity | Subject to agricultural technology from 1 square. m beds can average 5-7 kg of greenhouses. It is noteworthy that the hybrid bears fruit throughout the season, up to the first frost and snow, forming new fruits after removing ripened cucumbers from the lashes. |
Resistance to diseases and pests | Hydride has a strong immunity to many diseases that are dangerous for cucumbers. So, he rarely gets powdery mildew, cladosporiosis, etc. Moreover, the plant is rarely attacked by spider mites and aphids. However, it can get root rot. |
Appointment | Emerald flow belongs to salad hybrids, so it is better to use it fresh and for making salads. Less often, thin fruits are used in lightly salted, populated and pickled form. They are large, so they have to be cut into several parts so that they fit in banks. |
Agricultural technology
To get a good harvest of the Emerald Stream, you need to know about the following basic agricultural rules:
- In the northern regions, you need to grow a crop using seedlings, which can be transplanted to a permanent place in the phase of 3-4 true leaves. In the southern regions, you can take advantage of seed planting, which involves sowing seeds directly into the open ground.
- Sowing seedlings should be done in April-May, in order to transplant the sprouts to a permanent place in May-June. In open ground, seeds can be sown in May-June. Harmonious soil temperature for seed germination is + 20 ... + 25 ° C, and air temperature - at least + 18 ° C. In such conditions, the first crop can be harvested in June-August.
Cucumbers are very demanding on air temperature, and if it drops below + 10 ° C, then they can completely stop their growth.
- The plant should not be thickened so that the bushes can fully develop and bear fruit. So, in greenhouses, planting should be done at the rate of up to 3 plants per 1 sq. Km. m, and on the street - up to 4-6 plants per 1 square. m
- For cucumbers, you need to choose sunny and wind-protected areas with fertile, light and loose soils, but acidic, heavy and waterlogged soils are contraindicated. The best hybrid precursors are:
- early and cauliflower;
- Tomatoes
- onions and garlic (ideal precursors, since they disinfect and saturate the soil with their volatile);
- beet;
- potatoes;
- peppers
- greenery;
- legumes (except beans).
- As for the bad predecessors, then they include:
- late cabbage;
- carrot;
- cucumbers.
Cucumber can not be planted next to the beds where potatoes grow, since such an experiment will lead to diseases of the culture and slow its development.
- To obtain a plentiful harvest, it is necessary to ensure proper care of the crop, which consists in watering, tying the bushes to a stable support, making complex fertilizers. The hybrid is resistant to powdery mildew and insect attacks, therefore, does not need to be treated with chemicals. For preventive purposes, you can spray the plant with a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate.
In the following video, the gardener shares his experience on how to grow a hybrid salad variety:
Site preparation
The hybrid is grown on light and breathable soils with a loose structure and a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. If it is not fertile enough, you need to make nitrogen, phosphorus and potash fertilizers. Such preparation should be carried out since the fall. To do this, follow these steps:
- To clear a bed of weeds and last year's crops.
- During digging to the depth of the shovel, enter 1 square. m area of 5 kg of manure and 5 g of phosphorus-potash fertilizers to increase the fertile soil properties. If its acidity is increased, 250 g of lime should be added to the indicated composition, and if weak - 100-150 g.
If the soil is “problematic”, it can be ennobled by some tricks:
- Sandy soil will help “weight” the clay. It will retain moisture in the soil, which is necessary for a good crop. It must be made at the rate of 1 to 3 buckets per 1 sq. Km. m of sandstone.
- Clay soil becomes wet and airtight when wet. For 1 square. m. of the site you need to make from 1 to 4 buckets of sand and compost, so that the soil becomes more loose and open for air exchange, which will avoid stagnation of moisture.
If weather conditions do not allow to prepare the site in the autumn, this can be done in the spring. To do this, you need to dig a bed, depositing 1 sq. Km. m 3 kg of humus or compost and 50 g of complex fertilizers.
The emerald stream feels good in shading, but prefers sunny places. In any case, it should be grown in areas protected from the north winds. Various buildings or rocker cultures planted on the north side like rock climbing beans or corn can serve as shelters.
Planting through seedlings
Such a method of cultivating a crop is more laborious, but it allows you to get a good harvest even in regions with a northern climate. The seedlings themselves can be purchased or grown with their own hands. In any case, this issue should be given special attention, otherwise the shoots may not take root in a new place.
