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The Amur cucumber was bred by domestic breeders in the Moscow region at the turn of the last century. In 2000, it was noted in the State Register. The hybrid received many positive qualities from its predecessors and over several decades has won the recognition of gardeners throughout the country. An early, abundant and friendly harvest of delicious, beautiful Amur fruits is now obtained from Krasnodar and Crimea to Siberia and the Far East.
Description of cucumber Amur
The cucumber variety Amur F1 is a parthenocarpic crop and does not require pollination. Therefore, it bears fruit well in open, protected ground or as a houseplant.
The hybrid bushes are vigorous, the branches are powerful, and they develop according to the indeterminate type. When formed on supports, the lashes easily support the weight of the crop. Early fruiting occurs on the central shoot. The main stem with filling cucumbers does not stop growing and does not produce lateral shoots. After the end of the first wave of harvest, short determinate shoots appear, on which several “bouquet” ovaries are formed.
The Amur cucumber variety does not require shaping, pinching, or constant tying. The bush self-regulates and does not grow in breadth. Amur's leaf blades are medium-sized, pubescent, with a classic green color for cucumbers. The edges of the leaves are smooth.
Description of fruits
When characterizing the fruit, the Amur F1 cucumber is often classified as a gherkin, although it can grow very quickly up to 12-15 cm without losing its nutritional value and commercial qualities.
Varietal characteristics of the fruits of the hybrid Amur F1:
- length – up to 15 cm;
- weight of an average cucumber – 100 g;
- the shape is slightly fusiform, the neck is short;
- the peel is rich green, with light stripes;
- the surface is pubescent, the tubercles on the skin are small and frequent;
- There is no bitterness, the taste indicators are high.
Harvested cucumbers do not lose their presentation and taste for several days. Combined with rapid fruit production, this makes the crop suitable for commercial cultivation. The fruits have universal uses: fresh consumption, cutting into salads, canning, pickling. During heat treatment, no voids are found inside the timely harvested Amur fruits.
Main characteristics of the variety
According to the characteristics and official description of the variety, Amur F1 cucumber is recommended for all regions of the country, subject to cultivation in protected soil. For spring-summer rotation in the open air, the hybrid is successfully used in the middle zone, but full yield is noted only when grown in the south.
Among the characteristic features of the Amur F1 cucumber variety, the following are noted:
- The ability to survive short-term droughts without losing ovaries, which is rare for cucumbers.
- Excellent fruit yield both in hot climates and in areas with cool summers.
- The F1 marking in the name indicates that the crop is a hybrid and it will not be possible to produce cucumbers from your own planting material.
- Cupid performs well in film greenhouses and heated stationary greenhouses: almost all flowers form ovaries, bushes do not get sick.
Productivity of cucumbers Amur
One of the amazing qualities of the young hybrid Amur F1 is the ultra-early start of fruiting. 35-40 days after the first shoots, the first cucumbers have time to set and form. At the same time, the yield of the harvest occurs together - in whole bunches. In one node, up to 8 fruits of equal size are simultaneously formed.
For commercial cultivation, the hybrid is sown twice with a month apart, receiving a massive yield of cucumbers without interruptions for more than 60 days in a row.
In the official description, the declared yield of the Amur variety is about 14 kg per 1 sq. m. On average, one plant produces 4-5 kg of fruits harvested at the gherkin stage. According to reviews from private producers and large farms, the variety, with proper care, produces up to 25 kg of excellent cucumbers per season. The fertility of Amur F1 bushes is most influenced by the nutritional value of the soil and the frequency of watering.
Resistance to pests and diseases
The hybrid form received the best qualities from the parent varieties, including resistance to olive spot, cucumber mosaic, and powdery mildew. The cucumber variety Amur F1 is relatively not susceptible to fungal infections of the roots and downy mildew.
A good prevention of cucumber diseases is spraying with Fitosporin. The same solution is used to water the beds when preparing a site for the Amur variety.
Pests threatening cucumber plantings:
- sprout fly;
- whitefly;
- spider mite;
- nematode;
- aphid.
To combat the onset of infection, specialized or systemic insecticides are used. The drugs most often chosen are Aktara, Fufanon, Intravir, and Iskra.
Pros and cons of the variety
Hybrid Amur F1 has a good reputation among experienced vegetable growers and is popular with beginners. The seeds have a high germination rate, the plants are unpretentious and hardy, and cucumbers have an excellent taste.
Among the advantages of the variety are also noted:
- Cucumbers have an attractive presentation: uniform size, thick, bright peel, even shape.
- Rapid growth of green mass and very early fruiting.
- Friendly return of fruits, convenient for forming trading parties.
- Possibility of long-term transportation without loss of taste.
- There is no need to form the stem or pinch.
- Mature plants tolerate temporary cold spells well.
