Do cucumbers shed their ovaries, turn yellow, or die altogether? Often it is not diseases and pests that are to blame, but ourselves. Improper care of seedlings, excess sunlight and lack of watering - what else can affect the quantity and quality of the crop?
Consider the most common mistakes that gardeners make when growing cucumbers on their site.
Overexposed seedlings
It is advisable to plant seedlings of cucumbers in open ground no later than 35 days after germination. If you keep it on the windowsill for longer, then the seedlings will experience a nutritional deficiency, as a result of which they will very quickly begin to wither and weaken.
You need to plant younger seedlings, because it takes root better, and after planting it begins to grow actively. Some summer residents plant young cucumbers in open ground in the second week after germination.
Too tight fit
Do not plant cucumbers too close to each other. The lashes must be blown by the wind. Otherwise, a thickened planting leads to crushing of fruits, a decrease in their number, and sometimes even to the occurrence of fungal diseases.
The optimal distance between cucumber bushes should be at least 20 cm, and between rows - from 1 m or more. In greenhouses, it is desirable that this distance be greater than 1 m, so that the plants receive enough sunlight for good growth.
Wrong crop rotation
If you grow cucumbers in the same place every year, then over time their yield will decrease, and the plants themselves will become more vulnerable to diseases. The same thing happens if you plant a crop after zucchini, watermelons and other pumpkins. Therefore, it is very important to observe crop rotation.
Cucumbers are best planted in a garden where early cabbage or cauliflower grew last year. Also, this vegetable grows well after potatoes, peas, beets and tomatoes. It is recommended to return cucumbers to their original place only in the 4th year.
Growing without garter and pinching
If you do not tie up and form lashes of cucumbers, then the harvest will not be too large. Cucumbers on trellises do not spread along the ground, respectively, they get sick much less often. Plus, they are much easier to assemble. And cucumbers on supports are easier to form.
When forming plants, all stepchildren should be removed up to the fourth internode, and the upper shoots should be shortened. It is best to start pinching cucumbers when the stepchildren have not yet had time to grow more than 3-5 cm in length. If larger stepchildren are removed, the plant can experience severe stress.
Wrong watering
Cucumbers are very fond of moisture, so in no case should they be overdried, otherwise the ovaries will begin to crumble or the fruits will become bitter. Before flowering, cucumbers can be watered by sprinkling, and then water should be poured only under a bush.
It is important to remember that cucumbers should be watered only with warm water. From the cold, the fruits can also be bitter or take an irregular shape.
Growing in bright sun
Cucumbers growing in bright sun can easily get leaf burns, and the fruits can become rough and bitter. The best place for cucumbers is partial shade. If it is difficult to find such a place on the site, it is worth planting plants next to cucumber bushes that can shade them. For example, 2-3 rows of corn are quite capable of protecting a cucumber bed from the bright sun. The main thing is to plant the plants so that in hot weather they create the necessary shade.
Try to avoid such mistakes when growing cucumbers, and you will always have a rich harvest for salad and winter preparations on your table.
