Cucumber variety “Zhuravlenok” from Crimean breeders for growing in warm climates

The modern market is replete with seeds of various varieties And hybrids cucumbers In pursuit of new advertised varieties, which often do not live up to expectations, gardeners forget about crops that have been proven over the years. Cucumber Crane is just one of them. More than 20 years have passed since its introduction, and those who value quality and reliability grow it steadily.

The hybrid is valuable for its high productivity, ease of care and excellent taste of the fruit. Today we will talk about the rules for growing crops in a greenhouse and garden, shaping bushes, difficulties in growing and methods of controlling pests and downy mildew.

Description of the hybrid Crane

Crane f1 is a mid-early hybrid of domestic selection. The breeding was carried out by biologists from the Krasnodar branch of the Crimean Experimental Breeding Station. In 1996, the hybrid was approved for cultivation in the Volga-Vyatka, Central Black Earth, North Caucasus, Lower Volga, Ural, West Siberian, and East Siberian regions. The crop is grown in closed and open ground.

The main stem reaches a length of 1.9 m and produces 3-5 shoots. The bushes are climbing, medium leafy. 4-5 fruits are formed in one node.

In the photo there is a hybrid Crane.

The table summarizes the characteristics of the culture.

Chemical composition, calorie content and benefits

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

Chemical composition of the product:

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

Regular consumption of cucumbers has a positive effect on the body:

• normalizes water-salt balance;
• speeds up metabolism;
• dilates blood vessels;
• normalizes blood pressure;
• breaks down cholesterol plaques;
• dissolves stones and sand in the kidneys;
• normalizes the functioning of the pancreas;
• improves blood counts.

Agricultural technology for cucumbers

Hybrid Crane is grown by seedlings and through direct sowing into the ground. The second method is preferable for the southern regions.

The culture requires moderate watering, the application of organic and mineral fertilizers, shaping of bushes and assistance in pollination when grown in a greenhouse.

Planting by seed

Direct sowing of seeds into the ground begins no earlier than the end of May in the southern regions and the beginning of June in the middle regions. When choosing a location, preference is given to areas on the south side, without drafts. The soil temperature should not be lower than +16 °C.

The soil for planting cucumbers is prepared in the fall - they dig it up and add a bucket of humus per 1 m². In spring, the soil is loosened again and fertilized with chicken droppings (10 l/1 m²).

Experienced farmers recommend sowing green manure in early spring. Most often rye, oats, clover, lupine, beans, and peas are sown. What does this give? Plants serve as excellent nutrition for the soil, improve its structure, saturate it with nitrogen, and act as mulch.

After the plants have stretched 10-15 cm, holes are made in the beds, right in the green manure, and cucumber seeds are sown in them to a depth of 3 cm with an interval of 20 cm. Sprinkle a layer of earth on top and cover with halves of plastic bottles. After germination, the shelters are removed.

Green manure reliably protects young shoots from wind and sun. As soon as the seedlings get stronger, the plants are cut off.

In practice, the second method is also used, in which green manure is mowed before sowing the seeds. Gardeners explain this by saying that they inhibit the growth of cucumbers.

Planting by seedlings

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out in the last days of April. The soil is prepared independently from two parts of peat and humus and one part of sawdust. Add 25 g of superphosphate and a glass of ash to a bucket of soil mixture. Mix thoroughly and pour in a strong solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection.

Moist soil is laid out in peat containers with a volume of at least 0.5 liters. In them, the seedlings are subsequently planted in the ground.

The seed placement depth is 2-2.5 cm. Polyethylene is stretched over the top and wait for germination. Sprouts will appear in 3-5 days at a temperature of +25 °C.

After the seeds hatch, the film is removed and the seedlings are placed on a windowsill with sufficient lighting. Seedlings are watered abundantly - once every 7-10 days.

For feeding, ready-made fertilizers are used: “Bud”, “Ideal”, “Breadwinner”, “Barrier”.

It is recommended to feed cucumber seedlings with milk with iodine to increase their defenses.To do this, take 1 liter of low-fat milk and 10 drops of iodine per bucket of water. The solution is used to spray seedlings.

The transfer of seedlings to the greenhouse begins in the last ten days of May, to the garden - in early June.

Planting pattern – 50x60 cm, 3 bushes in closed ground, 4 bushes in open ground.

The holes are formed at a depth of 20 cm and filled with boiling water or a hot solution of potassium permanganate. After the soil has cooled, seedlings are planted. The soil is covered with mulch - peat, sawdust, straw or agrofibre - to prevent weed growth and moisture retention.

Care

Cucumbers grow best in light humus soil with an acidity of 6.5-7.2. Optimal temperature for development and growth – +22…+26 °C. At air temperatures below +14 °C and above +42 °C, plant growth is suspended.

For irrigation use warm rain or settled water. The bushes are watered strictly at the roots in the evening. A drip irrigation system helps make it easier to care for cucumbers and keep the moisture level in the soil under control.

The loosening procedure in the greenhouse is carried out carefully, taking into account the superficial location of the roots. The root system of cucumbers in closed ground is weaker than that of garden plants and often comes to the surface. Instead of loosening, some gardeners add soil between the rows after watering.

Hybrid Crane is fed up to five times a season, alternating organic matter with mineral compounds. The frequency of fertilizer application is once every 10-15 days. Before this, the soil is moistened.

Feeding options:

• first - after planting: chicken manure solution 1:15;
• the second - during the flowering period: 50 g of superphosphate, 25 g of urea / 10 l of water;
• third - during fruiting: infusion of tops or nettles, diluted with water 1:5;
• fourth - during the harvest period: chicken manure solution 1:15;
• fifth - to prolong fruiting: 30 g of potassium nitrate / 10 l.

