An early ripe hybrid of "Bettina" cucumbers for greenhouses, open ground and growing on a windowsill
The Dutch Bettina cucumber hybrid has a number of positive features and stands out from other crops. The bushes give tasty and healthy fruits for the body in a short time, are resistant to temperature changes and diseases, and are unpretentious in care.
The content of the article
Description of cucumbers
Bettina's first generation hybrid was bred by Dutch breeders relatively recently, in 2007. Initially, the employees sought to breed cucumbers that would yield a high yield even in adverse climatic conditions.
As a result, scientists achieved not only their goals, but also created a record holder in terms of crop ripening.
Features:
Type of cucumber gherkin... The hybrid is successfully grown both in the open field and in greenhouse conditions, even on windowsills or balconies. The culture is parthenocarpic (self-pollinated). This makes it easier to cultivate vegetables in closed facilities, where pollinating insects do not enter.
The bushes show the best productivity in mild climatic conditions., but tolerate temperature fluctuations well.
Composition and properties
The fruits are 90–95% structured water, therefore they are excellent thirst quenchers. They contain a large amount of minerals and vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E, PP, N.
The vegetables include:
- phosphorus;
- sodium;
- potassium;
- fructose;
- glucose;
- magnesium;
- calcium;
- iodine;
- carotene;
- starch.
There are also coffee, ascorbic and folic acids in fruits.
The calorie content per 100 g of the product is 10-15 kcal, that is, the product is absolutely dietary. Doctors advise to spend a fasting day on cucumbers, during which they eat up to 1-1.5 kg of vegetables.
Nutritional value of fruits:
- proteins - 0.8 g;
- fats - 0.1 g;
- carbohydrates - 3 g.
For your information!When applied externally, cucumbers moisturize the skin, whiten imperfections and accelerate cell regeneration.
Alkaline salts in vegetables prevent the formation of sand and kidney stones. Iodine compounds and fiber improve bowel function.
Specifications
The Bettina hybrid is indeterminate. Ovaries form on the main stem... The whip is moderately branched. Leaves are light green medium, but grow when grown in a greenhouse. In each leaf sinus, from 1 to 4 fruits are tied. There are more female flowers than male ones.
Length of cylindrical fruits - 10-13 cm, weight - 60-80 g... Cucumbers have large tubercles, black pubescence. The pulp is juicy crispy, without bitterness and voids. When preserved, the taste is not lost.
Important! Bettina F1 is a hybrid, not a variety; therefore, seeds from their own harvest are not harvested, since they do not retain the qualities of the first generation.
The color of vegetables strongly depends on the frequency of moisture and soil quality.... In good conditions, the skin is deep dark green. With acidic soil, yellow spots or stripes appear on the fruits.
Vegetables ripen in a short time: The first crop is harvested already 40 days after sowing. When cultivated in the open field С 1 m2 collect about 5 kg of cucumbers. The quality and quantity of fruits depends on care, the creation of favorable conditions for the growth and development of culture.
Other Dutchmen for your site:
Time-tested cucumber "Othello"
How to grow cucumbers yourself
Bettina hybrid grown by seedlings and direct sowing in the ground... In cold areas or for an early harvest, use the seedling method. In the southern regions, seeds are planted directly into the ground.
Seedling method
Seeds are planted in separate containers (400-500 ml) in late April - early May... The soil for seedlings is purchased in a gardening store or they prepare their own peat, sawdust or river sand, garden soil and humus (1: 1: 1: 1). For disinfection, the substrate is spilled with boiling water, ignited in the oven.
The seed package indicates whether the seed was prepared by the manufacturer... If nothing is said about this, the planting material is processed independently. To do this, it is placed in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for 20-30 minutes, washed under running water. Then the seeds are germinated: soaked in warm water (+ 35 ... + 40 ° C) for 2-3 hours and wrapped in a damp cotton cloth until seed-sized sprouts appear. As it dries, the fabric is moistened so that the seeds do not float in the water.
In separate containers to a depth of no more than 2 cm, 1 grain is sealed. The soil is carefully moistened with a sprayer so as not to wash out the soil. To create greenhouse conditions, the container is covered with foil. When the first shoots appear, the shelter is removed, the seedlings are placed on a well-lit windowsill. Young plants are grown at a daytime temperature of + 23 ° C, at night - + 16 ... + 19 ° C.
On a note! At temperatures above + 23 ° C, plants will not adapt well to adverse conditions and may suffer from a cold snap.
Direct seeding
Cucumber holes are dug according to the 40x40 cm scheme... Wood ash and humus are placed in each hole. Sprinkle on top with a layer of soil, deepen the seeds by 1.5-2 cm.
Crops are moistened and covered with foil. When sprouts appear, the covering material is removed. Cucumbers protect from cold snaps with cut plastic bottles.
Step-by-step cultivation and care
Cucumber Bettina does not require special care, but elementary agrotechnical rules are still observed... With regular top dressing, timely moistening and loosening of the soil, the yield will be maximum.
Culture watered with rain or settled water at room temperature... Irrigate the soil so that the spray does not fall on the leaves and stems of the bushes. Some vegetable growers make grooves or holes next to the plants and moisten the cucumbers through them.
