If the cucumbers fail, then this is a real disaster for all housewives. After all, no summer salad is complete without these beloved vegetables. They can also be prepared as lightly salted, pickled, marinated and added to assorted vegetables. It would be possible if they were successful...
Cucumber fruits may turn yellow and fall due to various circumstances. Some of them do not even depend on the efforts of the summer resident. How to determine exactly where you made a mistake, and is it your fault that the crop bears fruit poorly and sheds immature ovaries? Let's figure out the reasons for what is happening together.
Cucumbers have stopped growing because it’s cold - what to do: tips
During spring frosts, some gardeners cover cucumbers with the help of metal arcs and modern textiles.
In cold weather, plant growth is inhibited, the roots do not absorb nutrients well so that the cucumbers grow, experienced vegetable growers advise spraying the bushes after watering, in the morning or evening, in cloudy weather cucumbers completely, with aqueous solutions (10-15 g of product per 1 bucket of water) of “Kemira”, “Kristallion”, “Rastvorin” products. When it's cold, it's better to feed cucumbers through the leaves . You can also spray the bushes with water with a growth stimulant added to it (Epin).
Other fans of growing vegetables in beds, during cold weather, install arcs and cover them with film , but under the film the plants are cold and damp, so it is better to cover them with a special material (agrotex, lutrasil) , which appeared not so long ago. It is also known that plants in the dark tolerate cold better, so experienced plant owners cover the plants with a tarpaulin, rags and straw during frosts.
Also, some vegetable growers recommend making “warm beds” for planting cucumbers in the fall . They are done like this:
- We dig a groove 30 cm deep
- We spread it with a thin layer of tops, potato peelings, grass without seeds, and cover it with earth.
- In the spring we plant cucumbers; they are much warmer in such a bed than in a regular bed.
So, now we know what to do if the cucumbers grow poorly, the leaves turn yellow, and the cucumbers do not set.
Thickened plantings
An excessive number of plants do not have enough nutritional area and they cannot grow a large number of fruits. The following steps will help you avoid this situation:
- Follow the recommended planting density (indicated on the seed package). On average, leave at least 20 cm between bushes, and at least 50–60 cm between rows.
Cucumbers should be planted at a distance of no closer than 20 cm from each other.
Grow cucumbers on a vertical trellis - tie the shoots to a mesh or wire.
Cucumbers need to be tied to a vertical trellis (mesh, wire, rope, etc.)
Cucumbers grow poorly and grow slowly: what to feed them
If cucumbers have stopped growing, you need to decide what to do as soon as possible. First of all, in order for the crop to grow, it is necessary to feed it with special fertilizers, which can be either chemical or natural.
Natural fertilizers
Why do roses grow poorly?
Bread feeding - fill 2/3 of a bucket with bread crusts, add water, and put under a press for a week. To use, you need to dilute it three times, add 50 grams of universal fertilizer per 12 liters of water. Treat the crop at the beginning of flowering and before wilting once a week.
On a note! This product has an acidic environment, so it is excellent for alkaline soils.
Ash. To get a good cucumber harvest, you need to pour a small amount of the product under the root of the crop. It is worth remembering that the method is not permissible when simultaneously using nitrogen-containing fertilizers. It is worth stopping processing when the first small fruits appear.
Brilliant solution
Yeast feeding. To prepare, you need to take 10 grams of dry yeast, dilute it in 10 liters of warm water, add a tablespoon of sugar. Let it brew for 2.5 hours, then dilute with 50 liters of water. Used for rapid growth and the appearance of large ovaries.
Feeding with brilliant green and iodine. Used to kill diseases. The roots are treated with brilliant green; to do this, 10 drops must be dissolved in a bucket of water. Iodine is applied to leaves and shoots. It is necessary to dilute 10 ml of iodine in 10 liters of water. Spray the crop.
Tillage
Processing with mullein. A folk method that allows you to grow a rich harvest. This product can be used at any stage of crop growth. Dilute a few cakes of cow dung in 10 liters of water.
Infusion of onion peel. She needs to fill a 3 liter saucepan and add water. Leave for a day, then dilute with water in a ratio of 1:10.
Often, summer residents have a situation in which cucumbers have begun to grow poorly; how to feed them is not difficult to decide; there is a wide choice.
