"Mama's Bouquet" is the name of a cucumber hybrid characterized by early ripening, self-pollination (parthenocarpy), and cluster fruiting. It has become popular with domestic gardeners due to its highly productive bushes and their decorative appearance during flowering. It is grown in both open beds and protected soil.
Introduction to the variety
"Mama's Bouquet" is an early-ripening vegetable variety. The harvest ripens 30-35 days after germination. Under unfavorable growing conditions, this period can extend to 38-42 days. The bushes bear fruit in July-August in clusters (the green fruits are gathered in brushes).
The hybrid yield is as follows:
- 7 kg per 1 sq. m is the average figure for open ground;
- Up to 12.8 kg per 1 sq. m is the maximum yield that can be collected when growing bushes in a film greenhouse.
Hybrid cucumber bushes also have other excellent characteristics:
- resistance to attacks by harmful insects;
- resistance to cucumber mosaic virus and cladosporiosis;
- average resistance to fungal infections (powdery mildew and downy mildew);
- endurance;
- plasticity, which makes it possible to cultivate them in different soil and climatic conditions.
Information about origin
A bouquet for mom is a new selection, developed by scientists:
- Maksimov S. V.;
- Klimenko N. N.;
- Baklanova O. V.
In 2015, it was added to the Russian Federation State Register as a vegetable variety intended for cultivation in the climatic conditions of the following regions of the country:
- Northern;
- North-West;
- Central;
- Volga-Vyatka;
- Central Black Earth Region;
- North Caucasian;
- Middle Volga;
- Lower Volga;
- Ural;
- West Siberian;
- East Siberian;
- Far Eastern.
Characteristics of appearance
Hybrid bushes are vigorous and indeterminate. They are characterized by medium branching and medium-sized, green foliage. These plants produce exclusively female flowers.
The branches of the bush simultaneously bear and ripen clusters of 3 to 6 gherkins. They have the following characteristics:
- short length - 9-12 cm;
- diameter - 3.5 cm;
- weight - 90-110 g (up to 130 g maximum);
- spindle-shaped;
- dark green skin with a barely distinguishable pattern of short stripes of a lighter shade;
- large-tuberculate surface (with a dense arrangement of tubercles) with white spiny pubescence;
- dense and crispy pulp.
Purpose and taste of fruits
These cucumbers are delicious, aromatic, and crisp. Their flesh is slightly sweet and has a classic refreshing note. They are not bitter.
The purpose of the Bouquet for Mom harvest is universal:
- fresh consumption;
- preparation of salads, vegetable stews, okroshka and other dishes;
- pickling;
- canning (whole fruit, sliced, assorted);
- pickling.
Growing seedlings
Domestic gardeners primarily grow this hybrid cucumber variety using seedlings. They adhere to the following sowing/planting times:
- April, early May – sow seeds to obtain seedling bushes;
- mid-May (15.05-20.05) - seedlings are transferred to the garden in a greenhouse or in open ground if there is a temporary film cover;
- the first days of June (June 1-June 5) - seedlings are transplanted into an open bed without temporary cover.
- ✓ The optimal soil temperature for sowing seeds should be at least +15°C.
- ✓ To prevent fungal diseases, it is necessary to ensure good ventilation in the greenhouse.
Lighting
This hybrid requires ample light for growth and development. Keep the seedlings indoors on a sunny windowsill. Protect them from direct sunlight with a light-diffusing screen. Use grow lights to extend daylight hours.
Soil for sowing
Grow cucumber seedlings in a soil mixture that meets the following requirements:
- loose;
- light;
- nutritional;
- with an acidity level of 6.5-7;
- free from pathogenic microorganisms and weed seeds.
To obtain nutritious soil that is ideal for growing seedlings, use one of the following recipes:
- combine peat with rotted sawdust (2:1), add ash (6 g), urea (5 g), superphosphate (9 g), potassium sulfate (10 g) to 10 liters of the resulting mixture;
- mix compost with turf soil (1:1), add ash (6 g), potassium sulfate (10 g), superphosphate (20 g) to 10 liters of the resulting mixture;
- add humus (1 part), sawdust (1 part), sand (1 part), mullein (1 part) to peat (6 parts);
- Combine garden soil with rotted humus, peat, sawdust or sand (2:1:1:1).
Sowing seeds
Sow the 'Mama' Bouquet' seeds for seedlings one month before planting them in the garden soil. First, soak and germinate the seeds. This will speed up germination. Plant the seeds in individual containers, planting them 1 cm deep.
