Cucumber is quite a capricious plant, which often requires increased attention. Even greater difficulties arise when it is grown in a greenhouse. Creating optimal conditions takes a lot of time and effort, and the result is not always the one that was expected, so you need to know why the vegetable is growing poorly.
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Why cucumber grows poorly, sick or withers
Problems with the growth of cucumbers can occur at different stages, most often this is the beginning of the reason.
For example, if they grow poorly from the very beginning - the case may be in substandard seeds or soil. In case of trouble at the stage of flowering and the formation of ovaries - the reason may lie in pollination.
In total, among the most frequent causes, there are several:
- lack of nutrients in the soil;
- diseases;
- substandard seeds;
- improper watering;
- thick landing;
- lack of pollination, etc .;
Bad ground
One of the first reasons that causes problems in the greenhouse - poor or poor quality soil. Already in 2-3 years of use, land in greenhouse conditions is very depleted, so it is advisable to regularly replace it.
Enough for that remove 25 centimeters of upper layer and put new soil in its place. It would not be superfluous to add peat, humus and some sand there.
2 weeks prior to planting, a good option would be to add additional nutrients to the soil. Especially cucumbers love the earth, saturated nitrogen.
It is recommended to use organic fertilizers, among which: humus, chicken dung or peat with sawdust. To do this, one of the named means is spread on the ground, and then simply dug up. A similar event should be held after harvesting to better prepare for the next spring.
Another important soil problem may be the presence of pests or diseases in it. Therefore, before putting it in the greenhouse, it is recommended to steam the mixture, thereby disinfecting it.
Wrong watering
Drought they survive very hard. First, the growth of the plant slows down, and then it turns yellow and dies. If the ovary has already managed to ascend, then they fall first.
Excessive moisture leads to root decay in the open field, and then they start to hurt and disappear. Especially this problem is acute immediately after sowing seeds and planting seedlings.
It is possible to determine that there is too much water at the base of the stem - it will become brown and vitreous. If you dig up the ground, you can see that the root system did not develop after planting.The roots themselves became yellow-brown in color.
Proper watering does not imply the implementation of any complex actions. Water must be warm or room temperature, but not cold. It is desirable to defend not in iron tanks.
Watering is carried out regularly - 1 time in 2-3 days, and if the weather is cool, then watered even less. At the same time, water should be avoided on the leaves. If the base of the stem has become bare - it is slightly sprinkled with earth.
Improper dressing
A destructive factor for cucumbers is improper feeding. It can be either too little or too much.
The downside is excessive fertilizer. If the plant is “overfed”, then it immediately begins to actively grow the leaves, almost without giving fruit. This is usually caused by an excess of nitrogen, which in turn leads to a lack of potassium and phosphorus. A great source of these elements is wood ash.
Top dressing can be done in the form of aqueous solutions with humus, yeast,onion peel, etc.
It is best to water them several times:
- just before disembarking;
- after planting seedlings;
- after the formation of 3 sheets;
- in the period of color;
- during the appearance of the fruit.
Pollination problems
If cucumbers do not form the ovary, the reason may be covered in pollination. Pollination in natural conditions occurs by itself. But in the conditions of the greenhouse with this can be problems. The level of development of agriculture now can provide us not one, but 2 varieties of cucumbers: insects and parthenocarpic.
If you plant insect varieties, in the absence of insects in the greenhouse, you will have to pollinate by myself. This is done with a brush, or luring the bees into the greenhouse with sweet water, etc.
For greenhouses, a special self-pollinating variety, parthenocarpika, was created. They are represented mainly by female flowers and for their pollination is usually enough small wind or draft.
Care errors
There are other mistakes that gardeners make. One of the common - not participating in the formation of lashes. Most of the fruit grows on the side lashes.To limit the growth of shoot in length - the main stem and lateral processes pinch at a distance of 1 meter and 40-60 cm, respectively.
Causes wilting cucumbers in the greenhouse
It happens that everything seems to be met, but cucumbers still grow poorly and do not give good fruit. Additional reasons may be environmental conditions:
- the soil is over dried, or too flooded;
- excessive air humidity;
- poor soil care: it is not loosened, there are weeds;
- temperature drops.
It can also be common the emergence of diseases or the attack of pests. The main signs pointing to this are:
- faded and wilted leaves that fold or fall off;
- leaves are covered with spots: yellow or brown;
- grown cucumbers have a crooked shape and small size.
Most often, a pest or disease can be identified with the naked eye. Often, the plant is poorly treatable and can begin to die. Therefore, to prevent infection of other bushes and so that they do not start to wilt, sick cucumbers clean and burn.
What to do and how to eliminate the causes of poor growth
To adjust the growth of cucumbers in the greenhouse, no supernatural measures are required. Just enough observe temperature conditions in a closed room and humidityas well as regularity watering and feeding.
If you prepare for the season in advance, choose the right and prepare the seeds, and also take care of the soil, then the year will be fruitful. Special expenses are not required.
Observing simple rules and experience of gardeners, you can expect an excellent harvest in your own greenhouse. Moreover, you can be confident in the quality of your product.