Why do cucumbers turn yellow in a greenhouse, what to do and how to deal with it
When cucumbers turn yellow in a greenhouse, what to do is the first question that arises for gardeners. First of all, you need to determine why the problem occurred. This can be a violation of agricultural technology, and a lack of nutrition, and pest infestation.
Why do cucumbers turn yellow in a greenhouse
Experts identify 5 reasons due to which there is a change in the color of the cucumber tops in the greenhouse.
The leaf turns yellow if:
- improper watering;
- lack of lighting;
- lack or oversaturation of the soil with nutrients;
- infection with pathogenic bacteria and fungus;
- the presence of pests on the leaf plates.
In this situation, the green mass on the lower part of the plant most often suffers. If the cucumbers in the ovary turn yellow, then the reason lies in problems with pollination or plant overload. To solve it, it is necessary to remove some of the embryos and flowers. The answer to the question of why cucumber fruits turn yellow in a greenhouse is frost. As a result of the sharp temperature drop, the young crop could die or be seriously damaged. This also applies to peduncles. In addition to the listed problems, the ovary is affected by an imbalance of nutrients, improper agricultural practices, and pest infestation.
Finding out why the fruits turn yellow, you should pay attention to plant care. With proper agricultural technology, a change in color causes overripe. It leads to the fact that the cucumbers outgrow in size, the skin becomes yellowish, the flesh becomes less crunchy. These non-hybrid cucumbers are suitable for seed harvesting.
Knowing why the tops of the greenhouse wither and how to deal with it, you can avoid serious problems in time.
Why do cucumbers turn yellow in the open field
The reasons why cucumbers turn yellow in open ridges may be similar to greenhouse ones. A number of factors affect the color change of the cucumber leaf plate.
- Improper watering. Lack of moisture affects the loss of leaf turgor. Yellow dry spots form on it, which lead to wilting of the entire plate. If watering is excessive, then the root system begins to rot, which is why the leaf also turns yellow.
- Burns formation. When watering in the sun, the drops remaining on the leaf plates dry out quickly, which leads to a burn.
- Inappropriate neighborhood. Cucumbers do not grow if the place for them is wrong. Bad predecessors are pumpkin, squash, watermelon. After them, pathogenic bacteria remain in the soil, and a shortage of nutrients necessary for cucumbers is formed.
- A place. The reason may be in the wrong place.Excess sun, strong drafts, waterlogged soil are poorly suited for a growing seedling.
Not only the leaves, but also the ovary of the cucumbers may turn yellow. This moment is most often associated with:
- excessive ovary formation;
- pollination problems;
- violation of the rules of agricultural technology;
- temperature difference;
- infection with diseases;
- lack of fertilizers.
The answer to the question why the cucumber inside turns yellow is:
- lack of oxygen in the soil;
- insufficient soil moisture;
- infection with infections (peronosporosis, fusarium wilting).
Effective ways to combat yellowing
It is important not only to know why cucumbers turn yellow on the ridges and in the greenhouse, but also what to do in such a situation. Often the solution to the problem requires a change in the conditions of keeping the plants or their treatment with disinfectants.
Features of agricultural technology
Violation of growing conditions often leads to the fact that the leaves, ovary or the fruits themselves turn yellow and dry in cucumbers. For this vegetable, it is important to make the conditions as optimal as possible. This applies to ridges under the film and in unprotected ground. For vegetables to grow well, they need warmth, timely watering and feeding. If yellowing of cucumbers in the greenhouse is noted, what to do depends on what the problem is.
Often, the reason lies in untimely watering. As a result of a lack of moisture, the soil overheats, the leaves begin to turn yellow, then they dry. Cucumbers are moisture-loving plants. But it is important to follow a number of rules.
- Water quality. It is recommended to use standing water for cucumbers.
- Temperature. To prevent the cucumbers from turning yellow, use heated water.
- Regularity. Young cucumbers require regular watering. During the heat, watering is carried out daily in the evening. In case of frost, the amount of water is reduced. Watering is transferred to the morning.
Another important factor to consider before planting plants is heat. Low temperatures can be the reason why cucumbers dry in the greenhouse. To solve it, it is important that a constant temperature is maintained in the room. If the air is too hot, ventilation is organized.
Top dressing and fertilization
Often the reason why the leaves of cucumbers turn yellow is improperly prepared soil. This problem is especially felt when cucumbers grow in a polycarbonate greenhouse... In such cases, it is not possible to change the soil annually or to enrich it naturally. Accordingly, the question arises of how to feed the cucumbers in order to avoid the appearance of yellow leaves or ovary.
If the cucumbers have already been planted, then they must be fed during the season with potassium, wood ash and other mineral compositions. With a lack of nitrogen, urea from fertilizers helps well.
Experts recommend planting plants in prepared beds. To do this, a mullein is preliminarily introduced into them. It is important that only rotted manure is used. Fresh causes root burn. From folk methods, feeding with infusion of chicken droppings shows high efficiency.
Pest and disease control
The reasons why cucumbers turn yellow in a greenhouse or in unprotected ground include pest infestation or other diseases. Experts note a wide variety of pests that lead to a change in the color of the tops or damage to the crop.
- Bacteriosis. The defeat of plants is associated with a violation of the rules of agricultural technology. Excess moisture leads to yellowing of the ovary. When young fruits form, a yellowish bloom forms on them, then warts and ulcers form. The plant stops bearing fruit and dies. Bordeaux mixture is used as a treatment against bacteriosis.So that the leaves and fruits do not turn yellow, it is enough to spray the plants and remove already wilted leaves and affected cucumbers. Subsequently, excess moisture in the soil should be avoided.
- Powdery mildew. The disease is characterized by a change in leaf color. They first turn yellow, then dry up. The disease affects plants both in the greenhouse and in the open field. To combat, fungicide preparations are used.
- Fusarium wilting. In the greenhouse, yellowing of cucumbers is associated with this disease. Fusarium is transmitted through the soil and results in the loss of most of the crop. The fight requires the processing of soil, plants and all equipment that is used for work. The yellowed tops, fruits and plants are completely removed and burned.
- Aphid. The pest often infects plants under a film covering or in open ground. You can find it on the back of the sheet. For the fight, special drugs are used. Also, planting near the beds of garlic, fennel, marigolds, mint effectively helps against aphids.
- Corner spotting. The disease is characterized by the appearance of yellow or whitish spots. The tips of the leaf plates dry out, curl. The disease progresses actively at high humidity and high temperatures. Greenhouse plants are more likely to be affected by it. For the fight, 1% Bordeaux liquid is used.
To prevent the cucumbers from turning yellow in the greenhouse, it is necessary to regularly carry out preventive work against the spread of diseases and pests. They consist in following a number of rules.
- Disinfection. Before planting the plants, the soil must be disinfected. For this, chemicals or a manganese solution are used.
- Pest and disease prevention. To prevent diseases from being transmitted to the new crop, all dried greens are removed from the greenhouses during the harvesting period.
- Weeding. In the greenhouse and on open ridges, the soil should be weeded regularly. Weeds are not left in the aisles, but disposed of in compost heaps or burned.
- Removal of affected plants. If the leaves turn yellow and dry, they must be removed immediately. Also do with ovary or fruits.
- Compliance with the rules of agricultural technology. The greenhouse maintains a constant temperature, avoids the formation of drafts and excess moisture or drying out of the soil.
- Timely pest control. The planted seedlings are treated against pests several times per season.
Compliance with preventive measures, as well as knowledge of the reasons why cucumbers turn yellow, allows you to timely avoid problems and get a bountiful harvest, both in the greenhouse and in the open field.