Why do the leaves of cucumbers on the windowsill turn yellow, what should I do?

The leaves of cucumbers grown on a windowsill often turn yellow. The problem arises for a number of reasons: disease, insect attacks, illiterate care, unsuitable conditions. The embryos of the seedlings do not have time to bloom, or the grown bushes begin to dry out. By regularly taking preventative measures, you can avoid yellowing by almost 100%. If the leaves are already damaged, you should familiarize yourself with methods for resolving the issue.

Symptoms and signs

The problem manifests itself through a number of signs, some of which are harbingers of yellowing. If pathology is detected in a timely manner, there is a chance to cope with it.

How does yellowing of cucumbers appear:

seedling growth is inhibited;
the stem becomes thinner;
the color of the plant darkens or turns pale;
spots of different colors and sizes appear;
leaves curl, dry out and turn yellow;
ovaries do not form or they fall off;
the fruits do not grow, are deformed, have a bitter taste.

When seedlings stop growing, this serves as the main signal to begin combating the problem.

Why do cucumber leaves turn yellow?

Failures in the development of culture manifest themselves at different stages. This usually occurs due to excess moisture, lack of minerals, disease or pest attacks.

Main reasons:

Wrong variety selected. For growing cucumbers on a windowsill, varieties are suitable that are undemanding to light, have early ripening periods, have a long fruiting period, are self-pollinating, disease-resistant and have a determinant growth type. If you ignore the above requirements, you will have to deal with the problem of yellowing leaves and inhibited harvest.
Use when planting low-quality seeds. Cucumbers will grow weakly, be sick, not form fruits, or they will be bitter, deformed, and small.
Illiterate care. At home, timely watering, fertilizing, treatment against infections and harmful beetles, and providing support for tying up the growing stem are required. Cucumbers need to be watered with settled water and additionally sprayed with a spray bottle. Due to the support, twisting of the stems is prevented and access of light and oxygen to all parts of the cucumber is ensured.
Chlorophyll deficiency. To eliminate the problem, the bushes are fertilized with complex compounds that contain nitrogen, iron, and magnesium.
Diseases or parasites. To ensure the absence of beetles, the plants are carefully inspected. Insects can be carried with the ground. The leaves curl, dry out, and die. The plant is treated with insecticides and garlic tincture to kill insects. Diseases should be fought after establishing a “diagnosis” by using the right drug.
Sprout fly. The insect is gray in color with a stripe on the abdomen. It has white larvae that overwinter in the ground. It is necessary to change the soil when they are detected.
Root rot. This is a fungal disease that causes rotting of the rhizome, drying out and yellowing of the leaves. Soon the bushes die. To prevent pathology, the soil should not be allowed to become too dry or waterlogged. If this happens, pour fresh soil into the container to form new adventitious rhizomes.

Diseases and beetle attacks rarely occur when cucumbers are grown indoors. More often, the leaves turn yellow due to the wrong variety and improper care.

Effective fertilizing to eliminate the problem. How to spray garden crops

So that such a problem as yellowed leaves does not take you by surprise, you should take care of prevention in advance.
This will be the main method of dealing with the problem. To do this, you must follow some rules and recommendations:

Maintain crop rotation and change the bed every year before planting. You should not grow cucumbers after zucchini or pumpkin. The fact is that these crops have common diseases and pests.
Water the soil regularly and abundantly. If necessary, lay a thick layer of mulch on the bed. Mown grass and weeds are excellent for these purposes. They will retain moisture and also saturate the roots with warmth and nutritional components.
Application of organic and mineral fertilizers. It is very effective to sprinkle with herbal infusion with ash. It is the ash that provides additional protection against parasites.

You may also find it useful to learn about how to use celandine against aphids.

