Cucumber "Meringue f1": features of cultivation and care

Meringue cucumber is a Dutch hybrid that belongs to the early ripening period. He was bred in the company Monsanto, known for its fruitful early ripe vegetable hybrids. Since 2007, Meringue has been in the State Register of Plants of the Russian Federation

. It is recommended for cultivation throughout Russia in open and closed ground. The first fruits appear 40 days after germination. Fruiting continues throughout the season, until daylight hours and air temperature meet the cultivation requirements of this hybrid.

What are the characteristics

The bush forms medium-sized lashes, where only female-type flowers are formed. In one bunch, up to 7 ovaries grow. Fruits are painted dark green with subtle spotting. The top of each pumpkin is decorated with light strips of small size. Zelenets has a cylindrical shape. On its surface are long tubercles. Harvested when cucumbers reach a length of 10 cm or more and have a diameter of about 3 cm. The average weight of one gherkin reaches 100 grams.

"Meringue" is characterized by high productivity, the fruits are resistant to yellowing and various deformations. In the garden, the yield is 2 kg per square meter; in a sheltered area, the yield per square meter can reach up to 15 kilograms. The first crop is formed together. Shoots have the ability to quickly recover from stressful situations. After breaking off the apex, lateral shoots appear on sheet 5-6, which increases productivity.

The hybrid is resistant to various fungal and viral diseases that are traditionally observed in gourds. The disadvantage is the average resistance to downy mildew. Plants tolerate temporary temperature drops, prolonged bad weather, and prolonged heat. Fruiting at this time will continue with watering and foliar top dressing.

Growing requirements

The manufacturer does not recommend growing the Meringue variety in the second crop rotation. With insufficient daylight, low night temperatures, plants die from peronosporosis. Self-pollinating hybrid can be cultivated by sowing seeds in open beds or seedlings. Seeds are sown in warm beds when the frosts are long and the summer is short, the duration of warm days is less than 90 days. The hybrid is suitable if the summer is long, and you want to get an early harvest of gherkins.

In the middle zone of the Russian Federation, sowing is carried out using temporary shelters from 2 weeks of May. Any covering material designed to prevent freezing of seedlings is suitable, which will protect the seedlings from a nighttime temperature drop.

In order to prevent the death of seedlings in the event of accidental freezing, it is recommended to plant dry and sprouted seeds on one bed. This method is suitable for nesting when they make a hole with a diameter of 60 cm, and put 3 germinated and 3 dry seeds in it. If horizontal cultivation without support and tying is practiced, the distance between the holes is made at 50 cm. When grown with support, a distance of 30 cm is left. The seedling method with proper care allows you to get a super early crop. To grow a full-grown seedling with strong immunity, you need:

• choose full-fledged seeds;
• process them in a growth promoter;
• pick up seedling tanks with a drainage system;
• sow seeds in nutrient soil to a depth of 1.5 cm;
• maintain the humidity of the air and soil needed by the cucumbers;
• pour warm water over 20C;
• conduct hardening of seedlings;
• leave the last week before landing without cover;
• water abundantly before transplanting;
• dig bushes planted in the evening with wide leaves of burdock or rhubarb;
• after 10 days, start foliar feeding, which ends after the first ovary.

Further care consists of watering and harvesting. Loosening the earth is not recommended. Weed grass is harvested after rain when the soil is moist and the roots are easily removed. To keep the earth friable, it is recommended to mulch the soil under the bushes after each watering.

In order for the cucumber bushes to actively bear fruit, you need to remove flowers and leaves from the first four nodes, pinch the crown after the eighth node, so that the lash whips begin to develop. This rule applies to all parthenocapical hybrids. They produce well only if there is a well-developed main stem, which should have a length of at least 0, 8 m.

What reviews are available about Meringue

A hybrid from the Netherlands was ideal for cultivation in all regions of the Russian Federation. Vegetable growers leave admiring reviews about him.

Svetlana, 45 years old, Krasnodar:

You may be interested in:

The use of saltpeter for cucumbers: how and when to feedSpraying cucumbers with a solution of milk and iodine: how to waterHow to pinch cucumbers in a greenhouse: instructions, photo

I plant these cucumbers for several years in the open ground. The fruits taste sweet, without bitterness, even on the hottest days. Cucumbers are beautiful, smooth, small in size. Gherkins are very tasty in conservation. I did not carry out special care for them, but watered and weed if necessary.

Cyril, 54 years old, Tula:

“Meringue” approached our climate, and I began to grow them in a greenhouse. The yield of cucumbers is high, the taste is excellent. They ate them both fresh and salted. Pickled cucumbers crunch and have a delicate aroma. I will plant more.

Olga, 35 years old, Russia, Ural:

I have been planting cucumber seeds from Seminis “Meringue F1” for three years in my greenhouse. This hybrid was recommended to me by friends. At first I doubted the yield. When the first wave of cucumbers appeared, I did not regret that I planted this particular hybrid. Cornishons are enough not only for my family, but also for relatives, and even for sale remain.

Semen, 49 years old, Stavropol:

My income in the summer depends on the sale of fresh vegetables grown on a personal plot. Early crisp cucumbers diverge well in the market. I settled on Meringue, because this hybrid came up to me according to all requirements. All seeds purchased were of the same caliber. The manufacturer treated them with a fungicide, preventing the development of fungal diseases. From 1000 pcs only 13 seeds did not germinate. Growing them in small containers in one instance, the growth of all sprouts was the same, the seedlings were healthy, full, with a well-formed root system.

After planting in the greenhouse, the bushes took root quickly and began to grow. When the 5th leaf appeared in the internodes, female inflorescences began to appear. They grew in bunches of five or more pieces. He cleaned the side lashes when he appeared. When the lash reached one meter, the gherkins began to pour all at once, which is surprising. All fruits were even, finely pimply, of the same size. Of course, I carried out foliar top dressing, watered, because the load on the plant was very large, but the crop is worth such close attention.

Meringue gives stable yields under the condition of timely irrigation, root and foliar top dressing. Productivity in the greenhouse is several times higher than in open ground.Growing a hybrid of cucumbers is recommended for vertical lashes. It is more convenient to harvest, and to maintain the integrity of the lashes.