Cucumber variety Björn (F1)

Dutch company Enza Zaden Beheer B.V. (Enza Zaden) has been producing vegetable seeds for over 70 years. During this time, the company's varieties and hybrids have gained popularity in many countries around the world. The development of Dutch scientists and Russia was not spared, where domestic vegetable growers highly appreciated the quality and characteristics of these crops. And Enza Zaden once again surprised the gardeners with a novelty, meet the cucumber Björn. It was announced by the company in 2014, and in 2015 it was entered into the State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russia. And not only - in 2016 the cucumber was included in the State Register of Ukraine, and in 2017 - in the State Register of Belarus. In Russia, the variety is approved for cultivation in all regions, it is recommended for film greenhouses and film shelters in personal subsidiary plots. It is a hybrid, therefore it is labeled F1.

Description of the variety

The plant is quite strong, balanced, open, which allows sufficient light access to the ovaries. The indeterminate type ensures the rapid development and tallness of cucumbers, the plant reaches a height of more than 1.5 meters (but it is slightly lower than Gunnar). Björn's internodes are not long, about 12-13 nodes are formed on the stem, sometimes up to 15. Lateral shoots are short, develop rather slowly, which greatly facilitates care. In addition, the shoots quickly pop up and also form an ovary. Average leafiness. The leaves are large, petiolate, angular-cordate, five-lobed, with a rough and slightly wrinkled surface. The root system is powerful. The flowering type is female.

The variety belongs to the so-called bouquet hybrids. About 4 ovaries are formed in each leaf sinus. This ensures high productivity and amicable fruiting of cucumbers. Very often, flowers in one node bloom at intervals of one day, so green plants develop almost simultaneously. Due to this, several dozen cucumbers ripen simultaneously on the Björn stem, forming a whole cascade. The bulk of the crop is formed on the main stem. Fruits are short, cylindrical, dark green in color without stripes. The skin is tender, medium tuberous, slightly ribbed, strongly studded. The length of the zelents is 10 - 12 cm, the width is about 3 cm. The pulp is light green, tender, juicy, crunchy, without voids. The seeds are very small, are at the stage of milky ripeness, so they are not felt during use. The taste is sweet, without bitterness. The palatability of cucumbers is highly rated. The average weight of zelents is about 100 grams. The fruits are recognized as highly marketable.

Variety characteristics

• The Björn hybrid pleases with excellent early maturity. From the moment of emergence of full shoots to the beginning of ripening, only 35 - 39 days pass. And under favorable weather conditions, even less - 31 - 32 days. This early maturity makes it possible to use the crop in re-circulation when grown in film greenhouses;
• according to the State Register, the yield of marketable fruits is 13.4 kg per 1 square meter. Some sources indicate that with intensive cultivation in protected ground, up to 20 kg of cucumbers can be removed from 1 sq. meters, and in open ground - up to 13 kg from the same area;
• intensive yield of the crop lasts about 2 - 2.5 months;
• fruits are uniform in shape throughout the growing season, do not outgrow, do not barrel. But it is still better to harvest Björn in a timely manner, that is, every day. This will ensure the rapid maturation of the forming ovaries;
• the immunity of the variety is quite good. There is high resistance to olive spot, medium resistance to common mosaic virus and powdery mildew. There is information about good resistance to the yellowing virus of cucumber veins;
• highly appreciated the adaptive data of a plant capable of setting a crop in any conditions, not shedding flowers at temperature extremes, and bearing fruit even in low light. Björn shows equally good results in the southern regions and in the Volga region;

• the undoubted plus of this cucumber is parthenocarp. Thanks to this feature, the fruiting of the variety is possible without the help of pollinating insects, and this is especially important in large greenhouse farms;
• one more important point - even with a heavy load on the stem, all greens ripen, there is practically no discharge of developing ovaries. After the ripe fruit is removed, the next ones in this bunch begin to grow rapidly;
• a distinctive feature of the hybrid is excellent transportability and keeping quality - cucumbers are stored for almost a week without losing their presentation;
• the way of eating fruits is universal. Cucumbers, due to their excellent taste, are used in salads and in their natural form. The dense consistency of the pulp provides good results in canning and salting.

The Björn hybrid is very suitable for production cultivation. This is facilitated by an early and friendly yield of the crop, marketability of the products obtained, good immunity, parthenocarp and simple agricultural technology. In comparison with similar varieties for extended circulation, our hero shows a concentrated return of products that can be sold at a good price in the early segment. Of course, the greatest commercial effect is obtained when cultivating cucumbers indoors and subject to the rules of care.

Agrotechnics

Indoors, the hybrid can be grown by direct sowing and seedling. But it is the seedling method that is preferred by most vegetable growers, as it allows you to get an earlier harvest. For seedlings, Björn seeds are sown in the last days of February or in the first decade of March - a more precise date is chosen depending on the region. Unlike tomatoes, cucumber seedlings do not dive, so try to grow them in a separate container. Transplantation into the ground is carried out after the appearance of 4 - 5 true leaves. In the southern regions, the variety can be grown outdoors, also using direct sowing or seedlings. Seeds are sown directly into the soil as soon as the soil warms up to a temperature of at least 12 ° C. The recommended planting pattern is 30 - 35 cm between plants in a row and 70 cm row spacing.

After transplanting, the bushes are tied to a trellis. Care is simplified by the fact that the side shoots can not be touched, they grow short and stop growing on their own. The main requirements for confirming the characteristics of Björn are watering and feeding. Watering should be abundant, but not excessive. It is best to use a drip irrigation system. Top dressing of cucumbers is carried out with universal balanced fertilizers. When using the variety in the second turn, it is recommended to carry out preventive treatments against powdery mildew.

Björn is a real discovery both for industrial production and for personal subsidiary plots. Due to the open habit of the plant, the physical efforts of the grower in the process of caring for plantings are significantly reduced. Early yields and excellent taste will help those who grow vegetables for sale make a profit. Shade tolerance and good immunity are the key to the success of growing indoors. And stress resistance will help you get a decent result even in an open garden. During the cultivation of the hybrid, no significant shortcomings were revealed. But there are still disadvantages - the high price of seed and the inability to collect cucumber seeds on your own.