Description of the cucumber variety Othello F1, photo of the crop, reviews of gardeners
Cucumber variety Othello F1 is a Dutch selection hybrid, very popular among gardeners due to its qualities, such as good yield, disease resistance, unpretentious cultivation. Before choosing this variety, it is recommended to read the description, read reviews, see photos of the harvest.
Description of the variety
Othello F1 is an early ripening variety of cucumbers: it takes about 45 days from sowing the seeds to ripening the fruits. The main stems of the plant are quite tall, they can reach a height of up to 2 meters. The plant curls strongly, medium lashes are formed. Up to six ovaries can form in one node.
This hybrid is bee-pollinated, the flowering type is female. Othello F1 is perfect for growing in greenhouses, under plastic greenhouses, as well as in open beds. High yield is one of the many advantages of this cucumber variety; the bushes bear fruit steadily throughout the entire period. More than 10 kg of fruit can grow on 1 m². Moreover, the cucumbers themselves are juicy, strong and crispy.
Another property thanks to which gardeners liked this variety so much is its resistance to diseases and adverse weather conditions.
Fruits grow up to 12 cm long, have a cylindrical shape. There are no pronounced pimples on the skin of cucumbers, it is almost smooth, with small spines and a little shiny. On the surface of each fruit, you can see pale stripes reaching the middle. What is typical for this variety of cucumbers is that heat treatment does not affect the color. The flesh of the fruit is dense, crispy, without voids and bitterness. You can even feel faint sweetish flavors.
Cucumbers of the Othello F1 variety are perfect for fresh consumption and for winter storage.
In general, the following advantages of this variety can be distinguished:
- early maturation;
- stable fruiting;
- great fruit taste;
- keeping quality;
- unpretentiousness;
- disease resistance.
No wonder the Othello F1 has become so popular among gardeners.
Planting seeds
The preparation and planting of cucumber seeds can be divided into two stages, each of which has its own characteristics.
After purchasing the seeds, you must prepare them properly so that most of them germinate, the plants take root and grow.
- First of all, the seeds must be decontaminated. To do this, prepare a solution of garlic pulp with water, observing the following proportions: 3 parts of water and 1 part of pulp. We dip the seeds into the solution and keep them for an hour.
- Place the seeds in cloth bags and dip them in a nutrient solution (you can buy it at a specialty store or make your own). We keep in the solution for twelve hours.
- Now the cucumber seeds need to be washed and laid out on gauze folded in several layers. We leave in this form for two days - during this time the seeds should swell.
If you want to speed up the appearance of the crop, while increasing the shoots, to exclude the formation of barren flowers, provide the seeds with good heating. Keep the seeds close to the battery for a month before planting.
- Immediately before planting the seeds, they are put in the refrigerator overnight on the lower level. This will harden future plants.
- Seeds are sown in separate containers with soil, moistened with a sprayer.
- After about a week and a half, the first shoots are observed, rapidly growing.
In about a month, the seedlings can be transplanted into open ground. By this time, 2-3 true leaves have already formed on the stems. For these purposes, any place is not suitable, we choose carefully - the earth should be light and neutral, with good moisture and fertilizer permeability.If there is no neutral soil, a slightly acidic one can be used.
No wonder at the beginning of the article it is indicated that this is a bee-pollinated variety. If the cucumbers are planted in a greenhouse or greenhouse, the pollination process will be much more difficult than in the open field.
Cucumber care
To ensure crop yields and excellent plant health, proper care must be taken.
Experienced gardeners recommend observing the following rules for caring for cucumbers:
- Regular to moderate watering. For these purposes, only warm water is used. The soil is watered around the main stems, water should not fall on the leaves - cucumbers do not like this.
- Weeding as needed, that is, there should be no weeds in the garden. Harmful plants take all their nutrients and moisture, and also create shade.
- With the help of special hoes, delicate loosening of the soil is carried out. A crust of dry earth should not be allowed.
- Approximately five times during the growing season, they are fed with nutrients for cucumbers. You can use mineral fertilizers, chicken droppings and mullein.
- As soon as the phase of active growth of lateral shoots begins, the main stem is tied. Since the shoots curl very strongly, they themselves will find something to catch on to.
- Ripe cucumbers are removed at least once every 2-3 days. The formation of overgrowths should not be allowed - they will no longer possess the necessary qualities.
Observing these simple rules, you can get the expected yield in the amount indicated on the seed package. A large number of strong, juicy and tasty cucumbers will delight everyone.
Othello F1 variety reviews
On the Internet, you can find gardeners' reviews about this variety. As a rule, they share their impressions when there is something to compare with. After reading the reviews, you can decide to buy seeds of this variety.
Maria: “A neighbor at the dacha advised me to buy an Othello F1. When the first shoots began, I could not get enough of - all the seeds sprouted. The harvest also pleased me, especially the taste of the cucumbers! "
Galina: “I am a beginner in the gardening theme, I took this variety for the sake of experiment and was very pleased. First, I grew seedlings, and then transplanted them into the ground. The harvest was excellent, now I recommend Othello to everyone. "
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