What to do if cucumbers do not grow: top dressing recipes

Cucumbers stop developing due to diseases and pests, excessive or poor feeding, and for other reasons. This culture is fastidious. One wrong step, and the summer resident will be left without a crop. Consider why cucumbers do not grow and what to do in this situation.

Why cucumbers grow slowly

The main thing is to understand why the cucumbers stopped growing. It is imperative to analyze the time of planting, the correct care and growing conditions. There are many reasons for the poor growth of cucumbers, but for each there is a competent solution.

Poor quality seeds

Low quality of planting material is determined during the period of growing seedlings. Seeds that are of poor quality produce weak shoots or do not germinate. In plants, yellow leaves are formed before planting in open ground.

Experienced gardeners recommend purchasing seeds in trusted stores, giving preference to well-known manufacturers. Read the reviews of other summer residents about a particular variety of cucumbers, draw the appropriate conclusions.

Reference. After purchasing seeds, you need to check them, disinfect them. To do this, they are placed in a glass of water. The healthy ones will remain at the bottom, the hollow ones will emerge. The latter are not suitable for planting. The processing is carried out as follows: a humate solution is prepared strictly according to the instructions, then the seeds are placed in it for 12 hours.

Violation of the dates of boarding and collection

Cucumbers love warmth. Do not plant them in the first warm days after the frost has receded. The culture develops favorably at an average daily temperature of + 15 ° C. If the landing date was violated, it remains only to learn a lesson and not make a similar mistake next year.

Unharvested ripe harvest interferes with the growth of the young ovary. There is not enough food for everyone, the yield is declining. You need to pick cucumbers in a timely manner - every day or every other day.

Bad ground

The culture needs fertile soil with a lot of nutrients. It is not recommended to plant plants in acidic and non-nutritive soil. If litmus shows an increased acidity of the soil, it is better to lime it with dolomite flour, lime or ash beforehand, in autumn. In the fall, apply fertilizer and dig the area well.

In a greenhouse, the soil requires regular renewal. Also, you cannot plant cucumbers in the same place every year. Otherwise, the soil will lose all nutrients, but it will accumulate dangerous bacteria and pest larvae.

Reference. Fresh manure cucumber beds are a popular method of growing in low spring temperatures. In cold weather, it begins to re-heat, releasing heat to warm the seedlings. With the onset of warm weather, the active phase of the process ends, and the plants do not overheat.

Fit too tight

Excessive number of plants per 1 sq. m leads to their starvation, inability form fruit. The following tips will help you avoid this situation:

1. Observe the planting density indicated on the seed package. On average, the gap between the bushes is 20 cm, between the rows - 50 or 60 cm.
2. Tie the shoots to a vertical mesh or wire. So they will grow up and not interfere with neighboring bushes.

If an adult plant has changed color and does not form fruit, it is better to remove it. The bush is dangerous for other cucumbers, as it accumulates various infections in itself.

Improper or insufficient watering

The wrong irrigation regime and especially the lack of moisture negatively affects the cucumbers.

The recommendations are as follows:

• water the bushes three times a week when grown outdoors, six times in a greenhouse;
• in dry weather, watering every day, preferably in the morning or evening;
• use only warm water with a temperature of + 25 ° C;
• prevent water stagnation;
• loosen the soil after each procedure.

It is important to remember that cold water causes a large number of male flowers to develop.

Poor feeding

Deficiency of nutrients slows down the growth of ovaries. During fruiting, cucumbers require more potassium and phosphorus. Top dressing is applied once every 10-15 days at the rate of 1 liter per bush:

• ash infusion - dilute 15 g of ash in 10 liters of water, pour under the root;
• potassium sulfate - dissolve 30 g of the drug in 10 liters of water, pour under the root;
• superphosphate - dissolve 40 g in 10 liters of water, add at the root.

Cucumbers bloom but do not grow

If the cucumbers do not bear fruit well or the fruits are not visible at all, pollination should be done. When growing bee-pollinated varieties, it is recommended to plant other plants and attract insects. If attempts fail, transfer pollen with a brush from male flowers to female flowers.

Attention! Experienced gardeners are advised to purchase seed at the age of two or three years. The reason is that last year's fresh seeds produce plants with a large number of barren flowers, and only later female flowers form.

Diseases

This is a common cause of poor growth in cucumbers. It is recommended to choose varieties with good resistance to the main types of infections.

Fungal

Downy mildew is caused by the fungus Pseudoperonospora cubensis. Signs - rust, gray bloom, complete drying of the leaves. The consequences are a decrease in the quality and volume of the crop. The reasons for the appearance are warm air, high humidity of air and soil. Such conditions are formed in late June - early July.

For the fight use drugs "Acrobat", "Ranman", "Armetil M72", used strictly according to the instructions. Prevention is the observance of crop rotation, ensuring comfortable conditions, watering only at the root, disinfecting the soil before planting.

Reference. According to the rules of crop rotation, it is better to plant cucumbers after nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplants), crucifers (cabbage, radishes, etc.) and legumes (peas, beans). Do not plant them after fellow pumpkin: pumpkin, zucchini, melons and squash.

Powdery mildew caused by the fungus Erysiphe cichoracearum. The plant becomes covered with a white, scaly bloom and dies. The reasons are hot and dry weather. Treatment is carried out with drugs "Karatan 18%" or "Topaz 10%". Severely infected plants are dug up and destroyed.

