Libelle cucumber has been known since the 70s of the last century. It has established itself on the positive side and is in high demand. The highest yield can be achieved in the Central and North-Western parts of Russia. The variety requires pollination by insects, as it belongs to the parthenocarpic class.
Seeds of Libelle cucumbers
Libella cucumbers on a bush
Cucumbers "Libelle" have a thin, delicate peel, and small seeds
Description of Cucumbers
The Libelle variety is a mid-season hybrid f1, which suggests that it is impossible to grow a bush from seeds collected at home. This is due to the fact that high-quality seed material can be obtained exclusively during the initial selection of different varieties.
It is possible to grow a variety on open ground, in greenhouse conditions, by seedling or planting seeds in the soil.
Scope of use of greens:
- cooking salads;
- canning in general;
- salting;
- pickling;
- preservation in the form of salads.
Appearance of Libelle
Features of the fruit:
- shape is elliptical;
- color is dark green;
- the surface is covered with small spikes;
- size in length - from 12 to 15 cm;
- the weight of one fruit is from 100 to 150 grams;
- lateral parts have thin strips of white tint;
- tips are whitish;
- seeds are small;
- the skin is delicate and thin;
- pulp - sweet, juicy;
- a crunch is present;
- there is a slightly noticeable bitterness (this indicates the concentration of cucurbitacin, which is used in the fight against tumor formations).
If in very hot weather the fruits are left uncovered, white spots form on them. Therefore, it is advisable not to plant cucumbers in the open sun. They need to cover with foliage.
Bush Characteristic:
- increased weaving and branching;
- leaves - round, wrinkled, size - medium, edges - serrate irregular;
- shoots are powerful;
- the root system is weak, so you need to be careful when transplanting to a permanent place.
Due to the increased branching, it is advisable to plant the variety in a vertical way, that is, to braid the lashes in the support. This will shelter Zelentsy from direct sunlight and provide the plant with ventilation.
Ripening dates and productivity
Libelle matures in the period from the 49th to the 55th day after the appearance of the first shoots. Mass harvesting takes place around August. Average productivity: from 1 square. m you can collect 8-10 kg of fruit.
To yield consistent with the norms of this variety, it is advisable to plant cucumbers in open ground. This is due to the fact that the variety needs pollination by bees. Thus, it is possible to minimize the amount of barrenness. In extreme cases, it is recommended to use a removable-type film shelter (for daytime, the film opens).
Pros and cons
Benefits:
- wide range of use;
- transportability;
- excellent indicators of taste and juiciness;
- fairly high productivity;
- attractive presentation;
- resistance to many diseases;
- the ability to grow in cool climates;
- there is no need for pinching;
- can be collected in the form of gherkins (size smaller than the standard);
- bundle type of ovaries (one node contains up to 3 units).
Disadvantages:
- slight bitterness;
- pollination by bees is necessary;
- average ripening period.
Features of planting and care
Libella cucumber is distinguished by the fact that in the ovaries there are mainly female flowers. Otherwise, the requirements for planting and care are the same as for other hybrids. Recommendations:
- to accelerate the ripening time, it is better to use the seedling method;
- to strengthen the root system before planting in the ground, the soil is saturated with manure (humus);
- temperature conditions range from 20 to 22 degrees during the day;
- at night, the temperature should not fall below + 10-12 degrees (if necessary, cover with a film at night);
- watering is carried out regularly, since the variety does not tolerate drought;
- after disembarkation into the ground, mineral top dressing is necessary;
- the site should be calm;
- acidic soil is not suitable (lime or dolomite flour is added to neutralize the acid).
To increase the fruitfulness of Libella, it is necessary to plant a vegetable in close proximity to the varieties of cucumbers in which male flowers predominate.
Preparing and planting seeds
Seed is most often sold in a shell. In this case, no preparatory measures are required. If the shell is absent, then warming up is necessary: the water is brought to a temperature of 50-53 degrees, the seeds are lowered into it for 15 minutes. To accelerate germination, it is recommended for 2-3 days to place the seed in an epin solution (pull out after the formation of sprouts).
Landing is as follows:
- the capacity for planting seeds should not be less than half a liter volume, since it is often not recommended to dive a variety;
- moisten the soil abundantly;
- sowing depth - maximum 1 cm;
- in one hole, it is advisable to put a couple of grains.
Seedling Care
After sowing the seeds, the containers are covered with a film (you can use glass) and put in a warm place (minimum temperature - 25 degrees, the highest - 28). Next, you need to adhere to such rules:
- Be sure to ventilate the containers daily and spray them with warm water. For this, a spray gun is used.
