Cucumbers are rightfully considered one of the most popular crops among Russian gardeners, but problems arise when growing them. Cucumbers in a greenhouse often become soft and this deteriorates the taste. Such fruits are not suitable for cooking. Before dealing with this problem, you need to find out the cause of its origin.
Why are cucumbers soft in the greenhouse?
When growing seedlings in greenhouse conditions, it is difficult to maintain the microclimate that the plants like. This is the first reason why the crop grows of poor quality.For a stable harvest, you need to constantly maintain the required level of humidity and temperature. If the greenhouse is too hot or cold, the ovaries stop forming.
Turgor in cucumbers also decreases due to improperly organized watering. Cucumbers do not like excess moisture in the soil, but its lack also has a negative effect on plants.
Common reasons for soft fruits:
- Close proximity to tomato beds.
- Diseases.
- Lack of nutrients in the soil.
- The bushes are planted close to each other.
- Lack of sunlight.
- Hot and dry weather.
Many gardeners forget that most cucumber diseases appear due to watering the beds with cold water from a hose. The first thing to remember when growing seedlings is that watering should only be done with sun-warmed water.
What to do if the cucumbers grow soft?
If the cucumbers in the garden begin to dry out, then you need to urgently take measures so as not to lose the entire harvest.
How to deal with a problem in a greenhouse:
- You need to water the cucumber beds with a decoction of onion peels. To do this you will need a small bag of husks and 5 liters of water. Pour water over the husks and bring to a boil over low heat. Wait until the broth cools down and strain it. Water the beds with warm broth.
- If possible, you should not plant tomatoes next to cucumbers. Tomatoes prefer dry air, unlike cucumbers. But if this is not possible, then “shading” is done. The essence of this method is that the roof and walls of the greenhouse are painted with whitewash. With this measure, the air temperature in the greenhouse decreases.
- Fine-droplet sprayers are installed on the beds. They turn on several times a day.
- The windows in the greenhouse are periodically opened to ventilate the room.
- Fungal diseases often provoke a decrease in fruit turgor. If a fungus appears in the greenhouse, it must be immediately disinfected. At the initial stage, you need to make a solution of copper sulfate, chalk and wood ash (1 tsp of vitriol, 3 tbsp of ash and chalk). Dilute the mixture in 1 liter of water. The resulting solution is used to treat all areas of fungal infection, and the plants themselves are sprinkled with dry lime.
Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse you need to carefully monitor every little detail so that the yield is high and the cucumbers are tasty and crispy.
Why do soft cucumbers grow in the garden?
Soft cucumbers often appear in the beds. Most often this happens if the plants are constantly in the sun, especially if it is hot for a long time. Due to the high temperature, the cucumbers begin to wither and become soft. Therefore, you need to choose a place for planting seedlings in such a way that the plants are in the shade in the evening or morning, and not all the time in open sunlight.
The bushes are regularly inspected to eliminate the possibility of diseases. This is the second reason, after improper watering, that spoils the entire harvest. If the leaves begin to dry out, spots appear on them, and the ovaries have stopped forming, then the plants are treated with chemicals. This will help get rid of diseases in a few days.
What diseases can there be?
Cucumbers become soft due to crop diseases.
- If the cucumber pulp has become soft, then the reason may be hidden in infection with root rot. Root rot is characterized by yellowing of leaves, decreased yield and wilting of fruits.Rot occurs due to overdrying of the soil, excessive moisture in the beds and overheated soil.
- If the prickly cucumbers have become soft, then powdery mildew may be the culprit. Sour kefir will help cope with the disease. Dilute a package of kefir in 1 liter of water and pour the resulting liquid over the bushes. Whey is used instead of kefir.
- Fusarium wilt of the bush promotes the appearance of soft fruits. In order to cope with the disease you need to prepare a garlic infusion. To do this, finely chop 100 g of garlic cloves and add 1 liter of water. Leave for a day, then strain. Before spraying plants, dilute in 9 liters of warm water. Every 2 days, the cucumbers are sprayed with garlic infusion.
Crop diseases must be combated immediately. If fungi have appeared on the site, the easiest way to deal with them is at the initial stage, when they have not had time to form their own colonies and not destroy the entire crop at the dacha.
Features of cultivation
In order to avoid a decrease in turgor in cucumbers, you need to adhere to the rules of agricultural technology.
How to properly grow cucumbers in a greenhouse:
- The bush is formed into one stem and tied to a support so that the fruits do not lie on the ground.
- Pinching helps limit branching and vegetative growth.
- Hives need to be placed in the greenhouse so that the bees can pollinate the inflorescences naturally.
- If the soil on the site is rough, it needs to be loosened before watering.
- Watering is carried out only with warm water in the evening.
When cultivating seedlings in greenhouses, the soil is regularly updated. If this is not done, then over time it accumulates less and less nutrients. And their deficiency leads to a deterioration in the harvest.Saving on covering material for greenhouses risks making them cold and cucumbers not being able to grow normally.
Another condition that it is advisable to observe is the application of fertilizing. The first fertilizing is applied before planting the seedlings in a permanent place. Then during flowering and fruiting. Depending on the condition of the bushes, the amount of fertilizer applied to the soil varies.
