Advantages and disadvantages of the cucumber variety "Dragoon f1"

The Dragoon variety is very popular among gardeners due to its abundant harvest and excellent disease resistance. It belongs to parthenocarpic type. One of the main differences is the predominance of female flowers on the stem. The fruit itself is medium-sized, like the plant itself. Ripening time is early – 40-45 days. The plant's ovaries are clustered, causing cucumbers to grow in nodes of 2-3 on a branch.

Description of qualities and appearance

Dragun is a hybrid variety developed by domestic breeders. It is included in the State Register for several regions for outdoor cultivation in private farmsteads. These regions include the Central and Central Black Earth Regions.

The stems are tall, flexible, and quite thin. The plant has a medium number of shoots, which spread up to 80 cm in length. The crown is light green and of medium density. The leaves are green with predominantly light edges. The cucumber is short, green throughout, and cylindrical in shape. The surface of the fruit is bumpy, and the skin is dense and elastic, but quite thin.

Biological features:

• cucumbers love highly fertile, well-drained soil;
• For planting, it is best to use soil with a low nitrogen content; acidic soil should be limed;
• high resistance to viruses;
• average resistance to bacteriosis, anthracnose and ascochyta blight;
• universal type of fruit use.

The chemical composition is identical to others. The fruit is 95% water, with the remaining percentages consisting of chlorophyll, vitamins PP and B, potassium, magnesium, and carotene. With proper care, the fruit is not bitter, has a distinct juiciness, small seeds, and a uniform skin color.

The advantages of the variety include: high yield, a small number of lateral shoots, and easy care during cultivation.

Instructions for planting the Dragoon variety

To ensure a bountiful harvest, you need to plan ahead. Start by growing seedlings. The plant's root system, which is fragile, must be treated with care.

For growing seedlings indoors, you can use disposable cups or shallow pots. However, experienced gardeners most often use small containers, preferably wooden or peat. Peat pots are convenient because the seedlings don't need to be removed later. They can be planted in their containers, which helps prevent damage to the roots and the plant itself. Over time, the pot will act as fertilizer for the seedlings.

Seedlings don't require complex care, but they do require consistent care. By monitoring their growth daily, you can be sure they're progressing well and their health is safe. Water as needed, avoiding over-watering the soil, but don't allow it to dry out completely.

Recommendations:

1. For better growth, use plant stimulants. Once the frosts have passed, you can transplant the seedlings to their main planting site.
2. Before planting seedlings Prepare the soil. Choose a draft-free area, preferably with a level surface. Avoid direct sunlight, but adequate light is essential for good plant growth.

If you decide to plant seeds without seedlings, there are a few rules to follow. Prepare planting holes in advance and fertilize them with humus and ash. Then, place the seeds in the holes no more than 3 cm deep and cover with plastic wrap until the first sprouts appear.

Further care

Once seedlings have been planted or the first shoots have appeared in the garden, daily care should be a must to ensure a bountiful harvest.

This variety requires little care. It requires:

• water;
• loosen the soil;
• fertilize with useful substances and minerals.

Water with warm water in the evening or at night, especially during frosts. Leaves require irrigation.

Loosening and hilling

To ensure the plant receives sufficient oxygen, it needs a constant supply of air. This requires loosening the soil.

This manipulation will help the plant maintain normal moisture levels. After planting, begin loosening the soil at least once a week. More often if you notice the plant needs oxygen or water (leaves will droop and begin to turn yellow at the tips). Periodically check the soil moisture level and how loosening is affecting the growing process.

Loosen the soil very carefully so as not to damage the roots, no deeper than 4 cm. Periodic hilling will also help the development of the plant's root system.

Watering should be considered separately:

1. If grown in a greenhouse, watering should be done at least twice a week.
2. Plants should be sprayed more often - in hot weather, every day 1-2 times, in cool weather - 1 time per day.
3. When the first flowers appear, reduce watering to a minimum - this will encourage more female buds to appear on the plant.

After hilling the bushes, you can water along the furrowsThis will help reduce the risk of root rot. Always moisten the plants with warm water, especially on cool evenings and when there is insufficient sun.

Fertilizer

Don't forget about fertilization. Useful supplements will help achieve tremendous results. When fertilizing, alternate between organic and complex fertilizers. Manure is a natural fertilizer, but it's used as a base, so additional fertilizers should be used. First, you need to weed the soil, which will provide additional prevention against:

• diseases;
• garden pests.

After this, you need to fertilize the plant. The fruits should be placed on the surface so that they don't touch the ground unnecessarily. For example, you can use boards.

When it's time to harvest, stop overwatering the bush. This will prevent the fruit from softening and preserve its freshness for longer.

Other events

Cucumbers can be harvested when they reach a certain size—12 cm. However, this variety has a unique feature: when the fruit reaches 8 cm, it can be plucked from the branch and served. This cucumber is called a gherkin. It can be eaten raw or pickled. Pickling this variety of cucumber does not create any voids in the fruit.

Despite the fact that this cucumber variety has strong immunity against infectious and fungal diseases, it is still necessary:

1. At the very beginning, treat it with preventative medications.
2. The plant can only be treated before flowering to prevent chemical poisoning.

Try to keep the stems upright, which will allow the plant to receive more oxygen and reduce the risk of root rot. Weeds are one of the main sources of pests, insects, and diseases. They must be identified promptly and removed without mercy.

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A particular advantage of this variety is its disease resistance. Thanks to successful breeding, it is resistant to many infections. These include the following major diseases:

• olive spot;
• cucumber mosaic virus;
• powdery mildew.

This variety offers a wide range of edible uses. Cucumbers can be eaten fresh, made into pickles, or preserved in jars for the winter.

The Dragoon cucumber tolerates transportation and long-term storage well. To keep cucumbers fresh for as long as possible, store them in a cool place, protected from sunlight. Large quantities should be transported in conditions comfortable for the fruit: a cool, dark place.

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Reviews

Savelyeva Daria, 60 years old

I recently purchased this variety and am absolutely delighted! Due to my age, I don't always have time to properly care for my garden, so their low maintenance played a big role in my choice. I previously bought the Prima Donna variety, which was also a good one, but I liked the Dragoon better.

Ekaterina Vasilyeva, 38 years old

I've been buying the Dragoon variety for several years now. I hardly use fertilizer, but the cucumbers always look great. They don't taste bitter, and I preserve them in a jar with tomatoes for the winter. The downside is that the seedlings require a bit of work. If you plant them directly, it takes quite a while for the first shoots to appear.

Ivanov Sergey, 52 years old

My wife and I are setting up a vegetable garden. I bought several varieties of cucumbers to choose from. I can't say anything bad about them; with proper care, the cucumbers grow large and juicy. We get a large harvest, and we sell some in the village. They keep for a long time, as long as you keep them out of the sun.

Dragoon F1 is a hybrid variety that produces a good harvest. Standard cultivation practices include timely watering, fertilizing, and weeding.