Why do the leaves of cucumber seedlings turn yellow and what to do?

Many vegetable growers grow cucumbers on their plots. This culture is quite capricious and because of this, certain problems may arise during cultivation. Often, almost all the leaves of cucumber seedlings dry out. To deal with this problem, you should find out why cucumber seedlings turn yellow.

Why do the leaves of cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse turn yellow?

Quite often, cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse turn yellow due to improper cultivation.

Incorrect lighting

It is no secret that cucumbers love light, and therefore, sometimes cucumber seedlings turn yellow if there is not enough light in the greenhouse. To prevent cucumber seedlings from turning yellow, it is necessary to arrange lighting in the greenhouse in advance. At the same time, it should be diffused so that the entire room is well lit.

Burns

Sometimes the edges of cucumber leaves turn yellow due to burns. Very often, burns occur if too much sunlight enters the greenhouse and seedlings grow on the window. They can also appear if liquid remains on the plant after watering.

Due to burns, the seedlings gradually turn yellow. First, the leaves in the upper part of the bushes begin to dry out, and then the lower leaves turn yellow. To prevent burns from appearing on the plants, it is necessary to ensure that there is not a lot of sunlight in the greenhouse.

Improper watering

It is known that planted cucumber seedlings must be watered regularly. Some vegetable growers water the bushes too rarely or too often, and because of this, the cucumber seedlings turn yellow and dry out.

With insufficient moisture, young seedlings begin to grow upward. This leads to gradual drying of the ovaries and leaves. A large amount of moisture also negatively affects the health of cucumbers. Due to frequent watering, the roots begin to rot and the cucumbers turn yellow.

Damage to the root system

Many inexperienced vegetable growers damage the roots of the plant when transplanting cotyledons into a greenhouse. Over time, damaged seedlings begin to turn yellow and dry out.First, yellowness appears on the leaves below, and after a while it spreads to the remaining leaves on top.

Why do the leaves of cucumber seedlings dry out without fertilizing?

In some cases, after planting, the leaves turn yellow due to insufficient feeding. At the same time, cucumber leaves dry differently. It all depends on which element the plants lack after planting.

Nitrogen deficiency

With a lack of nitrogen, all yellowed leaves become very pale and small. Sometimes their veins acquire a slight reddish tint. Over time, the bushes become too weak and dry out completely.

A lack of nitrogen is very dangerous for cucumbers, not only during the growth of seedlings, but also at the moment of formation of the first fruits. Weakened bushes produce small cucumbers that do not always ripen to the end.

If the leaves turn yellow and dry due to a lack of nitrogen, then you should immediately feed the plants with fertilizers. For this, a special mixture is made, consisting of ash, droppings, mullein and urea. When feeding, you should not feed the bushes too much, as this may cause necrosis on their leaves.

Phosphorus deficiency

Sometimes yellowing appears due to the fact that the plant does not have enough phosphorus. It is this component that is responsible for the proper development of roots and providing the bushes with energy. If the soil contains too little phosphorus, this will cause each tip on the leaves to begin to dry out. Over time, the rest of the leaves, along with the stem, will begin to darken and dry out.

It is impossible to restore dried leaves, but you can stop the spread of yellowing. To do this, it is enough to apply a little phosphorus fertilizer under each bush. If this is not done, then all the cucumbers will die.

Potassium deficiency

This component is necessary for proper cell renewal and uniform ripening of cucumbers. If there is not enough potassium in the soil, the leaves on the cucumber seedlings will dry out. The fruits will become covered with dark spots, and the leaves on the cucumbers will gradually begin to turn yellow and dry out. The yellowing process occurs gradually. At first, the color of each leaf becomes dark green. After a few days, yellow spots appear on them, which will eventually lead to drying out.

To prevent all cucumber leaves from turning yellow, you must immediately add fertilizer to the soil. For this, potassium sulfate or humate is used.

Magnesium deficiency

This substance is responsible for the formation of chlorophyll and therefore a lack of magnesium will negatively affect not only the leaves, but also the fruits. It is quite easy to determine a lack of magnesium, since because of this, all the leaves begin to curl and become stained. At first the lower leaves suffer, but over time the upper ones also turn yellow, which leads to the gradual drying out of the entire bush. If magnesium fertilizers are not added to the soil in time, all damaged leaves will begin to dry out and fall off.

