Caring for plants always requires some knowledge. Even experienced specialists may be mistaken and do not understand why the leaves of cucumbers in the greenhouse wither.
The fact is that cucumbers are quite capricious vegetables that require special attention. There can be many reasons for the death of the entire crop:
- Lack of moisture in the soil.
- High or low air humidity.
- Violation of the temperature regime, sudden changes in temperature.
- Excessive watering.
- Lack of light.
- Direct exposure to sunlight, burning plant leaves.
- Fungal diseases of the root system.
- Pests that spoil shoots and leaves.
- Lack of minerals in the soil.
- Close proximity to other vegetables.
The first thing that comes to mind when the leaves of the cucumbers in the greenhouse begin to dry and curl up, the plants lack moisture. This vegetable needs regular watering, especially if grown in a greenhouse, where temperatures can be much higher than outdoors. A plant needs moisture along with light for photosynthesis, with the help of which nutrition, division and growth of new cells occur.
If the root system lacks moisture, then the leaves of the plant curl up in order to reduce the evaporation area and retain as much liquid as possible necessary for development. This can happen with irregular watering. You can cope with the situation by simply watering the cucumbers more often.
Increasing watering sometimes does not help correct the situation. Sluggish cucumber leaves may also indicate an excess of moisture, which is retained at the roots in large quantities, causing rotting. You can avoid such troubles by observing the mode of watering cucumbers in the greenhouse:
- In hot weather, plants are watered once a day, strictly early in the morning or in the evening, after sunset. Water consumption - no more than 9 liters per 1 sq. m.
- The water should be at room temperature. Cold liquid can damage the root system of a thermophilic vegetable and cause root rot.
- You need to water the cucumbers with a watering can, directing the pressure of water to the root. If moisture gets on the leaves, especially on a hot day, it can lead to the gradual death of the cucumber, as in the sun the water droplets act like a magnifying glass. You can simply burn the leaves and shoots of vegetables.
If regular and correct watering does not help to find the answer to the question of why cucumber leaves wither, you need to look for other reasons.
Excess or lack of fertilizer
Before planting cucumbers, the soil is treated with substances to destroy pests. As the plants grow, this treatment can also be carried out using various fertilizers. Often, gardeners use chemical fertilizers and fertilizing, which are classified as herbicides.
But a large amount of such substances remaining on the leaves can lead to the fact that they begin to curl from the edges to the center, dry and fall off.
The problem is very easy to solve. You just need to generously spray the cucumber bushes with plenty of water. This will help rinse the herbicides off the visible parts of the vegetable and channel the excess into the soil. It is necessary to apply dressings, especially foliar ones, with caution, strictly following the instructions. Despite the fact that these substances help to accelerate the growth and fruiting of cucumbers in the greenhouse, their excess is harmful to vegetables.
Twisted dry leaves may also indicate a lack of minerals: nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium.
The root system of vegetables is weak, it is located at the surface, so the plant cannot always get a sufficient amount of nutrients from the soil. In this case, you can purchase top dressing based on special industrial chemical compounds or fertilize cucumbers with manure, compost and chicken droppings. These folk remedies for caring for vegetables have long been proven to be effective.
Pest control
There is a large number of pests that can appear in the greenhouse if the soil was not well treated before planting the seedlings. The most common reason that can ruin a crop is these are different types of rot... Root rot can be identified by sluggish leaves and dark brown stems. If the rot has already hit the roots, then simply reducing the watering will not be enough. It is necessary to treat the plant with special means.
The drug "Trichodermin" fights this problem well.
There are other diseases that are harmful to plants. Most often, cucumbers in a greenhouse infect fungal diseases. The most common of these is white rot... It can be recognized by dry leaves covered with a white coating. This disease can be prevented by treating the soil and seeds before planting. You can help infected plants with drugs such as Fitosporin, Gitrauxin, Kornevin.
The simplest precaution when growing cucumbers is to regularly spray vegetables with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Different types of rot are not the only problems that people have when growing cucumbers in a greenhouse. The entire crop of vegetables can be destroyed by the well-known pests: aphids and mites.
Aphid and tick remedies
Aphids are very easy to recognize. These small insects feed on the leaves of many plants, cucumbers are no exception. The cells of a damaged leaf cannot participate in photosynthesis - the production of nutrients. The leaves turn yellow dry and fall off, and the whole cucumber bush gradually dies.
A simple aphid remedy that does not require additional costs can be quickly prepared at home. This is a regular soap solution. If the treatment with soapy water is not enough, you can buy Iskra, which copes well with aphids without harm to cucumbers. You can also fight ticks yourself. The best remedy for these pests is an infusion of onion peels. It is prepared very simply:
- A handful of onion husks are poured into 1.5 liters of water and boiled for 5 minutes.
- The solution is cooled and filtered.
- The resulting tincture is used to process shoots and leaves.
Conclusion
The right planting site, careful watering, regular loosening of the soil, timely fertilization of cucumbers and pest control help to avoid vegetable diseases and get a rich harvest in the greenhouse.