Anthracnose is caused by the fungus Colletotrichum orbiculare. This is an extremely dangerous disease. Signs - watery spots, holes in the leaves, fruits covered with concave spots. The reasons are high humidity, heat, wind, rain, insects. Fighting - spraying with Bordeaux liquid, colloidal sulfur, copper oxychloride. Prevention - disinfection of seeds, destruction of plant residues, deep digging of the soil, compliance with crop rotation.

Bacterial

The most dangerous and frequent disease is angular spotting, or bacteriosis. The bacterium syringae pv serves as a carrier. lachrymans. It forms protective capsules, increasing the survivability of the pathogen.

Signs - small weeping spots on the cotyledons, yellowing of leaves and necrosis, wilting of the affected areas, the appearance of holes. Plants are very difficult to heal. Fungicidal preparations such as "Kuproksad", "Abiga-Peak" or "Fitolavin" are used.

Prevention:

• choose resistant varieties - Masha, Murashka, Lesha, Octupus, Competitor and so on;
• feed strictly on schedule;
• decontaminate seed, soil, tools;
• burn old plants from all over the site;
• perform an autumn digging to kill bacteria;
• timely treat with fungicides;
• water only with warm water.

In case of serious lesions, the plants are dug up and burned.

Viral

There are two especially dangerous viruses:

1. The mosaic is ordinary. CMV virus (Cucumber mosaic cucumovirus). Signs - chloratic spots on the leaves, their deformation and wrinkling. The reasons are low temperatures, non-compliance with crop rotation. Wrestling - "Pharmayod" water-based. A heavily infected culture is dug up and destroyed.
2. The mosaic is green. Cucumber green mottle mosaic tobamovirus (CGMMV) virus. Signs - shriveled leaves, light veins, wilting of the plant, the appearance of spots in the form of a mosaic. The reason is a sharp rise in temperature. Fighting is pointless. Plants are dug up and destroyed. Prevention - disinfection of seeds, adherence to the planting and crop rotation scheme, top dressing.

Pests

The most dangerous enemies of cucumbers:

1. Aphid. Insects suck sap from plants and can destroy all plantings. Use the drug "Iskra" or "Fitoverm".
2. Spider mite. Drinks all the juice from the leaves, completely destroying the plant. They use modern insecticides.
3. Slugs. Outwardly harmless living creatures become the main cause of serious diseases. They destroy most of the plantings. Chemicals are used: "Metaldehyde", iron vitriol. Manual collection is effective.
4. Medvedki. These creatures gnaw through the stem and root system. The plant withers and dies quickly. Medvedko-s is used.
   

   Medvedka

Other possible causes

There is another reason - a lack of lighting. Cucumber culture is very fond of light, especially in need of abundant lighting during the growth of seedlings. Lack of sun leads to stretching of sprouts, yellowing of leaves.

When growing plants in a greenhouse, you should not thicken the plantings, tie them up in time. If seedlings are being prepared, place the boxes in a well-lit room.

What to do and how to feed cucumbers if they do not grow

For the normal development of cucumbers, it is important to follow the above recommendations. Plus, feed them properly.

Chemical fertilizers

They are complex. These complex mineral fertilizers contain nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus in various proportions, enriched with additional elements.

Popular chemical fertilizers:

1. Nitroammofosk. They are introduced into heavy soil in autumn, and in spring - into light soil. Apply according to the instructions.
2. Nitrofoska. They are introduced into the land throughout the entire period of crop growth, strictly according to the instructions.
3. Ammophos. It replaces nitrophosphate well. They are used according to the same principle.

Biological preparations

Experienced summer residents prefer to use the BioBak BB-MMS fertilizer. The product contains important nutrients needed to stimulate the growth of cucumbers and high-quality fruiting. It is used as a preparation for watering, irrigation of plants and pre-sowing seed treatment. Take into account the manufacturer's recommendations.

Folk dressing

These are organic types of fertilizers. Most Popular:

1. Compost. Ripens within seven months. Plant residues of crops and food waste are taken as a basis. They are brought in in the fall with subsequent digging of the soil.
2. Bird droppings. Used when plowing the land. The norm is 5 kg per 1 sq. m plot. Frequency - every four years. For additional spring and summer feeding, one part of the litter is diluted in 20 liters of water and watered between the rows.
3. Wood ash. Sprayed over the surface of the row spacing, followed by loosening in an amount of 200 g per 1 sq. m. In the form of a solution - 100 g is diluted in 10 liters of water, poured into 0.5 liters under each bush.

Eliminating the reasons that hinder growth

The problem is always more difficult to fix. Better to prevent it. It is imperative to observe crop rotation, decontaminate seed material, carry out autumn soil preparation, and use drugs.

Diseased plants are recommended to be dug up and destroyed. This method will allow you to preserve the remaining harvest and direct your efforts to increase the fruiting of healthy cucumbers.

Important tips: how to prevent stunted cucumber growth

The tips are as follows:

1. Renew the greenhouse soil every two years. It is required to remove the topsoil and replace it with a more fertile one. Otherwise, the soil will accumulate bacteria and viruses.
2. Planting cucumbers in open ground. Send a plant to a new place only at the age of 30 days. Doing this later will damage the root system.
3. Observe the distance between seedlings at least 20 cm. Otherwise, the culture will die from lack of light and too wet soil.
4. Produce systematic watering. Avoid drought or stagnant water.
5. Purchase only high-quality seeds from trusted companies. The culture is at least three years old.

Conclusion

It is not difficult to get a rich harvest of cucumbers if you follow the basic recommendations of experienced gardeners. Be sure to inspect the crop for the presence of diseases and insects. Do not forget about the correct schedule of watering and top dressing.