We grow disease-resistant Aral zucchini correctly and break yield records

Zucchini is low in calories and contains many beneficial microelements. The Aral hybrid, one of the varieties of this crop, is famous for its productivity, disease resistance and taste. It is already known in Asia, Europe and America, and now it is conquering farmers in Russia.

In the article you will find a description of the crop, its advantages and disadvantages, as well as the features of cultivation.

Description

Inexperienced summer residents have many questions even when purchasing seeds. One of them: what is an f1 hybrid?

Hybrid f1

Hybrids of any plants are specially selected seeds parent varieties that carry certain characteristics: early ripening, disease resistance, frost resistance, unique taste.

Marking f1 denotes first generation hybrids. If you collect seeds from the harvest of such a crop and plant them next year, it will already be an f2 hybrid.

Overpaying for f1 generation seeds, you can get a high-yielding crop that is resistant to pests and weather conditions. Zucchini Aral f1 is just one of those.

Important! Buy seeds only from trusted stores and from reputable manufacturers. This will protect you from fakes.

Origin and development

Hybrid Aral was bred in 2009 breeders from Japan. They sought to obtain a high-yielding variety, the fruits of which ripen in a short time and with minimal care.

Despite the annual breeding of new varieties and hybrids, it is Aral zucchini holds the lead and remains one of the most popular.

Distinctive features

The Aral Sea grows in the form of low bushes. Very compact, with semi-open fruits, which makes harvesting easy.

Features of the hybrid:

• germination rate – up to 95–100%;
• grown in greenhouses and open ground;
• high yield - up to 10 kg of fruits are harvested from 1 m² (depending on the fertility of the land, weather conditions and care);
• extended fruiting - fruits ripen until the first frost;
• disease resistance;
• frost resistance;
• storage of ripe fruits for up to 4 months.

About other varieties of zucchini:

Zucchini variety "Cavili" from Dutch breeders

Zucchini "Orange" with an exotic taste and original appearance

Fruit characteristics and yield

Aral zucchini has large cylindrical fruits. At the base they are ribbed, the ribs are partially smoothed.

Fruit color: light green with rare white spots. The weight of one zucchini ranges from 500 to 800 g.

Thin skin, shimmers a little. The pulp is light, dense, with large seeds.

In zucchini, especially unripe ones, delicate taste and aroma. They can be eaten unripe, but only ripe fruits are stored for a long time.

How to grow

Hybrid Aral usually does not cause problems for farmers. It grows well and produces abundant harvests. But this can only be achieved with proper care of the vegetable.

Place for zucchini it should be warm and sunny. This is a light-loving vegetable, the ground under it should warm up well. It is better to plant where onions, potatoes, beans, and cabbage used to grow.

The Aral Sea is planted with seeds or seedlings.

Planting seeds and seedlings

Step by step instructions for sowing seeds:

1. The seeds are soaked in water until completely swollen (about 12–18 hours) and those that float are removed.
2. The swollen ones are treated with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, and then heated for 5 hours at a temperature of 50 °C.
3. Holes are dug in the soil 4-5 cm deep at a distance of 60 cm from each other.
4. Place 1 seed per hole and sprinkle with soil. Before germination, the soil is covered with film to retain heat.
5. After germination (7–10 days), the film is removed.

Attention! Planting seeds is possible only in previously prepared, loosened, fertilized soil. Sow in mid-May or early June, when the ground is well warmed up. This planting method is suitable for the southern regions.

Step by step instructions for planting seedlings:

1. Seedlings require separate containers - cups up to 15 cm deep. They are filled with soil that contains peat, humus, turf soil and rotted sawdust.
2. The seeds are planted to a depth of 3-4 cm, irrigated with water in a small amount and covered with film. Covered cups are kept at a temperature of 25–28 °C.
3. Shoots appear on days 7–10, and the film is removed from them. Containers with soil are placed in a well-lit place.
4. After 2 weeks, when the seedlings have stretched, they are fed with a mixture of bird droppings and superphosphates diluted with water. Fertilizing is consumed in the amount of 100 ml per 1 plant.
5. After 10 days, the seedlings are fertilized again, but with a solution of wood ash.
6. A few days before planting in the ground, the seedlings are hardened off. To do this, take it out into the fresh air.
7. Zucchini is transplanted into open ground no earlier than 30 days from the date of sowing.

