Berendey f1 cucumbers: from sowing to harvesting at home

The early parthenocarpic cucumber "Berendey f1" is a first-generation hybrid developed by Russian breeders. In 2007, it was included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements Approved for Use. According to the register, it can be grown indoors in the Northern, Northwestern, Central, Volga-Vyatka, Central Black Earth, North Caucasus, and Middle Volga regions of Russia. Its main purpose is canning. You can see the Berendey fruit in the photo.

Characteristics of the variety

"Berendey f1" is an early variety; the fruits are ready for harvesting 44–46 days after seed germination. Parthenocarpic variety, which does not require pollination and is therefore suitable for growing outdoors, under plastic cover, and in greenhouses. Its shade tolerance also makes it suitable for growing indoors on balconies and windowsills. The plants are indeterminate, moderately branched, and bear female flowers. The leaves are green and medium-sized. Each node averages three fruits. Other characteristics:

• the cucumbers are cylindrical, covered with pimples with light-colored spines;
• the color of the fruit is bright green, with white stripes;
• the pulp is crispy, not bitter;
• fruit length 12–14 cm, weight 120–140 g;
• yield 12–14 kg/1 m2;
• up to 8 kg of cucumbers are harvested from one plant;
• Cucumbers are good for pickling, marinating and salads.

The Berendey f1 variety is characterized by resistance to such common diseases as powdery mildew, root rot, and downy mildew.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

One of the main advantages of the Berendey variety is its shade tolerance: unlike many other cucumber varieties, it doesn't require bright sunlight; the plant thrives in partial shade. This property makes it suitable for growing in city apartments.

Its other advantages:

• fruits are set without pollination;
• high rate of growth and ripening of fruits;
• large harvests;
• good presentation;
• resistance to negative factors;
• cucumbers are not bitter and do not overgrow;
• The fruits are well stored and transported.

The only drawback is that "Berendey f1," like other early-ripening varieties, cannot be treated with strong chemicals, as this will lead to a concentration of toxins in the fruit. Also, it's impossible to collect seeds from this variety: firstly, it's a first-generation hybrid, meaning its beneficial properties are not passed on to the next generation. Secondly, it's a parthenocarpic variety, meaning it either doesn't produce seeds or those it produces are underdeveloped. Therefore, seedlings must be purchased annually.

Planting seeds in the ground

Berendey seeds can be sown directly into the soil. In this case, it's recommended to harden them first, which will help increase yield. Wrap the seeds in a cloth and place them in water. Once they've swollen, place them in a refrigerator at a temperature of 3°C or higher for two days. The cloth should remain moist at all times.

Sow seeds no earlier than mid-May using a 50x50 pattern, planting them 1.5–2 cm deep. If sowing in open ground, cover the seedlings with plastic wrap, removing it after germination. If necessary, thin the plants, leaving the healthiest and most developed ones.

Seedling

Seeds for seedlings are sown in the third ten days of April. A universal soil with a pH of 6.3–6.8 is suitable for this procedure. Germinated seeds are planted in plastic cups with perforated bottoms or in peat cups. One cup is needed per seed. The seeds are planted 1.5–2 cm deep. The cups with sprouts are left indoors at a temperature of 24°C. It is recommended to keep the seedlings on a windowsill for at least 4 weeks.

Water daily with settled, room-temperature water. Fertilize 2-3 times a month. A simple fertilizer, a urea solution (1 tablespoon per 3 liters of water), is suitable. Avoid overdoing it with fertilizer.

Ten days before planting, it's advisable to harden off the seedlings by lowering their temperature to 16°C (for example, by placing them on a glassed-in balcony). Seedlings are planted when the soil temperature reaches a sufficiently high temperature of 17°C. This occurs in late May or early June. By this time, the seedlings should have produced more than three leaves. The planting pattern is 50x50.

Care

Berendey cucumbers are relatively easy to grow. However, they require proper care, including weeding, watering, and fertilizing. The amount of water needed depends on the weather and the plant's developmental stage. Before fruit sets, 5 liters of water are needed per square meter of beds in dry weather and 3 liters after rain. Once the fruit has formed, increase watering to 10 and 6 liters, respectively. The soil around the cucumbers should always be moist.

A mineral complex containing nitrogen, sulfate, and magnesium is typically used for fertilization. Organic fertilizers, such as mullein diluted with water, can also be added. Irrigation water can also be enriched: 10 g of urea per 10 liters of water.

