The Phoenix variety has a long history, but is still popular among Russian gardeners.
History of the variety
Cucumbers of the Phoenix variety were bred at the breeding station in Krymsk by A.G. Medvedev. In 1985, an epidemic of downy mildew raged, from which vegetable growers in Hungary, Bulgaria, and the German Democratic Republic suffered. The disease then reached the southern regions of the Soviet Union.
At first, the disease was resisted, so there were resistant varieties, but downy mildew changed, mutated, and it became impossible to fight it. But, having developed experience in this area, Soviet scientists in 1990 developed a new variety of cucumbers, which was designated by the numbers 640, but then received the famous name Phoenix. Like a mythological bird, the plant rose from the ashes into which cucumber tops turned from the effects of downy mildew. Phoenix also turned out to be resistant to the cucumber mosaic virus.
In just a year, we managed to propagate the Phoenix cucumber variety, the seeds of which were received by vegetable farms. The work of breeders continued; F1 hybrids were bred on the basis of Phoenix, with targeted properties: not dependent on pollinating insects, disease resistance, good taste. Look at the photo to see what the plant looks like.
Description
Cucumber variety Phoenix 640 is intended for cultivation in open ground. It is a late-ripening plant; it takes about 60 days from planting in the ground to the start of fruiting.The vines of the plant are powerful, strong, grow up to 3 m long, it is best to provide them with support.
Phoenix cucumber fruit description: cylindrical, oval-oblong green in color with light greenish longitudinal stripes. The weight of the fruits is up to 150 g, length is up to 15 cm, they have tubercles with white spines. Cucumbers are good for fresh use, canning and pickling. The plant bears fruit as long as weather conditions allow, when other varieties of cucumbers have already stopped bearing fruit. If agricultural technology is followed, it produces high yields, from 1 sq. m you can collect 2.5-3.5 kg of cucumbers. The plant is pollinated by insects.
Phoenix Plus cucumbers were created by the same breeder. But they have slightly different characteristics, in contrast to the Phoenix 640 variety. The variety is mid-season, it takes approximately 45 days from planting in the ground to the beginning of fruit ripening. The plant is more compact, medium-sized, medium-branched. The leaves are small in size, light green.
The fruits are neat, weighing up to 60 g, up to 12 cm long, dark green, pimply, and have a small sparse white pubescence. The fruits are used universally: suitable for preparations, salads and fresh consumption. Phoenix Plus is resistant to powdery mildew and tobacco mosaic virus. In the new variety, the property of disease resistance has been further strengthened. The advantages of the variety include higher yields compared to the base variety: more than 6 kg per 1 sq. m.
Growing
Growing Phoenix cucumbers is not particularly different from other varieties. They were bred as dirt breeds. Seeds can be planted directly in open ground or pre-grown seedlings.
Planting in the ground occurs at the end of May - beginning of June, when positive average daily temperatures are established and the threat of a return of May frosts has passed. The soil temperature should be more than +15 degrees. At first, while night temperatures are quite low, use arcs over which you pull the covering material.
If you decide to grow cucumber seedlings, then take care of planting them in early May. Plants are best planted in open ground when they have 2-3 true leaves. At the end of May, plant the plants in open ground.
You can refuse covering material when daytime temperatures are at least +22 degrees, and night temperatures are +16 degrees. At lower temperatures, plants stop growing, so a backup heat-containing cover material is needed.
Before planting, prepare the soil, apply rotted manure, and dig up.
Cucumbers love light, porous soil composition. They do not like heavy clay soils that are prone to moisture stagnation. There is a way out: the composition of the soil is improved by adding humus, sand, and peat. The methods are not costly, but will allow you to significantly improve your harvest.
The Phoenix variety grows best when following a 50x40 cm pattern when planted in a row or in a staggered manner. Phoenix plus cucumbers will save you a little space; their planting pattern is 40x40 cm.
Before planting, soak Phoenix cucumber seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After planting the seeds, cover the bed with plastic wrap.
The Phoenix variety is one of those varieties that are “planted and forgotten.” But with proper regular care, the plants will thank you with a bountiful harvest. Don't forget that cucumbers are 90% water, so they just need regular watering. Water as the top layer of soil dries, more often on dry days; it is better to water with water that has warmed up during the day in the evening to avoid burning the leaves.
Phoenix cucumbers love regular fertilizing and respond with rapid growth and fruiting. Combine fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers. An infusion of bird droppings, manure or plants stimulates the formation of green mass. Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers promotes fruit formation. You can use ready-made mineral mixtures for feeding cucumbers, for example, Kemira-Lux, which will prepare the plant for the fruiting period. The fertilizer has been tested by gardeners, the plants become strong and hardy, the yield increases by 30%.
The Phoenix variety gives an increased yield if the plant is tied up and formed into a cucumber bush. You can pinch the main stem, which will result in additional lateral branching of the plant.
Harvest fruits after 1-2 days. Cucumbers quickly outgrow and lose their taste. In addition, they absorb moisture and nutrients, which are so necessary for flowering and the formation of ovaries. For tips on growing cucumbers, watch the video:
Conclusion
The Phoenix variety has established itself as a reliable plant, resistant to disease and lack of regular watering. Cucumbers will delight you with their abundance and taste, both fresh and prepared.
