Cucumbers have stopped growing because it’s cold - what to do: tips
During spring frosts, some gardeners cover cucumbers with the help of metal arcs and modern textiles.
In cold weather, plant growth is inhibited, the roots do not absorb nutrients well so that the cucumbers grow, experienced vegetable growers advise spraying the bushes after watering, in the morning or evening, in cloudy weather cucumbers completely, with aqueous solutions (10-15 g of product per 1 bucket of water) of “Kemira”, “Kristallion”, “Rastvorin” products. When it's cold, it's better to feed cucumbers through the leaves . You can also spray the bushes with water with a growth stimulant added to it (Epin).
Other fans of growing vegetables in beds, during cold weather, install arcs and cover them with film , but under the film the plants are cold and damp, so it is better to cover them with a special material (agrotex, lutrasil) , which appeared not so long ago. It is also known that plants in the dark tolerate cold better, so experienced plant owners cover the plants with a tarpaulin, rags and straw during frosts.
Also, some vegetable growers recommend making “warm beds” for planting cucumbers in the fall . They are done like this:
- We dig a groove 30 cm deep
- We spread it with a thin layer of tops, potato peelings, grass without seeds, and cover it with earth.
- In the spring we plant cucumbers; they are much warmer in such a bed than in a regular bed.
So, now we know what to do if the cucumbers grow poorly, the leaves turn yellow, and the cucumbers do not set.
Why don't cucumbers grow after germination?
So, you sowed cucumbers, they sprouted, but then suddenly stopped growing. Let's figure out the reasons and what to do in this case.
Low air temperature
Cucumber bushes grow if the air temperature does not drop below 15 degrees even at night. During the day, the air should warm up to 25.
If it’s colder at night, the cucumbers stop growing.
What to do
It is necessary to cover the bushes with film, spunbond, buckets or halves of plastic bottles. Installing temporary greenhouses on arcs will help.
If it gets too cold at night, then hot bricks or bottles of hot water should be placed in greenhouses and greenhouses.
Lack of moisture
Cucumbers need a lot of water to grow. When the weather is dry, watering should be every 2 days. The soil should be saturated to a depth of 10 cm.
ON A NOTE. In a greenhouse, cucumbers need to be watered every day, and sometimes even 2 times a day.
Do not forget about the rules of watering: pour water only at the root, without getting on the leaves, use only warm, settled water.
What to do
Adjust the watering regime, use a drip irrigation system to regularly irrigate the plantings.
Micronutrient deficiency
Cucumber bushes grow with sufficient nitrogen. Its deficiency can be determined by yellowed shoots, slowed growth, thinning and stiff vines.
What to do
It is necessary to compensate for the nitrogen deficiency by fertilizing with nitrogen-containing fertilizer.
Of the mineral preparations, preference should be given to urea. To prepare the working solution, dissolve a tablespoon of the product in a standard ten-liter bucket of water.
Water at the root twice with an interval of one week.
Thickened plantings
In order for cucumbers to grow well, they are planted with a distance of 30-40 cm between individual plants and 80 cm between rows.
When planted too densely, plants begin to interfere with each other, which affects how quickly they grow.
What to do
First, plant seeds and seedlings, following the planting step recommendations. If seedlings have already appeared, they can be thinned out.
If you don’t want to pull out the plants, then you need to make vertical supports to which you can tie the lashes. In other words, grow cucumbers vertically.
Lack of sunlight
Cucumbers must be planted in a well-lit area, otherwise they will not grow well.
What to do
Get rid of plants that block sunlight from the crop. If these are perennial plantings, then only replanting can help.
Lack of formation
The fact that cucumbers have stopped growing may be due to an excess of greenery, that is, vines and leaves.
What to do
In this case, the cucumbers must be blinded, that is, the stepsons and leaves must be removed after the 5th leaf.
Diseases and pests
The development of fungal infections and the presence of pests also has an impact on the fact that cucumbers stop growing.
What to do
If the weather is warm, then the drug Fitosporin-M will help against diseases. If the temperature is below 20 degrees, then it is better to use Abiga-Peak.
Aktara will help against parasitic insects.
Diseases
It is not uncommon for various plant diseases to cause poor growth of cucumbers. You can figure out the specific reason for the poor growth of cucumbers using different symptoms.
For example, when rot develops, wet spots of different colors appear on the plant. The disease begins to affect plants from the root, moving to the top.
When powdery mildew becomes the cause, a white coating is visible on the leaves. When cucumbers are infected with angular spot, olive-colored spots appear on the underside of the leaves.
What to feed and water to speed up growth
To make cucumbers grow faster, they can be fed with liquid fertilizers, which will have a positive effect on the growth rate of the crop:
- Urea. A tablespoon is diluted in a bucket of water. Water at the root.
- Chicken droppings. Prepare a concentrate from 1 part chicken manure and 10 parts water. Leave for 4 days, stirring regularly. To prepare the working solution, the concentrate is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 10.
- Green manure. Fill the barrel a third with chopped weeds, add water and let it ferment for a week. Dilute the finished concentrate 1 to 5 and water it at the root.
