How to fight diseases of cucumbers in open ground and greenhouses, how to protect them and what to spray with

Quite often, gardeners have to deal with diseases of cucumbers, which can lead to the death of plants. In such cases, it is necessary to understand how to treat the disease. For this purpose, special treatment preparations are used and cucumbers are treated against diseases.

Causes of diseases

Before protecting cucumbers from diseases, you need to familiarize yourself with the causes of their occurrence. There are several specific reasons why young plants begin to get sick.

Unsuitable temperature

Often, fungal diseases of cucumbers occur due to non-compliance with temperature conditions during cultivation. Cucumber is a heat-loving plant that does not tolerate sudden temperature changes. If the temperature is too low, the cucumber bushes will grow slower and all their nutrients will be used up to support the most important life processes.

At temperatures below ten degrees Celsius, the probability of cucumber disease increases several times.

Elevated temperatures also negatively affect the health of the bushes. If it is above 30 degrees, then the accumulation of substances for growth will stop. The plant will become sensitive to most infections and the cucumbers will have to be treated for diseases.

When growing bushes, it is recommended to maintain the temperature within 20-25 degrees Celsius.

Soil moisture

Cucumbers often get sick in the garden due to low soil moisture levels. Low humidity impairs the supply of nutrients, as they cannot dissolve.

Also, bacterial and infectious diseases can appear as a result of high soil moisture. A large amount of liquid displaces air from the ground, causing oxygen starvation at the roots. If this problem is not solved in a timely manner, the plant may not only get sick, but also die.

It is recommended to periodically monitor the soil moisture with cucumbers. To do this, you can use a special moisture meter. The optimal humidity level should be 70-80%.

Air humidity

In order not to think about how to save cucumbers from diseases in the future, you need to monitor the air humidity in the room with the plants. It should be between 80-90%. A hygrometer is used to check this indicator.

When the humidity is less than 55-60%, the leaves of cucumbers begin to evaporate moisture more rapidly, which leads to serious energy consumption. This leads to slower growth and weakened bush immunity.

If the humidity is more than 95%, this can also negatively affect the cucumbers. Because of this, cucumber leaves become covered with droplets of dew, which often leads to diseases.

Poor nutrition

Quite often, disease prevention and protection from pests is accompanied by feeding the plant, which should make it stronger and more resistant to disease. To do this, fertilizing consisting of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus is applied to the soil several times a season. If there is too much nitrogen in the fertilizer, the likelihood of infection of the bushes will increase.

Genetic resistance

Some varieties of cucumbers do not have genes that can protect them from diseases. That is why it is recommended to plant only those varieties that are genetically resistant to the most dangerous diseases.

Sources of infections

Most cucumber diseases appear if there is a source of infection. These include:

1. Last year's plant remains. It is recommended that the area be cleared of debris regularly as this is the most common source of disease spread.
2. Weeds.Quite often they are carriers of infections, so weeds should be gotten rid of before planting cucumbers.
3. Infections in seeds. Before planting, disinfection must be carried out for prevention.

Powdery mildew

Powdery mildew, a cucumber disease, is very common. Before treating her, you need to study her photo and description.

Signs

During the onset of the disease, leaf curling is observed. Over time, many gray spots appear on them. Gray spots on cucumber leaves gradually spread across the leaves and completely cover their surface. Because of this, they begin to turn yellow and fall off. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the features of powdery mildew in the picture to better understand what it looks like.

Causes

There are several reasons why leaves become covered with a grayish coating. Powdery mildew affects bushes that are rarely watered and overfed with fertilizers containing nitrogen. However, the main reason is the low temperature in greenhouses and outside. Powdery mildew most often develops at temperatures below 10-15 degrees. If this indicator is more than 25 degrees, then the spores will stop spreading and begin to die.

Treatment with folk remedies

Many vegetable growers do not know how to treat cucumbers during treatment of such a serious disease. There are quite effective folk methods of struggle.

