What to do if holes appear on the leaves of cucumbers
Every gardener who decides to plant greenhouse cucumbers hopes for large shoots of an environmentally friendly product, but unfortunately expectations do not always justify reality. The question: "why are the cucumber leaves in holes, spots or mold" worries every novice gardener. To understand this, it is worthwhile to study in more detail various fungal cucumber diseases and methods of their treatment.
The greenhouse can meet all the necessary requirements, watering is done in a timely manner and in the right amount, the percentage of seed germination is correct, but the results still leave much to be desired. The greenhouse creates optimal conditions for the germination of not only garden crops, but also harmful microorganisms, bacterial flora and pests that expose plants to various diseases.
Phyto-diseases are the main problem in the cultivation of greenhouse cucumbers. All kinds of infections cause maximum damage to cucumbers. In greenhouse conditions, there are about twenty species of them.
The greenhouse is an ideal environment for the development of pathogenic microflora, and therefore it is important to know how to quickly and effectively eliminate the disease without harming the plants.
The appearance of spots and holes on the leaves of seedlings
In early spring, gardeners transfer cucumber seedlings to greenhouse conditions, take care of them with increased attention. Important: The seedlings of cucumber plants must be placed deep in the soil. Under favorable external temperature conditions and sunny weather, the culture begins to grow at an accelerated rate. However, small spots or holes may appear on the cucumbers. Round holes are considered the most dangerous, as they are the result of the action of parasitic fungi.
In industrial production, agronomists can accurately determine the type of disease by the appearance of leaky leaves and prescribe the necessary drugs for treatment. However, in the conditions of the garden, it is not possible to carry out laboratory tests of the perforated leaf, so a different approach is used.
The bottom line is not to miss the moment when the disease has not yet passed into the terminal stage (a small number of spots) and immediately proceed to actively combat the disease with the help of folk remedies.
It is quite effective to spray a mixture of ash and lime onto the leaves. This treatment will neutralize the fungal microflora.
This effective remedy will help with the initial stage of the disease.With a large number of holes on the leaf plate, leaves with small holes should be removed in order to avoid further spread of the disease.
How to plant cucumbers
Sowing of cucumbers begins at the twentieth of May, regardless of the place of sowing. This culture from the pumpkin family develops well in warmth, but requires increased attention. A gardener with many years of experience can immediately identify all the problems that have arisen. But what should novice gardeners do?
As practice shows, on the first sunny days, gardeners make the first sowing of cucumbers, and then they are surprised at the large percentage of dissimilarity of seeds. The reason lies in the night temperature. Crops made in early spring are covered with holes.
It is necessary to measure the temperature of the soil, as well as create a reliable shelter for the plant. If you have a desire to get early fruits, you should plant the culture in separate containers so that during transplantation it does not disturb the root system. Plants with damaged roots do not take root for a long time, they often get sick or die altogether.
Causes of defects on plant leaves
Leaf spots and holes are the most common problem in greenhouse cucumbers. The reason lies in the following: due to closed conditions and high humidity, dew forms in the greenhouse, as a result, the leaves of the cucumbers are covered with dew. In the daytime, a lens effect is created in the drop and the sun's rays burn the plant (this is how holes are formed).
Powdery mildew and downy mildew
Often, fungal diseases develop due to increased spore carrying on the leaves of the plant. If a plaque appears on a cucumber in the form of small round spots, a number of measures are taken to treat powdery mildew. When the first holes appear on the leaf of the plant, they are powdered with ash and germinate. Powdery mildew is treated with a weak solution of colloidal sulfur or mullein in a proportion of 40 grams per 10 liters of water. It is the most effective treatment for plants with leaky leaves.
Important: in advanced cases, experts recommend using "HOM".
At low night temperatures, holes may appear on the leaves of cucumbers, which any gardener should know to do in such cases. At the same time, the number of spots is constantly growing, and they change their color to dark brown. After that, a gray bloom forms on the underside of the leaf and the plant dies. This disease is called downy mildew or downy mildew. For the treatment of downy mildew, it is worth reducing watering and feeding the plant, ventilating the greenhouse and treating the leaves with a special milk solution.
Olive spot
Olive spot is a disease caused by parasitic fungi. The main symptom of this disease is the appearance of brown-yellow spots on the leaves, while watery dark spots appear on the fruits and the fruit is curved.
If the above signs appear on the cucumbers, then you should immediately begin treatment for olive spot. Treat the cucumber leaf from olive spot by regularly ventilating and removing the leaves in the holes.
Gray rot
This disease often appears in mid-July. Its main feature is the appearance of mucus on the stems and leaf stalks.
The method of dealing with gray mold is quite simple:
- It is necessary to prepare a special mixture consisting of chalk and potassium permanganate diluted in water;
- Clean the affected area of accumulated mucus;
- Treat the affected area with the mixture.
The reasons for the development of diseases
Cucumbers are more susceptible to diseases on loamy and podzolic soils. Temperature also plays an important role. The range should be between 14 and 28 degrees Celsius.Deviations in one direction or another have negative consequences for the germination of greenhouse cucumbers. In turn, irrigation should be uniform, and the water for irrigation should not be too cold.
How to deal with holes
In industrial agro-complexes, various chemicals and special steaming technology are used as methods of combating diseases. However, these methods are not possible in a garden.
Experienced gardener advice: The number of infected plants in the greenhouse is significantly reduced with regular ventilation. It is just a myth that tropical plants require a special atmosphere and cannot tolerate drafts.
For plants, only the draft that enters the sauna atmosphere is dangerous. Bath air must not be allowed to form in the greenhouse. Let there be a light sunny breeze in the greenhouse. The sooner you ventilate the greenhouse, the better: this will save the plants from the effect of drafts and the appearance of fungi and rot.
First of all, it is necessary to open the upper doors of the greenhouse, then the doors, so that the airing occurs more evenly (from top to bottom). It is most effective to carry out this procedure in the morning, when the air is saturated with energy and freshness. The morning sun has always been considered the most effective crop aid. In the morning at 7-8 o'clock bees are already working with might and main.
That is why this is the best time to process leaves with holes in plants and grow seedlings. With later care for the plant, there is a high probability of infection of cucumbers with various fungal diseases and a small harvest.
Preventive control methods
Every day in the early morning it is necessary to inspect greenhouses, check cucumber plants, treat wounds, remove mustaches. All damage (holes and spots on the cucumber leaf) is recommended to be treated with a mixture of water, chalk and potassium permanganate.
When does a cucumber germinate the fastest? In the evening, when the activity of the sun decreases, the greenhouse should be packed, all doors and window openings should be tightly closed. Thus, warm air is kept in the greenhouse throughout the night (this is the optimal time for cucumber germination).
At the end of August, the length of night time increases and the temperature decreases. That is why at this time increased attention and care of plants is necessary, since it is during this period that rot and various fungal diseases can appear.
Of course, there is nothing good in this, but pesticides and insecticides in moderation will help to cope with this matter, especially since in our time there is such a large amount of such equipment.