On the video - feeding for cucumbers:

What to feed

To prevent yellowing of cucumber leaves, you should use the following effective fertilizers:

Weed crops, and best of all, nettles should be poured into 10 liters of water and left for 7 days. Dilute the resulting product with water and use it to water the plant.
As soon as 3-4 leaves form on the bushes, it is necessary to spray the plant every 10 days with a product obtained from 1 liter of milk, 30 drops of iodine, 20 g of laundry soap. Dilute the resulting solution in 10 liters of water.
In order for the tops to remain green until the end of the season, it is necessary to use a mixture obtained from 10 liters of water and 20 ml of iodine as top dressing. Before fertilizing, combine 1 liter of solution with 10 liters of water. The remaining composition can be stored in jars with lids. Feeding should be done 2 times a month.
In early summer it is worth feeding using a soda solution. For 10 liters of water there are 20 g of soda. This treatment has a detrimental effect on some crop diseases.
To prolong fruiting, it is worth applying fertilizing with urea and humus. Also treat the plant with an infusion of rotted hay. Fill it with water in a 1:1 ratio.

You may also find it useful to learn how to get rid of black aphids.

In the video - applying fertilizers for cucumbers:

How to water a cucumber

To prevent the formation of yellow leaves, you can use the following proven safe home remedies:

Take 10 liters of water, place a loaf of bread. Leave it overnight to obtain a solution of uniform consistency. Then in the morning add 20 ml of iodine there. The resulting solution can be used for irrigation, only before diluting it with water in a 1:1 ratio. The remaining product should be placed in glass jars, covered with lids and stored in the refrigerator. Cucumbers are treated with this composition once every 2 weeks. If everything is done correctly and regularly, then until autumn the plants will be green and the harvest will be high.
Take 2 liters of whey, 200 g of sugar and 10 liters of water. The resulting solution can be used both for watering and spraying plants. This is an excellent remedy for fighting diseases, and it also perfectly stimulates the formation of the ovary.
Take 1 liter of onion peel, add 10 liters of water. Place on the stove and bring to a boil. Infuse the product throughout the night. For 4 liters of water there is 1 liter of ready-made filtered onion infusion. It can also be used for watering and spraying tops.
Take 5 liters of water, add 1 liter of whey. Water and spray the cucumbers using the resulting product. This will be an excellent prevention against fungal infection. Carry out therapeutic measures once every 7 days.

But is it possible to feed with urea, and how to do it correctly, read this link.

The video shows the correct watering of cucumbers:

Cucumber leaves can turn yellow for a variety of reasons. This includes both improper care and low immunity of the plant itself. If the leaves turn yellow, they urgently need to be removed. But you can prevent the development of such a problem if you carry out a number of preventive procedures in time using folk remedies for feeding and watering vegetable bushes. But how to use ammonia for aphids, and how to do all the work yourself, is indicated here.

Nutritional deficiencies

In organic matter, some useful components are found in small quantities. When cucumbers do not receive enough minerals, their leaves turn yellow.

What basic elements are required for cucumbers:

Nitrogen. The component is found in urea, ammonium nitrate, and urea. Excess nitrogen leads to unreasonable growth of the cucumber crop. Many ovaries are formed, the leaves acquire a juicy dark green tone. Even if they dry on the windowsill, you can correct the situation with regular watering. Nitrogen is washed out of the ground by water.
Calcium. An excess of this substance makes cucumbers brittle and tough. They may turn yellow or turn white. When there is not enough calcium, whitish stripes appear on the crop, the leaves wither and fall off. Traces of rot are found on any parts of the plant, quickly spreading through the roots.
Phosphorus. The substance is responsible for the formation of rhizomes and the quality of nutrition of the crop. When there is not enough of it, the foliage of the seedlings turns yellow and they starve. Stem growth is inhibited, fewer ovaries are formed, and productivity decreases. Excess of the substance interferes with the absorption of potassium. As a treatment, they resort to a balanced supply of nutrients.
Magnesium. If there is an excess of the substance, the leaves darken and curl up. The plant stops absorbing calcium, the roots die. Magnesium deficiency is identified by yellow cucumber leaves. Light spots are still visible on them.
Potassium. The element delivers nutrients to every cell of the plant. It gives the fruits a pleasant taste and juiciness. When there is not enough potassium, the shoots turn yellow and dry out. Replenish its deficiency with potassium sulfate or potassium magnesium. The substance also stimulates the protective properties of the crop. Potassium deficiency is determined by symptoms such as drying of leaf edges, excessive growth of vines, almost no ovaries forming, and the fruit is watery and has a bitter taste.

