Zozulya variety has been known for decades. He has been listed in the State Register of the Russian Federation since 1977. Zozulya is suitable for most Russian regions and has a lot of advantages. Proper crop cultivation will help to obtain high productivity and proper taste.
Zozulya seeds
Ripening cucumbers Zozulya
Zozulya cucumbers
Description of the variety of cucumbers
Zozulya is a hybrid variety. The place of its introduction is the Vegetable Experimental Station named after V.I. Edelstein.
The plant is weakly braided and partially parthenocarpic - pollination is not required for the formation of ovaries, although it increases productivity. The culture is unpretentious, well withstands adverse weather. Zozulya can be grown both in sheltered and in open ground.
Zozulya cucumbers are characterized by a cylindrical shape and a dark green color. A slight bend is possible. Fruits are characterized by rare large tubercles, pronounced longitudinal stripes, light furrows, white spikes.
Zozulya cucumbers are attractive with thin skin and dense, juicy and sweet pulp with excellent taste. Fruits reach a length of 14-24 cm, weight averages 160-300 g.
The yield of the Zozulya variety is worthy. Up to 10-15 kg of cucumbers from 1 square. m can be collected in the first month. Then the yield increases to 20 kg and above.
Advantages and disadvantages
Zozulya has been a popular variety for nearly half a century. This is due to many of its advantages:
- unpretentiousness;
- resistance to adverse weather conditions;
- partial parthenocarpy;
- limited lateral branching - pinching, pinching is not required;
- high responsiveness to fertilizers;
- resistance to fungal and viral diseases;
- prolonged fruiting;
- high productivity;
- long preservation of a trade dress without yellowness;
- great taste;
- universal use - fresh, for preservation.
Zozuli has practically no drawbacks.
These include lower productivity when grown in open ground and unsuitability for pickling, which does not exclude other methods of conservation.
Soil requirements
For growing cucumbers, it is important to choose the right site. It should be smooth and sunny, protection from the north wind is desirable.
Soil characteristics are equally important: lightness, fertility, neutral acid-base reaction. If the quality of the soil is insufficient, it is necessary to lay the substrate with a layer of 15-20 cm. To do this, use:
- peat land - 5 parts;
- humus - 3 parts;
- turf land - 2 parts.
Before planting, regardless of soil characteristics, disinfection is required. Use potassium permanganate for this - 3 grams of crystals per 10-liter bucket. To prepare the solution, hot water is taken. The resulting composition is used for abundant watering - it is convenient to produce it with a watering can with a spray.
Rules for sowing seeds, planting seedlings
When growing Zozuli prefer to do this seedlings. If this is not possible, the seeds can be planted directly in the ground under a film cover. The whole process is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- Soak. This is done to cull seeds - you need to throw away everything that has surfaced - such seeds still will not germinate. Soak them for no longer than an hour - enough for half an hour.
- Rinse the selected seeds, wrap in a damp cloth and put in a warm place. Keep them up to 3 days, until they hatch. After that, immediately proceed to sowing.
- In pre-prepared soil, holes should be made at a distance of 30-35 cm. A handful of humus, potassium salt and superphosphate of 0.5 tsp should be placed in each well. After laying fertilizer, add 0.4-0.5 l of water to each well.
- Seeds are placed in holes of 3 pieces. This should be done when the moisture is absorbed, sprinkle the recesses with dry earth.
- After germination, thin out the plants - one, but the strongest specimen should remain in the hole.
Sowing seeds in protected ground is done when the temperature in the greenhouse is at least 20 degrees.
When using the Zozulya variety, most gardeners prefer growing seedlings. In this case, special attention should be paid to seed preparation in order to obtain the maximum number of seedlings. The following steps are important:
- Warming up. The process should begin 7-8 weeks before sowing. To do this, bags of seeds are placed in heat - you need a temperature of 27-30 degrees, for example, next to a heating device. Warming up can also be carried out by express method for 3 days. To do this, the temperature must be increased to 40 degrees.
- Calibration The algorithm is similar to culling when planting seeds: pour clean water and discard material that does not sink to the bottom of the tank.
- Germination. Seeds should be left in a damp cloth for several days. The temperature should be kept at 28-30 degrees. After biting, plant seedlings.
- For seedlings, you can use special cassettes, cups. To fill them, it is recommended to use a mixture for greenhouses. Until shoots appear, a temperature regime of 25-28 degrees is required, after the appearance of the first true leaflet it must be lowered to 20-22 degrees, otherwise the seedlings will stretch.
- Important regular watering of seedlings and ensuring sufficient daylight hours - from 13 hours. Periodic ventilation is required.