Chemicals
- Preparations Kemir, Universal, Aquamarine are used when seedlings are moved from a house from a balcony or windowsill to the ground or to a greenhouse. In order for the shoots to sprout, you need to dilute 5-7 grams of fertilizer in 10 liters of water and water the hole.
- Microfertilizers containing boron - when treated with this product, the crop will begin to actively grow and form a large number of ovaries. Use 1 granule per 1 liter of water.
Air temperature too high
In the case of cucumbers, during the fruiting period, in clear weather the temperature should be within 23-26°C, on cloudy days - 21-23°C, at night - 18-20°C. At higher values, the pollen of bee-pollinated varieties sticks together, falls off, and there is no need to expect a harvest. However, “parthenocarpics” also do not really like the heat.
It is necessary to protect plants from the scorching sun with the help of shading, and when growing in protected soil, additionally organize ventilation. If at night the temperature remains above the specified values, the door and vents of the greenhouse are not closed at night.
Error 1 soil in the greenhouse is not updated
Scheme for preparing fertile soil for a greenhouse.
All the methods described above indicate that a big mistake can be made when planting cucumbers in a greenhouse if the soil is not updated. At the same time, the fruitfulness of the crop next year will be at risk. It’s better not to be lazy and process it in advance. Accumulating microbes and bacteria contribute to the development of various fungal diseases, such as downy mildew. It affects seedlings, and in subsequent years there will be no harvest if measures are not taken to clean the soil. For example, because of it, green plants (4-6 pieces) become distorted and dry out as soon as they start.
A very common human mistake is damaging the rhizomes of cucumbers. This culture has a long adaptation period. Therefore, the best option for planting cucumbers in a greenhouse should be considered seedlings; their approximate age is 25-36 days. Such “youth” quickly master and begin to bear fruit.
If you use the seed planting method, you need to remember that the greenhouse soil must be sufficiently warmed up to avoid seed rotting. The crop is very afraid of cold weather, and planting seeds in cold soil will lead to nothing but rotting. In some cases, you need to wait for good weather conditions, even if the landing occurs later than usual.
Landing capacity
Any vegetable plant feels comfortable only in conditions of good aeration and sufficient soil volume for growth. The root system of cucumbers is located close to the surface and occupies a significant area, since it loves intense solar heating and abundant irrigation with precipitation.
Based on these criteria, a planting container for cucumbers on a windowsill or balcony is selected. The best option is a wide, low pot with a volume of 3-5 liters. Often used are ordinary flower containers 25x80 cm, large bowls, basins, buckets, leaky pans, deep trays, cut-off water bottles of 5 and 10 liters. The minimum soil thickness is from 12-15 cm. The container for growing cucumbers must have a drainage layer and holes for the unhindered release of excess watering moisture.
Poor pollination
For bee-pollinated varieties of cucumbers, it is recommended to plant pollinator plants of other varieties, attract insects, or mechanically transfer pollen from male to female flowers with a brush.
Sometimes the ovary does not develop due to poor pollination
Experienced gardeners say that on a plant grown from last year's fresh seeds, male flowers (barren flowers) are formed first, and only later female flowers with ovaries. Therefore, it is better to take seed at the age of 2–3 years.
Sometimes it is recommended to hand pollinate cucumbers using a small brush.
Cultivation conditions
To avoid diseases at first, you need to grow seedlings in peat tablets. This isolates the access of harmful microorganisms through the soil. Then the resulting plantings are planted in pots, with a bush in each pot, no more. Otherwise, the seedlings will thicken. Competition for sunlight and nutrients will begin, and the plants will not get along.
Balcony cucumbers need partial shade. It is advised to plant on the south side of the house, but do not expose the seedlings to the sun. There is no point in taking risks with greenies; they get burned in bright light. Light curtains will cope with this task. Germinated seeds need to be fed after they are two weeks old. Add urea solution. After 10 days, regular complementary feeding begins.
Note!
Cucumber seedlings do not grow well in drafts. Growing bushes need support, so they need to be tied up: fishing line or thick thread are suitable for this.
Preventive measures
In order for cucumbers to develop normally, we must not forget about measures aimed at disinfection. Thus, soaking planting material in a manganese solution, hardening or freezing the soil will kill unwanted microorganisms. You can enjoy trouble-free growing cucumbers if you treat the containers with antiseptics before reusing them.
Note!
Experienced vegetable growers use fermented milk whey. Dilute it with warm water at the rate of 1:5.
