Dutch highly productive hybrid cucumber variety Pasadena f1, intended for cultivation in the Middle Volga and Central regions, both in small areas and in industrial quantities. Pasadena cucumbers are suitable for cultivation in open and covered soils. The variety is cultivated using the trellis method and spreading. The bushes grow up to 2.5 meters and have female-type inflorescences painted bright yellow. Up to 3 cucumbers are tied in each knot.
Description of Pasadena cucumbers
Pasadena cucumber f1 is a parthenocarpic hybrid that belongs to the line of mid-season varieties, since harvesting begins 46-49 days after germination. Vegetable growers prefer the variety for its excellent taste, both fresh and when pickling, canning and pickling. Pasadena f1 fruits are characterized by the following characteristics:
- Cucumbers grow in an elongated cylindrical shape and reach a length of 9 cm;
- The skin of the fruit of the variety is dense and colored rich green;
- The skin of the Pasadena gherkin is covered with frequent and pronounced tubercles;
- The cucumber pulp is dense, crispy, without empty formations;
- Taste: like Daddy's Daughter f1, Pasadena has a sweet taste that does not have bitterness or acids.
Reviews from vegetable growers
The Pasadena f1 cucumber is valued by vegetable growers not only for the consistently high yield of gherkins during regular harvesting, but also for its high marketability, as well as complex resistance to most cucumber diseases. Feedback from vegetable growers is positive, and many gardeners recommend adding rotted leaves and sawdust to improve the aeration characteristics of the soil. This variety never fails both experienced and novice gardeners; it always has equal dimensions and does not outgrow.
Landing rules
Planting Pasadena f1 seeds is carried out after the threat of frost - at the end of May. If cucumbers are grown by seedlings, the seeds of the variety are planted in mid-April. When planting in a permanent place, it is important to take into account that the soil has been heated to no less than 15 degrees.
Preparing the bed
It is recommended to grow this variety of cucumbers on fertile sandy loam and loose soil, which is sheltered from the winds and in the sun most of the day. It is advisable to select an area with a low acidity level. However, if soil with high acidity has been selected, it must be neutralized: add limestone or dolomite flour.
It is extremely undesirable to choose soil with close groundwater for growing the Pasadena f1 variety.
It is necessary to prepare the beds in the fall: after the harvest has been harvested and the tops have been removed. The beds are dug up and fed with compost (2 buckets per m2) and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers (30 g). In the spring, the soils are hoed and prepared for planting the variety.
Germination of seeds
Before planting, Pasadena seeds are wrapped in gauze, placed on a saucer and moistened with warm water. The main thing in the process of germinating the variety is to ensure that the gauze with cucumber seeds is not dry.
When the seeds of the variety germinate, they are planted in the soil to a depth of 3-4 cm. If cucumbers are cultivated by seedlings, they are planted in shallow peat pots to a depth of 1-2.5 cm. The seed is sprinkled with soil on top and moistened.
In order for Pasadena f1 seedlings to develop well, containers with seedlings are placed in a well-lit place - on a windowsill. Before spitting the seeds, it is advisable to maintain a temperature of 26 degrees. After pipping, the temperature drops to 21 degrees.
Planting seedlings
Cucumbers of this variety are planted in permanent beds at a soil temperature of 15 degrees according to a 30x60 cm pattern. Thus, for every m2 there are about 4 cucumber bushes. Pasadena seedlings must be planted to a depth of 5-8 cm. The bottom of each hole is sprinkled with compost or manure. The holes are covered with earth up to the bottom leaf and watered with warm, settled water. If cucumbers are grown in open soil, it is recommended to cover the beds with a thick film so that the seedlings adapt and do not freeze.
Growing technology
Cucumbers of the Pasadena f1 variety are responsive to proper care measures at all stages of the growing season:
- at the initial stage of the growing season, watering is carried out once every 2-3 days, and approximately 7 liters of warm water are required for each square meter;
- at the budding stage, watering should be reduced, and the previous frequency of irrigation measures will be required for cucumbers only during the phase of mass formation of greens;
- in the first two weeks, cucumbers need increased nutrition with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, and at the flowering stage, nitrogen fertilizers should be replaced with phosphorus;
- in case of insufficient flowering, it is advisable to feed the cucumbers with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, and high efficiency was noted when applying additional fertilizing based on urea and humus;
- temperature conditions are very important for cucumbers, so during the fruiting phase the temperature should be 18-24°C.
Cucumbers have proven themselves very well when grown on vertical trellises. In addition, it is important to use the pinching method. The formation of cucumber bushes should begin after 6-8 leaves appear on the plant.
Care methods
Hybrid Pasadena f1 requires standard agricultural practices. To ensure that the fruits of the variety are tasty and beautiful, vegetable growers advise following the recommendations for watering and fertilizing the beds.
Watering
Watering the beds with cucumbers is carried out every other day, or daily (depending on weather conditions). All procedures are performed only with warm water left in the sun. It is advisable to water the cucumber variety at the root so that water does not get on the tops of the variety bushes.
After watering, it is advisable to loosen the ground to remove the dense layer of soil that does not allow oxygen and moisture to pass through to the root system of the cucumber plant. For weeding, it is advisable to take a fork that can pierce the soil and not damage the roots.
Top dressing
Cucumbers are fed 4 times during the entire growing season. Fertilize the beds with mineral and organic components: manure, litter, compost, potassium, superphosphate and phosphorus. It is recommended to apply fertilizing in the evening, without getting on the tops of the Pasadena f1 bushes.
