Cucumber Phoenix is well known to many vegetable growers for its pleasant taste and resistance to a number of diseases. This is a late variety that yields crops until the first cold weather, tolerates short-term drought. Cucumber is especially popular in the southern regions, but can be grown in the northern zones (in greenhouses). Check out the features of the Phoenix variety.
Phoenix cucumber seeds
Phoenix is valuable for long-term fruiting.
From one bush you can get a crop of up to 6-7 kg of Phoenix cucumbers
Variety breeding history
Phoenix cucumbers were first bred in 1980 at a breeding station in Krymsk on the territory of the Krasnodar Territory. The Soviet breeder A.V. Medvedev is considered the parent of this variety.
Cucumbers got their name after the powdery mildew epidemic. A harmful fungus killed many seedlings and adult plants on the territory of Hungary, East Germany, Bulgaria, the USSR, but the Phoenix was resistant to such pathogenic effects.
Then the cucumbers did not have an official name, except for the numbers 640 for recognition of the variety. Later, the official name appeared in honor of the bird that rose from the ashes - Phoenix.
Description and specifications
This variety of cucumbers is planted in open ground, bears fruit well, and is resistant to the first frosts and some plant diseases. After planting, it begins to bear fruit after 60 days. Even without special conditions of care and maintenance, you can get a rich harvest, tasty fruits.
Bush and leaves
With rapid growth, the height of the bushes reaches 2.5 m, so the trunk is necessarily tied to a support. Lateral shoots grow, but remain in the minority. Stepchildren are located at a distance from each other, so as not to disrupt air circulation and, thus, not to reduce productivity.
The stem itself is unpretentious, hardy and tenacious. After fixing, it is intertwined with a support, but also feels comfortable with horizontal cultivation. It is forbidden to plant cucumbers without support, since the trunk breaks as it grows, the plant can dry.
The leaves of the bush are saturated green in color, small in size, spreading, create a crown. Therefore, the evaporation of moisture slows down, which is important for intensive nutrition and rapid ripening of green fruits.
Flowering and fruit
About 85% of the crop has a presentation. On average, a cucumber reaches 12-14 cm in length, acquires a bright green color and moderate tuberosity, and a white spike can be seen from each tubercle. The peel is crispy and dense, the flesh is fragrant and juicy, with a small amount of small seeds.
In terms of external parameters, all the cucumbers are “one to one”, therefore, for many vegetable growers have become the main source of income. From one medium-sized bush, you can get a crop of up to 6-7 kg of Phoenix cucumbers or more.
The fruits are oval-cylindrical with a diameter of up to 4-6 cm. With proper care, they can reach 16 cm in length. Approximate weight of each is 150-180 g. The type of flowering is female, the fruits are pollinated naturally - by insects (bees).
Ripening dates and productivity
The plant bears fruit when the entire crop is already harvested. With 1 sq. You can get 2.5-3.5 kg of cucumbers, which is a high indicator for agriculture. The first ovaries appear 25-30 days after planting the seeds in the ground.
Vegetation depends on climatic conditions. After another 30 days, you can harvest the first crop. If Phoenix cucumbers are planted in mid-June, the bushes begin to bear fruit closer to the fall (in September), and they retain their yield until the first frost.
Disease and pest resistance
One of the significant advantages of the Phoenix variety is its strong immunity. Cucumbers attract the attention of summer residents and vegetable growers with their resistance to a number of diseases. With proper care, a massive plant epidemic does not affect the productivity of the Phoenix variety.
Resistance to drought and temperature changes
The Phoenix cucumber variety does not like sudden changes in temperature. Such changes in weather conditions lead to the inevitable death of the plant. As for drought, cucumbers can remain without nutrient moisture for some time, but not for long.
The fruits are stable and hardy to the first frosts, but it is not recommended to plant seedlings in frozen ground, otherwise the root system suffers, and the plant itself dies. The best landing time is the end of May or the month of June.
Advantages and disadvantages of cucumbers Phoenix
This variety of cucumbers seems attractive and promising for many vegetable growers, especially the southern regions. At minimal cost, you can get a rich harvest.
The main advantages of the Phoenix variety:
- high productivity;
- frost resistance;
- long fruiting period;
- strong immunity;
- resistance to drought;
- unpretentiousness in leaving;
- long shelf life;
- marketable condition;
- ease of transportation;
- universality of application in cooking;
- pleasant taste.