- After the emergence of seedlings, the temperature regime decreases to +17 degrees. This is necessary so that the seedlings do not stretch upward.
- After about 6-8 days, the temperature rises again, but up to 20 degrees.
- Be sure to provide lighting.
- A pair of sprouts should appear from one well. They are carefully examined and evaluated at the fortress. The weakest is cut with scissors under the root.
- Watering should be done twice a day under very hot conditions. At normal temperature, it is enough to water once every couple of days. Make sure that the water does not stand in the soil (it should be moist, but not wet).
- If the seedlings do not get enough sunlight, or the weather is cloudy, then artificial lighting is connected.
- After the formation of 2 strong leaves, fertilizing is carried out with the help of nitroammophoska (nitrophoska can be used). Dilute the substance as follows: for 1 liter of water you need 1 tsp. facilities.
Landing
It is undesirable to overgrow seedlings - it will poorly take root in the open ground. Therefore, the dive is carried out 21-25 days after the formation of seedlings. For this, the soil is preliminarily prepared:
- Dig carefully (the depth of the spade bayonet should be between 15 and 20 cm).
- Pour the solution hot. For its preparation, the following dosage is used: for 20 liters of boiling water, it is necessary to take 1 liter of mullein, 2 hours of copper sulfate and 2 glasses of chicken litter.
- After sprinkling, the area is covered with a dense film and kept for 6 days.
Diving seedlings in the garden so that the root system does not break. The holes are dug out according to the scheme 50x30 cm, that is, between the rows - half a meter, the distance between the bushes - 30 cm. In each hole you need to pour a little water, add 1 tbsp. complex fertilizer. Then fill it with soil and again lightly water it. Under adverse weather conditions, it is recommended to cover the seedlings with foil overnight.
You do not need to form a Libella bush, since it is quite branched and climbing.
How to care for Libella?
Variety care includes the following main aspects:
- fertilizer application;
- loosening;
- weeding;
- watering;
- spraying from pests;
- mulching;
- hilling.
How to care:
- Watering cucumbers before flowering will have to be once a week. For 1 square. m need to pour from 3 to 6 liters of warm water. It depends on the level of humidity in different climatic conditions. When fruiting occurs, more water is needed - up to 10 liters per 1 sq. Km. m. At the same time, watering is carried out a couple of times a week. The time of the procedure is early morning or evening.
- The first application of organic fertilizers is made a couple of weeks after a dive into the garden.
- Then you need to add minerals based on potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen every 15 days.
- Loosening is carried out every 10 days, the digging depth should not exceed 7 cm.
- Hilling is required when the root system is exposed.
- With a vertical type of cultivation, there is a need for tying.
Features of the seedless method
If you do not have time to grow seedlings, then the seeds can be laid directly in open soil. Rules:
- 2-3 weeks before planting, prepare the soil - dig, loosen, level.
- Be sure to make humus or compost (dosage per 1 sq. M 10 liters of organics).
- Here also lay 20 grams of nitrogen, 30 grams of phosphorus, 15 grams of potassium.
- Soil temperature should be at least +15 degrees.
Rowing:
- make grooves to a depth of 1 cm;
- pour warm, settled water;
- sow seeds at a distance of 30 cm from each other with vertical planting, 1 meter with the horizontal method;
- sprinkle with earth (water does not need to be used).
Landing in holes:
- make holes in 2 rows;
- the diameter of each hole is 50 cm;
- to form borders of 8 cm;
- pour plenty of water;
- allow moisture to soak;
- pour 3-5 seeds;
- top with soil, which is pre-mixed with humus or peat fertilizer;
- after the appearance of 2 strong full-fledged leaves, sort through the seedlings (they leave a couple of the strongest, the rest are cut);
- the depth of laying the seed material is one and a half to three centimeters.
Other landing methods:
- Seeds are planted on manure heaps. To do this, form a "garden" from organics and plant seeds.
- On a heap with compost. Do the same as in the previous case.
- In the spread, that is, horizontally. In this case, the stems are laid out on the surface of the earth. This method requires care in care, as it is not recommended to shift shoots from one place to another.
- On the trellis - the most popular and optimal way. Seeds are planted in rows, near which wooden stakes are set. Trellis wire is pulled on them (you can use slats). Height is from 50 cm to 1 meter. The advantage of the method is that the stems do not need to be tied separately - they are simply thrown over a wire stretch. This significantly saves space, reduces the risk of morbidity, and promotes ventilation. And the fruits always remain clean and dry.