For foliar treatments, prepare a mixture of 10 g of urea and 6 g of potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water. Spraying is carried out on a cloudy, windless day.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

Spreading bushes of Zhuravlenka are formed using a multi-stem technique and tied to a trellis. This provides additional ventilation and increases yield.

Rules for forming bee-pollinated hybrids:

1. After 4-5 leaves appear, the bush is tied to a trellis.
2. The side shoots are left until the first ovary appears, and then tied to adjacent trellises or pulled up to the main stem. To avoid injury to the lashes, maintain an angle of 60° between the side and central shoots.
3. The side shoots are twisted around the main stem, and then they are fixed with tendrils.
4. The entwining procedure is repeated periodically, and excess tendrils and shoots are removed.
5. When the main stem becomes higher than the trellis, it is wound around it several times or thrown over and the crown is pinched.

Advice. At the end of the growing season, remove weak shoots and existing ovaries in the axils. Then the plant will direct its forces to the growth of the remaining fruits.

When growing a hybrid Crane in a greenhouse, difficulties with pollination may occur. To attract bees, windows and doors are kept constantly open or pollen is transferred manually.

Cucumbers are monoecious plants; male and female flowers are found on the same bush. To collect pollen from a male flower, use a paint brush or a cotton swab, or simply tear off the peduncle and apply it to the female flower.

Reference. When the air temperature in the greenhouse is above +30 °C, the pollen becomes sterile. Therefore, the farmer’s main task is to maintain optimal temperature conditions.

Diseases and pests

Hybrid Crane is susceptible to downy mildew, or downy mildew. A fungal disease causes a lot of trouble and, without timely treatment, can destroy cucumber plantings.

Signs:

• small brown or yellow spots on greens;
• purple plaque with a gray tint on the back side;
• yellow and dry leaves at the last stage.

Causes:

• high humidity and air temperature below +9 °C;
• uncontrolled watering with cold water;
• rainy summer;
• alkaline soil.

Prevention:

• soil disinfection with copper sulfate (50 g/10 l/1 m²) or “Fitosporin”;
• cleaning up plant residues at the end of the season;
• removal of infected bushes;
• constant loosening and weeding of beds;
• crop rotation.

Treatment:

• chemicals: 0.5% solution of Bordeaux mixture, “HOM”;
• folk remedies.

Recipes for folk remedies:

1. 1 liter of kefir or whey and 10 drops of iodine. Bring the solution to a volume of 10 liters and spray the cucumbers once a week.
2. Pour 400 g of ash into 1 liter of boiling water and leave for four hours. Strain and add water to a volume of 10 liters. Use to treat bushes once a week.
3. Prepare a pink solution of potassium permanganate and treat the plants twice a month.
4. Dissolve 25 g of soda and 5 g of tar soap in 5 liters of water. Treat the bushes twice every 3-4 days. Repeat after a week.

Proven effectiveness in the fight against whitefly, aphids, spider mite, The preparations “Fitoverm”, “Aktara”, “Fury”, “Inta-Vir”, “Calypso”, “Aktara”, “Aktellik” have thrips.

To obtain environmentally friendly products, folk remedies are used:

• 30 g of finely chopped hot pepper, pour 10 liters of water, leave for 24 hours;
• Pass 0.5 kg of dandelion leaves and roots through a meat grinder and pour in 5 liters of water, after 3 hours add 2 tbsp. l. mustard powder;
• Pour 100 g of onion peel into 3 liters of boiling water, leave for 24 hours, add 20 g of soap shavings.

Spraying frequency is once every 10-14 days.

Harvesting and application

Harvesting begins in approximately 45-48 days. The fruits have excellent taste, are not bitter, and are suitable for fresh consumption and preservation.

For winter preparations, cucumbers collected at the stage of milky ripeness are used.

Harvesting is carried out regularly, in the morning, since the fruits are prone to overgrowth and loss of taste.

Cucumbers tolerate transportation well. They are stored for about three months in a cool place.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

• excellent taste;
• early ripeness;
• immunity to major diseases;
• high productivity;
• ease of care;
• resistance to changes in average daily temperature;
• keeping quality;
• high level of transportation;
• affordable cost of seeds.

Disadvantages - exposure peronospora and the need to shape bushes.

Reviews

The hybrid Crane appeared more than 20 years ago and managed to win the love of large farmers and summer residents due to its ease of planting and care, excellent taste and high productivity.

Valery, Liski: «I constantly plant Crane cucumbers in the garden at the dacha. There were never any problems. The crop rarely gets sick and is not demanding on the composition of the soil. I installed drip irrigation on the site and covered it with agrofibre. The fruits are very juicy and crispy, the skin is thin, not hard.”

Irina, Vladimir: “I have known the hybrid for a long time; I grow it in a greenhouse and in the garden, if there is room for planting.Since the cucumber is bee-pollinated, the pollen has to be transferred manually. This applies to bushes in a greenhouse. In open ground there are no these problems. I like the culture for its unpretentiousness and the ability to harvest until late autumn. The cucumbers are juicy, dense, ideal for pickling, despite their thin skin.”

Conclusion

The bee-pollinated hybrid Crane is liked by gardeners for its excellent taste and ease of care. Some note that such cucumbers are significantly superior to parthenocarpic cucumbers in taste and aroma. Difficulties in cultivation arise when planting a crop in a greenhouse.

Bees are reluctant to fly into enclosed spaces, so they have to use brushes to transfer pollen from a male flower to a female one. Otherwise, caring for the plant is not particularly difficult. It is important to organize moderate watering, carry out loosening and weeding in a timely manner, form bushes and tie them to a trellis, add organic matter and minerals.