Very often gardeners , preferring growing vegetables in closed ground, wonder why cucumbers grow poorly in a greenhouse? This is a fairly common problem that many face. In fact, there are several reasons leading to the fact that it is not possible to grow tasty and crisp cucumbers. All of them are related to violation of the rules for caring for vegetables in a greenhouse.
Among the main reasons that prevent cucumbers from growing, experienced vegetable growers call:
- poor soil preparation;
- temperature violation;
- violation of irrigation rules;
- improper chemical treatment;
- lack of nutrients;
- diseases and pests;
- incorrect pollination.
Are you sure that we adhered to all the rules, but the harvest still did not please? Then carefully go through all the points below to understand what you have miscalculated and how to fix the situation in the future.
Ground preparation
One of the most common reasons , why cucumbers do not grow in the greenhouse, the soil is poorly prepared for cultivation. Note that soil problems may not occur immediately, but only in the second or third year after the greenhouse has been installed. This is due to the fact that in the spring, with the arrival of warm weather, various microorganisms begin to become active in the soil, which can cause the development of many diseases in a vegetable. If the soil is not changed, this can cause loss of crop due to the development of fungal diseases.
When preparing the soil for planting cucumbers, special attention should be paid to the following points:
- seedlings must be planted in the soil not earlier and not later than a month after the seedlings have sprouted – this the rule is due to the fact that the rhizomes of young shoots are very vulnerable and need a sufficiently long adaptation period;
- if you decide to plant seeds in a greenhouse, do not forget to warm the soil well before, otherwise they can rot even without hatching ;
- despite the fact that you plant seedlings in buried soil, it is still necessary to wait for stable and warm weather, because with the arrival of spring it can be warm in the daytime and colder at night until the minus weather.
Temperature mode
When growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, do not forget that this is a very thermophilic vegetable. The most suitable mode for the plant is from 20 to 26 ° C (otherwise seedlings grow poorly). If you don’t hear, and the temperature drops to 12 ° C, the seedlings will ripen slowly, but at a higher temperature they will not be able to fertilize, and will not create an ovary. In addition, when growing seedlings in a greenhouse, additional heating should be organized, since the sprouts are very sensitive and do not tolerate cold temperatures.
Another equally important rule is the observance of the optimum water temperature when watering seedlings in greenhouse conditions. It should never be cold.The best option is if the water is at the same temperature as the soil.
Watering rules
In addition, it is important to properly organize the watering of cucumbers. If the plant suffers from a lack of moisture, it will begin to turn yellow, wither and dry, and its fruits will be bitter. If you pour water, then the seedlings can become sick, begin to rot and suffer from the fact that the soil is waterlogged.
First of all, the roots that will die off and cannot take root will suffer. It is especially important not to go too far with watering in the first days after the seeds are planted. A signal that you have flooded the plant will be a discoloration of the lower part of the stem. Do not water cucumbers more than once every two days.
Chemical treatment
Plant nutrition stimulates the growth of
Cucumber needs constant nutrition. In the process of fertilizing, seedlings receive the necessary nutrients that help cucumbers grow, gain strength, ripen, and fight diseases. Thanks to a properly organized feeding process, gardeners increase the yield of this crop. In addition, breeders have bred such seedlings that simply do not grow without replenishment and do not produce a crop. Of course, it is very important to observe the timing and proportions of fertilizer application.
- First you need to determine what kind of useful substances you want to use (organic or inorganic), and correctly calculate the dosage.
- Note that when planting seedlings, you must feed it every week.
- It is important to comply with the dosage. Otherwise, you can destroy the ovary and the whole plant. Fertilizing more often is only necessary if the seedlings have signs of a lack of nutrients.
- The next stage of dressing should be done when the first leaves appear in the seedlings. The second – no later than three weeks after the first procedure. The third time you need to fertilize before flowering. The last feeding is carried out fifteen days before the fruit is formed.
- Of course, incorrectly applied fertilizers can lead to the fact that cucumbers do not form an ovary, grow poorly and bear fruit.
Imbalance in nutrition
Sometimes the reason that seedlings do not grow in the greenhouse is a lack of nutrients, in particular nitrogen and potassium fertilizers in the soil. A sign of this is brown spots, the small size of the leaves, as well as the formation of empty flowers. Seedlings may also suffer from deficiency of manganese and phosphorus. In this case, the leaves of the cucumbers will be covered in marble colors.
What are the control measures? Operational top dressing will help the gardener solve this problem.For the procedure, it is necessary to take wood ash (at least 15 g), and dilute it in 10 liters of water. Instead of ash, you can take superphosphate. Note that the solution should be infused for seven days. Fruits may also receive less nutrients if, during the planting process, the beds were located very close. The most optimal distance for lashes is 20 cm. Then the bushes will not interfere with each other’s strength.
Pests and diseases
It is very difficult for an inexperienced gardener to understand that cucumbers grow poorly in greenhouse conditions because they are sick or attacked by pests. What to do in this case? In order to protect the seedlings from insect pests, it is necessary to treat them with special decoctions. The main ingredient of such infusions is garlic, which, due to its beneficial properties, easily relieves other plants of troubles with insects. A solution of potassium permanganate, mustard or ash is no less effective in this case.
Diseases, most often, arise due to violation of irrigation rules, temperature or humidity conditions. When pathogenic microbes are planted in the soil that infect cucumbers with fungal diseases. Treatment is not very difficult, but only if you notice in time that the seedlings are sick. In specialized stores today, a lot of all kinds of drugs are sold that will help you heal a diseased plant.
Type of pollination
When choosing seeds for cultivating cucumbers on the store counter, most pay attention to the shape and taste of the fruit, and almost no one is interested in the instruction, which necessarily placed on the packaging. The fact is that cucumbers are divided into two types: self-pollinated and those pollinated by insects.
Have you chosen self-pollinated cucumbers? Then you can plant them and no longer have to worry about anything, in any case, they will be able to independently bear fruit. In the event that you come across a variety that needs pollination, you must either attract insects to the greenhouse or conduct this procedure yourself. For these purposes, as a rule, a bait for bees is prepared. Preparing a sweet solution is not difficult. Take 1 liter of water, add 1 tbsp. l honey and 0.1 boric acid powder, and sprinkle the solution over the garden beds.
Conclusion
For people who are not involved in gardening, it may seem like to grow cucumbers in the greenhouse is very simple. However, this is only at first glance. Because the slightest change in the rules of plant care can lead to the fact that the crop will be destroyed.
This vegetable crop requires timely and careful care. Be sure to follow the rules described above, and then you will definitely be able to grow beautiful and tasty cucumbers. Great harvest!