Buying seedlings
To acquire strong seedlings for planting in a permanent place, it is worth using the following recommendations:
- Pay attention to the external characteristics of the instances. At the age of 30 days, they should have a strong stem and a uniformly colored dark green mass with 4-5 true leaflets with a diameter of 15-18 cm. The optimal height of the sprouts is 20-25 cm. Such specimens are excellent for planting in the greenhouse as early as mid-April.
- For planting in open ground or in a greenhouse, you can also purchase younger seedlings - at the age of 20 days. It should have a height of 16-18 cm, 2-3 real leaflets with a diameter of up to 15 cm. In this case, planting work will need to be done in mid-May.
- For planting in the ground, you can choose very small seedlings - at the age of 10-12 days. They must have 1 real leaflet. If they are transplanted to a permanent place at the end of May, they will take root well and bring an early harvest.
- Refuse seedlings with elongated, thin and small leaves of a pale appearance, as they grew in violation of growing technology.
- Inspect the leaves from all sides for damage by aphids and other pests. If they are discovered, such seedlings are unsuitable.
- Determine the state of the root system. It should be well developed, but not protrude en masse through openings in containers. This will be a sign that the age of seedlings is much greater than it seems, so it will be difficult for her to take root in a new place. In addition, it is worth sniffing at the container with the roots. If an unpleasant odor emanates from it, it is possible that the shoots are affected by rot, so you should abandon such seedlings.
- Preference should be given to seedlings, which are sold in peat pots, because it can be immediately transplanted into the ground without exposing the sprouts with an unripe root system to additional stress.
By purchasing seedlings of different ages, you can organize its phased planting in order to provide yourself with fresh cucumbers from the end of May until the autumn frosts.
DIY seedling preparation
Self-growing cucumber seedlings can be divided into several stages, the strength of future shoots depends on each of them:
- Substrate preparation. It can be purchased at a garden store or prepared with your own hands, but in any case it should be light, crumbly and nutritious. To prepare such a composition, you can mix:
- turf land, sand, wood ash and rotted manure at a rate of 3: 1: 1: 1;
- peat, humus and rotted sawdust at the rate of 2: 2: 1, and for 10 liters of this composition add 1 cup of wood ash and 1 tsp. urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfate.
Regardless of the selected composition, to improve its drainage properties and breathability, you can add environmentally friendly materials such as agroperlite, vermiculite, expanded clay or crushed foam. The finished composition must be poured with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide (3 tablespoons per 10 liters of water) in order to disinfect it from pests and diseases.
- Seed treatment. Hybrid seeds labeled F1, which do not require pre-treatment, can be purchased at the store. Otherwise, seed should be prepared for planting. First of all, it needs to be examined. If there is a film on the surface of the seeds, then they do not need to be soaked. If they do not have a coating, they must be kept for 3 hours in a solution of hydrogen peroxide (1 hour per 100 ml of water). They can be sown on seedlings without prior drying.
- Capacity selection. In order not to injure young cucumber sprouts during transplantation, it is worth using peat pots or tablets. They can be immediately transplanted into the ground, which will also allow additional soil replenishment with moist decaying peat. For planting seeds, you can also choose individual plastic cups, and in a pinch - a spacious box.
- Sowing. In pots with moist soil, you need to plant 2-3 grains to a depth of 1.5-2 cm, and then sprinkle them with earth. The optimum temperature of the soil is + 8 ... + 10 ° C, and air - + 10 ° C. If all seeds are sprouted, seedlings will need to be thinned.
- Care. Until the first shoots appear, maintain the room temperature at + 25 ° C. To create a greenhouse effect, containers with seedlings should be covered with glass or a plastic bag. When the first shoots appear, remove the coating and lower the temperature to + 19 ° C. Keep containers closer to the window or use additional lighting. Water the soil moderately, as a crust forms on the surface layer. 10 days before transplanting to a new place, conduct hardening of seedlings, taking it out to fresh air for several hours. The weather should be warm and calm.
Seedlings cannot be kept in pots for longer than 30 days, because after this period it will be harder to tolerate various manipulations and will not be able to adapt to new living conditions.
Transplanting seedlings into the ground
When planting in a greenhouse, you do not need to take into account atmospheric conditions, so you can only proceed from the maturity of seedlings. If the cucumber is grown in open ground, planting work must be carried out after the end of night frosts. As a rule, this period falls on the second decade of May, when the air warms up to + 15 ... + 18 ° C, and the earth - up to + 12 ° C.
Transplanting seedlings is performed in the following order:
- Align the beds, forming rows with a taut cord.