Seedling planting of Aral F1 zucchini also takes place in May. But in this case the harvest is obtained 2 weeks faster.This option is recommended for northern regions.

Hybrid care

Watering zucchini at or near the root. Water should not get on the leaves. For a week, one bucket of warm water is poured under one bush.

The soil must be loosened, preventing the formation of a crust on the surface. This promotes proper development of the root system and access to oxygen in the soil. During the loosening process, weeds are removed. To prevent them from growing and the earth to receive more nutrition, the surface is mulched with straw or peat.

Aral bushes need to be hilled. This is done after the appearance of the fifth leaf.

Fertilize zucchini several times. The first feeding is with minerals during flowering. The second time, potassium and phosphorus fertilizers are applied when the bushes are just beginning to bear fruit.

For zucchini Aral it is very important that the sun warms the earth, so excess leaves are torn off.

It can be useful:

Step-by-step guide to growing zucchini in a greenhouse

Growing zucchini and care in open ground

Where and how to properly plant zucchini seedlings

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

Even when growing unpretentious crops, inexperienced farmers can make mistakes:

1. Plants rot and turn yellow, fruits do not set. This occurs due to cold and humidity. To solve the problem, plants are covered with film and watered only with warm water (20 ° C).
2. If the fruit is irregularly shaped, with a widened end, the problem is potassium deficiency. It is replenished by sprinkling the soil with ash.
3. If the tip of the zucchini is narrowed, it means there is not enough nitrogen. Bird droppings or manure should be added to the soil.
4. Rotting fruits are a signal of excess moisture. It is necessary to stop watering the soil and remove rotten fruits.
5. Bitterness in the fruit may be a sign of illness.If only some fruits are bitter, they may not have enough moisture.

Diseases and pests

Hybrid Aral F1 has relative resistance to fungal and infectious diseases:

• powdery mildew;
• anthracnose;
• white rot.

The plant is resistant to viruses, but may be subject to insect attacks, so preventive spraying with onion infusion should be carried out.

Harvesting and application

Aral zucchini bears fruit all summer and autumn. They are collected 2 times a week.

It is advisable to pick medium and small unripe fruits - they have a more delicate and rich taste. But they are poorly stored and need immediate consumption or quick processing.

Cooked from zucchini fresh salads, stews, fried and baked. Zucchini can be dried or frozen for use in the winter.

Ripe zucchini is stored in dry cool rooms 4 months.

Advantages and disadvantages

Hybrid Aral F1 is popular in many countries. Farmers attribute the advantages of the variety to::

• early ripening of fruits;
• high productivity;
• immunity to viral diseases;
• weather resistance;
• unpretentiousness in breeding;
• high seed germination;
• fruiting throughout the season;
• ease of storage and transportation.

Flaws:

• demands on watering and light;
• not suitable for dry areas;
• vulnerability to insect pests;
• presence of large seeds;
• difficulty in preserving unripe fruits.

Farmer reviews

Farmers who grow zucchini on an industrial scale and amateur gardeners are unanimous note unpretentiousness in care and high yield hybrid Aral f1.

Alena, Ufa: “I’ve been planting Aral zucchini for 2 years. They ripen quickly (within a month after planting) and produce a good harvest.For a family of 5 people, 4-5 bushes are enough for us. Very tasty. I collect them before the first frost. In the summer I made an omelet with them and stewed them with other vegetables, and for the winter I froze half the freezer.”.

Marina, Sergiev Posad: “The first zucchini that I didn’t care for, apart from watering and weeding. They pleased me with their trouble-free operation and harvest. I will continue to breed them. The vegetables look like in the photo on the packaging, the description of the variety is also true.”.

Oksana, Kirov region: “I sowed zucchini seeds at the end of May and received the first vegetables in mid-June. On average, I collected 4 kg per bush, despite the bad weather. All the seeds sprouted, and the zucchini bore fruit all summer.”

Conclusion

Aral zucchini is an early ripening hybrid. Farmers choose it for its taste and minimum maintenance. It is enough to know the peculiarities of cultivation, and a harvest that will feed the whole family from several bushes is guaranteed.