Why are cucumbers bitter, how to prevent it and what to do with a harvest that is bitter

Cucumbers are a favorite vegetable of children and adults. They are salted, fermented, and consumed fresh. Experienced gardeners know that growing cucumbers is not so easy, because they need proper care. A common problem with vegetables is the bitterness of the fruit.

It is impossible to answer the question why cucumbers are bitter in one word. In this article we will tell you where bitterness comes from and how to deal with it. You will find out what you can do with such fruits and whether you should eat them.

Features of the composition of bitter cucumbers

Cucumbers are native to Southeast Asia. Their suitable habitat is tropical forests.. Vegetables grow in humid places where there is no direct sunlight. Wild cucumbers have a bitter taste. Modern varieties are bred through selective breeding and do not have bitterness. However, at the genetic level, some of them retained the ability to accumulate it.

Bad weather, sudden changes in temperature, poor nutrition are irritating factors for plants. They do not tolerate heat and cold well and react painfully to uneven watering. At such moments, the cucumbers’ anti-stress mechanism turns on and begins to produce cucurbitacin, a substance that produces bitterness. This taste indicates that the plant is experiencing stress.

What gives bitterness

For man bitterness does no harm - in moderate doses it is even useful.

The effect of bitter cucumbers on the human body:

• improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• normalize blood sugar levels;
• have analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects;
• strengthen the heart muscle;
• block the development of cancer cells.

Reasons for the bitter taste of cucumbers in greenhouses and open ground

Why are cucumbers bitter? There are many reasons. To prevent this problem, experienced gardeners carry out preventive measures before the start of the sowing period. Technologies for growing crops in a greenhouse and open ground are in many ways similar, but differ in some features.

Specifics of care in the greenhouse:

1. Due to the lack of fresh air in hot weather, the room must be ventilated.
2. The lack of natural moisture can be replaced by irrigating the ceiling and walls with water on hot days.
3. In a greenhouse, it is better to use two-row and staggered planting methods.

Features of growing crops in open ground:

1. All planting methods can be used.
2. To ventilate the plants, the beds are formed from north to south.
3. Artificially created darkening will help to avoid burns from direct sunlight. To do this, they make corn scenes near the cucumber beds or build a canopy.

Excess or lack of moisture

The cause of bitterness in cucumbers is improper watering. Lack and excess of moisture have equally negative effects on plants. Before flowering, cucumbers are watered moderately, in a volume of 5 liters per 1 m2 of planting. If the bushes have a lot of foliage and few ovaries, the plants need to be “dried out”. To do this, skip one watering.

During the flowering of cucumbers and throughout the entire fruiting period, watering is increased to 12 liters per 1 m2. Water every two days. On hot days, when the need for moisture increases, plants are moistened daily.

Important! Don't forget that cucumbers are vines native to tropical forests.That's why they like moist soil.

Watering recommendations:

1. Do not allow the soil to dry out.
2. Water at the root and between the rows.
3. Use warm water.
4. Try not to let the liquid get on the leaves.
5. In hot weather, water every day.
6. Before flowering, moisten the soil little by little.
7. During flowering and fruiting, water abundantly.

 Advice. Mulch the ground under the bushes and between the rows. This will retain moisture in the soil.

Exposure to direct sunlight

Cucumbers naturally grow in forests and climb trees, creating darkness for themselves. Exposure to direct sunlight has a negative effect on the growth and development of cucumber tops. When the leaves get burned, they become sick and the plant begins to die. In open ground, cucumbers are planted in a direction from north to south so that the sun's rays are scattered, hitting the garden bed from all sides. With this arrangement, the plants are evenly illuminated and do not suffer.

Planting density

Proper arrangement of vegetables is one of the steps to a harvest without loss. Let's look at the basic schemes for planting cucumbers and forming beds. Their choice depends on what varieties will be grown and where they will be located - in a greenhouse or open ground.

Planting patterns:

1. Double-row is suitable for varieties with underdeveloped branches or long fruits. With this method, you get one bed with two rows, the distance between which is 50 cm. A gap is made between the beds - a path of 70–90 cm. The seeds are planted at a distance of 30–40 cm from each other.
2. Single-row is suitable for vigorous varieties with long vines. Plants are planted at a distance of 20–30 cm from each other, rows are made at intervals of 50–70 cm.
3. In a checkerboard pattern. Such a bed is ventilated and illuminated from all sides. The distance between vegetables is 30 cm.When planted in a staggered manner, the cucumber vines do not intersect, the fruits grow freely, and it is easy to harvest. Leave 50 cm between rows.
4. The circular method is only suitable for growing cucumbers in open ground. Make a circle with a diameter of 1.5 m and dig grooves at a distance of 30 cm from each other. Compost or humus is placed at the bottom of each, covered with soil and a seed is planted. A large wooden support is placed in the center, to which the cucumbers are tied with twine or a thin rope.

Watering with cold water

Even with the same care for all bushes, some cucumbers turn out bitter, while others do not. The reason for this may be improper watering, and specifically the use of cold water. Cucumbers suffer greatly from it on hot days. Plant roots heated in the sun when exposed to such moisture experience stress, which leads to the production of cucurbitacin, a substance that produces bitterness.