On hot days, cucumbers are watered every day.... During fruiting, 1 m2 use 5-6 liters of water. If it is not possible to moisten the culture daily, this is done every other day, but the volume of the liquid is increased by controlling the moisture level. This is especially important in greenhouse structures, where infectious diseases develop at high humidity. For prophylaxis, structures are ventilated by opening windows or doors. 12-24 hours after watering, the soil around the bushes is loosened.
Watering is combined with fertilizers: so nutrients are absorbed more efficiently and faster. Nitrogen-potassium fertilizing predominates, but calcium and magnesium are used during fruiting. The culture is fertilized with bird droppings diluted in water (1:20), mullein (1:10), horse manure (1:10) or infusion of wood ash. As a complex dressing, nitrophoska or superphosphate is used.
In the open field, plants do not need serious adjustment of the lashes... For good yields, remove 2-3 lower shoots. The main stem is left intact as most of the fruits are formed on it.
In the greenhouse, the garter and lash removal play an important role during the period of intensive growth of the hybrid. When the central stem reaches the top of the trellis, it is pinched.
Important! To prevent weeds from taking nutrients and moisture from cucumbers, the beds are weeded once a week. The procedure is combined with loosening the soil.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
Cucumber Bettina is cultivated throughout the Russian Federation... In the southern regions, the hybrid is grown in unprotected soil. In areas with a cool climate, the culture is planted under film shelters. In the northern regions, heated greenhouses are used.
Diseases and pests
The hybrid has strong immunity to cladosporiosis, cucumber mosaic virus, downy mildew, highly resistant to powdery mildew. Preventive measures will ultimately reduce the risk of infection.
Early ripening cucumbers are not treated with harsh chemicals so that the fruits are safe for humans. Diseases are prevented with organic or mineral solutions:
- against powdery mildew leaves are treated with a solution of 30 drops of iodine, 1 liter of milk, 1 tbsp. l. soap and 10 liters of water (sprayed every 10 days);
- prevention with baking soda mixed in water will protect plants from gray root rot;
- against bacteriosis use "Trichopol" (2 tablets per 1 liter of water).
Cucumbers often infest pests (spider mite and slugs). For prevention, even in the fall, they dig up the beds and leave the soil to freeze. Garlic or onions are planted between the rows: the pungent smell frightens off pests.
If the spider mite has already settled on the plants, they are treated with garlic infusion (200 g of grated garlic or onion is stirred in 10 liters of water, allowed to brew for a day, 200 g of laundry soap is added for stickiness). Against slugs, the bushes and the soil around them are sprinkled with wood ash.
Harvesting and application of the crop
Vegetables are harvested 35-40 days after planting, when the fruits reach 12-13 cm... Cucumbers are removed every day to prolong fruiting. Even if vegetables hang on the bushes for a long time, they do not outgrow, do not lose their external and taste characteristics.
Important! To preserve the crop longer, it is immediately placed in the refrigerator, and not in closed plastic bags.
Hybrid cucumbers great for summer salads and any marinades... Small size allows for whole fruit preservation. The low content of seeds in the fruits gives them tenderness and pleasant taste.
Advantages and disadvantages
Positive qualities of a hybrid:
- quick return of the crop;
- unpretentious care;
- disease resistance;
- growth under unfavorable conditions, in shaded areas;
- high productivity;
- versatility of vegetables in cooking;
- long-term fruiting;
- great taste;
- good presentation;
- transportability for long distances without loss of presentation, taste.
disadvantages:
- high cost of seeds;
- the impossibility of collecting grains from their own harvest for further crops.
Reviews
Vegetable growers prefer this hybrid due to its advantages.... Bettina is grown in many regions of Russia:
Victoria, Izhevsk: “I was picking cucumber seeds at a gardening store five years ago. The seller advised me to get a Bettina hybrid. Since then, every season I have grown 5 plants of these delicious cucumbers. This is an early crop, so we harvest earlier than our neighbors. Vegetables taste great both fresh and in winter preparations. Many people say that varietal cucumbers are more juicy, but I prefer early ripening hybrids: they do not require special care and are highly resistant to diseases. I will continue to grow ".
Elena, Nizhny Novgorod: “I have tried many varieties and hybrids of cucumbers on my own experience, until my neighbors in the country advised me to plant Bettina F1. Now I grow only this cucumber, always through seedlings. Planting and leaving does not take much time and effort. The culture begins to bear fruit in early July. Plants practically do not get sick. The fruits are beautiful, as in the photo of the package with seeds. Cucumbers are tasty, aromatic, dense and homogeneous inside. Suitable for salting and marinade. For the winter, I canned salads with the addition of these fruits. I like the Bettina hybrid. I advise everyone!".
Conclusion
The early Bettina F1 hybrid gives a tasty and healthy harvest 35–40 days after sowing.During transportation, vegetables do not lose their external and taste characteristics. Cucumbers are added to the diet fresh, canned and salted for the winter.
The Dutch hybrid quickly gained popularity among gardeners for its unpretentious care, resistance to different weather conditions and strong immunity to major crop diseases.