With timely fertilization of cucumbers with mineral compounds, the risk of yellowing is minimized.

Too much or insufficient lighting

Often the leaves turn yellow due to lack of light. They correct the situation by moving the container with seedlings to a more illuminated windowsill. When this is not possible, it is necessary to organize an additional light source. Use phytolamps or fluorescent lamps.

It is important to protect cucumber bushes from direct ultraviolet rays, as they can burn the leaves. They curl, fade, and stains form on them. At noon, it is advisable to shade the windows with blinds.

Deficiency or excess moisture

A common cause of yellowing and wilting of leaves in cucumber seedlings is illiterate or insufficient watering. The culture prefers moist soil, but the rhizomes should not be flooded. Excess moisture prevents the supply of oxygen, and the roots begin to rot. Too frequent watering also causes the development of fungal diseases. Lack of moisture entails the cessation of the activity of soil microorganisms, and plants lack nutritional components. Cucumber leaves become limp and turn yellow.

To make sure that the cause of the problem is improper watering, you need to dig the soil to a depth of 10 cm. If the soil is dry, you should water it abundantly, avoiding stagnation of water. When the leaves turn yellow due to waterlogging, the cucumbers should be transplanted into another container. They need to be watered once a week. During the formation of ovaries and flowers, the frequency of irrigation is increased.

Different types of yellowing

Before doing anything if cucumber leaves turn yellow, you need to carefully examine the nature of the damage and the characteristics of the spots or yellowed areas.

They differ:

Shades.
Distribution area.
Form.
Dimensions.
Edging.

Sometimes yellowness is accompanied by drying out of the leaves and curling at the edges. This indicates a lack of moisture and, possibly, disease. How to help plants.

First of all, it is necessary to normalize the temperature regime if the cucumbers are in a greenhouse and establish high-quality optimal watering. If in this case the leaves continue to turn yellow, the reason lies in other problems.

Damaged cucumber roots

This is often facilitated by moles, harmful insects, mice, and mole crickets. They damage plant roots. To avoid such a nuisance, the loosening procedure should be carried out correctly, going deep so as not to damage the root system.

Hypothermia

A decrease in air temperature in the room entails inhibition of metabolic processes in the crop, causing it to wither. In the root zone, the soil should be heated to at least +17 degrees. When coolness prevailed in the room for a long time, cucumber seedlings will stop absorbing nutrients. Due to hypothermia, the growth of bushes is inhibited, the tips of the leaves turn yellow and dry out. Over time, the plant dies. You can save cucumbers by moving the container with them to a warm place.

Treatment

After determining the reason why the leaves of cucumbers on the windowsill turn yellow, they decide what to do to improve the health of the plants. To begin with, adjust the living conditions, regulate the lighting, frequency and intensity of watering. Then, based on additional symptoms, a possible imbalance of elements in the soil, the presence of diseases and pest damage are determined. Then, if necessary, you need to treat the plants with folk remedies or chemicals.

Mineral fertilizers

To compensate for the lack of nitrogen, urea or ammonium nitrate is added to the soil. Fertilizers are diluted with water according to the instructions on the package with the drug and watered the plants. Excess nitrogen is more difficult to correct. In this case, it is necessary to abandon fertilizers with nitrates and add potassium-phosphorus fertilizers to the soil. After some time, excess nitrogen is washed out of the soil after regular watering.

The lack of phosphorus is compensated by adding superphosphate, and the deficiency of potassium is compensated by using potassium magnesium. These fertilizers are necessary during the flowering and fruiting period. They are usually applied in the form of aqueous solutions during irrigation.

