Description of the hybrid cucumbers Khutorok F1, cultivation features and yield

This versatile variety is suitable for open ground, plastic shelters, and can also be grown indoors. The bee-pollinated hybrid cucumber, Khutorok F1, is an early-ripening variety—it matures in just one month before the fruit forms, which are used for pickling, marinating, and salads. It blooms primarily from female ovaries. The yield per bush is 4.5-5.5 kg, and per square meter—9.8 to 10.3 kg.

Seedlings are sown in the first week of May, and transplanted outdoors by the end of the month or early June. Plants are spaced 40x40 cm apart, and they begin to bear fruit in 30-35 days. The plant is moderately branched, with medium-sized leaves and short, cylindrical, black-spined cucumbers 10-12 cm long, weighing 80-120 g. The tubercles on the cucumber are sparsely spaced and large, and the flavor is not bitter. The hybrid is resistant to powdery mildew, root rot, and other stressful conditions.

Preparing seeds and soil

As with most plants, prepare fertile and loose soil for planting. A houseplant requires at least 5 liters of soil to ensure the roots are not crowded and have adequate nutrition.

The soil is prepared by mixing the following components in equal parts:

• soil from a front garden, vegetable garden, forest;
• humus or black soil;
• coarse sand;
• stale sawdust, blackened wood sawdust;
• stove or fireplace ash from logs.

After preparing the soil, it is disinfected by baking it in the oven at 200°C for 20 minutes. This removes insects and bacteria that can cause cucumber diseases. If you purchase a potting mix from a store, choose a general-purpose substrate or one specifically designed for pumpkins.

Germination of seeds

You can plant cucumbers without preparation, but be prepared for some to fail to sprout, and others to need thinning when they emerge in 2-3 days. At home, it's recommended to pre-germinate the cucumbers and then select the desired number for planting. The procedure is as follows:

1. Soak the seeds in a weak (pink) solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes, rinse with warm water and place in a thermos with a temperature of no more than +35ºС for 2-3 hours.
2. Remove the material from the container and wrap it in damp burlap, covering it with sawdust. Place it in a comfortable location with a constant temperature of +30ºC for 1-2 days.
3. An alternative method is to harden the bushes and increase their resistance to low temperatures by placing the material in a refrigerator under the freezer for the same period of time.
4. Open the storage container—you'll find sprouted seeds inside. Their roots can be up to 1 mm long, but they need to be dried before planting.

A few days before sowing, the soil is distributed among the boxes and pots. This time will allow the soil to settle and compact, preventing the seeds from being planted too deeply, and allowing the seedlings to emerge sooner.

Planting and caring for seedlings

At home, cucumbers are grown in boxes or individual pots on a south-facing windowsill. The containers must have holes in the bottom to allow excess moisture to drain from the soil. The soil is watered generously the day before planting.

You can plant in small cups or directly into boxes: Sprouted seeds are buried 1.5 cm into the soil and covered with moist soil. Five to six future plants are placed in a 70 cm long box. Until the seedlings emerge, cover the container with plastic or glass and place it in a comfortable location (above 25ºC).

Once the seedlings have sprouted, remove the insulation and place the containers on the windowsill. If planting was done in small cups, press down the sides before moving them, allowing the young cucumber to fall out easily, along with the soil, without damaging the roots.

Cultivation of seedlings

Agricultural practices for growing vegetables at home include tending to the foliage, watering and fertilizing, and hand-pollinating flowers. Each procedure is performed regularly and in specific quantities:

1. Shoots are formed by pinching—after 4-5 leaves have grown, this is done at the crown, as the side shoots tend to bear more fruit. Two to three branches are left for further development, limited above the 10th leaf. Shoots in the axils are constantly emerging, and soil is scarce, so shoot formation and runner pruning are done daily. To ensure adequate light coverage of the entire plant, the cucumber vines are spread out and tied up.
2. Watering affects the health and productivity of plants. It should be done promptly, and the greens should be misted daily with warm water. The appearance of flowers and ovaries signals the need for increased watering.
3. Fertilizing is first done two weeks after germination, using a mixture of ammonium nitrate and superphosphate. Fertilizer is applied again after another two weeks. This interval is maintained throughout the fruiting period.
4. Pollination indoors is done manually: pick a male flower and place it inside a female flower. Another method is to use a soft brush to transfer pollen.

Favorable conditions for growing cucumbers: daytime temperatures are around +21…+24°C, at night - up to +18…+20ºС, and daylight hours are 14-15 hours, so you cannot do without backlighting the bushes. It is important to remember that the window sill can be cold, so it is better to place foam plastic under the drawers.

Harvesting

Many reviews from home gardeners are positive: the Khutorok F1 variety delivers fresh cucumbers daily. This schedule is necessary according to agricultural practices: it is recommended to pick ripe cucumbers from the bushes as soon as they reach 10 cm in length, allowing the plant to bloom and produce a second crop. Early-ripening cucumbers from the windowsill are also suitable for pickling, but limited space prevents growing enough cucumbers for canning.

But don't give up on growing delicious cucumbers at home. This activity allows you to harvest fresh vegetables almost every month.