Extended fruiting and the opportunity to get a large harvest are also advantages of the hybrid.The only drawback that stands out is that cucumbers require watering and fertilizing. With improper nutrition or irrigation, even persistent Amur can lose part of the ovaries.
Growing rules
The Amur variety can be planted with seedlings or seeds in open beds or in a greenhouse. You can grow cucumbers outdoors by direct sowing in the southernmost points of the country. A little closer to the central regions, Amur is already being cultivated through seedlings. The closer you get to the north, the more important it becomes to sow early in separate containers with subsequent removal to the greenhouse.
Sowing time
Amur seeds can be placed in open ground no earlier than the soil warms up to + 15 °C. This period differs significantly for different regions.
Approximate timing of planting seeds of the Amur F1 variety:
- in the south they sow in early May;
- in the middle zone, the optimal soil temperature is achievable by the end of spring;
- planting seedlings at home begins in mid-April;
- removal of young cucumbers to greenhouses or open ground is optimal at night temperatures of at least + 12 ° C;
- Amur is grown in heated greenhouses all year round; survival rate and yield are more dependent on lighting.
Cucumbers are heat-loving, delicate plants that are painfully tolerant of contrasting temperatures. Optimal regime for growth and fruiting: above + 20 °C during the day, not below + 12 °C at night. Amur F1, as a super early variety, is more resistant to night coolness. And yet, when the temperature drops sharply, it is recommended to cover the beds with agrofibre.
Selecting a location and preparing beds
Principles for selecting a place to plant Amur cucumber:
- Sunny area or light partial shade.
- In the previous season, pumpkin crops did not grow in this place.
- The best predecessors are onions, potatoes, tomatoes, legumes.
- Loose, fertilized, neutral acidity soil.
The high-yielding variety Amur will respond well to soil fertilized in advance. In autumn, per 1 sq. m. of area, up to 10 kg of manure, 50 g of superphosphate and 25 g of potassium fertilizers should be added. In spring, use ammonium nitrate (20 g per 1 sq. m.). It is useful to place wood ash in the holes just before planting.
To prevent diseases and pests, it is good to water the beds with Bordeaux mixture (1 tablespoon of copper sulfate per 10 liters of water). Treat the soil at the rate of 2 liters per 1 sq. m.
How to plant correctly
With the seedling growing method, Amur cucumber sprouts are ready for transplanting within 14 days after germination. Seedlings with 4 true leaves are considered mature. It is advisable to transfer the plants to a permanent place no later than 35 days from sowing.
The weak branching of the cucumber allows plantings to be thickened to 3-4 bushes per 1 square meter. m, which significantly increases productivity. In an open bed, with vertical formation, you can compact seedlings of this variety to 5 bushes.
The distance between cucumber bushes is measured at about 30 cm. Planting in a checkerboard pattern is possible. Every 2 lines, leave an indent of 0.5 m. Plants of the Amur variety are buried in the holes up to the cotyledon leaves and watered abundantly.
The seedless method of planting Amur involves preparing the seeds, which significantly speeds up germination:
- hardening - at least 12 hours on a shelf in the refrigerator;
- germination - on a damp cloth in a warm room until sprouts appear;
- Large producers are not required to disinfect and stimulate germination of varietal seeds.
The hatched cucumber seeds are buried no more than 3 cm. Having filled the holes, they are well watered. It is advisable to cover the beds with film until the bulk of the seeds germinate.
Aftercare for cucumbers
Cultivation of the Amur F1 variety frees the vegetable grower from the formation of bushes, but does not cancel the following stages of care:
- Watering. The soil in the beds under Amur plantings should be constantly moderately moist. Increase watering during the flowering period, when cucumbers are filled, it is advisable to moisten the plantings every day.
- Loosening and weeding can be eliminatedb, mulching the beds with sawdust, grass residues, special garden materials. This prevents the soil from drying out and the roots from overcooling at night.
- Feeding. Fertilize cucumbers at least three times per season. The first feeding is appropriate during the flowering period. Further fertilizer is applied as needed during fruiting.
For the full development of Amur F1 cucumbers, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus compounds are required, as well as a number of microelements. Therefore, the easiest way is to purchase complex fertilizers and dilute them following the instructions.
Cucumbers of the Amur F1 variety respond gratefully to foliar spraying with nitroammophos, urea or superphosphate mixed with magnesium sulfate (1 teaspoon of dry mixture per 10 liters of water). Pollination with ash is the easiest way to additionally feed and protect plantings from diseases.
Conclusion
Cucumber Amur is a young and very promising hybrid. Its varietal qualities allow it to be cultivated under the most contrasting conditions, under the hot sun, in greenhouses in Siberia. According to the description of gardeners, the Amur F1 cucumber manages to produce a harvest even in open ground in the Urals. Early fruiting and resistance to major diseases make the variety one of the most popular among private gardeners, as well as large farms.