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Following on watering cucumbers Hilling is necessary because the Berendey f1 doesn't like hardened soil. Loosen the soil carefully to avoid damaging the roots located near the surface. Loosen the soil and weed every 10 days.

When grown outdoors, Berendey's vines don't need shaping; you can trim 3-4 lower shoots, leaving the central stem and upper lateral shoots intact. Greenhouse cucumber vines are tied to trellises.

Growing in an apartment

Only parthenocarpic, self-pollinating, and shade-tolerant varieties are suitable for growing on a balcony or windowsill. "Berendey f1" meets these requirements. To set up a home garden, you'll need:

1. A flower container 25 cm wide and 80 cm long with holes and a stand for water drainage.
2. Universal soil for vegetables with peat and vermiculite (a mineral from the hydromica group).
3. Drainage, for example, fine expanded clay.
4. A liter bottle of liquid fertilizer for indoor flowers.
5. Clothesline with holder and thinner twine.

Place a 2-3 cm layer of drainage material at the bottom of the container. Then add soil to a 4-5 cm depth below the rim of the container. Water generously, and when the soil settles, add more to the same level. Seed holes should be made in the center of the container at intervals of 30 cm. Hardened seeds are planted 1.2-2 cm deep, with two seeds per hole. Cover the seedlings with plastic wrap and place them on a warm, well-lit windowsill at a temperature of 24-26°C.

Spray the soil surface with water from a spray bottle to keep it moist. After 4-6 days, seedlings will emerge, and the plastic film should be removed. If two seedlings appear in the hole, the weaker one should be cut off. After this, the room temperature should be reduced to 20–24°C, and the soil temperature should be maintained at 18–20°C. After 10-20 days, when the seedlings have produced 2–3 true leaves, the plants can be hardened off under an open window during the day when there is no wind. During this time, they can be fed weekly with a solution of complex fertilizer.

When the plants have more than five leaves, use a trellis for climbing plants as support. At this stage, they need to be fed weekly with a fertilizer solution (at least 250 ml per plant). When they have 6-8 leaves, they need to be tied up. A clothesline is stretched 2.5 m above the cucumbers, and one end of the twine is tied to it, and the other end is tied to the plant stem, 2-2.2 cm above the ground. The stem is then wrapped around the twine.

After tying, loosen the soil every seven days. It's important to shape the stem by removing side shoots and tendrils. When the shoot reaches the clothesline, pinch off the top, leaving one leaf and plucking the others.

Helpful Tips

On average, water every three days. Humidity should also be maintained by placing a bowl of water on the balcony. In the evenings, the cucumbers are misted with water. By early autumn, when the nights become cool, the containers can be covered with a thin blanket to warm the cucumber roots.

It's important to remember that even in urban areas, plants are threatened by harmful insects such as aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites. Therefore, regularly inspect plants for damage and spray them with specialized products. You can also use folk remedies:

• Tobacco decoction helps against aphids and whiteflies (tobacco from 10 cheap cigarettes should be boiled in 10 liters of water for 10 minutes);
• For ticks - garlic infusion: 0.5 kg of garlic should be crushed, poured with warm water, left for 5 days, strained and used.

To make the infusion stick to the leaves, add 60 ml of infusion and 50 g of grated laundry soap to 10 liters of water.

Reviews

Elena

I recommend growing them on a balcony or windowsill. The seeds are coated with a nutrient solution, so there's no need to soak them. I harvested a large number of cucumbers; the main thing is to plant them in a large pot so the soil doesn't dry out. The downside is that I had to water them frequently.

Anastasia

I've been planting these cucumbers on my balcony in St. Petersburg for several years now. They germinate perfectly and grow quickly. We don't get much sun in St. Petersburg, so their shade tolerance has been proven! I planted them in April and moved them to the balcony in mid-May. I tried planting them twice during the season, the second time at the end of summer, but to no avail; I didn't get any cucumbers.

The hybrid parthenocarpic variety "Berendey f1" boasts high yields—up to 14 kg/m²—and a pleasant flavor. It stores and transports well. The fruits can be preserved and eaten raw. Unlike most cucumbers, "Berendey" is shade-tolerant and doesn't require bright light, making it ideal for growing in city apartments.