For treatment, it is recommended to spray the bushes with mullein infusion. It is prepared from three liters of water and 1 kg of mullein. For processing, only an infused solution is used, which should be infused for two or three days. After this, the mullein mixture must be filtered and again filled with three liters of purified water.

Also, untreated bushes can be sprinkled with a mixture made from sour milk. To prepare it, milk is mixed with warm water in equal proportions. The product is used no more than once a week.

A manganese solution, which is very easy to prepare, will help get rid of this disease. To do this, add two grams of potassium permanganate to ten liters of water. Then the mixture is infused for 1-2 hours and applied to the bushes.

Use of chemicals

Special chemicals are often used to process cucumbers. Fitosporin is especially popular, which is recommended for use after the first signs of powdery mildew appear.

In case of serious damage, fungicides and preparations with copper are used. Colloidal sulfur is also used instead of these agents.

Preventive measures

To prevent the bushes from becoming infected with powdery mildew, it is necessary to prevent diseases of cucumbers in the open ground. Preventive measures include the following:

• regular watering of bushes with heated and settled water;
• maintaining cleanliness in the beds and in the greenhouse - timely removal of dried plant debris and weeds, loosening the soil;
• maintaining optimal temperature conditions;
• growing disease-resistant varieties of cucumbers.

Downy mildew

The disease affects bushes in open ground and in greenhouses. To understand how to save cucumbers for diseases and peronosporosis, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the description of the disease in more detail.

Signs

After infection, the green leaves on the bushes turn light yellow. Within a few weeks they begin to darken and gradually wither. If cucumbers are not sprayed with special preparations in a timely manner, they will die.

Causes

The main causative agent of this disease is considered to be a fungus. The optimal conditions for its appearance and development are high humidity and low temperature. Therefore, in a well-protected and insulated greenhouse, downy mildew appears much less frequently.

Traditional methods of treatment

You can treat cucumbers using some traditional methods. Quite often, special whey from milk is used for this. To prepare it, a liter of milk is mixed with a liter of warm water. This solution can also be used for prevention. Some gardeners use a mixture made from iodine and kefir. During its creation, you need to add four drops of iodine to five liters of kefir.

Chemicals

Sometimes traditional methods do not help cure peronospora and gardeners do not know what to do next. In such cases, it is recommended to use chemicals, as they are more effective in treating diseases.

It is known that most fungi are incompatible with copper. This is why Bordeaux mixture should be used. It is prepared from one hundred grams of copper sulfate, lime and several buckets of water. You can also prepare a copper-soap mixture. To do this, add 200 grams of soap and 20 grams of copper sulfate to a bucket of water.

Keep in mind that chemical mixtures can only be used at temperatures above 25 degrees.

Prevention

Preventive measures are quite simple:

• harvest the ripe crop in a timely manner;
• do not plant cucumbers too close;
• water the bushes only with heated water;
• burn the remains of old bushes that may contain spores.

Chlorosis

Chlorosis, like bacteriosis of cucumbers, is a fairly common disease of cucumbers and other plants.It appears due to a lack of chlorophyll, which is involved in photosynthesis. As a result, yellow and dry spots appear on the leaves.

Signs

A diseased bush may exhibit various symptoms, which depend on what specific substance the plant lacks.

With a lack of iron, spotted leaves begin to turn yellow or white. At the same time, their veins retain their original green color. First, signs begin to appear on the leaves located on top. Over time, they spread to the lower ones.

If the bushes do not have enough nitrogen, then chlorosis will manifest itself differently. In this case, the veins begin to change color and immediately turn white. Gradually, the disease completely destroys the leaves.

Causes

There are various reasons why chlorosis appears in cucumbers. These include:

1. Lack of minerals and trace elements. It is because of this that most often spots appear on the leaves.
2. Infections. Chlorosis can appear after contracting an infection. Quite often, infectious diseases are transmitted by insects that fly from infected bushes to healthy ones. Therefore, it is recommended to get rid of diseases and pests in a timely manner so that chlorosis does not appear.
3. Improper planting and poor growing conditions. The disease can appear if the roots of the plant are damaged during planting. It also appears in the absence of drainage.

