Causes of the appearance of marble leaves in cucumbers and what to do
An experienced gardener, by the state of cucumber leaves, unmistakably determines the health of a vegetable crop. The symptoms of any infection appear on them. Signs of the disease should be considered yellow, brown and whitish spots, brown border, white and gray bloom, as well as marbling of leaves on cucumbers.
What is meant by the marbling of the leaves?
It is said that a cucumber has a marbled leaf color when, instead of a uniform green color, they are covered with lighter stains or, conversely, with dark stains on a light green or light yellow background.
The difference, at first glance, is insignificant, but the diagnoses are completely different and the treatment, too. In the first case, when pale green stains cover a dark green surface, we can talk about a lack of magnesium (Mg) in the plant.
In the second case, the plant has a viral disease, when the entire surface of the leaf is pale green or pale yellow and dark green stains are visible on it. It turns out that cucumbers have marble leaves for various reasons. Let's figure out what to do when cucumbers have marble leaves.
Deficiency and excess of magnesium
Magnesium deficiency causes marbling of cucumbers. This is explained by the fact that magnesium is a part of chlorophyll molecules, without it the process of photosynthesis is disrupted. Consequences of Mg Deficiency:
- the aerial part of the cucumber slows down or stops growing;
- the growth of roots decreases;
- the intake of nutrients and moisture decreases.
Excessive magnesium content in the soil and tissues leads to the death of the root and the death of the plant. How to improve the situation, how to feed the cucumbers when marble stains appear on the leaves of cucumbers?
Eliminating the deficit
One must take seriously the preparation of the soil before planting. So that the leaves of a young cucumber do not lose their elasticity and color, the percentage of Mg in the soil can be increased by adding ash or potassium magnesia to it, their approximate consumption is 25 g per 1 sq. m.
Top dressing is used to prevent any diseases. There is no need to wait for the plant to form, the cucumbers need to be fed in the system from the beginning. Principles to be followed to restore Mg balance:
- soil preparation for cucumbers;
- maintaining a constant microclimate;
- regular fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers.
Processing can be carried out almost from the first month after germination. Preparations help from the marbling of a cucumber:
- Agricola.
- Topers.
- Bio-Master.
With a lack of magnesium, old leaves in the lower part of the bush first lose their normal color. If the disease is left untreated, the marbling will spread throughout the bush, reaching the top of the head.
The reasons
Most often, magnesium deficiency occurs in cucumbers growing on sandy soils. This type of soil contains a high percentage of potassium, the excess of which impairs magnesium intake. Excessive potash fertilization gives the same picture.
Frequent application of nitrogen fertilizers, resulting in excess nitrogen in the soil, gives the same result. Poorly absorbed magnesium in acidic soils. To prevent marbling in cucumbers, the soil is deoxidized with lime or dolomite flour.
Regardless of the soil, the stages of plant growth can be distinguished when the likelihood of marble leaves in cucumbers increases. Most often, cucumbers suffer from magnesium deficiency at the beginning and at the end of fruiting.
How to treat?
Liquid fertilizer Uniflor bud helps to replenish magnesium deficiency and eliminate marbling on cucumber leaves. Add 2 tsp to a bucket of water. liquid fertilizer, stir and water the plants under the root, in the evening you can carry out foliar processing.
The pharmacy sells burnt magnesia (magnesium oxide). It is in the form of a white powder that dissolves easily in water. For feeding cucumbers suffering from marbling, 2 tsp. magnesium oxide is dissolved in 10 l of water. Weakened plants are fed with the resulting fertilizer.
Magnesium is found in dolomite flour. At home, you can make dolomite milk: 10 liters of water, 1 glass of flour. For each bush, you need to pour 0.5 liters of dolomite milk.
Reviews
Marat: “Agricola is the best fertilizer for cucumbers when there is a lack of magnesium. It takes me the whole pack to prepare the solution. I spread it in a bucket of water and water the cucumber bushes, the leaves become prettier, turn green, become denser and stronger. The cucumbers grow delicious. "
Alexandra: “In the spring I put humus and mineral fertilizers on the cucumber garden, but in the summer I don’t forget to feed the cucumbers. When the weather turns bad, I spray the bushes with milk and iodine. Mineral root dressings (potassium nitrate, nitroammofoska) alternate with organic fertilizers (infusion of grass, mullein). For marbling on the leaves of cucumbers, I use Uniflor Bud. Every year I am simply overwhelmed with cucumbers, I do not have time to process them ”.
Elena: “Marble stains appeared on the leaves of the cucumbers. I decided not to let the problem take its course. I found a description of the problem, treated the bushes with Bio-Master fertilizer. The leaves stopped losing their color, the bushes got stronger. "
Thanks for me this information was very helpful.