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Processing cucumbers in a greenhouse is not only desirable, but also mandatory. In a closed room, where it is always warm and humid, ideal conditions are created for the reproduction of all kinds of insects, mites, bacteria and fungi. In addition, they always have food in the greenhouse in the form of fruits, leaves or roots.
Preventive treatment
The processing of any vegetable, fruit and berry and ornamental crops is understood as a set of actions aimed at improving growth conditions, eliminating pests and pathogens, as well as creating preventive protective barriers.
A greenhouse is an enclosed space where pathogens and pests enter mainly with the soil or when opened for the duration of airing, therefore, preventive measures should begin with tillage and the greenhouse itself.
The largest number of pathogens and those who like to feed on cultivated plants are hiding in the upper layer of the soil - at a depth of 5-10 centimeters.
It is necessary to start preparing the greenhouse for a new harvest in the fall. This is in the event that you are not engaged in year-round cultivation of crops. If winter is the same stressful time as summer, then preventive soil treatment should be carried out in the period between planting seedlings or seeds.
Tillage consists in carrying out the following procedures.
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Remove all plant residues from the surface of the soil. If they are not contaminated with pathogens, they can be put into a compost pit. If there are obvious signs of damage, they should be burned.
- The next stage of soil preparation in the greenhouse is the treatment with a solution of 7% copper sulfate. It is necessary to spray not only the soil itself, but also the space around the beds.
- After two weeks, dig up the earth with the overturning of the layers to a depth of 20-30 centimeters.
- Treat the soil with copper sulfate again.
This completes the main cycle of the preparatory period. Further processing is carried out as needed.
For example, before planting seedlings, the hole can be filled with boiling water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Both methods have their pros and cons. Boiling water warms up the soil well, increases the survival rate of seedlings, and creates an opportunity for rapid growth. However, its action is limited to a small space and time. In an hour, bacteria, fungi and multicellular animals from untreated soil areas will take the place of dead harmful and beneficial microorganisms.
In addition, the soil will be enriched with manganese, which is essential for the successful growth of cucumbers. You can combine these two processing methods by pouring boiling water with a solution of potassium permanganate.
The process of disinfecting the greenhouse itself can also be attributed to the preparatory stage.
This should be done using a solution of copper sulfate of increased concentration. Regular processing must be applied to the entire greenhouse from the inside.
Periodic painting of wooden and metal structures, of course, will create unfavorable conditions for dangerous organisms, but painting every six months is difficult, and processing with vitriol is a quick and cheap process.
There is one subtlety in the preventive treatment before planting cucumbers in the greenhouse.Despite the fact that the measures are of a preventive nature, it is necessary to influence pathogens and pests at the time of their transition to an active life.
Now all pesticides are released for environmental safety purposes with a short period of action, so while microorganisms and arthropod larvae wake up, all your funds will already weaken their effect. It is best to carry out the processing after thawing ten centimeters of the soil during the period of warm sunny weather, but ten days before planting crops.
Preventive measures include seed dressing. Often, you can use the same products for this as for treating adult plants. In this case, you need to combine both antibacterial and antifungal agents.
The main diseases of cucumbers
Cucumbers are a popular culture, but troublesome. This visitor from the tropics is particularly susceptible to local pests and diseases. This is especially true for greenhouse cultivation, where everyone lives well, both cucumbers and amateurs enjoy their juicy leaves and fruits.
Cucumbers in a greenhouse can be affected by the following diseases:
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fusarium;
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ordinary mosaic;
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anthracnose;
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olive spot;
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powdery and downy mildew;
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gray, white and root rot.
All these diseases can manifest themselves at the most unexpected moment. Activation of pathogens may be associated with improper care of cucumbers.
This means that preventive measures should include not only the preliminary processing of everything that is in the greenhouse, but also the provision of an optimal mode for growing cucumbers.