Other factors

Other factors also influence the appearance of bitterness:

1. Poor nutrition. A lack or excess of nitrogen in the soil leads to the production of cucurbitacin. Nitrogen fertilizers begin to be applied after the fourth leaf appears. Before flowering begins, fertilize twice with an interval of 14 days. During flowering and fruiting, they switch to potassium and phosphorus fertilizers.
2. Features of culture. This problem often occurs in hybrids. When buying seeds in a store, pay attention to the presence of the inscription “No bitterness” on the package.
3. Using horse manure for fertilizer, which releases a lot of ammonia when decomposed. This produces nitrates, which leads to bitterness in cucumbers.

What to do

Identifying the cause of bitterness in cucumbers is the first step to eliminating it. Start with the right feeding.At the initial stage, nitrogen fertilizers are used, and potassium fertilizers are used during fruiting.

The following fertilizers will help you get a bountiful harvest of high-quality fruits:

1. The first is at the fourth leaf stage. Add 2 tbsp to a bucket of water. spoons of ammonia. Water half a liter of solution per bush. This will make up for the lack of nitrogen and give green mass growth.
2. Fertilize the second time after 2 weeks. Ammonium nitrate is used for this. Dilute 2 tbsp in 10 liters of water. spoons of saltpeter, water 0.5 liters per plant. Fertilizers are applied after the soil is moistened.
3. Subsequent times - potassium or phosphorus fertilizing during flowering and fruiting. Fertilize with the following solution: 1 tbsp. spoon of superphosphate, 2 tbsp. spoons of potassium phosphate, 0.5 liters of liquid manure. All components are diluted in a bucket of water. Water half a liter under the bush. The procedure is carried out 2 times per season.

To prevent diseases, foliar feeding is done with a solution of serum with iodine, treating the bushes in the evening. To do this, dilute 1 liter of whey and 3-4 drops of iodine in 10 liters of water.

The following methods will help you achieve a positive result in the fight against bitterness:

1. Maintaining humidity levels. This is important for shaping the taste of cucumbers. The air in the greenhouse should be moist, for which the walls and paths are sprayed with water. The greenhouse is regularly ventilated. In open ground, the row spacing is watered.
2. Regular and timely watering. At the beginning of growth, irrigation is moderate with an interval of 2-3 days. During flowering and fruiting, watering is increased. Use 1 liter of water per bush. In hot weather, the volume increases, the soil is moistened every day. Not only the beds are irrigated, but also the row spacing.
3. Temperature control. Cold and hot weather have equally negative effects on plants.To prevent bitterness in open ground, mulch the soil. The temperature in the greenhouse is regulated as follows: the room is closed at night and ventilated during the day.
4. Use of proven planting material. It is recommended to choose seeds without genetic bitterness. For example, grow hybrids Hermann and Santana.

For feeding, use organic fertilizers such as mullein or bird droppings.

Important! Do not water cucumbers with cold water.

How to use bitter cucumbers

If you find such fruits, do not rush to throw them away. There are several ways to use them:

1. In conservation. Salads for the winter are prepared from such vegetables; fermented, marinate. When cooked, the bitterness disappears.
2. In the preparation of masks for facial skin care. If you regularly wipe your face with cucumber peel, the number of acne will decrease.
3. In the treatment of burns and diaper rash in children and adults.

Bitter fruits can be eaten after peeling them. Soaking in water is also used.

How to prevent cucumber bitterness

Preventing bitterness is not difficult if you understand the reason why such a taste comes from. Proper agricultural technology will help avoid this problem.

Recommended activities:

• soil preparation before planting - adding humus and compost;
• use of light, non-acidic soil (lime is added to deoxidize the soil);
• exclusion of stressful situations: drying out of the soil, watering with cold water, drafts, direct sunlight;
• watering regime without excess or lack of moisture;
• ensuring normal lighting and humidity in the greenhouse;
• fertilizing in accordance with the periods of plant growth;
• choosing a variety without a genetic predisposition to bitterness;
• maintaining soil moisture by mulching the soil with grass, hay, and sawdust.

Varieties of non-bitter cucumbers

To choose a vegetable crop that will produce non-bitter fruits, it is important to know the following nuances:

1. Dark-fruited varieties are more prone to bitterness.
2. Long-fruited or salad cucumbers rarely taste bitter. Among them, Athena F1, Angelina F1, Ajax F1, Virenta F1 stand out.
3. Black-thorned cucumbers have a bitter taste.

Advice. Use varieties that are popular in your area.

Conclusion

The cucumbers that we grow in our gardens are obtained through selection from wild plants. In nature, they grew in tropical forests and had a bitter taste. The plant is capricious in care, and violation of growing technology causes stress for it. Improper watering, lack or excess of nitrogen fertilizers, heat, cold and other negative factors lead to the production of cucurbitacin, a substance that produces bitterness.

By placing the beds from north to south, you will provide the plants with ventilation and save them from direct sunlight. Feeding with ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium phosphate will replenish the need of cucumbers for these substances. Proper watering without waterlogging and drying out the soil, as well as different planting methods will be the key to success in the fight against bitterness in vegetables.