Cucumber is one of the most popular vegetables consumed not only in the summer fresh, but also in the winter, in the form of salted, pickled or canned foods.
There are many varieties that experienced gardeners choose for sowing on their plot, but today we will talk about the Libell cucumber (Libell F1), consider its characteristics and description of the variety, as well as discuss the characteristics of growing greens from seeds.
Variety description
"Libelae F1" is a mid-season variety that produces crops already on the 50th day after sowing. It can be planted both in open ground and grown in greenhouses or greenhouses.
Important! If you have a small closed greenhouse, then sowing the Libell is not recommended, as it needs bee pollination, and the closed ground does not have a good effect on the yield.
But if you have your own apiary or apiary nearby, then you can sow a variety in such greenhouse conditions, however, you will have to regularly air. The plants of these cucumbers are characterized by long shoots, which are often allowed to support. 
Fruits of cucumbers "Libell" ("Libelle F1") have the description as medium-sized greens, reaching 13 cm in length and weighing about 150 g. The yield of a variety can reach up to 10 kg per square meter. The cucumbers have small tubercles with whitish spines, the color of green leaves is characterized by a dark green color, whitish tops, sometimes with white stripes. The variety is distinguished by simultaneous ripening of Zelentsa, which falls on the end of summer, which is very convenient in the case of their processing.
The advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The variety of cucumbers "Libella" has a positive characteristic from gardeners who ever planted it in their area.
Consider the main positive qualities of the considered variety:
- excellent taste;
- good preservation of Zelentsiv after harvest;
- resistance to damage by certain diseases and pests;
- increased yield;
- long period of fruiting.
Did you know? For the first time, wild cucumbers were found at the foot of the Himalayan Mountains, where they grow to this day. And this vegetable was "cultivated" more than 6 thousand years ago.
Among the shortcomings, we can highlight the fact that cucumbers can:
- quickly outgrow;
- taste bitter;
- contain white spots that negatively affect the appearance.
Cultivation
The variety of cucumbers "Libelle F1", like any other, has its own peculiarities of cultivation, which must be taken into account in order to get a large and high-quality crop.
We advise you to get acquainted with such hybrid cucumbers as: "Zozulya F1", "Herman F1", "Hector F1", "Masha f1", "Siberian garland F1", "Courage F1" and "Crispina F1".
Sowing seeds
As mentioned above, the Libell cucumbers do not suffer from cultivation in the open field. It is possible to sow them into the soil, but after it has been heated to + 12 ° C, and possible frosts will be excluded. Approximate landing time - middle - end of May. It is also important to choose the right place where cucumbers will grow well. To do this, you need to find the most sunny territory, which will be protected from the wind. The soil is suitable fertile, but if the soil is characterized by an acidic composition - then it is also possible to sow, but liming will be required first. 
Before sowing seeds, well-rotted compost should be added to each well, in quantities in one handful.
Important! To be safe in case not all seeds germinate, 3 seeds should be laid in one well.
- Seeds are distributed in the center of the hole in such a way that there is a distance of 2 cm between them.
- Next, you need to fill the hole with earth, so that the layer thickness does not exceed 2 cm.
- Between the holes and rows should be a distance of 60 cm.
- If you live in an area with a cold climate, it is recommended that after you have sown, close the sown area with foil.
- When the cucumbers are grown, it is necessary to water once every 3 days so that the water temperature during irrigation is not lower than +22 ° C.
Growing seedlings
If you use the seeds of cucumber "Libela" in order to first grow the seedlings, you can get an earlier harvest. Sowing seeds in this way is recommended in the beginning of May.
Seeds should first be prepared for planting: to do this, carefully sort them out, choosing the largest, intact, seeds.
Selected planting material is filled with a 3% saline solution.
Important! Fill the seeds with saline solution, you should observe them: if they are full-bodied and sink to the bottom of the tank, then this planting material is of high quality and suitable for sowing. If the seeds float to the surface of the liquid, they are not suitable for sowing.
It is necessary to sow the seeds in peat pots, so that the root system is not damaged when it is planted in open ground, since it may not survive the transplant in cucumbers. 
Seeds should be no more than 2 cm, under a layer of soil. The temperature should be maintained at +25 ° C until such time as the first shoots appear.
