Why cucumbers don’t grow in a greenhouse and how to effectively deal with this problem

Cucumbers are a popular and relatively unpretentious vegetable crop. Many factors influence fruit growth: temperature, weather conditions, soil composition. Novice agronomists do not always follow the instructions for planting and caring for cucumbers, so they encounter problems during cultivation.

In this article we will look at why cucumbers do not grow in a greenhouse and how to fix it.

Reasons for poor growth of greenhouse cucumbers

Closed conditions have a number of advantages that increase plant productivity: light transmission, thermal insulation, greenhouse effect, protection from rain, wind and early planting of vegetables.

Despite the advantages, some factors significantly affect the growth of cucumbers:

• poor soil composition;
• watering errors;
• inappropriate temperature;
• pollination problems;
• various diseases and pests;
• incorrectly selected fertilizers.

Let's look at each of the reasons in detail.

Poor soil composition

Before planting cucumbers in the ground, it is important to take care of mineral and organic fertilizing of the soil. The land is prepared in the fall, after the harvest.

First of all, remove all weeds with roots and dig up the ground. Prepare a solution from 300 g of lime and 10 liters of water, leave it for 3 hours. The entire greenhouse is treated with the product, without missing a single crack. Manure is added to the soil and everything is dug up again. The soil is left in this form for the next year.

A week before planting in the ground They add fertilizers necessary for plant growth: nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.20 g of potassium sulfate and superphosphate are poured per 1 m2. They dig everything up, water it with warm water and cover it with film. Remove it only before planting cucumbers.

Reference. To prevent bacteria from developing in the soil, it is changed every 2 years.

Mistakes when watering

Cucumbers need regular moisture, but not in excess, otherwise the bushes begin to rot and the lower part of the fruit changes color. When watered infrequently, vegetables become bitter.

The optimal frequency of irrigation is once every 2 days. Water is used that has been settled at a temperature of +20…+23°C.

Unsuitable temperature

Cucumbers are heat-loving plants: the air temperature during their growing season is maintained at +20...26°C. Otherwise, the bushes will not develop.

Reference. Seedlings require special care. Until the seedlings grow to 6 cm, they are covered with film and ventilated several times a day.

Pollination problems

Proper pollination is one of the factors in obtaining a high-quality harvest. There are parthenocarpic varieties (self-pollinating) and those that are pollinated by insects. When cultivated in a greenhouse or greenhouse, the latter often require human help. Pollination is carried out with a soft brush. Pollen is collected from male flowers and carefully transferred to the female flower.

Diseases and pests

Cucumbers are susceptible to various diseases:

1. Root rot - Occurs with excessive watering, the stems become thin and darken. The pesticide “Previkur” is used for control. Take 20 ml of the substance per 10 liters of water and pour it under the root.
2. Powdery mildew. The main reason is rainy and cool weather. In diseased plants, a white coating appears on the underside of the leaves, the fruits lose moisture and become bitter.The drug “Topaz” in a volume of 2 ml is dissolved in 10 liters of warm water and sprayed on the bushes.
3. Cladosporiosis - fungal infection spreads quickly at high humidity and temperature. Dark brown spots appear on the fruits, and the cucumbers become deformed. Such fruits are not eaten. Against the disease, 20 g of Oxychoma are dissolved in 10 liters of water and sprayed on the bushes.

Main crop pests:

1. Spider mite - the insect drinks the juice from the leaves and envelops them in a web. As a result, the plants die. To combat the pest, biological preparations (Fitoverm) are used.
2. Aphid - when it appears, a significant part of the crop dies. An infusion of onion peels is used against the insect.
3. Slug spreads fungal spores. Pests are collected by hand.

When planting, the drug “Terradox” is used against soil insects: it is added both to the soil and to the surface.

Glyokladin is used to protect plants from diseases and pests. When picking seedlings, the tablets are placed directly into the holes.

Cultivation rules and ways to increase productivity

To ensure the growth of the culture, it is regularly feed, are treated against diseases and pests, and follow the rules of agricultural technology.

Feeding

Over the entire season, fertilizers are applied no more than 4 times. Nitrogen is added during the development of leaves and shoots. Phosphorus is important in flower formation. Potassium is used during the fruiting period.

