Why don't cucumbers grow in the greenhouse and what to do?

If it becomes obvious that greenhouse cucumbers are not getting the proper development, it is necessary to take emergency measures before the situation gets out of control. In order to draw up a plan for carrying out rescue measures, it is important to establish the cause of the negative phenomenon.

It is not for nothing that cucumbers are considered a whimsical crop, because a number of agrotechnical mistakes can lead to the absence of the expected harvest. These difficulties lead to the fact that many amateurs refuse to breed this culture altogether. However, purposeful owners of private plots methodically comprehend the technology of growing greenhouse cucumbers, achieving the most optimistic results.

The fertile composition of the soil dries out over time, which becomes the main reason why cucumbers do not grow in the greenhouse. The main thing that needs to be done for this is to systematically replenish the composition of the soil with special additives. A complete renewal of the soil composition is carried out every 3 years. To do this, it is necessary to remove the top layer to a depth of about 25 cm, replacing it with a fresh composition enriched with humus, sand and peat.

It also happens that after flowering, young fruits have successfully set, but instead of the expected development, they suddenly begin to dry out and fall. This suggests that plants need periodic feeding, especially if you have to deal with marginal soil. In this case, the first feeding is carried out directly at the time of planting the seedlings.

If the planting is done too tightly, the plants have to withstand the competition, which significantly reduces the rate of their development. As a result, they not only grow slowly, but sometimes disappear completely. The quantitative indicator of the yield can be negatively affected by insufficient ventilation or low light. These reasons are eliminated by the regulated nature of planting, when 20 cm is kept between the shoots, and 60 cm is left for the inter-row space.

Temperature control is considered another important condition for the full development of culture. The optimal difference between day and night air temperature should be +25 and +15 degrees, respectively. If the temperature drops below +15 degrees, the plants will suffer from slow growth and poor ovary formation. In addition, the fruit can take on a distorted (twisted) shape. If the temperature rise exceeds the limit of +30 degrees, the fertilization process will be disrupted, and the ovaries will cease to form.

A lack of fertilizer can cause seedlings to die, and the planted plants droop and do not develop. If this did not happen, and all the sprouts after planting have taken up well, you should not stop feeding, so that growth does not stop. Sometimes even successfully adopted cucumbers subsequently die.

You should know that an excess of the nitrogen component leads to the active development of the tops, and the plant does not have the strength for full-fledged fruiting. The leaves become bright green in color and differ in their size. But the activity of ovary formation is noticeably reduced, most of the flowers bloom in vain.

A high nitrogen content is accompanied by a lack of phosphorus, as well as potassium, which the plant needs for the formation and development of fruits. At each stage of development, the plant needs a certain composition of feeding, depending on the current phase of growth.

For feeding the roots, either dry mixtures or liquid substances are used. Dry mineral compositions must be added to the soil during the period of mass cultivation - after the winter frosts have gone, as well as at the time of planting, adding a small amount to each hole. Liquid solutions are much more effective to use during the period of active development of the plant, due to the ability to quickly assimilate. When applying top dressing, you should rely on the instructions and advice of gardeners for a specific drug.

Foliar dressing allows you to maintain the vitality of the plant during the transition to the next phase of development. They are produced at the stage of active growth, at the time of flowering, as well as at the stage of fruiting. This enhancer improves both the efficiency of growth and the ability to form and develop fruit. Irrigation is carried out at a flow rate of 100 ml of active composition per 1 m2.

Various diseases caused by pathogenic fungi can lead to serious difficulties in the development of cucumbers. The fungus lives and develops in the soil, from where it subsequently attacks the plant. The uncontrolled development of fungal organisms leads to the destruction of the culture.

To prevent plants from suffering from this disease, it is recommended to take measures to prevent the spread of the pathogen. For this purpose, you should adhere to some recommendations:

• provide systematic ventilation of the greenhouse;

• do not leave plant residues on the beds;

• do not use cold water and sprinkler techniques for irrigation.

When the first signs of the disease appear, it is necessary to suspend watering for a period of 5 days. During this period, plants are treated with a one percent composition of a Bordeaux mixture or copper oxychloride with a 0.4% content.

To prevent the development of root rot, the following conditions must be created:

• observe the regulated distance between crops;

• remove plant residues from the soil in time;

• exclude watering with cold water.

At the first signs of the onset of the disease, it is necessary to take measures to stimulate the development of new root processes. For this purpose, fertile soil 5 cm deep is poured onto each plant.This will allow the cucumbers to re-root.

You can prevent the development of this disease by taking the following measures:

• collect fruits and plant residues in a timely manner;

• disinfect the greenhouse after harvest using formalin solution;

• keep the air temperature within 25 degrees;

• provide watering with warm water;

• use powdery mildew resistant hybrids.

At the first signs of the onset of the disease, it is necessary to treat the plants with a solution of copper oxychloride. For its preparation, use 40 g of a concentrated mixture, diluted in 10 liters of water. And you can also use colloidal sulfur, it is also diluted with 40 g in 10 liters of water.

Various insecticides help organize pest control. In their absence, you can use the practice of using folk remedies.

The first measure of protection against this pest is a mosquito net, which must be installed on the vents and doorways. In addition, it is necessary to monitor the absence of weeds in the soil.

If an insect has been spotted, you should resort to traps. For this purpose, a piece of plywood is painted with white paint, and after drying, it is smeared with petroleum jelly (you can use castor oil). As an additional preventive measure, you can periodically rinse the cucumber leaves from the bottom, where the whitefly strives to arrange its clutch.

This type of pest is spread mainly by weeds. This means that the first measure of salvation will be their absence from the beds. As an active agent for counteracting aphids, tobacco and hot pepper infusions are used. In this case, 200 g of tobacco is mixed with 30 g of chopped pepper pods, poured with hot soapy water (10 l) and infused for 24 hours. And you can also use a different mixture, when 2 glasses of ash are poured into 10 liters of hot soapy water. This composition also needs to be insisted for a day.

To avoid damage to the root system when planting seedlings, you can plant seeds in previously prepared beds. And also for seedlings, individual dishes are often used, from which the plant is transplanted along with the ground.

It is necessary to remember about additional feeding of plants during the period of the appearance of ovaries, which are in high need of nutrients. It is better to harvest fruits in the morning or in the evening. Fruits not harvested in time will overripe and hinder the development of new formations.

Excessive vegetative mass also inhibits fruit development by redirecting nutrients for its own maintenance. Excess leaves are removed, which also helps to reduce the degree of shading that poses a threat to young ovaries.