Time-tested and beloved by gardeners, the Othello cucumber from Dutch breeders

The Othello cucumber appeared on the seed market at the end of the twentieth century. The culture is valued for its ease of care and high productivity with low labor costs. When grown in open ground, it does not require pollination; in greenhouses, the bushes are sprayed with a solution of boric acid and sugar to attract bees. Friendly and long-lasting fruiting allows you to enjoy the excellent taste of cucumbers until mid-September.

In the article we will look at the features of cultivation and care, the rules for shaping bee-pollinated cucumbers and methods of protection against insect pests.

Description of the hybrid

Othello f1 – bee-pollinated early ripening hybrid. Developed by Czech breeders of the agricultural company Moravoseed. Entered into the State Register of Russia in 1996. The crop is intended for cultivation in open ground in the regions of the Central Black Earth Region (Belgorod, Voronezh, Tambov, Lipetsk, Kursk, Oryol regions).

The length of the main stem reaches 2 m. The bushes are highly branched, medium-climbing, mainly with female flowers. 3-6 ovaries are formed in the leaf axil.

In the photo - cucumber Othello f1.

Distinctive features are presented in the table.

Chemical composition, calorie content and benefits

The calorie content of cucumbers is 14 kcal per 100 g.

Chemical composition:

• vitamins A, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B9, C, E, H, K, PP;
• minerals: potassium, calcium, silicon, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, copper, selenium, fluorine, zinc.

When consumed regularly, cucumbers have a beneficial effect on the body.:

• normalize water-salt balance;
• speed up metabolism;
• dilate blood vessels;
• normalize blood pressure;
• break down and remove cholesterol plaques;
• dissolve stones and sand in the kidneys and bladder;
• normalize the functioning of the pancreas;
• improve blood composition.

About other Dutch hybrids:

Unpretentious, productive and tasty cucumber “Crispina”

Juicy Adam cucumbers with a delicate sweetish taste

Parthenocarpic hybrid of cucumbers “Claudine f1”

Agricultural technology for cucumbers

The manufacturer advises growing Othello cucumbers in open ground. This is due to the type of pollination of the plant: bees are needed to form ovaries.

Culture grown through seedlings or direct sowing in the ground. Caring for plantings involves frequent loosening, weeding, sufficient watering and fertilizing. The hybrid is resistant to major cucumber diseases, which makes agricultural technology easier.

Direct sowing into the ground

Cucumbers love light, loamy and loose soil with a neutral pH = 6.5-7. In the fall, the site is dug up and green manure is sown, which quickly gains green mass and manages to rot over the winter and enrich the soil with nutrients.Oilseed radish, phacelia and white mustard are considered the best. In addition to increasing soil fertility, green manure prevents the occurrence of fungal infections.

Plants can be mowed and dug into the ground, or left to rot on the site, and plant debris collected in the spring. The soil beneath them will become fertile and loose.

Direct sowing into the ground begins at the end of May or at the beginning of June. The air temperature should warm up to at least +20 °C, the ground temperature - up to +16 °C.

Seeds in a colored shell do not need to be processed. They have already undergone a disinfection procedure in production. Grains without treatment are pickled in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (1 g of crystals/100 g of water). Soak the material for 15 minutes, rinse with clean water and dry.

The site is chosen on the south side, protected from draft winds. When sowing, observe the rule of crop rotation.

Reference. Cucumbers cannot be grown for several years in a row in the same place or in areas where zucchini, squash, and pumpkin previously grew. The best predecessors of cucumbers are cabbage, carrots, onions, legumes, and garlic.

The beds are dug up with a bayonet shovel 70 cm wide and 20 cm deep. The area is fertilized with peat, sawdust and chicken droppings (5 kg/1 m²). The beds are leveled with a rake and lightly compacted. A 2-3 cm groove is made in the middle and poured with boiling water or a hot solution with potassium permanganate, liquid growth stimulator "Energin" (two capsules per 10 liters).

The seeds are laid out at a distance of 40-50 cm and lightly pressed into the ground with your finger.. Sprinkle the top with damp soil and sprinkle with hot red pepper to protect against ants, slugs and mice. Afterwards, agrofibre is stretched to protect against night frosts.

Planting by seedlings

Growing cucumbers through seedlings will help speed up the growing season and the start of harvesting. Sowing is carried out in mid-April.

Prepared seeds soaked in preparations “Epin”, “Ivin”, “Zircon” to stimulate germination and embedded in a moist soil mixture (two parts peat and humus, one part sawdust). Before sowing, the soil is disinfected using a dark solution of potassium permanganate or Fitosporin-M.

Peat pots of 0.5 liters are used as containers for seedlings. or large plastic cups that are easy to cut when planting. The container with seeds is covered with plastic wrap and placed in a dark, warm place.

After germination, the containers are taken out to the windowsill on the south side of the house, and the film is removed. If necessary, seedlings are illuminated with a phytolamp.

Seedlings water with warm, settled water 1-2 times a week.

At the stage of 4-5 true leaves it is transferred to a permanent place. Holes 20 cm deep are formed on the site, at a distance of 70 cm from each other, and the seedlings are planted together with a ball of earth or directly in peat pots. The roots are sprinkled with earth, lightly compacted and watered generously.

Reference. The rules for preparing the soil for planting ready seedlings are the same as for direct sowing.

