Why cucumbers stop growing and do not bear fruit
It happens that when growing cucumbers, the flowers crumble, the leaves turn yellow, the fruits grow small and irregular in shape, or the cucumbers bloomed a lot, but there are no ovaries. Why don't cucumbers grow? Let's consider the main reasons in the article.
Reasons for stopping the growth and fruiting of cucumbers
Causes of poor growth
There are several factors that influence the suspension of the growth of culture:
- Cucumber variety. There are two types of hybrids: self-pollinating (parthenocarpic) and pollinating in a traditional way. Parthenocarpic varieties are considered to be more productive.
- Violation of the landing dates. Cucumber is a crop that grows and thrives in warm climates. Seedlings are planted outdoors or seeds are sown after the air temperature drops below 15˚C.
- Seed quality. Seeds for sowing are either purchased or harvested independently, but matured for at least 1-2 years. Before sowing, your own seeds must be treated with a manganese solution.
- Lack of sunny color. The cucumber is picky about light, seedlings and an adult plant must be provided with good lighting.
- Lack of heat. This factor leads to a slowdown in the growth of zelents. The seedlings are starting to hurt. Prolonged cold snap leads to the loss of sprouts.
- Nutrient Deficiency. To eliminate this cause, the plant is regularly fed with mineral and organic fertilizers.
- Neglecting the shaping of the whip. For good development and abundant fruiting, the tops are trimmed. This will stop the growth of the plant in length, and the number of female flowers and side shoots will increase.
- Lack or excess of moisture leads to a slowdown in the growth of seedlings. In excessively moist soil, the plant grows intensively, but it will begin to build up green mass, and the formation of ovaries slows down. In dry soil, growth stops, the flowers dry and crumble, the plant turns pale, withers and dies.
- Powdery mildew disease, anthracnose leads to the weakening of the plant. Zelentsy spend their strength to fight the disease and stop bearing fruit.
- The appearance of aphids. Large colonies result in the loss of entire patches of cucumbers.
Recommendations before disembarking
Variety selection
Self-pollinating varieties are ideal not only for greenhouses, but also for open ground. In addition to self-pollination, parthenocarpic varieties have other positive qualities:
- ease of care;
- disease resistance;
- less susceptibility to pest attacks.
When choosing a variety pollinated by bees, you can increase the yield by spraying the plants with a mild sweet solution. It can be made from sugar or honey. Take 1 tbsp. l. and diluted in 1 glass of water. Flowering plants are treated 2 times a week, as a result, pollination problems will disappear.
Many varieties with bundled ovary formation throw off most of the fruits that are tied, since the plant is not able to feed everything.
Disembarkation dates
Seeds are sown for seedlings in late February and early March. Depending on the variety, 60-80 days before the intended planting in the garden. Seedlings of cucumbers are planted in greenhouses or hotbeds on the 10th of May. In open ground - in late May and early June.
Seeds are sown directly into the soil in the garden bed after mid-May. Soil temperature should be around 15˚C. The holes are made no more than 2 cm deep, otherwise the seeds will germinate for a long time or will not germinate at all.
Seed preparation
Seeds are hardened before planting.
If the recommendation for seed aging is not followed, the grown plants form first male flowers - barren flowers, and only then female ones. Or, on the contrary, when aging for 2-3 years, female flowers are formed earlier or simultaneously with male ones.
In order for fresh seeds to form female flowers, they are heated or pre-sowing hardened in negative or variable temperatures.
Care features
Lighting
With insufficient lighting, cucumber seedlings turn pale, turn yellow, stretch and wither. To avoid this, cucumbers are grown in the sunniest place. Also, the lack of light can be caused by the fact that too many seedlings are planted in the garden. To prevent this, they make a layout of the site and observe the planting scheme.
Temperature
For growing crops, they choose places that are well protected from drafts and winds. Seeds and seedlings are hardened to increase their resistance to cold.
To protect the plant from temperature changes, the soil is mulched. The soil is covered with hay, dry grass or sawdust. Mulching can also be done with leaves or needles. It is permissible to purchase a special film for mulching the soil. This method will help regulate the daily soil temperature, retain moisture, and control the growth of weeds.
It is impossible to supercool the plants with cold water: this significantly slows down plant growth.
Nutrients
The imbalance of nutrients is manifested by abundant growth of green mass, the plant blooms little, the fruits grow irregularly shaped, the amount of ovary decreases. In this case, the plant is fed with phosphorus fertilizers at the rate of 2 tbsp. l. superphosphate per 10 liters of water.
If the leaves turn yellow, and the vegetable itself has acquired a pear-shaped shape, the plant does not have enough potassium.
Coarsening of leaves, covering of fruits with thorns more than usual, slowing growth - all these are indicators of the need for feeding with a weak urea solution.
Shaping the whip
Side shoots bear fruit most abundantly in cucumber, therefore it is recommended to mold them no more than 45 cm long. The main stem is left about 1 m long.After pinching, the seedlings are watered abundantly.
numerous barren flowers do not remove: they increase the percentage of plant pollination.
Watering
Cucumbers are watered 3-4 times a week. They take the water that is settled and preferably warm. Water the soil around the plant, not under the root. The best option is drip irrigation.
Before flowering, watering is temporarily stopped so that the leaves drop slightly: this gives an impetus for the abundant formation of female flowers.
Diseases and pests
Disease Signs and Control:
- Powdery mildew. A symptom of the disease is the appearance of white spots on the leaves. As a result, the plant slows down growth and forms few ovaries. Cucumbers are treated with a mixture of 10 liters of water and 10 drops of iodine. The frequency of spraying for treatment and prevention is once a week.
- Anthracnose disease. Round spots appear on the upper side of the leaves, which are covered with a pinkish bloom on the back of the leaf. Ulcers form over time. To avoid spreading the disease, all damaged leaves are removed and burned. The plant is sprayed with Bordeaux 1% liquid.
Aphid
Aphids are a dangerous pest. It feeds on plant juices, which is why they cease to bear fruit and eventually die.
To combat aphids, the plant is washed with warm water with the addition of laundry soap.Then it is treated with a mixture of 60 ml of garlic infusion and 10 liters of water.
Conclusion
There are many reasons for the poor growth and fruiting of cucumbers. But knowing the signs of ailments and methods of eliminating them, you can really get a bountiful harvest.