Libella cucumber variety: growing, planting, and care, photos

Libelle or Libella F1 is a hybrid developed by the German breeder Friedrich Kamp, an employee of the agricultural firm Satimex Quedlinburg. The variety's description states that it can adapt to challenging climatic conditions. The variety was added to the state register in 1977. Since then, it has been cultivated in various regions of the country. The yield of cucumbers depends on growing conditions, care, and soil quality. Libella cucumbers look just like they do in the photo.

Description

The plant is indeterminate, medium-sized, with long, branched vines. The leaves are medium-sized, rounded, with serrated edges and wrinkled. To reduce the risk of disease and facilitate care, the plant should be grown vertically (i.e., with the vines supported). This will ensure good wind flow and even sunlight from all sides.

This variety is considered mid-early. The first cucumbers can be harvested 50 days after germination. Thanks to strong lateral shoots, peak fruiting, with the cucumbers ripening uniformly, occurs in August. The average yield is 6 kg per square meter, but with careful care, this can increase to 10 kg per square meter. The marketable yield is 75%.

The ovaries are oval and covered with dense, light pubescence. At technical maturity, the cucumbers reach 13 cm in length and weigh 100-150 g. Ripe fruits are typically elongated-elliptical or cylindrical, dark green with a lighter tip and stripes. They are slightly ribbed. The cucumber skin is thin and bumpy. The flesh is juicy and crisp. The seeds are small and tender. The cucumbers have a pleasant, slightly sweet taste. Tasters give them the highest ratings. The cucumbers can be eaten raw, pickled, and marinated.

Store the harvested vegetables in wooden boxes with paper-lined bottoms. The optimal temperature for storing vegetables is 2-5°C, with a humidity of 80%. Under these conditions, cucumbers can be stored for up to two weeks (provided they are undamaged). Do not store them in closed containers or bags, as this can lead to rotting.

Landing

In warm climates, the seeds can be planted directly into the ground as soon as the danger of frost has passed and the soil warms to 12°C. In harsh climates, sowing should be done in greenhouses or hotbeds. Seedlings can be grown from late April. Growing from seedlings will ensure earlier fruiting than sowing.

When growing plants indoors, it's important to ensure pollinating insects have access to them during flowering. Otherwise, there will be no harvest. Cucumbers thrive best with an air temperature of around 27°C and a soil temperature of at least 20°C, along with frequent watering. It's important to keep in mind that the plant's root system is weak and requires light, fertile soil. The beds should be prepared in the fall. Add compost or manure to the soil and dig it thoroughly. If the soil is acidic, lime should be added.

Seeds in the ground

Seeds from F1 hybrids cannot be collected. The combination of improved traits is not passed on to subsequent generations. Therefore, cucumber seeds must be purchased annually. Sowing should be done in a sunny, wind-protected location. Four holes should be made per square meter, spaced at least 30 cm apart. Before sowing, the holes should be thoroughly moistened with warm water.

If you didn't fertilize the soil in the fall, add a handful of compost or humus to each hole. Plant four seeds at a time, about 3 cm deep. In cold climates, cover the bed with plastic after sowing. Water the soil every three days. It should be kept warm at 22°C. Once the seedlings have two true leaves, leave the two most developed shoots in the hole and trim the others back to the ground.

Growing seedlings

Using the seedling method, you can accelerate the fruiting period by 2 weeks. It is recommended to plant seeds in 0.5-liter peat pots. Place 3 seeds in each pot at a depth of 3 cm. It is not recommended to use smaller pots. Otherwise, the delicate root system will not tolerate transplanting to a permanent location well, and the plant will have a hard time adapting to the new environment. Until seedlings emerge, cover the pots with plastic wrap and keep them at a temperature of 25°C. It is important to ensure that the soil does not dry out. It is recommended to moisten it by misting with a spray bottle.

After the seeds have sprouted, the temperature should be lowered to 17°C. This will prevent the seedlings from becoming elongated. Only one, strongest, sprout should be left in each pot, and the others should be trimmed back to the ground. Seven to 10 days before planting, the seedlings should be hardened off by moving them outdoors. Initially, the plants should be exposed to no more than two hours of fresh air. This interval can be increased over time. During hardening, be sure to avoid direct sunlight, as this can cause sunburn.

