Why cucumbers wilt and grow crooked in late summer
Cucumbers can also fruit in autumn, but they need to be fed on time
By late August cucumbers bear less and less fruit, which cannot help but upset gardeners. There are ways to extend fruiting and get a bigger harvest, as well as to deal with deformed cucumbers. Together with an agronomist, we look into the finer points of growing cucumbers at the end of summer.
Cucumbers become deformed as they grow due to a lack of nutrients
Few fruits on cucumbers
Cucumber foliage is the main indicator of a plant«s health
Cucumbers fruit less and less primarily because of natural processes. Nights become colder and longer. The plants lack warmth, as well as nutrients, to produce a large harvest.
«First of all, you need to give them potassium and phosphorus. This can be mineral fertilizers or wood ash,» explained Lyudmila Shubina, an agronomist and candidate of agricultural sciences. «It is important to harvest on time so the cucumbers do not overgrow.»
If even one old, overgrown cucumber is left on the vine, the plant will direct all its energy into it in order to produce seeds. At this time, there will be fewer and fewer new ovaries. If the goal is not to obtain your own planting material from varietal plants, then all cucumbers must be carefully picked.
The aging of the bush is one of the most significant reasons for reduced fruiting. You need to cut off all the lower old yellow leaves and shoots. Be sure to cut off everything that is damaged or covered with spots.
«In August you need to pinch off all the tops of the main stems so that the bush does not grow in length but produces more vines with fruits,» the specialist advises. «It is important not to let the soil in the greenhouse dry out completely.»
Why cucumbers grow crooked
Cucumber fruits can become deformed for the three most common reasons: a lack of potassium, stress from cold nights, and shock from cold water.
«Most often the deformation is linked to a lack of potassium. Cucumbers need to be fed every ten days, and right now you should add more potassium. You can take potassium monophosphate — 15–20 grams per 10 liters of water — and apply two liters of the feed after the main watering,» the agronomist advises.
The second reason is stress from temperature fluctuations. Nights are getting colder and the temperature drops below +14 °C (57 °F), so the plants experience stress. Potassium monophosphate can also be added to support them.
Cucumbers can also produce crooked fruits because of watering with ice-cold water. It is better to let the buckets stand for at least a couple of hours in the greenhouse before giving moisture to the cucumbers. Nor should you spray the leaves with water right now.
Ash for cucumbers — how to apply it
Ash will give cucumbers the potassium they so badly need right now. It can be applied in two ways.
The first is an ash solution. To make it, dissolve two glasses of ash in ten liters of water. Let it infuse for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Apply two liters of the feed under each plant after the main watering.
The second is dusting with dry ash. You need to scatter ash around the stems. It will take 2–3 tablespoons per bush. This can also be done after the main watering.
Why cucumber leaves wilt in the greenhouse — what to do
While the yellowing of some leaves in late August should not be surprising, wilting is still an alarming symptom. This can happen for several reasons. A too-hot summer is a real test even for heat-loving crops.
«If it is +30 °C (86 °F) during the day, the leaves can hang like rags. By evening they usually recover. There is no need to panic. Just make sure the ventilation in the greenhouse is good,» Lyudmila Shubina noted.
Root rot in cucumbers shows up as a darkening of the stem at ground level. If the leaves do not straighten out by night, you need to water the soil with biological products. For example, Fitosporin or Trichodermin. After that, dust the stem and the soil around it with wood ash.
The most unpleasant cause of cucumber wilting is a fungal disease. Fusarium wilt progresses quickly in August because of cold nights and high humidity. First the top of the plant wilts. The stem on a cut will look like a brown ring. Such plants cannot be saved. They must be urgently removed from the plot, and the soil watered with biological products.
Important about the garden and vegetable plot
It will not survive frost: what to feed pumpkins and when to harvest them from the garden.
Time to divide: what to do with peonies in August and how to replant them properly — a flower grower«s advice.
Planting roses in autumn: which varieties to choose and how to plant them properly so they survive the winter.
