Cucumber variety "Alex f1": growing recommendations from sowing to harvest

The Alex F1 cucumber is a first-generation hybrid. Dutch scientists developed the variety. The plant's originator is the seed company Bejo Zaden. Alex cucumber seeds were registered and approved for cultivation in Russia in 2007. The vegetable can be grown anywhere in the country, in open or closed ground.

Characteristics and description of the culture

The fruit ripens early. The full cycle of cucumber formation lasts 38-42 days. Start counting from the appearance of the first shoots. The flowers are female and do not require pollination, as the plant is parthenocarpic. The stem grows vigorously, with unlimited growth. To ensure the plant devotes its energy to developing vegetables rather than foliage, pinch back the main shoot. The leaf blades are small, covered with short bristles. The bushes are dense. Leaf color depends on sunlight exposure. The foliage is dark green or green.

The cucumbers are gherkin-type. Ripe cucumbers reach 9-11 cm in length and weigh 70-90 g. The vegetable grows into an elongated cylindrical shape. The cucumbers are glossy, emerald in color, and covered with small, light-green, spiked bumps. The flavor is pleasant. The flesh is crisp, tender, and juicy. The plant produces abundant fruit. The fruits should be picked daily. These cucumbers are suitable for canning and salads. Over the entire growing season, the yield per bush reaches 2-3 kg.

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Advantages and disadvantages of a hybrid

The Alex F1 variety is a unique hybrid in every respect. The plant boasts numerous advantages and few drawbacks. Advantages:

• Fruiting is abundant. 4-6 cucumbers are formed under one leaf node;
• parthenocarpy;
• can be grown in a garden bed or in a greenhouse;
• the plant is resistant to bad weather conditions and most cucumber diseases;
• the vegetables are delicious;
• cucumbers retain their appearance and taste for a long time when transported over long distances;
• The fruits are used for home and industrial canning.

Flaws:

• low level of resistance to downy mildew;
• In regions with harsh climates, at night, when plants are not yet strong, they must be covered with film or agrofibre.

Disease resistance

The first-generation hybrid has good disease immunity, including powdery mildew, cucumber mosaic virus, and cladosporiosis. If the plant's immunity is weakened by weather conditions or an aggressive infection source, get downy mildewFor treatment and prevention use:

1. Gamair, a biological product. A contact fungicide that protects plants from fungal diseases. Use it for both prevention and treatment. To prepare the working solution: take a bucket of warm water and add 10 tablets. To speed up the dissolution, crush the tablets into a powder. The recommended application rate for the prepared solution is 1 liter per 10 m².

2. Soda-based solution and liquid soap. To prepare, take 50 g of baking soda, 20 g of liquid laundry soap, and 5 liters of cooled boiled water. Pour the baking soda and soap into the water and stir until completely dissolved. Spray the bushes generously. During the growing season, it is recommended to treat the plants at least four times, every 7-10 days.

Agricultural technology and care

Sow seeds directly into a garden bed or greenhouse. Growing from seedlings is not recommended, as the root system does not establish well after transplanting. There is no need to treat the seeds with fungicides or soak them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The manufacturer applies special treatments before packaging the seeds into packets. The optimal soil temperature for planting cucumbers is 13-16°C. Place the seeds at a depth of no more than 3 cm.

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Firm the soil before sowing to prevent the seeds from sinking deeper. Cover the plants with plastic wrap at night to prevent the soil from cooling and speed germination. Water the vegetable crop until the first six leaves appear, preferably with room-temperature water. Mist the soil as it dries and depending on weather conditions. During sowing, add 100 g of wood ash to each hole. Fertilize the plants a second time during flowering. Use Agricola-5, a complex nutrient fertilizer. To prepare the solution, dissolve 25 g of the fertilizer in 10 liters of water.

Reviews from gardeners

Stella Romanovna, 65 years old, Taganrog

I grew the Alex hybrid last year. The cucumbers delighted me with a bountiful harvest and a generous yield. Their health wasn't what it used to be, so my son-in-law installed drip irrigation on the plot. All I had to do was loosen the soil and harvest the cucumbers. I used store-bought compost as fertilizer. We ordered it online. After fertilizing, the cucumber yield increased significantly. The harvested cucumbers last a long time. To prevent them from wilting, store them in the basement. Sometimes I couldn't harvest the cucumbers on time, but surprisingly, they didn't overgrow much. They are delicious fresh and canned.

Marina Stepanovna, 45 years old, Penza region

Our family loves cucumbers. We start growing the first fruits in greenhouses so we can enjoy fresh vegetables in early spring. We've been growing the Alex variety for three years. We bought it purely by chance, while visiting a seed fair. Its parthenocarpic nature was an early advantage. The cucumbers grow small and have a pleasant taste. Even in greenhouse conditions, the fruits emit a distinctive cucumber aroma. The harvested cucumbers have a long shelf life. Over the years, the plant has only suffered from downy mildew once. I can confidently recommend the Alex cucumber hybrid to all gardeners.