Additional fertilizing is applied only if necessary, if the bushes show signs of a lack of a particular substance.

The first fertilizing is applied 2 weeks after planting the bushes. The second - at the beginning of flowering, the next - during fruiting.

According to the method of applying fertilizer there are:

• root;
• foliar.

Root feeding

In this case, nutrients are applied directly to the roots of the plants. Such products are used in the evening, after sunset.

How to feed the plants? At the first stage, an infusion of manure (1:6) or chicken droppings (1:15) is used from organic matter. From mineral fertilizers, add a solution of potassium salt, superphosphate, ammonium nitrate (10 g of each) and 10 liters of water.

When cucumbers bloom, add an ash solution: take 1 tbsp per 10 liters of water. ash. An infusion of green herbs (1:5) is also suitable.

At the third stage, potassium nitrate is poured under the root (25 g of the substance is dissolved in 10 liters of water). Use urea (50 g per 10 liters of liquid).

The last fertilization with ash solution prolongs the fruiting of the crop.

Foliar feeding

Nutrients are sprayed onto the leaves and stems of plants, especially in cold weather when the roots cannot cope with the load. The bushes are irrigated with small doses in the evening.

Foliar feeding is applied at the stage of ovary formation. Prepare the product from 10 liters of water and 35 g of superphosphate.

At the fruiting stage, the leaves are sprayed with urea (10 g per 10 liters of water). At the last feeding, the concentration of the product is increased: instead of 10 g, take 15 g.

Greenhouse treatment

Timely treatment of the greenhouse will reduce the risk of cucumber diseases and pests.

After harvesting, the room is disinfected with a formaldehyde solution. The drug is quite toxic, so safety precautions are taken when working with it.

Products such as Virocide and Kickstart will disinfect the greenhouse. Processing is carried out according to the specified instructions.

Agrotechnical techniques

Compliance with the rules of crop care will ensure their proper development and a rich harvest:

• for the growth of cucumbers, they are carefully tied with synthetic twine or hemp 4 days after picking the seedlings;
• observe the temperature regime in the greenhouse: the warmer it is outside, the higher the temperature should be inside;
• Before fruiting begins, cucumbers are watered after 3-5 days, spending 3-4 liters per 1 m2. When vegetables ripen, the bushes are moistened after 2-3 days, and 3 times more water is used. In hot weather, the crop is watered daily;
• Foliar feeding is applied once every 2-3 weeks. In cold, prolonged weather - once a week.

Prevention measures

To prolong the growth of cucumbers, preventive measures are taken to prevent diseases and pest attacks:

• do not plant crops in one place for several years in a row;
• after harvesting, remove all plant residues from the beds;
• do not apply excess fertilizers;
• water the bushes only with warm water;
• dig up weeds in a timely manner;
• the soil is loosened and mulched.

Advice from experienced vegetable growers

To ensure that the bushes develop quickly and the fruits are tasty and juicy, experienced gardeners adhere to some rules:

1. The seedlings are watered only with warm, settled water. Since seedlings cannot tolerate cold, they may die in the first stages of their development.
2. If the cucumbers begin to taste bitter, increase the frequency of watering. They moisturize not only the bushes themselves, but also the soil around them.
3. Vegetables need fertile soil. Therefore, before planting, add 10 kg of compost, 50 g of potassium chloride and 50 g of superphosphate per 1 m2.
4. Create 2 rows of cucumbers in one bed. The distance between them is at least 50 cm.
5. Seedlings are pinched when 4 leaves appear on the stem.
6. Select varieties with high disease resistance. Regular inspection of the bushes will allow you to identify signs of plant damage in time.
7. They remove the fruits several times a day so that the bushes form new ones. This way the cucumbers will not turn yellow.

Conclusion

Cucumbers, like other types of vegetable crops, require special care. After each harvest, the greenhouse is disinfected.

Cucumbers are susceptible to various diseases and pest attacks. To avoid these problems, preventive measures are followed: do not grow the crop several times in one place, systematically water it and fertilize it. When plants are damaged, folk remedies and special chemicals are used.

Over the entire season, fertilizing is applied no more than 4 times. During the development of leaves and shoots, plants need nitrogen, during flowering - phosphorus, and during fruiting - potassium. Mineral products alternate with organic ones.