When the seeds germinate, it is necessary to reduce the air temperature to +18 ° C.
Before the seedlings will be planted in open ground, it is necessary to harden. To do this, it is recommended to take the containers with seedlings to the street: first for 2 hours, then gradually increase the amount of time spent in the fresh air. This should be done with seedlings for one week.
Seedlings are planted in open ground according to the 50x30 cm scheme. 
Care
At the stage of cultivation of cucumber bushes should follow some nuances in the care of plants, in order to ensure their normal development.
The best predecessors for cucumbers are: all kinds of cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, dill, parsley, carrots, beets and rhubarb.
Conditions
Planting of seedlings or sowing of cucumbers should be made in the fertile and most loose, enriched with humus, soil. When the seedlings are planted in open ground, it should be protected from temperature fluctuations with a film or a covering material. 
If you live in a region that is characterized by a warm climate, it is recommended to grow cucumbers on a trellis.
Did you know? The world's first greenhouse was intended specifically for cucumbers, which were a favorite delicacy of Tiberius - the emperor from ancient Rome.
Watering
Cucumbers are a very moisture-loving plant, but still you should not get carried away with excessive watering to prevent root decay or the defeat of bushes with diseases.
Watering is carried out with extremely warm water and under the root of the plant.
If the air temperature drops and cool and rainy days remain, it is necessary to reduce or completely stop watering in order to avoid the development of rot and downy mildew. 
Top dressing
Crops of cucumbers are characterized by the fact that they absorb nutrients very poorly from the soil.
In order for plants to develop normally, they need large quantities of potassium. In the event that any organic fertilizer was applied during planting or sowing, fertilizing should be carried out after 2 weeks, after the appearance of the first shoots. In the case of the seedling method - after a month, after the disembarkation of the seedlings.
It is recommended to make alternately mineral and organic fertilizers, such manipulations should be carried out once a week, after thoroughly moistening the soil. As an alternative to mineral fertilizer, ash is used, it crumbles into moist soil, in the amount of 2 tbsp. l under the bush. You can also use dressings that are suitable pumpkin plants, they can be purchased at a specialty store. 
To prepare organic fertilizer, it is recommended to use a small amount of water on a mullein bucket to make a medium-liquid mixture. The solution is infused for 14 days and further, before feeding, diluted in a ratio of 1:10 (solution to water).
Important! It is categorically not recommended to use horse manure for dressing, as it affects the deterioration of greens.
Diseases and pests
Variety "Libelle" may be affected by powdery mildew, it appears on the leafy or stem part of the plant as a white powdery deposit, which is characterized by small spots. In the future, there is its full distribution, as a result of which the sheets turn yellow and dry. This disease is provoked by fungi that appear in the soil during the period of moistening and keeping the weather cool.
So that the powdery mildew does not appear on your garden, you should alternate the sowing of cucumbers with other plants, that is, do not plant them each year in the same place. The recommended frequency of planting cucumbers in the same area is 1 time in 4 years. When the fruiting of plants stops, you must not forget to remove various plant residues from the beds. 
If, nevertheless, you did not manage to protect the plants from the onset of powdery mildew, you should treat them with Topaz at the first symptoms, according to the instructions.
It is also possible the defeat of plants with peronosporosis, which is also called downy mildew. The disease is characterized by the appearance of light yellow spots on the leaves, which only increase with time, and the plant dries completely. The disease is quite dangerous for cucumbers and can affect them at any stage of development. Peronosporaz occurs due to a fungus that can develop in overmoistened soils; plants are particularly susceptible to damage by peronospora during irrigation with cold water. 
If the plant has the first signs of the disease, you should stop watering and feed the cucumbers. After that, they are treated with Bordeaux liquid. Preparing it is quite simple: you need to mix 100 g of copper sulphate and 10 liters of warm water, to which add 100 g of fresh hydrated lime.
The variety is especially resistant to pests and very rarely can be affected by the most common insects - aphids, spider mites and gall nematodes.
Thus, it is quite simple to grow cucumbers "Libella" in my garden bed, the main thing is to take into account some nuances in sowing and caring for plants in order to achieve active fruiting and productivity.