There are fewer disadvantages, but before growing Phoenix cucumbers, you need to familiarize yourself with them in more detail:
- the appearance of bitterness with sudden changes in temperature;
- limited growing conditions;
- big fruits.
Landing Features
Cucumbers are planted in open ground, they are not suitable for greenhouse conditions. Prepare the soil from the fall. Cucumbers like various top dressings, otherwise their productivity is significantly reduced. They grow well in the soil where tomatoes, legumes and potatoes were previously grown.
Cucumbers are grown in seedlings or seeds. In the first case, less trouble. When using seeds, follow the basic rule: pre-soak the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Seed preparation
Buy cucumber seeds only from trusted growers. After opening the bag, inspect each seed well for integrity and appearance.
When buying glazed seeds, disinsection is not carried out, while ordinary seeds are treated with potassium permanganate solution (soak for 10 minutes), then rinse thoroughly with running water, and dry naturally.
Site selection and soil preparation
Phoenix cucumbers give a good crop on humus and sod soils, in chernozem with a low nitrogen concentration. If the soil is acidic, it is pre-treated with slaked lime (lime) to reduce, neutralize the pH.
For the future garden, choose a flat area, a slight bias to the south side is allowed. Avoid direct sunlight, strong winds. The optimum height of the beds is 30 cm, the location is from east to west.
The basic rules for preparing the soil before planting cucumbers:
- Dig a site, remove weeds.
- Fertilize the soil with humus or manure, add peat, sand.
- Dig the soil before planting seeds or seedlings.
In the spring, before planting cucumbers, periodically loosen the soil so that it receives oxygen. It is advisable to repeat this procedure after planting seeds or seedlings.
Dates and technology of sowing seeds
Planting seedlings is carried out in mid-June, when the air temperature stabilized at around 13-15 degrees. It is advisable to germinate the seeds in plastic cups, and bury the seedlings that have already sprouted in the ground. The best time for planting seeds at home is mid-April.
If it is decided to sow the plot with seeds, the grower must observe the following sequence of actions:
- Perform small furrows 2-3 cm deep on the bed.
- Place 2-3 seeds in each well.
- Sprinkle with earth and water well.
- Keep the distance between adjacent holes - 30-40 cm.
- Before planting seeds in unheated soil, first cover it with polyethylene.
Transplanting
For 1 square. m allowed to plant no more than 3 seedlings. Seedlings are sent to the ground when she has 3 leaves. The optimum temperature is 16 degrees at night, 22 degrees during the day. At lower air temperatures, the chances of getting a good crop are reduced.
Recommendations of experienced vegetable growers for planting seedlings:
- Loosen and level the soil well so that it receives a portion of oxygen.
- Plant seedlings in the ground with the ground, otherwise you can only injure the root system.
- Do not plant cucumbers for several seasons in a row on one site, otherwise the risk of their disease increases.
- Leave a distance between seedlings of 20-25 cm. When planting cucumbers, use a 50x40 cm or 40x40 cm scheme.
Outdoor Care
Phoenix cucumbers belong to the category of crops that you can forget about after planting. The main condition is to ensure high-quality and timely watering. Do not forget about fertilizing, harvesting weeds, loosening, and hilling the soil. All these measures are needed to increase the yield of the Phoenix variety.
Regularly inspect the leaves and stems of the plant. Despite the persistent immunity, Phoenix cucumbers can also be sick.
Watering
The frequency of irrigation depends on weather conditions. It’s good if the weather after landing is rainy. Otherwise, stick to a specific schedule. The plant is resistant to drought, but with a prolonged absence of moisture, its productivity decreases.
Before the first flowers appear, water the cucumbers every week. After ovaries, limit watering to 1 time in 2-3 days. On this day, irrigate the plants with water in the morning and evening, so that the soil does not dry out. During the growing season, water the bushes of cucumbers 1 time in 3-4 days.
At moderate humidity, water consumption per 1 sq. Km. m is 10-15 liters. In severe drought, provide additional watering of 2 liters per 1 sq. Km. m
The first watering occurs in the morning - 6 hours. Use water that has been kept at outdoor temperatures. In the evening, irrigate cucumbers after 18 hours. To exclude temperature shock and not harm the crop, pre-heat water for evening watering. The optimum temperature is 40-45 degrees.
Do not fill in the root system of Phoenix cucumbers, otherwise it will rot. With abundant watering, the development of a harmful fungus and the death of a plant are not ruled out.
