When cucumbers turn yellow in a greenhouse, what to do is the first question that gardeners have. First of all, you need to determine why the problem occurred. This could be a violation of agricultural practices, lack of nutrition, or pest infestation.
Why do cucumbers turn yellow in a greenhouse?
Experts identify 5 reasons why the color of cucumber tops in a greenhouse changes.
The leaf turns yellow if:
- improper watering;
- lack of lighting;
- lack or oversaturation of soil with nutrients;
- infection with pathogenic bacteria and fungi;
- presence of pests on leaf blades.
In this situation, the green mass on the lower part of the plant most often suffers. If cucumbers turn yellow in the ovary, then the reason lies in problems with pollination or overload of the plant. To solve it, it is necessary to remove some of the germs and flowers. The answer to the question why cucumber fruits turn yellow in a greenhouse is frost. As a result of a sharp temperature change, the young crop could die or be seriously damaged. This also applies to flower stalks. In addition to the problems listed above, the ovary is affected by an imbalance of nutrients, improper agricultural practices, and pest infestation.
When figuring out why the fruits turn yellow, you should pay attention to plant care. With proper agricultural technology, a change in color causes overripening. It causes the cucumbers to overgrow in size, the peel acquires a yellowish tint, and the flesh becomes less crispy. Such cucumbers, not grown from hybrids, are suitable for collecting seeds.
Knowing why tops wither in a greenhouse and how to deal with it, you can avoid serious problems in a timely manner.
Why do cucumbers turn yellow in open ground?
The reasons why cucumbers turned yellow in open beds may be similar to those in greenhouses. A number of factors influence the change in color of a cucumber leaf.
- Incorrect watering. Lack of moisture affects the loss of leaf turgor. Yellow dry spots form on it, which lead to withering of the entire plate. If watering is excessive, the root system begins to rot, which also causes the leaves to turn yellow.
- Formation of burns. When watering in sunny time, the drops remaining on the leaf plates quickly dry out, which leads to burns.
- Inappropriate neighborhood.Cucumbers do not grow if the wrong place is chosen for them. Bad predecessors are pumpkin, squash, and watermelon. After them, pathogenic bacteria remain in the soil, and there is also a shortage of nutrients needed by cucumbers.
- Place. The reason may be hidden in the wrong place. Excess sun, strong drafts, and swampy soil are not suitable for growing seedlings.
Not only the leaves, but also the ovary of cucumbers can turn yellow. This point is most often associated with:
- excessive formation of the ovary;
- problems with pollination;
- violation of agricultural technology rules;
- temperature changes;
- infection with diseases;
- lack of fertilizers.
The answer to the question why the inside of a cucumber turns yellow is:
- lack of oxygen in the soil;
- insufficient soil moisture;
- infection (peronospora, fusarium wilt).
Effective ways to combat yellowing
It is important not only to know why cucumbers turn yellow in the garden beds and in the greenhouse, but also what to do in such a situation. Often, solving the problem requires changing the conditions under which plants are kept or treating them with disinfectants.
Features of agricultural technology
Violation of growing conditions often leads to cucumber leaves, ovaries, or the fruits themselves turning yellow and drying out. For this vegetable, it is important to make the conditions as optimal as possible. This applies to ridges under film and in unprotected soil. For vegetables to grow well, they require warmth, timely watering and fertilizing. If yellowing of cucumbers in a greenhouse is observed, what to do depends on what the problem is related to.
Often, the reason is hidden in untimely watering. As a result of lack of moisture, the soil overheats, the leaves begin to turn yellow, then they dry out. Cucumbers are moisture-loving plants.But it is important to follow a number of rules.
- Water quality. For cucumbers, it is recommended to use settled water.
- Temperature. To prevent cucumbers from turning yellow, use heated water.
- Regularity. Young cucumbers require regular watering. During hot weather, watering is carried out daily in the evening. In case of frost, the amount of water is reduced. Watering is postponed to the morning.
Another important factor to consider before planting is heat. Low temperatures can cause cucumbers to dry out in a greenhouse. To solve this, it is important that a constant temperature is maintained in the room. If the air is too hot, organize ventilation.
Feeding and fertilizer
Often the reason why cucumber leaves turn yellow is improperly prepared soil. This problem is especially noticeable when cucumbers grow in a polycarbonate greenhouse. In such cases, it is not possible to change the soil annually or enrich it naturally. Accordingly, the question arises of what to feed cucumbers with in order to avoid the appearance of yellow leaves or ovaries.
If the cucumbers have already been planted, then they need to be fed during the season with potassium, wood ash and other mineral compounds. If there is a lack of nitrogen, urea helps well as a fertilizer.
Experts recommend planting plants in prepared ridges. To do this, mullein is first introduced into them. It is important that only rotted manure is used. Fresh leads to root burns. Among traditional methods, feeding with infusion of chicken manure shows high efficiency.
Pest and disease control
The reasons why cucumbers turn yellow in a greenhouse or in unprotected soil include infection by pests or other diseases.Experts note a wide variety of pests that lead to changes in the color of tops or damage to the crop.
- Bacteriosis. Plant damage is associated with violation of agricultural technology rules. Excess moisture leads to yellowing of the ovary. When young fruits are formed, a yellowish coating forms on them, then warts and ulcers form. The plant stops bearing fruit and dies. Bordeaux mixture is used as a treatment against bacteriosis. To prevent leaves and fruits from turning yellow, it is enough to spray the plants and remove already wilted leaves and affected cucumbers. Subsequently, excess moisture in the soil should be avoided.
- Powdery mildew. The disease is characterized by a change in leaf color. They first turn yellow, then dry out. The disease affects plants both in greenhouses and in open ground. Fungicides are used for control.
- Fusarium wilt. In the greenhouse, yellowing of cucumbers is associated with this disease. Fusarium is transmitted through the soil and leads to the loss of most of the crop. Control requires treatment of the soil, plants and all equipment used for work. Yellowed tops, fruits and plants are completely removed and burned.
- Aphid. The pest most often attacks plants under film covering or in open ground. You can find it on the back of the sheet. Special drugs are used to combat it. Planting garlic, fennel, marigolds, and mint next to the beds also effectively helps against aphids.
- Angular spot. The disease is characterized by the appearance of yellow or whitish spots. The tips of the leaf plates dry out and curl. The disease actively progresses at high humidity and high temperatures. Greenhouse plants are more often susceptible to it.For control, 1% Bordeaux mixture is used.
To prevent cucumbers from turning yellow in a greenhouse, it is necessary to regularly carry out preventive work against the spread of diseases and pests. They consist of observing a number of rules.
- Disinfection. Before planting the plants, the soil must be disinfected. For this, chemicals or manganese solution are used.
- Prevention of pests and diseases. To prevent diseases from being transmitted to the new crop, all dried greens are removed from the greenhouses during the harvesting period.
- Weeding. In a greenhouse and on open ridges it is necessary to regularly weed the soil. Weeds are not left between rows, but are disposed of in compost heaps or burned.
- Removing affected plants. If the leaves turn yellow and dry out, they must be removed immediately. The same applies to ovaries or fruits.
- Compliance with the rules of agricultural technology. The greenhouse maintains a constant temperature, avoiding the formation of drafts and excess moisture or drying out of the soil.
- Timely treatment against pests. Planted seedlings are treated against pests several times per season.
Compliance with preventive measures, as well as knowledge of the reasons why cucumbers turn yellow, allows you to avoid problems in a timely manner and get a bountiful harvest, both in a greenhouse and in open ground.