Why do the leaves of cucumbers turn yellow in open ground?

Most often, the leaves of cucumbers outside begin to dry out and turn yellow due to diseases or pests. There are several most common reasons for yellowing of cucumbers in open ground.

Why do cucumber seedlings turn yellow due to powdery mildew?

One of the main causes of yellowing is powdery mildew. Any summer resident can detect this disease, as a light red coating immediately begins to appear on the plant. Most often, powdery mildew develops at low temperatures in conditions of high humidity. Also, its appearance is promoted by watering plants with cold water.

The main preventive measure for this disease is correct crop rotation. Cucumbers can be planted in their original place only 3-4 years after the previous planting. If they were planted in the previous place before the specified time, then all the bushes should be replanted. Transplantation must be carried out very carefully so as not to damage the roots.

Why do the leaves dry out in cucumber mosaic?

Mosaic is a common viral disease that can appear several weeks after seedlings are planted in the soil. The disease is accompanied by yellowing of dicotyledonous leaves and their gradual drying out. The bushes must be treated immediately after the first symptoms appear, since the mosaic spreads to neighboring plants very quickly.

Yellowing due to peronosporosis

Most often, the disease appears in summer at high temperatures. During peronosporosis, the cotyledon leaves not only lighten, but also become covered with a light purple coating. If signs of disease appear, all feeding and watering must be stopped immediately. The sprouts should be treated with a copper solution and special fungicides.

What to do if cucumbers turn yellow

Not every gardener knows what to do if cucumber seedlings turn yellow. There are several common remedies that can help deal with this problem.

Falcon

Many people use this particular drug if cucumber seedlings have turned yellow. It can be used not only during the treatment of leaves, but also to prevent the occurrence of various diseases. To spray infected plants with Falcon, you need to use a spray bottle and nozzles.

Before you start processing plants, you need to create a special working solution.To do this, 10 ml of the product is mixed with 10-15 liters of cold water. Cucumber seedlings should be processed immediately after preparing the mixture. In this case, the procedure should be carried out in the evening, when there is no wind outside.

Topsin

If the leaves of cucumber seedlings turn yellow, you can use the drug Topsin. With its help you can get rid of most fungal diseases that can infect cucumbers. The product is sold in powder form and therefore, before using it, you will have to prepare a working solution. To do this, you need to dissolve 500 g of the product in 10 liters of water.

After treating the area with Topsin, the drug penetrates the soil and enters the cucumber bushes through the roots. It immediately blocks all infection spores and prevents them from spreading further. It is not recommended to use Topsin very often, as the plant quickly gets used to it. You should process cucumbers no more than three times a month.

Topaz

Quite often, Topaz is used to cure cucumber seedlings. It is very effective, especially if the leaves turn yellow at the edges due to powdery mildew. The drug is non-toxic and safe, so it can be safely used to treat cucumber seedlings.

Topaz is sold in different forms, but most often, special liquid solutions are used to process cucumbers. Before use, the drug must be diluted with water. To do this, 20 ml of the product is added to a large 15-liter container. During processing, about one and a half liters of Topaz should be spent on each bush.

The drug is effective for two weeks. Therefore, it should be reused no earlier than 7-10 days after the previous treatment.

Strobe

Sometimes when leaves dry on cucumber seedlings, it is recommended to use the fungicide Strobi. The drug is produced in the form of granules, which must be diluted with water before use. It is necessary to prepare the working solution several hours before using it. A solution made from Strobi granules is most effective only in the first two hours after creation. Therefore, if you process them too late, it will not bring any results.

It is necessary to process cucumber bushes twice at the time of fruit formation. It is during this period that the plant is susceptible to infection with brown spot, powdery mildew and late blight. Plants should be treated no more than once a month. You should stop using the drug several weeks before harvesting the fruit.

Conclusion

Many vegetable growers do not know what to do if the leaves of cucumber seedlings turn yellow. To get rid of yellowing, you need to understand the reasons for its appearance and methods of dealing with it.