Organic fertilizers

The most common organic fertilizer for indoor cucumbers is manure. Mullein in an amount of 1 kg is mixed with 3 liters of water and left to brew. After filtering, the infusion is diluted with the same amount of water and used to water the bushes at the root. Manure feeding is good because it does not lead to an excess of nutrients in the soil.

If it is not possible to use mullein, make a “green” fertilizer. For her, fill the bucket halfway with weeds. The remaining space is filled with boiling water. The closed container is left on the balcony in the sun for several days until the fermentation process is completed. Then the resulting liquid is filtered and diluted with clean water in equal proportions. The working solution is watered on cucumber bushes or sprayed on the leaves.

Proper watering

Irrigation of cucumber bushes should be moderate. It is not permissible to flood the soil. This can lead to root rot. Take warm and preferably settled water. In cloudy weather, plants do not need intensive watering. Therefore, the frequency of moisturizing is reduced. If the weather is hot and dry, the evaporation of moisture on the balcony occurs at an accelerated pace. Then the cucumbers are watered every day in the morning or evening.

Proper organization of lighting

In summer, for active growth of cucumber, a temperature of +22 to +27 degrees is required; at night the thermometer should not fall below +17 degrees. You can regulate the air temperature for cucumbers grown at home by ventilation. To protect from active sunlight during the hottest hours, you can close the windows with curtains or place a screen between the window and the plants.

Protecting cucumbers from pests

If there are few insects on the plant, they are fought with safe folk remedies. Aphids, spider mites and flying insects are eliminated with a soap solution. It is prepared from warm water and laundry soap shavings. Soak a sponge in the liquid and wipe the affected plant. Spraying with tobacco or ash infusion helps a lot.

If the insects do not die after treatment with folk remedies, stronger drugs are used. You can quickly get rid of pests by spraying the bushes with solutions of Komandor, Aktara, Aktofit or Fitoverma.

Pest treatment

There are many effective recipes for exterminating harmful insects:

To eliminate aphids, use garlic tincture, ash and soap solution. If home remedies turn out to be ineffective, they resort to chemicals - “Commander”, “Korado”, “Aktara”.
Spider mites are removed with Bordeaux mixture, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and tobacco dust. Among the effective biological products are “Akarin”, “Aktofit”, “Fitoverm”. In extreme situations, chemical agents are used.
The whitefly is destroyed by such means as “Aktara”, “Iskra”, “Akarin”. You can also use tincture of dandelion, yarrow, soap solutions, wood ash and garlic.

In case of severe damage to cucumber seedlings by beetles, they are disposed of. It is important to promptly remove the infected container, otherwise the insects will spread to healthy bushes.

Useful tips for gardeners

If you notice that the leaves of all the cucumbers on the windowsill are turning yellow, then immediately begin to figure out the problem. Many cucumber diseases can be solved in the early stages of the disease, without the use of chemicals. Harvesting fruits grown independently on the window should be carried out only after the cucumbers have fully ripened. Vegetables from your own garden, even if the perimeter of your growing area is limited by the size of the windowsill, retain much more nutrients, providing the body with health and longevity.

Source

Folk ways to keep cucumber leaves healthy

The use of chemicals effectively eliminates yellowing of leaves, but sometimes they harm the plant itself.

Cucumbers on windowsills can also be cured using unconventional methods:

Leaf yellowness is removed with a solution of kefir and whey. Nutrient components are diluted with water at the rate of 2:10. Cucumbers are sprayed with the prepared mixture regularly until their normal color returns.
Water the soil with cucumber seedlings with water where fresh meat was washed.
Cut freshly frozen capelin into pieces and dig into the ground.

You can also feed cucumbers with kefir, urea, and onion peel tincture to prevent yellowing of the leaves.

How to treat seedlings

Seedlings are treated depending on the type and nature of the disease. Seedlings can be treated using chemicals or folk remedies. For each type of disease there is a drug that is recommended to be sprayed on the diseased plant. Cucumbers most often suffer from fungal diseases. Fungicides save them. There are no drugs for viral diseases.