Why do cucumber leaves dry and what to do about it?

Summer residents often face such a problem as drying out of cucumber bushes. This can be caused by a variety of reasons. Because of what such a problem may arise and what to do with it, we will tell you in detail in this article.

Cultivation errors are one of the reasons why cucumber leaves can dry out. So, this culture is able to grow and develop well only if there is a sufficient amount of light and heat - this applies to both cucumbers that grow in open ground and greenhouse vegetables.

Hypothermia of the plant should not be allowed.... With sharp jumps in temperature, cucumbers will turn yellow, with long cold temperatures - dry, turn yellow and fall off, in this case it will not be possible to save them. And with prolonged contact with cold surfaces (for example, with greenhouse glass), they will curl and dry out.

Overheating for cucumbers is also harmful, this must be carefully monitored, since the plant in especially hot periods can get burned, which will also lead to drying out and yellow foliage. This can happen due to the contact of the leaves of the bush with hot greenhouse walls, as well as due to the ingress of water droplets when watering the greenery of the bush.

Poor care can also lead to problems with cucumber bushes.

• This may be a violation of the water regime.... With a lack of water, cucumbers will dry out, wither and slow down their growth, especially in hot weather. As a rule, during dry periods, plants are watered every day, and sometimes twice: in the early morning they irrigate the plants quite a bit, and in the evening they arrange abundant watering. If there is no opportunity to arrange daily watering, then you can water the plant once every few days, but at the same time, water must be applied in large volumes, right under the root of the bush. However, overdoing it with watering is also not worth it, as this can cause plant diseases. When watering, you need to pay attention to the water temperature. So, in a greenhouse, the bushes need to be watered only with warm water.
• Incorrect application of top dressing is another common mistake of many summer residents when caring for cucumber bushes, due to which the plants begin to dry out and wither. As a rule, this happens due to a deficiency of minerals in the soil, namely nitrogen. It is possible to determine that the bush lacks this mineral by the following signs: the tips of the leaves of the bush begin to turn yellow, over time the entire leaf blade becomes yellow, which later dries up and curls. However, keep in mind that overfeeding the plant with fertilizers is also not worth it, as this can entail a number of certain problems.
• Do not forget about the cleaning of weeds. By themselves, they are usually completely harmless, but it is weeds that are most often carriers of parasitic insects, which subsequently bring many problems to cucumber bushes.

Diseases can also cause the leaves of the cucumber bush to dry out.

• The most common disease is powdery mildew.... This is a fungal disease, due to which photosynthesis is disrupted in the plant. Subsequently, the leaves become stained, turn yellow and dry.If this fungal disease is detected, the affected leaves must be eliminated, the top layer of the soil replaced and the bush thoroughly sprayed with special means. "Fundazol", "Skor", "Topaz" and "Vitaros" are perfect.

• Root rot can also cause the plant to dry out and turn yellow, as it begins to spread from the bottom to the top. A bush can become infected with a disease due to cold water, thickening of plantings, high humidity and cool weather. To get rid of this disease, it is necessary to eliminate diseased plants, and also to spray the plantings with special biological preparations, for example, "Trichodermin", "Fitosporin", "Gamair" and "Planriz".

• Late blight - another disease that can cause wilting and drying out of the bush. The disease enters the plant through the capillaries of the foliage, which blocks the supply of nutrients. It is quite difficult to treat this disease, but it is possible. This can be done with the help of specialized preparations: for example, you can use Bordeaux liquid, copper sulfate, Fitosporin and Topaz.

This insect infects many plants growing in the garden. It feeds on the juices of plantings, the consequence of which is the wilting of the cucumber bush, the discoloration of the leaf, the appearance of holes. As a rule, this small parasite lives on the back of the leaf blade, and in large numbers. If the pest did not have time to breed, you can fight it with the help of folk remedies. For this, soapy water, onion, garlic and ash are suitable. If the parasite has managed to breed, it is recommended to use chemical agents. Among them, funds such as Fufanon, Alatar, Iskra, Aktara, Confidor, Biotlin and Tanrek.

The whitefly is a small butterfly that often settles on cucumber bushes. Its size does not exceed 2 millimeters, however, despite its small size, it is capable of causing enormous damage to plantings. This butterfly actively feeds on plant juices, which is why the culture slows down its growth, stops developing, dries up, and the fruits are poorly formed. In addition, soot spots may appear on the leaves of the bush, which is due to a substance that this parasite secretes when feeding. As a result, the plant simply dies.

You can fight this harmful insect with the help of chemicals - it is especially recommended to use "Fufanon" and "Actellik", since it is these drugs that have shown themselves to be the most effective... However, it is recommended to use them only in advanced cases, since funds of this kind are highly toxic.

Mealybug is a small insect that attacks cultivated plantations with entire colonies. This parasite looks like a small white worm. It actively feeds on the plant's cellular juices, extracting it from foliage, buds and roots, which inhibits the culture and inhibits its growth. As a result, the plant dies. In addition, the parasite brings other problems to the plant. When feeding, it secretes such a sticky substance as honeydew, it is the best breeding ground for the fungus.

This pest multiplies very quickly. In advanced cases, it will most likely be pointless to deal with it, the plant will have to be eliminated so that the pest does not migrate to healthy plantings.... If you managed to notice the mealybug in the early stages of its appearance, then in this case you can use chemicals such as Aktara, Fitoverm and Biotlin, or folk remedies based on garlic, citrus peel, soap or calendula ...

This is another small parasite, about 3 millimeters in size. It has a flat body with a dense shield, and its coloring can vary depending on the species - it can be greenish, brown, yellowish, brown or light. During the season, the female of such a pest is able to lay about a thousand eggs, while after laying the adult insect dies. The hatched larvae of this pest intensively feed on the juices of the plant.

The scale insects are extremely harmful to young shoots. In the affected plants, leaves begin to fall off, the plant itself weakens, and loses the ability to form fruit ovaries. In addition, the parasite secretes a special sticky substance that prevents the plant from absorbing oxygen and inhibits the process of photosynthesis.

You can fight this parasite with the help of chemicals, which are recommended only in advanced cases. Among such funds, "Aktara", "Admiral" and "Bitoxibacillin" are especially distinguished. Before using these funds, you must carefully read the instructions, which are usually located directly on the package.