Why are there problems with growing cucumbers | Website about growing plants

Very often, problems when growing cucumbers are caused by pests. First of all, these are spider mites and aphids. It is quite difficult to fight them, because no one wants to spray the beds with chemicals, and the use of folk remedies is not very effective and is quite labor-intensive.

Fitoverm helps well, this biological preparation is harmless to people, and it destroys pests quite well.But in this article we will not talk about pests and measures to combat them, but about other problems that vegetable growers sometimes create for themselves. For example, thickening plantings or growing cucumbers in a poorly ventilated greenhouse at high temperatures.

Why are there few ovaries on cucumbers?

If you are growing varieties rather than hybrids, it is likely that the plants simply haven't produced enough female flowers. But why the plants behaved this way, we need to understand.

On varietal cucumbers, male flowers appear first on the main stem, i.e. those that are capable of pollination, but not capable of fruit formation. More female flowers are formed on the side shoots, which is why the fruits on them are formed more actively.

Cucumbers need to be pinched, then there will be a lot of ovaries on them.

Cucumber plants planted densely or growing in the shade have weak branches because they lack light. And if there are no side shoots, there is no harvest. Even in unthickened crops, in order to start harvesting cucumbers earlier and ultimately get more, the main stem of varietal cucumbers is pinched above the fifth leaf. The pinching is repeated two and three times.

This simple operation helps, by restraining the growth of the plant, to increase its productivity. Plants that have a normal feeding area will also give a good harvest without pinching. But, firstly, the mass harvest of fruits will begin later; unformed plants will take up more space on the trellis or in the garden bed than those that are pinched.

Conclusion one. Varietal cucumbers must be provided with a sufficient feeding area (10-20 cm between plants in a row, 50-70 cm between rows) and well lit. Only under these conditions do they normally develop lateral shoots, on which the bulk of female flowers are formed.

Phosphorus supplements help to enhance the formation of female flowers: st. spoon of superphosphate (extract) per 10 liters of water. Female flowers are formed more intensively when cucumbers are picked daily, not allowing them to outgrow.

Why do the ovaries on cucumbers turn yellow and dry out?

On bee-pollinated varieties, this happens if flower pollination has not occurred. On hybrid self-pollinating cucumbers, ovaries do not develop at high (over 35 degrees) temperatures.

Why does the ovary on cucumbers turn yellow and fall off?

The ovaries do not develop in extreme heat.

Affects the activity of fruit set and the nutritional supply of plants. If it is deficient, the plant cannot feed all the fruits that have set at the same time, and some of them dry out. Dry air and soil negatively affect the yield of cucumbers.

Conclusion two. To solve problems with fruit set, normal conditions for pollinating insects must be created on the site.

Plant flowers and aromatic herbs that attract bees and other crop helpers. Provide plants with water and nutrition. On hot days, apply refreshing watering to reduce the temperature and increase the humidity around the plants.

Why do cucumbers grow with crochets?

Why did hooks grow, and not even, beautiful fruits? The appearance of cucumbers can be affected by the weather, the lack of nutrients, and irregular watering.

To avoid such problems, water and fertilize your cucumbers regularly.

If you do not water the cucumber bed for a long time, and then water it, as they say, “with a reserve,” do not be surprised at the next time you harvest a large number of incorrect fruits.
The constriction in the middle of the cucumbers is formed by sudden changes in night and day temperatures, when watering with cold water.
With a lack of nitrogen in the crop, many fruits are formed with ends bent like a beak. It is urgent to feed the plants with herbal infusion or give urea - a teaspoon per 10 liters of water.
With potassium deficiency, cucumbers become pear-like (the ends of the greens grow). In such cases, fertilize with potassium sulfate (a teaspoon per bucket of water) and wood ash.
Ugly fruits are picked immediately, without waiting for them to grow. By removing them, you enable beautiful fruits to form faster.

Conclusion three. Regular moderate watering and fertilizing will minimize the likelihood of non-standard fruits appearing in the harvest.

Why are cucumbers bitter?

The ability to acquire bitterness was passed on to them from distant wild ancestors. True, modern varieties and hybrids rarely become bitter and only if they are not satisfied with something in agricultural technology or weather. Any stress can cause bitterness in fruits.

Cucumbers often become bitter on quickly overheating and drying out sandy soils. Cucumbers may respond to extreme heat or prolonged cold weather, watering with cold water or excessive application of manure by deteriorating their taste.

Feeding with potassium sulfate and spraying with growth stimulants (epin-extra, zircon, etc.) will help to resist stress.

Conclusion four (half-joking). Cucumbers begin to taste bitter not because of the sweet life.

Why do cucumbers wither and dry out?

Sometimes plants grow normally at first, but then leaves, ovaries wither, dry out. This happens both in the greenhouse and in the open ground. Moreover, this happens even with good care, regular feeding and watering.

Soil infection is to blame for the death of cucumbers: most likely it is fusarium wilt. Fungi clog conductive vessels, disrupting the flow of nutrients and water. The leaves first wither and then dry up. At the soil level, you can notice a lesion: the stem darkens or dries out.

The cucumber beds are withering and drying up.

This is what fusarium wilt looks like.

Fusarium fungi are always present in the soil, but when they are within normal limits, they do not cause problems. The number of fungi that participate in the decomposition of organic matter increases sharply when insufficiently rotted compost and humus are added to the soil.

What should you do in this case, since cucumbers love to grow organically? Add well-decomposed compost and humus, sow green manure, the green mass of which is quickly processed in the soil, and feed the plants with infusions of green grass.

You can use preparations based on Trichoderma, which accelerate the decomposition processes. Glyocladin apply to the soil to a depth of 1 cm, sowing seeds or planting cucumber seedlings (1 tablet per hole).

Fungicide trichoderma veride used for pre-sowing soaking of seeds (3 g per 10 liters of water) and watering plants at the root. The first treatment is in the phase of 2-4 true leaves, the subsequent one is two weeks later (25-50 g per 10 liters of water, consumption - 100-200 ml per plant).

The drug has proven itself well against soil infections previkur energy. The soil is watered with a working solution (3 ml per 2 liters of water) immediately after sowing the seeds or the seedlings are watered two weeks after sowing, using two liters per square meter.

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