- Prepare holes to a depth of peat cups or an earthen coma around the plant. Since the Emerald Stream belongs to medium-leaf plants with large leaves, prepare holes at a distance of 30-35 cm, and rows at a distance of at least 50 cm. Thus, the planting pattern is 50x30 cm.
- Moisten the prepared wells and add hydrogen peroxide, if this has not been done in advance, at the rate of 0.8 l per well.
- Plant pots or sprouts with an earthen lump in the ground so that their upper edges coincide with the edges of the holes, and then sprinkle them with earth.
- Pour the crops abundantly with water at room temperature at the rate of 2 liters for each bush. To prevent drying out of the soil and protect it from weeds, mulch the bed using pine needles, sawdust or black agrofiber.
During the first 3-4 days after planting, seedlings should be abundantly watered, preferably in the evening, preventing water from entering the leaves, as this can delay the development of the plant.
Direct sowing of seeds in the ground
With seed cultivation, work is carried out in the second decade of April or in early May, when the threat of spring frosts is completely over. It is advisable that the temperature for 2-3 days at night not fall below + 12 ° C, and in the daytime - not lower than 20 ° C. When sowing a cucumber in a greenhouse, which is also heated, this condition can be considered very conditional.
In optimal terms, sowing is carried out in the following order:
- Dry the treated seeds to flowability.
- In moist, but not waterlogged soil, prepare grooves at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. The optimal distance between the rows is 70 cm.
- Deepen the seeds by 2-4 cm and gently fill with a nutrient mixture so as not to damage the hatching sprouts.
- So that the soil on the site does not dry out, it should be covered with a film. This will also protect crops from sudden changes in temperature or spring frosts.
Around the planting site, you can scatter sawdust or pine needles to scare away the bear.
Seedling Care
Emerald flow belongs to the high-yielding salad types of cucumber, therefore, to provide the whole family with fresh fruits, it is enough to grow 2-3 bushes. However, for their abundant fruiting, it will be necessary to organize competent nursing care. What agricultural techniques it is necessary to pay special attention, we will understand separately.
Watering
Cucumbers are 90% water, so they need regular and plentiful watering. The plant should be watered with settled water at room temperature in the evening, since it gives the main growth at night. On hot days, this procedure can be carried out every day, and on rainy days, as the earth dries. In doing so, the following tips should be considered:
- When watering, observe a measure to prevent excessive stagnation of moisture under the bushes, as this can lead to rotting of the root system and the death of the lateral hairs, which makes the plant weaken, lag behind in development and may be susceptible to various diseases.
- The optimum depth of soil wetting is at least 10 cm.
- Pour water directly under the bushes so that it does not fall on the green mass and does not create a favorable environment for the development of pathogenic microflora. In addition, moisture droplets on the leaves can turn into lenses and lead to burns of leaves.
- If the earth is dry, it can not be immediately abundantly poured, since moisture drops will lead to rot on the roots and stems, which is already fraught with the death of the plant. So, in dry, hot weather, it is worth watering the cucumber by sprinkling to prevent erosion of the ground under the bushes.
- To water the bushes, you can use a watering can or hose with a spray, but without strong pressure. If possible, it is worth organizing a drip irrigation system for bushes. You can use not only its industrial version, but also home-made, made from plastic bottles.
In the aisles, you can prepare grooves to let water through them, without endangering either the leaves or the roots of the plant.
Loosening and weeding
Such events should be carried out as necessary, but always after moistening the soil.
In warm or hot weather, a dry crust forms quickly on the ground, which prevents full air exchange, so the roots of the plant lack oxygen and lag behind in development. In this regard, it is extremely important to carry out surface cultivation in the garden. At the same time, you need to act carefully, limiting yourself only to scratching movements, so as not to damage the roots close to the surface of the soil.
Cucumber culture loves cleanliness, so the site must not only be loosened regularly, but also cleaned of weed plants. Weeding is not recommended on damp ground, as this is fraught with the formation of lumps and exposure of roots.
After loosening and weeding, the bed can be sprinkled with dry earth or a nutrient mixture so that it dries more slowly.
If the culture is grown in a greenhouse, then the room needs to be ventilated regularly to create comfortable conditions for development for the cucumber giant. The fact is that under the influence of the greenhouse effect, he may experience various diseases due to the activity of pathogenic bacteria.
Top dressing
The plant is fed throughout the growing season. For active growth and fruiting, it is advisable to make natural fertilizers like:
- humus;
- infusion of onion feather or husk;
- solution based on the infusion of chicken manure.
