Often, gardeners and gardeners are faced with the problem of what sort of cucumbers to choose for planting. Many people are guided by the choice of the advice of friends or simply prefer the vegetable they like in appearance.
However, first of all, attention should be paid to the suitability of the variety to the climatic zone in which it is planned to be planted.
In this article we will talk about the features and technology of growing cucumber "Amur F1", which is suitable for cultivation in the northern regions. Since its selection, it has gained popularity among owners of dacha plots due to its early ripeness, high yield and resistance to diseases.
Breeding history
This hybrid of the ultra early ripening period is the product of the hands of Dutch breeders working on the agricultural farm Bejo Zaden. As can be understood from the letters F1 in the name, it is a hybrid of the first generation. From their parents cucumber "Amur F1" took all the best characteristics and surpassed them in terms of yield and disease resistance. 
In Russia, the hybrid was registered in 2000.
Did you know? The record holder in size, listed on the pages of the Guinness Book of Records, was almost 92-centimeter cucumber grown by a resident of England Alfo Cobb.
Characteristic and distinctive features
To understand what constitutes a cucumber "Cupid F1", consider its description and features of agricultural engineering.
Bushes
The bushes of this hybrid are powerful, tall, but weakly branched. The branches are strong, do not break even under heavy fruit. The leaves are medium, green, with smooth edges, pubescent. Up to 8 ovaries form in one node.
The hybrid varieties of cucumbers also include: "Ecole F1", "German F1", "Hector F1", "Real Colonel", "Zozulya F1", "Masha f1", "Crispina F1".
"Cupid F1" has parthenocarpic flowering, it is dominated by female flowers. It means that with this variety you need to plant a pollinator. Otherwise, the hybrid will give a lot of flowers, but few cucumbers.
Fruit
As we have already noted, the variety belongs to the early maturity - the period from the appearance of the first sprouts to the fruiting phase is 37-40 days.
Fruits have a length of 13 to 15 cm and a mass of 90-130 g. They are oval-shaped and dark green in color with slightly noticeable whitish stripes and white spikes. Their skin is thin.
The flesh of the fruit is juicy, fleshy, aromatic. They have excellent taste, no bitterness. Even in the form of overgrown, they do not lose their taste and color. 
Fruit ripening can occur in several pieces at a time. Hybrid belongs to the salad varieties. However, it can also be used for pickling, salting. Suitable for long term storage.
Important! The designation "F1" In the title means it's a hybrid form, propagate which at home will not work.
Yield
The variety is characterized by high yield - up to 25 kg per 1 square. m, in the southern regions - up to 28 kg.
The hybrid is suitable for cultivation under the open sky (it is pollinated by bees), by agrofibre, in film or polycarbonate greenhouses. Preference should be given to film growing or in greenhouses, because when bees are pollinated, fruits of irregular, curved shape can form. 
"Cupid F1" can be grown seedling and seedless ways.
Advantages and disadvantages of the hybrid
As in the case of any variety, the cultivation of "Amur F1" has both advantages and disadvantages.
pros
Among the advantages, we note:
- beautiful product appearance;
- good taste, no bitterness;
- resistance to diseases such as cladosporia, mosaic, root rot, powdery mildew;
- good fruit transportability;
- long maturation;
- self-regulation bush branching;
- the formation of a large number of ovaries - up to 8 at each node;
- early maturity;
- frost resistance;
- universality of use;
- undemanding to fertilizers.
Minuses
The disadvantages of a hybrid include:
- demanding of soil fertility;
- need for regular watering.
Did you know? The name of the cucumber comes from the Greek word, which means "immature".
Peculiarities of growing by seedling method
The seedling method allows you to achieve greater germination of sprouts, since it is possible to plant only strong plants for a permanent place. It is produced starting from the last week of April and ending in the middle of May.
For seedlings need to prepare pots or other containers of 400 ml, a height of not less than 12 cm.
They put the substrate of peat and humus, mixed in equal proportions. They will need to mix sawdust. Their number should be less than 2 times than peat or humus. You can also buy in a specialized store garden mixture intended for vegetable crops.
Before planting the seeds do not need to decontaminate. However, in order to achieve better germination, it is desirable to germinate planting material. This can be done as follows: put the seed for 36 hours in one of the proposed solutions - boric acid (20 ml / 1 l of water) or in an aqueous solution of succinic acid (7 ml / 1 l), zinc sulfate (2 g / 1 l ), baking soda (5 g / 1 l), methylene blue (300 ml / 1 l). 
After this procedure, the seeds are laid out in one layer on a wet tissue, having sand or sawdust on both sides. To help future plantings withstand low temperatures, the temperature in the room where the seeds are germinated will need to be gradually reduced to +2 ° C. In such conditions, planting material is kept until seed germination.