- In barrels and boxes - tanks are filled with earth mixed with compost or manure, grass. Before planting, watering is carried out. Barrels are necessarily covered with a film until the leaves appear. Next, an arc is mounted on which the stems of the plant cling.
- In bags in which the remains of vegetation are stored.
There are special care rules for cucumbers with a seedling method of growing:
- The first weeding is carried out 10-12 days after emergence.
- Thinning is carried out as necessary (if weak bushes are found).
- Be sure to bring slurry (1 part of manure to 5 parts of water).
- You can fertilize with chicken droppings (ratio with water - 1: 7). m need 5 liters of fluid.
- Minerals are used. For 10 liters of water: 20 grams of potassium sulfate, 30 grams of superphosphate, 20 grams of urea.
- Watering is carried out by a drop method or by means of a spray gun. Water should be settled and warm.
- Excessive moisture must not be allowed, as the root system will rot.
- It is advisable to mulch the soil. For this, grass from the garden is used. It is scattered around the site with cucumbers.
- Further care is the same as for seedlings in the greenhouse.
Diseases and Pests
Libelle is considered resistant to pests and diseases. But this happens only with proper maintenance and care of plants. Causes of morbidity:
- contaminated soil;
- sudden changes in temperature (for example, it is hot during the day and cool at night);
- lack of fertilizer fertilizing;
- the presence of drafts;
- poor illumination of the site;
- watering is not warm, but cold water.
Diseases and pests that affect Libella, and methods of control and prevention:
- Fusarium Specific drugs are used.
- Powdery Mildew For the prevention and treatment, folk remedies are used. For this, a solution is made: take 10 liter of water to take a liter of milk, 10-12 drops of iodine, 1 tbsp. laundry soap brown. If necessary, milk can be replaced with whey. The mixture is treated with leaves.
- Gray rot. It’s easy to get rid of it: combine water with baking soda according to a standard recipe.
- Bacteriosis. Human preparations are used. Add 1 tablet of Trichopolum per 1 liter of water. Pour into the soil.
- Among the pests should be noted slugs and spider mites. Get rid of insects by planting next to cucumbers of garlic and onions. With the invasion of pests, standard preparations are used.
In order to prevent the development of diseases and insect attacks, it is necessary to observe cleanliness in the beds, for which weeds are removed in a timely manner. If any disease in the garden was noted last year, you will have to collect all the grass and tops from the fall, then destroy it by burning, and treat the land with special means.
How to collect and store crops?
Harvested at the time of maturity of cucumbers in the morning. To do this, they are cut with garden shears. Feature - collection is carried out daily. If this is not done, then the un harvested fruits will prevent new ovaries from forming.
Storage Rules:
- For long-term preservation, cucumbers are used predominantly solid.
- The place should be dark and cool.
- Fruits should be ventilated, so plastic containers, bags and the like are excluded. Recommended for storage boxes of wood.
- The maximum humidity of the room is 80%.
- The temperature regime is from +1 to +5 degrees.
- Before storing for storage, each vegetable is carefully inspected and discarded damaged fruits.
Reviews
Natalia, 48 years old. I know about Libella for many years, this variety was still grown by my mother. What can I say - the taste is wonderful, the crunch is preserved even when canning, care and planting are simple (we plant immediately in the garden). But as for me, it is not suitable for sale, since the white stripes on the sides and at the ends do not give attractiveness. And there is bitterness, but personally in our family there are no complaints about this. Moreover, this bitterness prevents the formation of tumors.
Vladimir, 59 years old. I grow Libelle in my garden for 7-8 years. Initially, he planted seeds in large pots, then transferred to a greenhouse, and only then on garden beds. And then a neighbor immediately advised to throw seeds into the ground. Indeed, the yield with this method does not suffer, and little time is spent. But I plant the seeds a little earlier than the due date (2-3 weeks).
I do this: artificially warm the earth. At the moment when warm air enters, I plant the seeds and immediately wrap it tightly with a film. I’m not opening a couple of weeks so as not to start the cold. There is enough moisture there. But if you suddenly dry the earth, you have to turn on the generator again and water it under the pressure of warm air. But this happens extremely rarely. If anyone wants to, take the advice, it’s less trouble, and you collect the harvest on time.
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Variety Libelle is grown in summer cottages, private gardens and large vegetable farms.It is characterized by excellent indicators of taste and productivity, has many advantages. But in order to achieve such indicators, it is necessary to strictly follow the simple rules of cultivation and care.
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Russia. City: Zheleznogorsk
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