Content
The description of the cucumbers "A Little Thumb" and positive reviews about growing the vegetable in open ground and greenhouses indicate the successful work of Russian breeders. Domestic gardeners appreciated the variety for its high yield and resistance to disease.
Description of cucumbers Boy with Thumb F1
The heterotic hybrid of cucumbers, Boy the Thumb, is the result of breeding work by the Russian agricultural company Manul. The variety was included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation in 2000. Recommended for planting throughout Russia. Boy-sized cucumbers form an ovary without pollination by bees. In addition to yield and immunity to disease, gardeners note the crop’s resistance to autumn frosts and cool summers in the North-Western region, as well as its excellent taste.
The plant bears fruit both in open and protected ground. This variety of cucumber is successfully grown even on the balconies of city apartments.
According to the description and photographs, the Boy with a Thumb variety has:
- tall and climbing bushes;
- large leaves and inflorescences;
- dense cylindrical greens;
- small dark green fruits;
- cucumber yield from 7 to 14 kg per 1 sq. m.
Taste qualities of cucumbers
Boy-sized cucumbers have excellent taste. Ripe fruits have a dense consistency, a pleasant aroma and a characteristic crunch when eaten. The peel of the cucumber is thin, it does not contain any bitter substance, so it does not need to be cut off before using it for food. The pulp of the fruit is tender and contains many sugars and microelements.
Boy's finger cucumbers grow small - up to 11 cm, rich dark green color. There are characteristic tubercles on the peel.
Thanks to their dense consistency, cucumbers tolerate transportation well: they do not wrinkle or crack.
This crop is good to pickle and pickle in jars. Processed cucumbers retain good taste. In the marinade they remain dense and crispy, the flesh does not fall apart and keeps its shape.
Pros and cons of the variety
In vegetable salads, Thumb-sized cucumbers bring out the flavor perfectly. The vegetable is not watery, which is important when slicing, but it is also quite juicy and goes well with tomatoes, peppers and aromatic herbs.
The variety is rich in positive characteristics:
- High germination rate. There are practically no hollow seeds in the package. If you follow the rules for growing seedlings, sprouts appear in 99% of cases.
- Early ripening. The first fruiting begins 5 - 6 weeks after germination.
- Extended fruiting period. The harvest of crispy cucumbers can be harvested for about 3 months: thus, almost the entire summer is ensured by regular harvesting of green vegetables.
- High yields. One bush can produce at least 7 kg of harvest per season.
- Taste and appearance of cucumbers. Cucumbers have a high taste both fresh and pickled. The skin of the fruit is not rough, not bitter, and the pulp has a pleasant sweetish taste. Cucumbers grow small and do not tend to grow to the size of a zucchini: if the cucumber is not picked in time, it will stop at a size of 11 cm in length and will only thicken.
- High endurance. The variety can withstand temperature changes, long-term lack of watering and pest attacks.
- Good adaptability. Hybrids are successfully grown in open ground, in a greenhouse, under film, and in an apartment - on a balcony or even on a windowsill.
The unique hybrid variety Boy with a Thumb has small features that are difficult to classify as obvious shortcomings. For example, the harvest of cucumbers "A Thumbnail" from an apartment window sill is inferior to the harvest grown in greenhouses, since the variety is very light-loving and does not bear fruit well in low light conditions.
Optimal growing conditions
Boy-sized cucumbers are grown from seeds or ready-made seedlings.
The rules for growing this cucumber hybrid are no different from growing other varieties. For seedlings to germinate, warmth and moderate humidity are required. To do this, a seed is planted in the prepared soil to a depth of about 1 cm. The hole is sprinkled with soil and moistened with a spray bottle. For better germination, the seeds are covered with polyethylene to create a greenhouse effect. After the first shoots appear, the polyethylene is removed and the young shoots are cared for.
For good growth, young seedlings need favorable conditions.
- Seeds must germinate in loose soil. Before emergence, the soil must be well moistened.
- Cucumber seedlings love warm soil: for optimal development of the root system, daytime temperatures should be above 20 oC, and at night - no less than 15 oWITH.
- Seedlings also respond favorably to fertilizing, weeding, and loosening.
Growing cucumbers Boy with Thumb
Growing cucumbers the size of a boy's finger is possible directly in open ground, or in seedlings.
Regardless of the planting method chosen, the seeds must be soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This will rid them of pathogens, fungi and bacteria. In addition, the experience of gardeners indicates better germination of disinfected seeds.
Direct planting in open ground
Treated seeds are planted in open ground in established warm weather. Cucumber beds are enriched with mineral fertilizers.
In a broken ridge, the soil should be loose and free of lumps, stones or old roots.
A string is pulled along the prepared bed and furrows are made with it, the distance between which should be 60 - 70 cm. Before sowing, the holes are well fertilized with manure and spilled with water. Sow 1 - 2 seeds into the formed furrows, taking steps of 20 - 30 cm.
It is necessary to remember the high germination rate of hybrid cucumber seeds. Seedlings of the Thumb Boy variety are not thinned out, so the seeds should not be sown frequently.
Growing by seedlings
Grown seedlings are planted in the ground when the plants reach a height of 20 - 25 cm, and at least 4 - 5 leaves should form.
Before planting, carefully remove the plant from the container, trying to handle the fragile roots with care.Many gardeners grow seedlings in a biodegradable natural container, which, along with the root ball, is planted in a prepared hole. The distance between young cucumbers should be about 30 cm for free growth and development of shoots.
The planted seedlings are watered and covered with a special covering material or an empty plastic bottle. In such a mini-greenhouse, the root system quickly adapts to new conditions.
After a week, the protective material can be removed and the cucumbers can be watered with nitrogenous fertilizers.
Watering and fertilizing
The Thumb Boy variety bears fruit well with moderate watering. Young plants need more active hydration than mature ones.
Aqueous solutions of wood ash, superphosphate, nitrogen and potassium are ideal as fertilizers. For convenience, garden departments sell ready-made complexes of mineral fertilizers in ampoules, in the form of powder or water emulsion.
Formation
Cucumber bushes of the Boy-sized variety grow large in greenhouses, with a lot of greens. Without a garter on wet soil, the plant will quickly rot and die. To distribute sunlight evenly, grown bushes must be tied to supports.
Cucumbers of the Thumb-sized cucumber variety are unpretentious in caring for and do not require additional effort. Mature plants do not need to be pinched. To avoid infection, be sure to remove old wilted and yellowed leaves.
Protection from diseases and pests
When developing hybrid cucumbers, Russian breeders took care to create a disease-resistant variety: it is not susceptible to cucumber mosaic, powdery mildew and cladosporiosis.
In order to prevent diseases and for successful harvesting, the following rules must be observed:
- Be sure to treat cucumber seeds with a weak solution of manganese before planting.
- Plant seeds or seedlings in warm soil.
- Regularly weed cucumber bushes from weedwhich serve as carriers of diseases.
- Fertilize with mineral fertilizers and water the plants in a timely manner.
Productivity
This hybrid variety is not only resistant to frost and disease, but is especially loved by many gardeners for its high yield. From one square meter per season, 7 kg of fresh crispy cucumbers are harvested. Provided there is good lighting, proper watering and fertilizing, the yield can be increased to 14 kg/sq. m.
The fruits of the variety are small, but very fragrant and dense. 6
Conclusion
Description of cucumbers A boy the size of a finger promises a high yield with minimal care costs. This may seem like an exaggeration, but modern breeding capabilities have made it possible to combine in one hybrid the ability to produce a very early harvest, resistance to diseases and such unpretentiousness of the plant to growing conditions that allows you to get cucumbers on the windowsill.