If you do not want to fool your head with sprouting, then the procedure of hardening will still need to be made. Seeds should be held for 3 days at a temperature of +5 ° C. After that they can be planted in pots. 
Seeds deepen into the soil by 1.5-2 cm. 2-3 seeds are placed in one pot. Containers with seedlings are placed in a room with an air temperature of + 27-28 ° C. You can cover the pots with film. After the first sprouts become visible, the temperature will need to be reduced to + 20-23 ° C.
Seedlings will need to be watered regularly as the topsoil dries. This is best done with a spray gun. 
In the phase of 3-4 true leaves (approximately 25-30 days after planting), it will be necessary to select the strongest sprouts and plant them in a permanent place in the garden or in the greenhouse. When planting, they adhere to the indentations between the bushes of 35 cm and between the rows - 50 cm. Recommended planting depth is for the cotyledon leaves.
Each well with transplanted seedlings is watered abundantly, using about 1 liter of water per plant.
Important! Seedlings are planted in a permanent place in the soil warmed up to +15-17 ° C. At lower temperatures, it does not take root. In the northern regions, seedlings can be planted in the greenhouse tentatively after May 25.
Growing cucumbers by seedless method
When planting directly into the open ground, it is better for cucumbers to pick up a well-lit area. However, it can also stay in a light shade, for example, under sparse crowns of trees. 
As for the predecessors, It is better to plant cucumbers after potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, corn, onions, and peas. It is undesirable to plant the "Amur F1" in the place where pumpkin cultures were previously grown. This is fraught with the development of diseases and infection with common pests.
The soil at the site of planting should be loose, light, well hydrated, neutral in acidity.
It is necessary to fertilize the land that is planned to be planted for planting cucumbers. So, in the fall, after collecting all plant residues, for digging into 1 square. m make manure (10 kg), potassium salt (25 g), superphosphate (40 g). In the spring feeding is carried out using ammonium nitrate (15-20 g). Immediately before planting, wood ash is placed in the wells. You also need to shed the soil with a preventive purpose from ailments and harmful insects with a solution of copper sulfate - 1 tablespoon to 1 bucket of water. The consumption of working fluid - 2 liters per 1 square. m
Seeds are planted in the soil already warmed up to +12 ° С. Typically, this temperature is set in the second decade of May in the middle lane and in early May in other regions.
Hardened and germinated seeds should be placed in previously made holes to a depth of 2-4 cm, 2-3 pieces each. 
The wells fall asleep and pour. Planting must be covered with a film to avoid the negative effects of low temperatures, to maintain optimum humidity and to obtain friendly shoots.
The film will need to be removed after the main seedling appears. After this, thinning is required, which is produced by pinching.
Care features
As you know, cucumbers are fastidious plants in their care. To achieve a good harvest, you will literally sweat.
The list of mandatory care procedures includes:
- watering;
- weeding;
- soil loosening;
- top dressing;
- preventive spraying against pests and diseases.
The big plus of the described hybrid is that it weakly branches, so the need for the formation of a bush it disappears. Whether to use a trellis to grow, each gardener decides for himself.
Watering, weeding and loosening the soil
For owners of cucumber beds you need to know that watering cucumbers should be done only with warm water. This also applies to the hybrid "Cupid F1". Water should be heated to + 17-20 ° C. Watering is necessary with a watering can with a spray, preferably in the evening, so that water droplets that fall on the leaves do not provoke the occurrence of burns. 
Recommended watering rates for cucumbers:
- at the stage before flowering - 5-10 liters per 1 square. m;
- at the stage of fruiting - 15-20 liters per 1 square. m
Before flowering, you will need to water the vegetables every 4 days, during flowering - every 3 days, and in the fruiting phase - daily.
It is necessary to ensure that the soil is constantly wet. If this effect cannot be achieved, then it is necessary to reduce the intervals between irrigation and increase the volume of liquid. Insufficient watering affects the taste of cucumbers, they may appear light bitterness.
Along with moistening, cucumbers will need regular soil loosening and weed removal.
Mulching
The implementation of mulching makes it easier for the gardener to take care of cucumbers. It is done to protect the root system in case of a decrease in temperature, to eliminate the appearance of weeds, to increase the yield, to preserve moisture. The soil under the mulch bushes do not need to loosen. And ripe cucumbers will not lie on the muddy ground, but on clean bedding. 
The best mulch for cucumbers will be dry grass and sawdust. You can also use peat, a special synthetic material, polyethylene. A natural mulch is put after emergence of shoots and constantly replenishes it. Synthetic mulch is spread onto the soil before planting.
Preventive treatment
Despite the resistance to many diseases, cucumbers "Cupid F1" can suffer fusarium wilt, powdery mildew, gray, white and root rot.
To protect the garden from powdery mildew, it is necessary to ensure that the plants do not freeze slightly, and in case of a decrease or temperature jumps, use agrofibre to cover. When infected, treatment should be carried out with Fitosporin, a 20% solution of colloidal sulfur. 