Pour into a spray bottle, then spray the entire bush. To be effective, treat with a strained mixture of wood ash or laundry soap and water. The proportions are the same.
Reason 5 – lack of light
The reason for the slow growth of seedlings may also be the wrong location for the cucumber bed. Optimal development of this crop is possible only in a sunny area, protected from strong and cold northern winds. Cucumbers can grow and bear fruit in partial shade, but the yield will be lower than in sunlit beds.
What to do?
Do not plant cucumbers in the shade of trees, bushes or near tall plants. If it turns out that neighboring tall plants create shade for the cucumber bed throughout the day, try to get rid of them.
A dense wall of tall or climbing crops: sunflower, corn or beans, planted on the north side of the cucumber bed, will help protect the plantings from strong winds.
How to speed up the growth of cucumbers?
In order for cucumbers to grow faster, they need to be fed with nitrogen.
This includes the urea mentioned above and ammonium nitrate. Among folk remedies, ammonia solution is very effective. In this preparation, nitrogen is in a quickly digestible form.
You can dissolve half the bottle in a bucket of water and immediately water the cucumber bushes. You can spray it, but the concentration of ammonia in the solution will have to be halved.
IMPORTANT! Do not combine root and foliar feeding. There should be at least a week between them.
To make cucumbers grow faster, they can be fed according to this scheme.
- Pour in the droppings solution.
- Pour in yeast solution.
Yeast will process organic matter and release nitrogen, which activates plant growth.
Tips from Mister Summer Resident
To ensure a happy harvest, you should listen to the advice of experienced gardeners.
- Use settled water for irrigation.
- If a bitter taste appears, you need to water more often, trying to moisten the soil around the bushes.
- Before planting, increase the soil fertility by adding compost (10 kg), potassium chloride (50 g), superphosphate (50 g). The amount of fertilizer is given per 1 square meter.
- On each bed you can plant two rows of plants, between which you need to maintain a distance of 0.5 m.
- After the appearance of 4 leaves, pinching is carried out.
- Inspect the shoots in a timely manner so as not to miss the appearance of pests or diseases.
- Harvest the crop in time so that the shoots can form new cucumbers.
Why are there a lot of barren flowers on greenhouse cucumbers?
There are several reasons why empty ovaries appear on plants:
- bad seeds;
- errors during sowing, too dense arrangement of seedlings;
- temperature below 16 degrees, cold or extreme heat. Temperatures above 30 are considered unfavorable for the formation of ovaries;
- mistakes when watering, both too rare and very frequent watering is harmful;
- a lot of shadow over the beds, lack of sunny color;
- very cold water used for irrigation;
- problems with the soil, sometimes it contains an excess of certain substances or, on the contrary, there is a lack of them;
- insufficient pollination.
Appearance
Self-pollinating cucumber varieties do not require the help of insects for pollination. As a rule, it is these plant varieties that are grown in greenhouses or even on window sills. In such varieties, the flower has both a pistil and a stamen.
For planting in garden beds, experts advise planting cucumbers that are pollinated by bees. It has been proven that they are much more resistant to various negative factors: changeable weather or insufficient watering.
If a bee-pollinated variety is chosen, do not forget about additionally attracting bees to the site; for this, the plantings need to be sprayed with sweet water (1 spoon of honey or sugar per 300 ml of water). If disturbances and failures occur during the pollination process, the number of “male” inflorescences increases and this is directly reflected in the quantity and quality of the harvest.
Reason 6 – incorrect formation
Excessive green mass of the plant can also lead to growth stagnation. There is no consensus among gardeners regarding whether to remove stepsons on cucumbers or not, or how to shape cucumbers - into one vine or several. However, perhaps everyone agrees on one thing: the cucumber whip needs to be “blinded.”
What to do?
What is "blinding" of cucumbers? This is the removal of everything up to a height of 4-5 leaves: ovaries, stepsons, tendrils and leaves. This technique accelerates the development of the cucumber bush, simplifies its care and inhibits the development of diseases.
We wrote earlier about various ways to form cucumbers.
- Forming cucumbers: how and why it should be done
Is it worth pinching cucumbers and how does this affect the yield?
Nutrition
Fertilizing cucumbers in closed ground is carried out regularly, once every 5-10 days. The composition and balance of fertilizers depends on the stage of growth:
- set of green mass - preference for nitrogen and phosphorus additives;
- formation of ovaries - potassium and wood ash solution (30 g per 5-7 liters of water);
- fruit growth, fruiting - potassium and phosphorus.