- Yeast infusion. Use this product only after fertilizing with organic matter. Dissolve 10 grams of dry yeast in a bucket of warm water, add a tablespoon of sugar and leave to ferment for several hours. To prepare a working solution, dilute 1 to 5 with water.
- Bread sourdough. Fill 2/3 of a bucket of water with bread crumbs. Leave to ferment for a week and a half. Strain, mix with water 1 to 3, water the cucumbers at the root.
- Potassium humate. A tablespoon per bucket for watering or a teaspoon per equal volume for spraying leaves.
ON A NOTE. You can only water the fertilizer on pre-moistened soil, otherwise there is a high risk of chemical burns to the roots.
End of the season
Regardless of whether cucumbers grow on a windowsill, in a greenhouse or open ground, they are characterized by a one-year cycle. After a sufficient number of fruits and seeds have ripened, the plant dries out and ends its life cycle. The standard fruiting period is 4 weeks, but if you promptly apply small doses of fertilizer to the bush (Growth, Agrolife), you can extend the harvest period to 5-6 weeks. The use of fresh vermicompost is also effective.
Important!
Mild stress on cucumbers caused by daily fruit picking causes the plant to form additional ovaries and increase fruiting time.
In order not to encounter the problem of why cucumbers do not grow on the windowsill, you need to pay special attention to the choice of seeds and location. It is better to use high-yielding paternocarpic varieties that do not cause difficulties with pollination. You should also carefully prepare the soil, paying attention to disinfection and drainage. Peat tablets and small cups are well suited for growing seedlings. The optimal temperature for germination and growth is +20-24°C. Pay special attention to regular watering and fertilizing.
The correct temperature regime for cucumbers in a greenhouse and how to maintain it
Too hot or too cold days have a bad effect on crop growth.
At this time, the ovaries are not formed. Therefore, you should maintain a comfortable temperature.
- On hot days, it is necessary to ventilate the greenhouse. Bushes can be shaded using old newspapers or light fabrics so that they are not exposed to direct sunlight.
- During cold weather, you can place large bottles filled with hot water in the greenhouse. Once the water has cooled, it must be replaced. Before sunset, you need to water the beds with warm water, which will evaporate and warm the air in the greenhouse at night.
Tips from Mister Summer Resident
To ensure a happy harvest, you should listen to the advice of experienced gardeners.
- Use settled water for irrigation.
- If a bitter taste appears, you need to water more often, trying to moisten the soil around the bushes.
- Before planting, increase the soil fertility by adding compost (10 kg), potassium chloride (50 g), superphosphate (50 g). The amount of fertilizer is given per 1 square meter.
- On each bed you can plant two rows of plants, between which you need to maintain a distance of 0.5 m.
- After the appearance of 4 leaves, pinching is carried out.
- Inspect the shoots in a timely manner so as not to miss the appearance of pests or diseases.
- Harvest the crop in time so that the shoots can form new cucumbers.
Varieties suitable for home use
When growing cucumbers on a balcony or windowsill at home, you need to take into account that not all varieties are suitable. Only compact and non-pollinated types of cucumbers can adapt to indoor growing. List of candidate varieties (designation F1 symbolizes hybrid varieties):
- Balagan F1;
- Balcony F1;
- Garland F1;
- Calendar F1;
- Hummingbird F1;
- Tomboy F1;
The listed varieties are characterized by miniature leaves and stems. Gherkins and pickles are excellent for planting in an apartment. This, for example, is the variety Balagan F1. Experienced vegetable growers add that early-ripening cucumbers get along better at home.
What diseases can cause cucumber seedlings?
The diseases of cucumbers are the same as those that plague many other crops. But this does not mean that they can be easily dealt with; constant vigil and control over the seedlings is needed to prevent the development of a viral or fungal disease, otherwise it will immediately spread. So, you can observe the seedlings:
- Blackleg is a fungal disease that affects the root system. The main stem weakens and darkens, the leaves become withered. Prevention and disinfection will help when symptoms are detected.
- Tobacco mosaic is a viral disease that targets the leaves. Brown or yellow spots develop. There is no cure, only preventive measures will help.
Preventive measures include treatment with a 1-3% solution of potassium permanganate or Bordeaux mixture. Their treatment with fungicides should be avoided; for young animals this is a strong remedy. Compliance with agricultural practices will reduce any risk of disease.
Violation of planting deadlines
Since the plant is heat-loving, it is planted on ridges when the average daily soil temperature is 10-12 degrees. Cucumbers are grown by seedlings or by sowing seeds directly into the ground. In this case, they must be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. Plants will be less susceptible to diseases. Seedlings are ready for planting at the age of 25-30 days and when there are 5-6 true leaves on the stem.
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Poor quality seeds. The main reason why cucumbers grow poorly and fruits appear slowly lies in low-quality seeds or their improper preparation for sowing. Many gardeners neglect the requirement for appropriate preparation and simply sow fresh seeds into the ground. As a result, barren flowers and female flowers appear at different times, leading to problems with fruit set.
Nutrient deficiency
The lack of necessary nutrients also inhibits the growth of the ovary. During the fruiting period, cucumbers need potassium and phosphorus.
During the fruiting period, cucumbers need fertilizing with potassium and phosphorus.
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