Stages of caring for cucumbers

Hybrid Othello is an unpretentious plant, so the rules for caring for it are standard:

1. When shoots appear after direct sowing, the agrofibre is raised from the windless south side.
2. Plantings are watered in the evening, with warm, settled or rainwater, at the root, 2-3 times a week, or a drip system is installed. In hot weather, the bushes are watered every day.
3. After each watering, loosening is carried out, preventing the formation of a crust on the soil surface.
4. Weeding is carried out regularly, with the complete removal of weeds. To reduce the frequency of weeding, the soil is covered with straw, hay, sawdust or pine needles.
5. Fertilizing is applied regularly, in small quantities, at least five times during the growing season. Mineral and organic fertilizers alternate.
6. During the period of active growth, plants are tied to a trellis. This makes them easier to care for and creates additional ventilation.
7. The fruits are collected every 2-3 days. Cucumbers are not prone to overgrowing, but without regular harvesting it is difficult to achieve high productivity.

Options for organic and mineral fertilizing (calculation per 10 l):

• two Energen capsules, consumption per 1 m² – 3 l;
• 25 g of the drug "Agricola-5", consumption per 1 m² - 3-4 l;
• 50 g of Effekton-O product, consumption per 1 m² – 4 l;
• 25 g of nitrophoska, 50 g of the drug “Agricola Vegeta”, consumption per 1 m² – 5 l.

Fertilizers are applied once a week, after watering.

And more about «Dutch»:

Hybrid cucumber "Dirigent"

Hybrid "Herman" for greenhouses and open ground

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

Rules for the formation of bushes of bee-pollinated hybrids:

1. At the 4-5 leaf stage, the bushes are tied to a trellis.
2. The lateral stepsons are not touched until the first ovary. Next they tie it to the trellis. To avoid injury to the lashes, maintain an angle of 60° between the central and lateral stepson.
3. The side shoots are twisted around the main stem, then they are attached with tendrils.
4. The entwining is repeated periodically, and excess stepsons and antennae are removed.
5. When the main stem reaches the trellis, it is wound around it or thrown over and the crown is pinched a meter from the ground.

If desired, Othello cucumbers can be cultivated in a greenhouse, in regions with short summers. It is important to ensure free access of bees to the premises.Doors and windows are kept open. During the flowering period, the bushes are irrigated with a solution of boric acid and sugar (2 g of powder, 100 g of sugar per 1 liter of water) to attract insects, or jars of honey water are placed.

Important! Chemicals are not used during this period, as they lead to the death of bees.

Diseases and pests

Hybrid Othello has a strong immunity to olive spot, powdery mildew, cucumber mosaic virus, cladosporiosis. It withstands drought and changes in average daily temperature. However, preventing diseases will not hurt:

• soil treatment with copper sulfate;
• disinfection of seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate;
• removal of plant debris in spring and frequent weeding of beds;
• moderate watering;
• mulching the soil;
• correct forming of bushes;
• timely feeding with phosphorus and potassium;
• control of nitrogen levels in the soil.

Cucumber plantings are susceptible to attack spider mites, melon aphids, whiteflies, mole crickets and slugs. Treatment with insecticides is difficult due to the early maturity of the crop, so folk remedies are used to repel insects.

The table contains main signs of pest damage and recipes for combating them.

Harvesting and application

Harvesting is carried out every 2-3 days to stimulate fruiting. The first fruits appear 40-45 days after germination. The culture bears fruit for a long time. The harvest is harvested until mid-September.

Cucumbers have a dense structure and no cavities form inside. The taste is excellent. There is no bitterness even if watering rules are not followed.

The fruits are suitable for fresh consumption and canning. Consumers note an improvement in taste when salted or marinated in vinegar. The cucumbers do not soften in the jar and retain their crispness.

They are stored in a cool place for about three weeks. The hybrid tolerates transportation well without losing its presentation.

Advantages and disadvantages

Let's take a closer look at what is remarkable about the hybrid and what confuses gardeners about it.

Advantages:

• early ripeness;
• excellent taste;
• friendly fruiting;
• high productivity;
• keeping quality;
• high transportability;
• resistance to major cucumber diseases.

Flaws:

• difficulties with pollination when grown in a greenhouse;
• the need to shape bushes.

Reviews

The hybrid was highly appreciated by farmers and consumers due to its ease of care, high productivity and excellent taste.

Irina, Stary Oskol: “I bought a bag of Othello seeds last year to try. Seven out of ten sprouted, which is not bad. I did not treat the seeds with anything, I grew them through seedlings. The cucumbers turned out smooth, dense, crispy, without bitterness, good fresh in salads. I closed several jars for the winter, and my family were happy. There are no voids inside and do not soften".

Ivan, Belgorod: “I grow Othello cucumbers in the garden at the dacha. I sow directly into the ground and cover with film. After germination, I remove it and, as it grows, I tie up the lashes. Caring for the crop is not difficult. We installed drip irrigation on the site and feed it with mullein and ready-made mineral fertilizers.”.

Conclusion

The Othello hybrid is characterized by rapid ripening and friendly fruit production. Cucumbers do not overgrow or warp if they are removed from the bush in time. The culture withstands heat and sudden changes in average daily temperature, and is immune to major diseases. Basic care comes down to following standard rules of agricultural technology.

Proper formation of bee-pollinated plants with a garter to a trellis ensures high yields, creates additional ventilation and facilitates care. Experienced farmers advise not to neglect the rules of prevention - then your chances of getting a rich and healthy harvest are much higher.