Recommendations for growing the cucumber hybrid "Bettina f1"

The first-generation hybrid "Bettina f1" was developed by Dutch breeders in 2007 and included in the Russian State Register of Breeding Achievements in 2010. According to the variety description in the register, it is an early parthenocarpic variety. It is suitable for planting in all regions. Open-ground sowing is recommended. Growing conditions are described as garden-friendly. The variety is resistant to a number of cucumber diseases. According to gardeners, the fruits are suitable for canning and salads. You can see the "Bettina f1" cucumbers in the photographs.

Characteristics of the variety

'Bettina f1' is an indeterminate variety (the stem grows indefinitely). The plant is medium-sized and has medium-vine growth, green leaves, and medium-sized. The flowers are exclusively female. The variety is parthenocarpic. Ovaries form primarily on the main shoot. One to three fertile nodes form in the leaf axils. Each node produces two to four fruits; this occurs 38 to 40 days after seed germination. The yield of this variety is 5 kg per 1 m²; in a greenhouse, it is possible to grow 15 kg of cucumbers per 1 m². Other properties of 'Bettina f1':

• fruits are short (8-10 cm), cylindrical, weighing 60-80 g;
• cucumber diameter 3 cm;
• the color of the fruit is deep green, with short light stripes;
• cucumbers are covered with large pimples;
• dark pubescence;
• the pulp is free of cavities and not bitter.

These cucumbers are suitable for canning, salads, and raw consumption. This variety is resistant to a wide range of diseases. It is highly resistant to powdery mildew and moderately resistant to cladosporiosis, downy mildew, and common field mosaic.

Advantages and disadvantages

One of the most commonly cited drawbacks of "Bettina f1" is the high cost of seeds. Many also note that these cucumbers taste like salad cucumbers. The variety's yield, especially in open ground, is also not very high.

These shortcomings are offset by a number of advantages, including:

• resistance to cold snaps;
• resistance to low light;
• the plant produces almost no side shoots, so it does not require a lot of time and effort to form shoots;
• the fruits ripen so early that two harvests can be grown in one season;
• Due to its early maturity, the variety is ideal for regions with short summers.

Bettina f1 cucumbers store and transport well, allowing you to grow them not only for yourself, but also for sale.

Planting

'Bettina f1' can be planted directly in the ground or from seedlings. The former method is used primarily in the southern regions, while the latter is used in the central and northern climates. Seedlings are grown 2-3 weeks before transplanting into the garden. In most regions, warm weather sets in in May, so seedling preparation should begin in the first half of April. In harsher climates, such as the Urals and Siberia, planting is delayed; seedlings are transplanted into greenhouses in mid-May and into the ground in early June, so seedling preparation begins later – in mid- or late April.

For seedlings, it's recommended to use peat pots so that the seedlings can be planted directly in them. A ready-made potting mix from the store can be used as soil. Sow the seeds in the pots, cover with soil, and keep them in a warm place. When the seedlings emerge, place them in a well-lit area and maintain a temperature of 18-20°C for 4-5 days, then increase the temperature to 20-25°C. Water the seedlings moderately and feed them with a complex fertilizer once or twice. 10-12 days before planting, bring the plants out onto the balcony to harden them off.

When sowing seeds directly into the soil, add humus and wood ash to the holes. Plant cucumbers in light, moist soil. Regardless of the planting method, three plants should be placed per square meter. However, don't worry about the plants shading each other—'Bettina f1' grows well in the shade.

Care

'Bettina f1' is undemanding in terms of care. It needs timely watering, fertilizing, and weeding. Like other cucumbers, 'Bettina f1' is watered daily with warm, settled water. The amount of water depends on the weather and the cucumbers' development stage. Before flowering, 4 liters per square meter (m²) is needed in normal weather and 6 liters per square meter (m²) during drought. Once fruiting begins, the watering rate increases to 6 liters per square meter (m²) in normal weather and 9 liters per square meter (m²) during drought.

'Bettina f1' prefers well-drained soil, so it needs to be loosened after each watering. This should be done carefully to avoid damaging the roots located close to the soil surface.

In the second week of vegetation, plants are fertilized with nitrogen and potash fertilizersDuring fruiting, you can add calcium and magnesium. You can also apply organic fertilizers weekly to the roots – diluted urea (10 g per 10 liters of water), as well as diluted in water mullein, horse manure, bird droppings.

Cucumbers grown in open beds don't require extensive vine training. At 1–1.5 m from the soil surface, vegetative side shoots cease to form, leaving only the generative side shoots on which fruit develops. Therefore, lateral side shoots are removed only in the 4–5 lower axils. If cucumbers are grown in greenhouses, they are removed. tied to trellisesThe main stem is pruned when it reaches the top of the trellis. Weeding is done as weeds emerge. On average, cucumber beds need to be weeded once a week.

Diseases and pests

'Bettina f1' is resistant to common diseases, but preventative measures can further reduce the risk of disease. Early-ripening varieties are not treated with chemicals, as toxic substances can accumulate in the early fruits. Therefore, folk remedies are used to treat early-ripening varieties:

• for prevention powdery mildew plants are sprayed with 20 g of laundry soap without fragrances and dyes, 9 liters of warm water, 1 liter of skim milk, 30 drops of iodine;
• to prevent gray rot, the bushes are watered at the roots with water and baking soda (75 g of soda per bucket of water);
• Trichopolum is used for bacteriosis (2 tablets per 1 liter of water).

Many pests Garlic and onions planted between rows of cucumbers will be repelled. To protect the plants from spider mites and slugs, the bed should be dug over in the fall to allow the soil to freeze.

Reviews

Nikolay

A suitable variety for cold climates. It's best to prepare seedlings to ensure an earlier harvest. If you plant the seeds directly in the ground, they may freeze and fail to germinate. It's best to grow them in a greenhouse.

Faith

It's an early variety, so I start preparing the seedlings as early as March. I plant them in a greenhouse. I plant 3-4 bushes per square meter, and once they've grown a bit, I tie them to trellises. I apply nitrogen and potassium twice a season. I water regularly, otherwise the peels start to taste bitter.

The first-generation hybrid "Bettina f1" is easy to grow in your own garden. This variety is easy to maintain and ripens early. These cucumbers require little care, other than regular watering and loosening the soil around them. "Bettina f1" bears fruit without pollination, yields a consistent harvest, and can be grown in greenhouses and open beds.