They should be paid 3 times per season according to this scheme:
- After the formation of the first leaf.
- 21 days after the first feeding.
- Before the lashes close.
Fertilizers should be applied in the evening, using standing warm water. At the same time, the solution must not be allowed to enter the green mass.
In addition to the introduction of organic top dressing like slurry and humus mixtures, nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers should also be applied. In this case, it is strictly forbidden to use chlorine-containing mixtures. The appearance of the plant will also help you choose the right remedy:
- if the stems and leaves are pale, thin and die off quickly, and the size of the fruit does not meet expectations, use complexes with nitrogen;
- if hook-shaped fruits are formed, and the lower leaves become red and dry, potassium-containing fertilizers will be required.
All these deficiencies can be eliminated by the introduction of appropriate drugs.
Stepson and garter
In order to extend the fruiting period and increase the yield of the hybrid, it is necessary to properly form a bush, although the side shoots are formed in small quantities.
Like other long-fruited cucumbers, this hybrid must be planted in this way:
- Form bushes into one main stem with lateral shoots.
- After the formation of 6 of this leaf, remove all the ovaries and stepsons growing in the axils of the leaves.
- Then leave one ovary, forming stepsons.
- After 2-3 leaves, leave the ovary and stepson, which you need to pinch over the first leaf, leaving the strings on it.
Emerald flow belongs to parthenocarpic hybrids, therefore the ovaries are formed by bundles, and the plant often lacks the strength to feed them. In this regard, it is necessary to regularly carry out its partial removal, otherwise yellowing and shedding of the ovary will be observed.
The hybrid is medium-sized, so it also needs to be tied to a stable support. To do this, you can use the netting grid, passing the lashes through its cells in time or simply tying them to them. Sustainable trellises can also be used in the garden or in the greenhouse. To prevent injury to the plant, such a support should be installed early, after the appearance of 2-3 true leaves. Tie the bushes in such a way that they can withstand the weight of the pouring fruit.
In open ground, cucumber can be grown in a spread and without the formation of a bush, however, in this case, the probability of twisting the fruits is high.
Protection against diseases and pests
The hybrid is highly resistant to cladosporiosis, downy mildew and other diseases, but preventive measures cannot be neglected. They are as follows:
- maintain a comfortable temperature;
- water bushes on time;
- if necessary, loosen the soil and remove weeds;
- sprinkle bare roots with earth.
The hybrid is most susceptible to root rot, so it is extremely important to strictly follow all recommendations for watering and to prevent moisture stagnation under the bushes.
To prevent fungal diseases, the leaves should be sprayed with a solution of 1 tbsp. hydrogen peroxide and 40 drops of iodine per 1 liter of water. Such a tool saturates the plant with oxygen and inhibits pathogenic microflora.
As for pests, the beds should be protected from bears and ants. To do this, next to vegetables, you need to grow marigolds and calendula, garden savory. In addition, the leaves should be regularly examined from all sides in order to detect aphids or spider mites in time. They need to be fought with special insecticides.
Harvesting and storage
Cucumbers need to be collected as they ripen. Often, such work is carried out daily or every other day. The fruits will need to be carefully cut, without damaging their ovaries. The optimum length of cucumbers is 25-30 cm, although they can grow up to half a meter.
Harvested crops should be stored in a cool ventilated area. If the fruits were cut before they reached 50 cm, they are not suitable for long-term storage, as they quickly become soft. To keep such cucumbers for 2-3 days, they should be kept in the refrigerator in a bag and washed immediately before use.
Pros and cons
The emerald stream F1 is a hybrid of cucumber, which has the following advantages:
- is a weakly-climbing plant of a female type with strong growth power;
- differs in continuous fruiting and high productivity (5-7 kg of fruits with 1 sq. m);
- stably tolerates a lack of lighting, adverse climatic and seasonal conditions, when the work of pollinating insects is difficult;
- it does not take time to ripen the seeds, so the fruits do not turn yellow, and throughout the entire growing season they retain an attractive appearance and excellent taste.
As for the shortcomings of this hybrid, we can note its susceptibility to root rot. Gardeners also note that the presentation of cucumbers can be spoiled by their physiology. The fact is that the fruits are sometimes obtained too long, so they begin to curl and bend into an arc.
Cucumber Emerald Stream - a tenacious salad-type hybrid that abundantly bears fruit even in those conditions in which other varieties are either affected by cold and disease, or are already finishing fruiting. At the same time, the plant in the garden is unpretentious, although it requires compliance with the rules of agricultural technology.