To find out why cucumbers grow poorly in a greenhouse, you need to know the basic rules for caring for vegetables. This means that some point was missed or the recommendations were not followed.
Why do cucumbers die in a greenhouse?
If a vegetable grower notices that cucumbers of your favorite variety have begun to develop slowly, the color of the leaves has changed, the fruits are small, you need to radically change your care. There are several main reasons why cucumbers may not grow in greenhouse conditions.
- Why cucumbers do not develop well in a greenhouse is caused by improper, too dense planting of seedlings.This leads to the fact that cucumbers stop growing and even die. Therefore, you need to plant cucumbers correctly. The distance between cucumber beds should be approximately 70 cm. The interval between seedlings in rows should not be less than 55 cm.
If you plant cucumbers close to each other, the green leaves will block the access of air and light to the lower parts of the plant. The root zone will retain excess evaporated moisture, which contributes to the development of infections and rotting. The root system is intertwined and lags behind in development.
- When choosing seeds, you need to pay attention to which varieties are self-pollinated or insect-pollinated. The first option is best suited for a greenhouse. If insect-pollinated varieties are planted, then it is necessary to ensure free access for insects during flowering. If this does not happen, then development stops. You can attract pollinating insects with the help of sweet syrup, which is sprayed on the green mass. Otherwise, there will be no harvest in the greenhouse.
- Cucumbers love warmth. Seedlings are very sensitive to temperature changes. Therefore, in order for plants not to stop developing, a warm climate should be maintained all the time. The normal temperature at night is +19 degrees, and during the day – +26. If the air temperature in greenhouse conditions is above +35 degrees, then the plant may even die. The air humidity level should not exceed 80%. Cucumbers do not grow in a greenhouse even when the temperature drops.
- Cucumbers are also afraid of drafts. Ventilation of the room must be carried out correctly. It is recommended to open the window only on one side. Only one door can be opened.
- Why cucumbers do not develop largely depends on compliance with the correct watering regime.The castings dry out and turn yellow as a result of rare, scanty watering, and the fruits will become bitter.
On the contrary, excessive watering leads to the root rotting and fungal infection spreading. In order for the fruits to grow well, it is best to water the cucumbers in the greenhouse once every 2-3 days.
During fruit ripening, it is recommended to reduce the frequency of watering. In this case, the plant will direct all its energy to the formation of fruits, and not to the growth of tops and leaves.
- The death of cucumbers in a greenhouse is often caused by pests and infections. The most common pests include melon aphids and greenhouse whiteflies. The most common infectious diseases that kill cucumbers are gray rot and powdery mildew. The main signs of the appearance of such problems in a cucumber bed are the leaves turning pale, they may turn yellow, curl, and spots appear on them. The fruits grow poorly and form irregular shapes.
It should be borne in mind that cucumbers are very difficult to tolerate transplantation, so it is better to immediately sow them in the garden or in closed beds, or grow them at home in peat pots.
What to do if cucumbers grow poorly in a greenhouse
The main reasons why cucumbers do not grow in open ground or in a protected area are the choice of low-quality planting material, as well as ignoring the disinfection stage.
Before planting, seeds must be properly selected, disinfected and germinated. If the seeds were improperly prepared, then the sprouts that appear will grow slowly and will begin to bear fruit much later.
Cucumbers grow slowly due to non-compliance with sowing rules. In this case, even well-selected seeds will not give the desired result.Cucumber seeds should be planted in well-warmed soil. Vegetable crops do not develop well in cold soil. The depressions are not made too deep, about 2.5 cm. If you make the hole deeper, the seedlings will lag behind in growth, and the fruits will ripen later. In addition, there is an increased risk that seedlings will not appear at all.
If cucumbers grow slowly in a greenhouse, attention should be paid to the composition of the soil and its quality. The soil in the greenhouse plays an important role in the development of cucumbers. If it has not changed for 3-4 years, the supply of nutrients is depleted and bacteria and fungi colonize. Therefore, it is necessary to update the topsoil annually.
Another factor why cucumbers may stop in their development is the incorrect regime of adding organic or mineral components.
Cucumbers can grow poorly and slowly due to a lack of nutrients in the soil. It is necessary to apply fertilizers at least four times during the entire growing season. Fertilizers are applied for the first time two weeks after transplanting the seedlings into the greenhouse. By this time the plant will adapt and take root. Next time, you need to take the time to fertilize before flowering begins. The third and fourth feeding coincides with the period of the beginning of mass fruiting.
An aqueous solution based on bird droppings or cow manure will help compensate for the lack of nutrients in the soil. A mixture of wood ash, lime and copper sulfate is also often used.
The very first thing to do when cucumbers do not grow is to change the rules of care. Be sure to normalize the regime of watering, weeding and bush formation. Water for irrigation should be warm and settled.You should not use a hose for watering, as the pressure of the stream erodes the soil, exposing the roots of the cucumbers.
Why don't cucumbers pour?
Cucumbers, especially during the fruiting period, are very responsive to nighttime temperature changes. Therefore, in order for the fruits to begin to pour well, you need to maintain normal temperature conditions - within +20 degrees. Cucumber fruits do not grow when the temperature does not exceed +11 degrees for several days. Cucumbers do not pour well in the greenhouse, the shape becomes deformed, and the taste becomes bitter. The plant is afraid of the cold. At a temperature of +4 degrees it completely dies.
The ripe harvest must be harvested on time. If you leave the fruits on the bush too long, new ovaries will not form or will not have time to fill. It is recommended to harvest once every two days. In addition to timely harvesting, it is necessary to remove diseased and damaged leaves in a timely manner. Healthy, strong leaves should not be touched, as they nourish the fruit growing underneath them.
Gardeners may also encounter this problem when the ovaries begin to disappear. The main reason is the abundance of green mass. Therefore, you need to get rid of excess leaves in time.
Why do cucumbers turn yellow and burn in a greenhouse?
Causes of yellowing cucumber leaves there is a shortage or excess of microelements, hot air, cold water used for irrigation, pests and diseases.
If cucumbers are burnt, you can try to revive them.
- If only the leaves are damaged, but the stem remains intact, they must all be removed from the stem. Then you need to moisten the soil with warm water and create cool shade for 2-3 days.
- If the leaves dry out and burn, fertilizing will help restore the plant. A drug such as Azotovit helps.To make a solution, you need to dilute 10 ml of the drug in 10 liters of water. After applying fertilizer, be sure to ventilate the greenhouse and lightly loosen the soil so that oxygen can better penetrate to the root system.
- Sometimes an excess of nutritional components can cause the leaves to turn yellow and dry out. For example, if you overdo it with wood ash, then a nitrogen deficiency develops in the soil. In this case, we reanimate in the following way: prepare a weak solution of urea and spray the beds. If the yellowness does not begin to subside within a week, then spray the plant with potassium monophosphate at night.
- Advice: “We have been growing cucumbers in greenhouse conditions for several years now. Cucumbers love sprinkling, especially in hot weather. Once every 7 days, watering is combined with complex fertilizers. I really like drugs such as Kemira, Nitroammofoska, Mortar. They easily revive plants in case of wilting or infection.”
If none of the above steps help, you can plant the seeds again. You just need to choose early ripening varieties in order to have time to enjoy the cucumbers.