- You can plant seedlings in the greenhouse after about 3 weeks. It is better to plan such an event for the third decade of May.
- To plant seedlings, make holes - depth is up to 15 cm. Add fertilizers: humus, potassium salt, superphosphate for 0.5 hours each. Pour water to the edges of the recess. Plant seedlings with an earthen lump without disturbing it. Sprinkle the earth, lightly tamp. Plant seedlings to the same depth as in pots (cups).
After landing care
After planting, taking care of the Zozul is quite simple. Leaving involves regular weeding and shallow loosening of row spacing. Do it better after watering.
Zozula needs a lot of moisture, so watering should be plentiful throughout the season. Even with a short drought, the number of ovaries will decrease. It is recommended to spend half a liter of water on young plants and a liter on adult bushes. Before flowering, watering is carried out once every 5-6 days, and after it - 2-3 times a week.
For watering cucumbers Zozuly recommended the use of warm water. If it is cold or watering is insufficient, then the fruits will become bitter.
For top dressing, cultures resort to organic and mineral fertilizers. The most effective use of combined formulations. They should be introduced not only at the root, but also along the leaf. It is recommended to adhere to the following scheme:
- Phase 1 of this leaflet. Use nitrofosk and chicken droppings. Pour dry litter with the same amount of water, insist in a tightly closed container for 0.5-1 week. Add a glass of the resulting infusion to a 10-liter bucket of water, dissolve the nitrophos (1 tbsp. L.). Under each bush, add 2-2.5 liters of fertilizer.
- Phase of the 2nd true leaflet. Prepare a solution: add water, potassium sulfate (1 tsp) and chicken infusion (0.5 l) to a 10-liter bucket. Add 2-2.5 L under each bush, repeat in 2-3 weeks.
- The beginning of flowering. Dissolve saltpeter (20 g) or urea (40 g) in 10 l of water. The resulting solution is used for spraying.
How to achieve a generous harvest?
Zozulya refers to partially parthenocarpic plants. Harvest without pollination will be, but low. You can increase it by planting a pollinator - 2-3 male plants in each row.
An important condition for obtaining a generous harvest is the proper cultivation of plants. Zozulya is suitable for open ground, but gives maximum results in greenhouses and greenhouses.
To stimulate the crop, it is important to collect it correctly. It is recommended to do this at least every 3-5 days. Thanks to this technique, more new fruits are formed.
Diseases and their prevention
Zozule is characterized by sufficient resistance to disease, but some problems are not excluded:
- Ascochitosis. Watery spots appear with dots of black color on the stems, petioles of the leaves. The stalk becomes dry, wet, leaves are covered with brown spots with black dots. For prevention, it is necessary to regularly ventilate the greenhouse, treat plants with fungicides, burn diseased specimens.
- Anthracnose. It is manifested by rounded brown spots on leaves, pressed by brown areas on the stem, bitterness and rapid rotting of the fruit. Prevention is the same as for ascochitosis.
- Bacteriosis. It is expressed in angular brown spots on the leaves, followed by the formation of holes. The fruits become curved, watery, ulcers appear. For prophylaxis, careful seed dressing, optimal temperature and humidity in the greenhouse, Bordeaux spray liquid (dissolve lime and copper sulfate in 10 g each) in a liter of water are necessary.
- Downy mildew. It is expressed by yellow spots and violet bloom on the leaves, which turn out and dry. For prophylaxis, seeds must be treated, a proper microclimate in the greenhouse should be ensured, and fungicides should be used.
- Powdery mildew. It appears white plaque on the leaves, gradually capturing their outer sides and darkening. The fruits become ugly, bitter. As a preventive measure, it is necessary to dress seeds, disinfect the greenhouse, maintain a stable microclimate in it, and use fungicides for spraying.
- Aphid. These black or greenish insects are clearly visible. They lead to tuberosity of leaves and their twisting, stopping plants in growth. It is necessary to use insecticides: Arrivo, Decis.
Harvesting and storage rules
When harvesting, the fruits must be removed carefully so as not to damage the plant. This should be done by pinching the ponytails with the nails.
Harvested fruits are immediately placed in boxes that must be stored in a refrigerator or other cool place. Cucumbers can lie in such conditions for up to a week. For better preservation, it is recommended to place a container of water next to it, but do not wet the fruits themselves.
The zozulu is consumed fresh. You can use cucumbers for pickling, but they are not suitable for pickling, as they quickly become soft.
Zozulya is a cucumber variety that has been known and in demand for several decades. It is better to grow in a greenhouse so that its yield is higher. Other factors influence crop yields, in particular proper sowing, further care and disease prevention. They grow Zozul for food and sale, preferring other varieties for canning.