If, despite good processing, your cucumbers still get sick, then you need to:
- optimize watering;
- thin out too dense plantings;
- ensure the heating of the greenhouse with a sharp drop in air temperature;
- watering only with warm water;
- provide automatic ventilation.
So that the diseases of cucumbers do not catch you by surprise, stock up on ash from burning organic residues in advance. Just part of the ash can be added to the soil, and some can be set aside in reserve - it will come in handy in order to sprinkle leaves damaged by diseases and pests.
Features of processing for different lesions
The experience of many generations of farmers and the work of scientists have created a wide range of means of combating diseases and pests of cucumbers.
- Infusion of red pepper with tobacco dust, ash and soap... It is necessary to grind 30 grams of fresh capsicum, add 200 grams of tobacco dust there, pour all this with 10 liters of hot water. The mixture must be kept for a day, after which add one tablespoon of a concentrated soap solution of 72% laundry soap and 3 tablespoons of wood ash to it. A space of about 10 square meters can be treated with such an amount of solution. The tool is effective for fighting small organisms that drink the juices of the plant. If there is no pepper, you can do with a solution of soap and ash. Its presence on the leaves creates a caustic protective layer that is insurmountable for small organisms.
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Karbofos... In 20 liters of warm water, add 2 tablespoons of karbofos. This solution can be used to process not only the cucumbers themselves, but the entire greenhouse.
Karbofos is used from all multicellular animals that damage the leaf blade. It is effective against sucking and gnawing insects, mites and their larvae. -
Inta-Vir... This is a remedy that is used to combat aphids, whiteflies, thrips and gnawing larvae of beetles and butterflies.Cypermethrin, which is the main active ingredient of Inta-Vira, does not kill insects, but paralyzes them, as a result they stop eating and die from exhaustion.
The dosage of the drug is 1 tablet per 10 liters of warm water. You can only use a fresh solution, since its effect does not last long. The danger of Inta-Vir is that it also negatively affects pollinators, therefore it is better to use it during the absence of flowers or at night, processing at dusk, when the pollinating insects no longer fly. During the night, the drug will lose its strength, and will not cause significant harm to beneficial insects. Prophylactic use of Inta-Vira is not advisable. Spraying with this drug should be done only if you see those boogers that bite into your cucumbers.
Use of fungicides
In greenhouses, there is a high risk of developing fungal diseases. This is due to the need to maintain a high level of temperature and humidity.
Fungicides that can be used in a greenhouse are divided into the following groups:
- Copper based preparations... These include the copper sulfate mentioned here - the most popular and cheapest remedy. In addition, in the struggle for the harvest of cucumbers, it is advisable to use Bordeaux mixture, Oksikhom, Kurzat, Ordan, Abiga-Peak. A distinctive feature of copper-based preparations is their versatility.
- Sulfur preparations... These include such well-known fungicides as garden sulfur, Tiovit Jet, Cumulus. Since ancient times, all rooms where fungal infections may develop have been fumigated with gray. If signs of fungal diseases have already appeared in the greenhouse, then it is necessary to treat not only cucumbers with sulfur-containing preparations, but also the entire greenhouse.
- Carboxins... This group includes drugs such as Vitaros and Previkur. They are usually used in the fight against rot and downy mildew.
- Topaz... This drug is known to everyone as an effective means of combating powdery mildew. It can be used both for the treatment of an already manifested disease, and as a preventive treatment, if there is a suspicion of the possibility of infection of cucumbers. Plants must be processed at least three times with an interval of 10 - 15 days.
Fungal diseases are common in all agricultural areas where high levels of humidity are maintained.
The use of sulfur-containing preparations is especially effective. Firstly, they, as a rule, are not dangerous, and secondly, sulfur is fed at the same time, which is not always contained in the soil in the required quantities.
Any spraying of vegetative plants must be carried out carefully, processing the leaves from all sides. And one more rule - before planting, be sure to treat the seedlings with some drug that does not have a strong effect on the environment. Repeat preventive treatment after the young cucumbers release the first whiskers. You may not need to resort to emergency measures after this.