It's recommended to plant the seedlings in their permanent location 25 days after the first shoots emerge (when the cucumbers have four true leaves), using a 50x30 cm pattern, at the same depth as in the pots. The site should be prepared in advance, just as when planting seeds in open soil. During the first week, the seedlings should be either shaded (if the sun is too strong) or covered with plastic film or spunbond (if the weather gets colder).

Further care

Proper care will help increase yields. This should include:

• watering;
• weed removal,
• application of fertilizers;
• loosening the soil.

In the absence of precipitation, cucumbers should be watered every three days with water warmed by the sun to approximately 22°C. Watering with cold water can stunt the plant's growth and lead to disease. Watering should be done either in the morning or evening. It's best to apply the water directly to the roots, being careful not to let the tops get wet. When hot weather arrives, you can increase the frequency of watering. During fruiting, the amount of water applied should be doubled. A drip irrigation system is also recommended. This reduces water consumption and keeps the soil dry longer. Mulching with hay will also help prevent the soil from drying out too quickly.

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If new roots appear at the bottom of the stem, appearing as white dots, they should be covered with soil and mounded. Reduce watering during cold weather. Fast-growing shoots require regular feeding. The first feeding should be done at the beginning of flowering, and then every 15-20 days. Experts recommend alternating organic and mineral fertilizers.

Long plant shoots need tie to trellisesThe hybrid does not require pinching. Excess lateral shoots, with the exception of a few initial ones, are recommended to be trimmed to prevent the crop from becoming smaller. Every 10-15 days, the soil should be loosened to a depth of about 5 cm. This is necessary to ensure oxygen reaches the roots. This procedure must be carried out with extreme care to avoid damaging the root system. Timely weed removal will preserve nutrients and moisture in the soil. This will also ensure good ventilation and prevent infectious diseases. When the roots are exposed, the bushes should be hilled.

https://youtu.be/QaECc2fXn3Y

Limbella has good phytoimmunity and is almost never susceptible to disease. Only if cucumber growing practices are not followed or weather conditions deteriorate may a farmer encounter the following problems:

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1. Powdery mildew. It occurs due to high humidity, insufficient ventilation of the greenhouse, sudden temperature fluctuations, and cold watering. The main signs of the disease include the presence of white, powdery spots on the leaves. As the problem progresses, these spots spread to the shoots and stems, causing the plant to wither. Treatment involves removing the affected leaves and treating the tops and soil with fungicides or a copper sulfate solution.
2. Root rot. All parts of the plant wilt and gradually dry out. The disease can be caused by excess nitrogen in the soil, stagnant water, or temperature fluctuations. In this case, all affected plants should be dug up and burned. The soil should either be disinfected or replaced with fresh soil.
3. Olive spot. It develops in conditions of high humidity and sudden temperature fluctuations. Its main symptoms include small ulcers, brown spots on stems and leaf blades, stem deformation, stunted growth, and the drying and crumbling of the plant. Treatment should be started as early as possible, as it progresses rapidly. Ventilating the greenhouse and treating the plants and the soil with fungicides can help solve the problem.
4. Aphids are small insects that can be seen with the naked eye. They usually appear in large swarms on plants. They bite through leaves and suck the sap, which ultimately kills the plant. These pests can be eliminated with wood ash infusion, garlic infusion, or insecticides.

Reviews

Valentina, 53 years old

I've been growing Libella cucumbers since the very first days of my farming. It's a low-maintenance variety, yet produces a bountiful harvest. I especially appreciate the versatile use of the cucumbers. They're excellent in salads and preserves. I've noticed that raw cucumbers can sometimes have a bitter taste, but this is more common in dry, hot summers. After a couple of generous waterings, the problem quickly disappears.

Anton, 47 years old

Of the many varieties, Libella was my favorite. The plant is virtually disease-resistant and produces a bountiful harvest of beautiful, pimply cucumbers. I sell any surplus vegetables at the market, where they're snapped up in no time. I feed the cucumbers three times throughout the season: at the beginning of the growing season, during flowering, and during fruiting. I mix one part chicken manure with 20 parts water and let it steep for several hours. I strain the resulting organic fertilizer and pour 0.5 liters under each plant.

Overall, Libella has many more advantages than disadvantages. The advantages include consistent fruiting throughout the season, high resistance to adverse conditions, pleasant fruit flavor, and the ability to be used versatility. Disadvantages include a tendency for the fruit to become overgrown, a bitter taste (in unripe cucumbers), and the fact that pollination is required for harvesting.