Top dressing
When growing cucumbers, do not use mineral fertilizers. This is explained by the intensive consumption of moisture by the root system, and minerals leave with it. This adversely affects crop yields. An alternative mineral is organic fertilizers - horse manure, bird droppings, and mullein.
Fertilize the soil better in the fall or 2-3 weeks before the planting of Phoenix cucumbers. Fresh manure can burn soil and reduce productivity, so prepare it in advance as an organic fertilizer.
In the autumn fertilizer of the soil before the upcoming planting, dig manure to a depth of 30 cm, sprinkle with a layer of earth on top - not more than 10 cm. In addition to organic fertilizer, add sand to the soil.
Optimal dosages of organic fertilizers and rules for their use:
- Bird droppings. Dilute with water in a ratio of 1:20. In the ground, bring 2 weeks before planting. The optimal dose per 1 square. m - 2-2.5 liters.
- Straw manure. Use to form nutrient layers at a depth of 30 cm.
- Mullein. It is used similarly to bird droppings, but in the ratio with water 1: 6.
Concerning mineral fertilizers, growth of bushes and high productivity are promoted exclusively by superphosphates. It is advisable to use complex fertilizer, the proportions of which are indicated on the package.
Garter and bush formation
Since the bush can reach a height of 3 m and looks like a vine, it is better to tie it up. For this purpose use a single support or a trellis. Such simple structures can be made from improvised materials, and without them the stem breaks, the plant dries.
Do not cut the side shoots, as they grow female flowers. To the plant went in breadth, cut off the tops at the level of 4-5 leaves. Otherwise, the stems grow up, the number of male flowers dominates, yield indicators fall.
When gartering plants, direct the shoots horizontally. This is another trick to increase the productivity of the Phoenix variety. When 3 leaves appear, the ovaries of the stepson are removed, which is important for the formation of a powerful root system. A similar procedure is carried out when forming 8 sheets. As a result, the bush looks like an inverted pyramid.
Weeding and loosening the soil
Do not forget about the benefits of weeding, which enriches the soil with oxygen. The Phoenix variety is afraid of weeds that reduce yield. Loosen the soil daily, especially after watering, when the weed grass grows especially rapidly.
Insect and disease protection
The variety is resistant to the pathogenic effects of pests, but periodically inspect the leaves and stems. If a problem occurs, urgently buy a special drug in a pharmacy, use it for its intended purpose, consult with a specialist first.
On the treatment of cucumber diseases more is written here.
For prevention, periodically spray plants with preparations containing copper, for example, copper chloroxide and Bordeaux liquid. For 1 square. m accounts for 5 l of Bordeaux liquid 1%.
Harvesting
The first harvest occurs in mid-July and lasts until the fall. Bushes bear fruit well, pick fruit every 2-3 days. Watch carefully so as not to miss the overripe cucumber, otherwise it inhibits the development of new fruits.
In order not to break the vine, unscrew the cucumber from the stem, and do not pluck it. Harvest early in the morning when there is a lot of juice in the pulp. If fruiting is reduced, check that all care measures for cucumbers have been followed.
Reviews of Phoenix Cucumbers
Anna, 42 years old, farmer, Lipetsk. I grow Phoenix cucumbers every year. Not only is the variety delicious, but also unpretentious in care. The main thing is to water on time, and there are no problems. Cucumbers are all the same, dense, have a crisp, so I use them for conservation. Part is for sale, buyers are always there. Once a friend advised the Phoenix variety, for many years I have been happy with her prompting.
Svetlana, 55 years old, agriculture, Krasnodar Territory. We eat Phoenix cucumbers until the first cold weather. Fruits appear in late August, the last pick in October. All cucumbers are one to one. I use a part for salads, I preserve a part and a little for sale. Harvests are always rich, so the family does not have time to eat everything. She told all her friends, they are also happy. The preservation is delicious, cucumbers never break up, tasty and crispy.
Victor, 47 years old, farmer, Anapa. A rich harvest can be obtained by using seedlings. Half of the seeds do not germinate, only time wasted in empty sowing. If I use seedlings, from one bush it turns out to collect up to 2 kg of fruit. The result is good. I do not sell cucumbers, but for the family, we preserve it. Everyone likes taste and density, even grandchildren do not refuse. There is no problem with watering either. If we live without rain, then I water in a day or less.
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Phoenix cucumbers are unpretentious in care, give a rich harvest and are very popular in modern cooking. They are used for salads, but more often canned. The taste is unforgettable, the cucumber is not bitter, pleasantly crunches in the mouth.