An infusion of chicken manure, mullein, and grass is used as organic fertilizer. Good results are obtained by fertilizing with yeast, which has a complex effect on the roots, foliage and fruits. It is better to buy mineral fertilizers ready-made in order to achieve an optimal balance of nutrients. The most commonly used are calcium nitrate, “Kemir”, “Sortvorin”.
Lighting
Cucumber varieties for indoor soil are considered to be less demanding in terms of the amount of ultraviolet radiation than their counterparts for garden beds. However, you need to provide your plants with plenty of light (at least 10 hours a day) to get a timely, healthy harvest. You should not place containers with cucumbers on a windowsill that faces north. You should also avoid strong shading by trees and neighboring buildings. If there is a lack of natural light, especially on short autumn and winter days, it is recommended to use fluorescent or LED phytolamps with a blue-red spectrum.
Important!
Plants are always drawn to a light source, so cucumber sprouts and adult bushes must be rotated 180° daily to ensure correct symmetry and uniform growth of cucumbers.
Direct, hot rays of the sun can sometimes cause overheating of cucumbers in room conditions due to the problem of constant air mobility (weak evaporation). If sagging or wilting of the leaves becomes noticeable, you need to shade them with a translucent fabric.
Cucumbers set, but do not grow: care problems
If the ovary stops while growing a crop, this occurs due to a number of reasons. These include:
- Low air temperature.
- Low nutrients, poor soil.
- The bed in which the crop grows is located in a shaded place, because of this the ovaries form slowly.
- Too dense bushes.
- Watering with cold water.
- Excess or lack of moisture.
- Incorrect feeding.
Piglets eat and grow poorly, what to do?
In order to correct the situation, it is necessary to take measures:
- Water only with warm water, and the amount of water should be measured.
- Who loves drafts, tomatoes or cucumbers? Cucumbers are afraid of drafts, so they should not be planted in areas exposed to the wind.
- Plant the crop only in beds open to direct sunlight.
- Feed with fertilizers in the correct ratio.
- Treat the seeds before planting with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- Feed the plant at the root with a urea solution.
- Trim the main stem and pinch off the side stems.
- Attract the attention of bees.
- Treat with pest control products.
In addition, to obtain ovaries it is necessary to attract bees. For this, special formulations are used, which can be purchased in the store or prepared independently from sugar and lemon balm infusion.
Cucumbers don't grow fruits, what should I do? First of all, it is necessary to identify the cause of the problem.
On a note. If it grows in open ground, cover it with a special covering material at night. This will help avoid temperature changes.
Cucumbers are a crop that requires attention and care to obtain a rich harvest. Before planting it in open ground, you need to find out what conditions the plants need, whether cucumbers like a draft or not, and what and when to fertilize them. After this, prepare the bed, properly cultivate the soil, then plant the seedlings and feed them. If cucumbers bloom, but small cucumbers do not grow, most likely it is due to improper care.
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Diseases in grown plants
Cucumbers, which constantly suffer from diseases due to improper conditions or weak immunity, do not grow on the windowsill. Having taken care of the rules of cultivation, it is worth taking preventive measures to prevent possible complications:
- Anthracnose or otherwise copperhead is a fungal disease that manifests itself in high humidity. It affects the covering of leaves, fruits and stems. Recognizable thanks to brownish spots that gradually unite into one whole. The consequence is leaf fall.
- Downy mildew is another fungal disease, more popularly known as powdery mildew. Spots form on the leaves, the ovaries turn yellow, and the yield decreases. There are cases when, after yellowing, the ovaries fall off, but there is no harvest at all. Appears at low temperatures and high humidity.
- Sclerotinia, also known as white rot, affects the overall development of the bush. A white coating appears throughout the plant. It ripens into mucus and initiates wilting of the top and rotting of the roots. As a preventive measure: fertilization with zinc sulfate, urea, treatment with copper sulfate is effective.
- Gray rot - appears due to fungal spores on leaves, cucumbers or stems. Grayish covering in spots, growing over the area. Occurs at low temperatures and high humidity.
Treatment is standard, all diseases are of the same nature, so anti-fungal agents - fungicides - will help here. Suitable:
- Fitosporin-M;
- Tiram;
- Immunocytophyte;
- Hoim;
- SILK;
- Ridomil.
