Paramount Seeds Inc.

BOX 1866, Palm City, Florida 34991. Tel 772-221-0653, fax 772-221-0102

Growing specifications Kasja (2220) F1

 Kasja F1 is an all-female F1 hybrid cucumber variety, having the following characteristics:

 ð  Kasja F1 is suitable for all growing periods, although the easiest period to grow powdery mildew tolerant varieties is the summer crop. Therefore Kasja F1 is recommended for late spring, summer- and early fall crops in northern areas and year round in southern regions.

ð  High total production with fruit size similar to Korinda (29-38 cm/11-15”)

ð  Kasja F1 comes into production faster than the standard tolerant varieties. Therefore, Kasja F1 is suitable for short crops.

ð  Kasja F1 has a high level of tolerance (partial resistance) against powdery mildew.

ð  Because Kasja F1 has short and strong laterals, the variety has an open growth habit and low labour costs.  

ð  An excellent fruit quality will be harvested till the end of the crop.

ð  Kasja F1 produces dark green fruits that are slightly less ribbed than Korinda and have very good shelf life.

ð  Kasja F1 was developed in Canada; the variety was tested there during the breeding process. 

Cultural directions

 1.      Plant raising

On raising the plants of Kasja F1, you do not need to take any special measures in comparison with other varieties. In many cases it’s optimal to start with a plant of 40-50 cm. height with 5 leaves. The age of the plant depends on the spacing in the propagation area and the sowing date. 

2.      Culture, amount of water and care

 Kasja F1 grows fast to the wire. This means that also the first stem fruits are fast and nicely filled fruits. For an uninterrupted growth, it is important that the substrate contains sufficient moisture. Therefore it is recommended to give water often and regularly. During the hot summer months, it may be desirable to give short and frequent irrigation cycles. This depends of course on the evenness of the dripping system.
The amount of water depends on the light level, the stage and the condition of the crop and the water-temperature of the heating system (in spring crops).  The light level is very important; a producing crop needs approximately 3 times the light level (in Joules/cm2/day). Example: sunny day with 2000 joules/cm2/day; total watergift (including drainage) should be approximately 6 liters/m2. On a dark day with 500 joules/cm2/day it’s necessary to give about 1,5 liters/m2.

Depending on the colour and the stage of the crop, it is recommended to use additional fertilizing. This is often desirable after a period of high production.
Example:
*From planting till first harvest:  E.C. of the water 2,8.
*During production on main stem: E.C. 2,5
*Production on the laterals:  E.C. 2,4.

 3.      Pruning

 The lower based stem fruits (the first ± 60 cm. of the stem) should be removed in a young stage, to enable the plant to establish itself. The exact amount of stem fruits, which have to be removed, depends on the situation of the crop. From then on a system of two fruits in, one fruit out can be maintained. For very early crops it is positive to keep less stem fruits.

Also the side shoots must be taken out in an early stage. The number of stem fruits to keep in depends strongly on the sowing period, the length of the crop and the growing circumstances the culture faces. A guideline can be seen in the table:

Table: system of pruning the stem fruits

                                            Number of stem fruits per plant        System of pruning

 As soon as the plants have reached the wire, take the heads off and keep two laterals. The maintained laterals are put over the wire. Approximately 120 cm. under the wire, the heads must be pinched. It is important however, that you always maintain some growing points to keep the plant growing.

 Make sure enough light can reach the young fruits. Sometimes big stem leaves have to be removed. Cutting too many leaves at once is not good and will damage the crop.

 4.  Temperatures

Table: Standard-schedule:

                                               Day-temperature                     Night-temperature

*Remark: The 24-hour temperature is always very important. This is the average of the day- and the night-temperature.
The optimal 24-hour temperature can be realised with the night-temperature. Example: when the 24-hour temperature is too high, it’s better to decrease the night-temperature.

In wintertime (and cold nights) it’s possible that the realised night-temperature is lower than
optimal. This can be compensated with a higher day-temperature (for instance a day temperature of 25c, when there’s sunshine).

Table: optimal 24-hour temperatures:

                                                    Dark weather                             Sunny weather

The air temperature is very important during the night. Starting from an average night temperature of 19°C, a decrease or an increase would have the following effect:

 Increase:

ð  The evaporation is promoted, and the plant has to absorb more water. The young fruits develop faster and they can be picked much sooner. All this leads to a diminishing vigour of the plant's vegetation. Consequently, in a light deficient period, the temperature may not become too high.

 Decrease:

ð  When the growth is too weak, a decrease of night temperature is required. A decrease of the night temperature to 16°C means that the plant transpires less. The decomposition processes of the assimilates, which are produced during the day, take place much slower. Besides, the young fruits on the plants can be picked slower.

The result of these actions is a heavier, more vegetative crop.

During a hot summer day, the temperature in the greenhouse may rise very high. On dark days, the temperature of approximately 23°C is sufficient. During low light conditions, the assimilation process is slower, so an increase in the air temperature does not bring any advantage. Try to keep the day-temperature below 27 degrees.  When the temperature is rising above 27c, more ventilation is positive.

DISCLAIMER:

These growing specifications are based on general experience with Kasja F1. Weather conditions, regional influences and other growing conditions may cause results to differ. 

Therefore, all recommendations are given without any acceptance of liability in any form.

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