Treatment

Chlorosis must be treated without fail, since without this the bushes may die. To treat bushes suffering from iron chlorosis, iron chelate is used. It can be prepared by adding a few grams of citric acid and ferrous sulfate to a liter of water. The result should be a mixture with a yellowish tint.

Some vegetable growers fight the disease with rusty nails. They are placed in the soil near infected bushes. You can also place cleaned rust into the ground. This method is recommended for use if other methods have not helped in the treatment of chlorosis.

Ascochyta blight

Ascochyta blight of cucumber most often found in greenhouses. In plants grown outside, the disease appears much less frequently.

Signs

First, oval dark dots of a grayish tint appear on the leaves. Over time, they become brown and gradually dry out. They also sometimes get minor burns. The disease spreads very quickly throughout the bush. At the same time, ascochyta rarely damages the vascular system, which allows infected plants to bear fruit. At later stages of development, a black coating appears on the leaves of cucumbers on the stems.

Ascochyta blight also appears on the fruits of the plant. First, the tissue on top of the cucumbers begins to dry out. In just a few days the fruit will completely turn black and rot.

Causes

Most often, the weakest bushes suffer from ascochyta blight. Plants that are poorly cared for are susceptible to the disease. Also at risk are bushes that are planted too densely.

Treatment

Before spraying cucumbers, you need to understand the treatment features. First, you need to treat the greenhouse to stop the spread of the disease and destroy sources of infection. For this, a weak formalin solution is used. One square meter of the greenhouse should be sprayed with a liter of the prepared mixture.

During the treatment of the disease, a pre-prepared Bordeaux mixture is used. Also, diseased bushes can be sprayed with urea mixed with copper sulfate. These products must be used for a week.

Some vegetable growers use special preparations. For example, you can use Saprol, which helps cope with most diseases of cucumbers.

Alternaria blight

Alternaria blight appears in almost all varieties of cucumbers. This disease negatively affects plant productivity. It may decrease several times.

Signs

Appears on bushes that grow in a greenhouse and are located closest to the doors of the greenhouse. At the initial stage of development, the leaves are covered with small convex spots, the size of which does not exceed a centimeter. Spotting first appears on the edges of the leaves and eventually spreads to the rest of them. If you ignore the disease and do not treat it, the leaves will begin to fall off.

Causes

Alternaria appears in conditions of high temperature and high humidity levels. That is why it is recommended to monitor the climate in the greenhouse where cucumbers are grown.

Treatment

If the bushes are already sick and the first symptoms of the disease appear, you must immediately lower the temperature in the greenhouse to 20 degrees. To do this, films are removed from the beds and doors are opened for ventilation. After this, the cucumbers should be treated with copper products. To do this, you can use Bordeaux mixture or Fitosporin.

Root rot

One of the most dangerous and common diseases is root rot.

Signs

The disease appears at all stages of development of cucumber bushes. It is very difficult to determine, since the spread of rot begins from the root system. The first symptoms are darkening and wilting of the roots. Gradually the disease spreads to the stem.If measures are not taken in time, the infected bush will die.

Causes

The main reason for the appearance of root rot is unsuitable conditions for growing and fruiting bushes. The disease develops rapidly in high temperature conditions. It can also appear if supercooled water is used for irrigation.

Treatment

Immediately after obvious manifestations of the disease, the root system should be restored. To do this, it is necessary to scatter a thin layer of fertile soil near each infected bush. With its help, new roots will form. This procedure should be accompanied by regular watering with warm water.

Sometimes it is not possible to detect the disease in a timely manner. In such situations, it is almost impossible to save the plant and you will have to get rid of it. If the bush has already dried up, then it will have to be dug up and burned so that the disease does not spread to other bushes.

Conclusion

It is quite simple to identify diseases of cucumbers in open ground and fight them. To do this, it is recommended to study cucumber diseases and their treatment. It is also necessary to familiarize yourself with their prevention in advance. Having familiarized yourself with all this, you will protect the bushes you grow.