The preventive straits of the earth (even before planting cucumbers) with Fitosporin should protect against fusarium wilt.
Rot can be avoided by selecting the right water temperature for irrigation, avoiding thick planting, spreading weeds, eliminating water stagnation, preventing freezing of vegetables. You can fight with gray rot with “Fitosporin”, with white with “Topaz”, with the root with a solution of blue vitriol (10 g / 1 l of water).
Preventive spraying against common diseases is carried out with the preparations "Kurzat", "Alirin-B", "Tanos", and Tiovit Jet granules. 
Of the pests for cucumbers dangerous whitefly, sprout flies, spider mites, tobacco thrips, gall nematodes, springtail. To combat them, you must use suitable insecticides:
- from sprout flies - "Iskra",
- from the whitefly - "Aktar", "Confidor", "Aktarin";
- from spider mite - "Fitoverm";
- from aphids - “Arrivo”, “Intavir”, “Decis”;
- from thrips - “Aktar”, “Fufanon”, “Golden spark”;
- from nematodes - "Marshall";
- from springtails - "Aktellik", "Aktar", "Intavir".
Important! Treatments should be made using individual means of body and face protection, as well as following the dosages given in the instructions for the preparations.
Top dressing
For the season, cucumbers will need 3 root dressings:
- 3 weeks after landing - dilute 5 g of ammonium sulfate, 15 g of ammonium nitrate, 1 g of magnesium sulphate, 15 g of potassium sulphate, 30 g of superphosphate in 10 liters of water.
- In the flowering period - put 10 g of ammonium nitrate, 10 g of superphosphate, 30 g of potassium sulfate, 10 g of ammonium sulfate, 2 g of magnesium sulfate in 10 l of water.
- During the fruiting period - the composition of top dressing is the same as during flowering, or 4 tablespoons of urea and 1 cup of wood ash diluted in 10 liters of water (consumption - 3 liters per 1 sq. m).
You can make 1 foliar feeding from 5 g of urea diluted in 10 liters of water, 10 g of nitroammophoshka or the same amount of water - 10 g of urea, 6 g of magnesium sulphate, 6 g of superphosphate.
To find out exactly what substances your cucumbers lack, you should carefully observe their appearance. So, if you notice that the lower leaves on the bushes turn yellow, and cucumbers grow irregularly shaped and with lighter skinned, then this is a possible sign that the plant lacks nitrogen. The problem can be solved by fertilizing the vegetable with 2 tablespoons of urea diluted in 1 bucket of water. Consumption - 0.5 liters under each bush.
When young leaves dry out and there is no development of lateral shoots, it is necessary to add phosphorus to the plants - 3 tablespoons of superphosphate diluted in 10 liters of water. Consumption - 0.5 liters for each root. The formation of pear-shaped fruits and a yellow border on the leaves indicate potassium deficiency. It can be replenished with 1 cup of ash diluted in 1 bucket of water. Consumption - 3 liters per 1 square. m
The twisting of leaves, the withering of fruits and the shedding of flowers are a clear sign of a lack of calcium. Fertilizing bushes 3 tablespoons of calcium nitrate, diluted in 10 liters of water, its deficit can be filled. Consumption - 0.5 liters under each bush.
Garter on the trellis
Many gardeners prefer to grow cucumbers on the trellis. For this you need to tie the lash to the supports during the growing season. There is no need to do pinching.
The garter allows you to save space in the garden or in the greenhouse, prevents the development of certain diseases, simplifies the collection of fruits. 
Tie a whip when they reach a length of 30 cm and they already have 4-5 full leaves. There are 2 ways to carry out this procedure:
- Vertical - set support in the form of the letter "P", attached to the upper crossbar of the rope, which are attached to the whip.
- Horizongtal - metal poles are placed on opposite sides of the bed, between the ends of which several rows of strong ropes or fabric strips are pulled, along which whips are let.
Harvesting
Since cucumbers of this variety are not prone to overgrowing, the harvest can be harvested 2-3 times a week. It is best to do fruit harvesting early in the morning or in the evening. The peculiarity of this variety is that the bulk of the greens ripen in the first month of fruiting. Tear off the fruit when they reach the size of 12-14 cm. 
Properly picking cucumbers is necessary by twisting, leaving the stalk on the whips. You can store the fruit in the refrigerator or cellar for 1-2 weeks.
Did you know? In some nations cucumbers are considered dessert. Together with fruit, berries and other sweets, they are served to the sweet table.
Every year, more and more gardeners turn their attention to the Cupid "Amur F1" cucumber hybrid. And there is an explanation for this, because it has a lot of positive qualities, such as frost resistance, high yield, excellent taste characteristics of fruits, excellent presentation, long storage and the ability to bring good yields in the middle lane.