Grow hybrid seedlings, maintaining the following room temperature:
- +22-25°С — until sprouts emerge;
- +18°С — after mass emergence of seedlings.
Provide at least 16 hours of daylight, using supplemental lighting with phytolamps. Prepare the seedlings for transplanting into the garden. A week before transplanting, begin hardening them off. Take the cups with the cucumber seedlings out onto the balcony and leave them in the fresh air.
Agricultural technology
Caring for a hybrid cucumber plant is simple and doesn't require any specialized knowledge or skills. Standard agricultural practices are sufficient to ensure the normal growth and health of the plants, as well as abundant fruiting.
Transplanting
Set aside a plot of land in your garden for a cucumber bed that meets the following requirements:
- smooth;
- solar;
- not exposed to wind, protected from drafts;
- with loose, light, well-aerated soil that promotes the development of a powerful root system of the cucumber bush;
- with soil that is neutral in acidity;
- previously used for growing parsley, beans, peas, corn, onions - the best predecessors for cucumbers;
- dug up in the fall and fertilized (in addition to rotted manure, you can also fertilize it with peat or compost).
Plant the Bouquet for Mom seedlings in the garden bed, taking into account the following procedure:
- make planting holes (their depth is up to 4 cm);
- water them;
- Place the seedlings in the holes together with the root ball (there is no need to break it up);
- Do not exceed the recommended planting density for the hybrid: 3 plants per 1 sq. m for a greenhouse; 4-5 seedling bushes per 1 sq. m for an open bed;
- the distance between seedlings is not less than 30 cm;
- row spacing - 60 cm.
Plant care and formation
Take care of your cucumber planting by following these steps:
- Tying up and pinching bushesAs the plants develop, secure them vertically using trellises or taller neighbors (corn, sunflowers). After 6-7 leaves appear, pinch the main stem to encourage branching and increase yield.
- Weeding and looseningControl weeds as they grow. They stifle crop growth and provide a breeding ground for pests and pathogens.
Combine weed removal with soil loosening. Work the soil shallowly (up to 4 cm), being careful not to damage the roots. This will prevent the formation of a dense, moisture- and air-impermeable soil crust. - Mulching the bedsAfter watering and loosening the soil under cucumber bushes, sprinkle it with organic matter (sawdust, non-acidic peat, compost) to retain moisture and suppress weed growth.
To obtain an early and abundant harvest, practice bush training: pinch the lower shoots at 5 internodes per fruit and leaf. Then pinch the side shoots to a height of 1 m.
Fertilizers and dressings
Fertilize the cucumber hybrid planting 5 times per season:
- after the appearance of the 2nd true leaf on the seedlings;
- at the beginning of the budding period;
- during the period of fruit formation and ripening (third, fourth and fifth feedings).
- × Avoid over-fertilizing with nitrogen to avoid encouraging foliage growth at the expense of fruiting.
- × Do not use fresh manure for fertilizing, as it can cause root burns.
Watering
Water the bed with sun-warmed water. Follow these rules when watering:
- Water cucumbers growing in an open garden bed in the evening, and those growing in a greenhouse in the morning;
- consumption rate: 3 liters of water per 1 adult plant;
- Before the bushes bloom, water them every 6-8 days; during the fruiting period, water them every 3-4 days;
- When irrigating, avoid dripping onto leaves and stems to prevent sunburn.
- • Use drip irrigation to evenly moisten the soil and save water.
- • On hot days, increase the frequency of watering, but reduce the volume of water to prevent over-watering.
Diseases and pests
"Bouquet for Mom" is a disease- and pest-resistant hybrid. When grown properly, its bushes are resistant to viruses and fungi, and are not affected by insect infestations (aphids, spider mites, leaf rollers, slugs, and others).
To avoid vegetable crop diseases, therapeutic and preventive spraying with fungicides such as:
- Quadris;
- Boost;
- Efatol;
- Healer.
When plants are fruiting, give up purchased chemicals in favor of biological products (Fitosporin, Baikal, Siyanie).
If the bushes are heavily infested with pests, use insecticides:
- Engio;
- Ampligo;
- Vertimek (for spider mites).
Positive and negative qualities
The only drawback of the Bouquet for Mom cucumber variety is the inability to collect seeds yourself.
Reviews
Bouquet for Mom is an early-ripening cucumber hybrid suitable for both open-field and greenhouse cultivation. Gardeners appreciate it for its excellent yield, disease resistance, remarkable flavor and marketable appearance, and versatile use.