Fertilize the soil every 2 weeks. If complex minerals are added as fertilizer, it is advisable to give preference to the preparations “Agricola”, “Dobrivo” and “Clean Sheet”.
Characteristics of Pasadena
The Pasadena f1 cucumber variety was created by the same Dutch company as Pasamonte. It entered the State Register a year later, in 1998. This is an early hybrid. The bush bears its first fruits in 45-56 days, depending on the growing method. In a greenhouse, greens appear earlier than in an open garden:
- The bush is distinguished by its branching. It needs to be decorated, the stepsons need to be trimmed, the stem and branches need to be pinched. The formation of the bush is in one stem;
- cucumber Pasadena f1, on the form of plant growers, has good reviews. The fruits are even and ripen at the same time. The plant does not get sick and bears fruit for a long time. 3 flowers are formed on one bed. The ovary of cucumbers is 100%. They do not require pollination;
- greens are considered ripe if they reach a length of 6-9 cm;
- the average weight of a gherkin is 65-95 g. Productivity is 11-14 kg/m2;
- During the growing season, it is necessary to observe the irrigation regime and introduce fertilizing.
For cucumbers of the Pasadena f1 variety, it is necessary to prepare a fertile area. It is recommended to add vermiculite along with rotted compost. It reduces soil temperature and retains moisture for a long time; the soil in the garden bed always remains moist and soft.
Hybrid cucumber varieties of Dutch origin Pasadena and Pasamonte are recommended for the Central region and the Middle Volga region.
These crops develop well in regions with mild, humid and cool summers. The optimal temperature for fruiting is 22-25 C.
Cucumbers love the sun, but it is recommended to protect them from direct sunlight with a colored net. The bushes are tied to trellises so that they are well ventilated and heated. Special or mosquito nets are installed on structures to protect plants.
More on the topic: What to do if cucumber leaves turn yellow?
Diseases and pests
Pasadena f1 is a cucumber with high resistance to various pathologies. The variety is most resistant to downy mildew, root rot and spotting. Despite this, improper care of plants of the variety leads to damage to Pasadena bushes by fusarium, cladosporiosis and ascochyta blight.
Fusarium
Fusarium or Fusarium wilt is an infection that can remain invisible for a long time. The parasite enters the plant through the weak root system of the Pasadena plant. The development of pathology is promoted by high humidity and low temperatures. The disease manifests itself during the flowering period of Pasadena bushes: the plants of the variety begin to wither, and when the stem is cut, dark vessels of the stem are observed. The most effective fight against the disease are chemical and biological substances:
- "Gymnast";
- "Quadris";
- "Baktofit";
- "Trichodermin";
- "Planriz."
Cladosporiosis
Damage to cucumber bushes by cladosporiosis is observed only on weakened plants. Often the disease appears as a result of non-compliance with agrotechnical measures. The fungus attacks the fruits of the variety, covering them with small ulcers. To prevent damage, experts recommend treating the beds with Oxychom.
Ascochyta blight
Ascochyta blight or black rot is a disease that does not kill the plant completely. However, the pathology significantly weakens the bushes and continues to develop. The infection often manifests itself in greenhouse and greenhouse crops. The first signs of the disease begin to appear during the fruiting period of the Pasadena variety: watery spots form on the cucumbers, which dry out and die over time. Plants are treated with Bordeaux mixture, as well as with the following preparations:
- "Oxychom";
- "Topaz".
Harvest and storage
Cucumbers are harvested based on their ripeness. It is not recommended to keep Pasadena fruits on the branches so that they do not lose their taste. As a rule, harvesting is carried out every 2 days, and sometimes every day (depending on fertilizing and environmental conditions).
Store gherkins in cool rooms, maintaining a temperature of up to 5 degrees. For storage, it is recommended to choose containers with holes so that Pasadena greens can breathe and do not begin to rot.
Characteristics of Pasamonte
Cucumbers of the Pasamonte variety have been in the State Register since 1997. The originator is the Dutch company Syngenta Seeds BV. The variety is early ripening. Zelentsy reach technical ripeness in 45 days. They are not prone to over-ripening. When they remain on the bush for a long time, they do not grow in length, but can increase in diameter:
- The bush is voluminous, branched, and requires decoration. The leaves and stems are light green, slightly wrinkled. The main stem can grow up to 5 m. Pinch it off when it reaches 2.5 m;
- greens are cylindrical in shape, white stripes are not pronounced. The tuberculation is medium, the edge is light;
- parthenocarpic plant. 1-3 flowers are formed in one leaf axil. Pollination is not required for the formation of the ovary. Female type flowers develop on the bush;
- Pasamonte cucumber begins to be harvested when it reaches a length of 9 cm;
- average fruit weight 120 g. Productivity of commercial products 15 kg/m2. The yield of fruits with the characteristics described by the manufacturers is close to 100%;
- The Pasamonte variety is immune to common diseases that cucumbers may suffer from: powdery mildew, cladosporiosis, mosaic. It is necessary to take preventive measures against bacteriosis.
Pasamonte is grown on fertile and moist soil, ensuring its moisture. The variety is suitable for both open ground and greenhouses. Pasamonte is grown from seedlings or seeds. Sowing of seedlings is carried out in early April. After 25-30 days it is planted in the ground.
More on the topic: What to do if cucumbers start but don’t grow?
Cucumbers are sown in open ground in mid-May, when the risk of frost decreases. The optimal soil temperature is 15-17 C. Before the cotyledons develop, the holes are covered with film. In the future, covering material is used to protect the seedlings from strong winds and showers.
