Why do cucumber leaves dry and what to do about it? ⋆ 👨‍🌾 Farmer-online ⋆

Summer residents often face such a problem as the drying out of cucumber bushes. This can be caused by a variety of reasons. Because of what a similar problem may arise and what to do about it, we will describe in detail in this article.

Incorrect growing conditions

Growing errors are one of the reasons why cucumber leaves can dry out. So, this culture is able to grow and develop well only in the presence of a sufficient amount of light and heat – this applies to both cucumbers that grow in open ground and greenhouse vegetables.

The placement of cucumber bushes is also important. They should not be planted too closely. Otherwise, the bushes will create a shadow for each other, because of which the plants will dry out at the edges, lose strength.

It is impossible to allow hypothermia of the plant. With sharp jumps in temperature, the cucumbers will turn yellow, with long cold weather they will dry, turn yellow and fall off, in this case it will not be possible to save them. And with prolonged contact with cold surfaces (for example, with greenhouse glass), they will curl and wither.

Overheating for cucumbers is also harmful, this must be carefully monitored, since the plant can get burned during especially hot periods, which will also cause the foliage to dry out and turn yellow. This can happen due to the contact of the leaves of the bush with hot greenhouse walls, as well as due to the ingress of drops of water when watering on the greens of the bush.

bad care

Poor care can also lead to problems with cucumber bushes.

It could be a violation of the water regime. With a lack of water, cucumbers will dry, wither and slow down in growth, especially in hot weather. As a rule, during dry periods, the plants are watered every day, and sometimes twice: early in the morning they irrigate the plants quite a bit, and in the evening they arrange abundant watering. If there is no opportunity to arrange daily watering, then you can water the plant every few days, but at the same time water must be applied in large volumes, right under the root of the bush. However, overdoing it with watering is also not worth it, as this can cause plant diseases. When watering it is necessary to pay attention to the temperature of the water. So, in a greenhouse, the bushes need to be watered only with warm water.
Improper fertilizing is another common mistake many gardeners make when caring for cucumber bushes, due to which the plants begin to dry and wither. As a rule, this happens due to a deficiency of minerals in the soil, namely nitrogen. It is possible to determine that the bush lacks this mineral substance by the following signs: the tips of the leaves of the bush begin to turn yellow, over time the entire leaf blade becomes yellow, which later dries and curls. However, keep in mind that overfeeding the plant with fertilizers is also not worth it, as this can lead to a number of certain problems.
Do not forget about the cleaning of weeds. By themselves, they are usually completely harmless, but it is weeds that are most often carriers of parasitic insects, which subsequently bring a lot of problems to cucumber bushes.

Treatment of diseases

Diseases can also lead to the drying of the leaves of the cucumber bush.

The most common disease is powdery mildew.. This is a fungal disease that disrupts photosynthesis in plants. Subsequently, the leaves become stained, turn yellow and dry. When this fungal disease is detected, the affected leaves must be eliminated, the top layer of soil replaced and the bush should be carefully sprayed with special means. “Fundazol”, “Skor”, “Topaz” and “Vitaros” are perfect.

However, it is quite difficult to treat powdery mildew, since the causative agent of this disease is very tenacious.

Root rot can also cause the plant to dry out and turn yellow, spreading from the bottom to the top. A bush can become infected with the disease due to cold water, dense plantings, high humidity and cool weather. To get rid of this disease, it is necessary to eliminate diseased plants, as well as spray plantings with special biological preparations, for example, Trichodermin, Fitosporin, Gamair and Planriz.

Fitoftoroz – Another disease that can cause wilting and drying of the bush. The disease enters the plant through the capillaries of the foliage, which blocks the supply of nutrients. It is quite difficult to treat this disease, but it is possible. This can be done with the help of specialized preparations: for example, you can use Bordeaux liquid, copper sulfate, Fitosporin and Topaz.

Pest Control

aphid

This insect infects many plants growing in the garden. It feeds on the juices of plantings, the consequence of which is the wilting of the cucumber bush, a change in the color of the leaf, the appearance of holes. As a rule, this small parasite lives on the reverse side of the leaf blade, and in large numbers. If the pest did not have time to breed, you can fight it with the help of folk remedies. Soap solution, onion, garlic and ash are suitable for this. If the parasite has managed to breed, it is recommended to use chemical means. Among them, especially distinguished are such means as Fufanon, Alatar, Iskra, Aktara, Konfidor, Biotlin and Tanrek.

whitefly

The whitefly is a small butterfly that often besieges cucumber bushes. Its size does not exceed 2 millimeters, however, despite its small size, it can cause great harm to plantings. This butterfly actively feeds on the juices of the plant, which is why the culture slows down growth, stops developing, dries, and the fruits are poorly formed. In addition, sooty spots may appear on the leaves of the bush, which is due to the substance that this parasite releases during feeding. As a result, the plant simply dies.

You can fight this harmful insect with the help of chemicals – especially recommend the use of “Fufanon” and “Aktellik”, since these drugs have proven to be the most effective. However, it is recommended to use them only in advanced cases, since drugs of this kind are characterized by increased toxicity.

You can also use folk remedies made on the basis of tobacco, baking soda, dandelion greens, garlic or yarrow.

Mealybugs

The mealybug is a small insect that attacks cultivated plantings in whole colonies. This parasite looks like a small white worm. It actively feeds on the cell sap of the plant, extracting it from foliage, buds and roots, which depresses the culture and inhibits its growth. As a result, the plant dies. In addition, the parasite causes other problems to the plant. When feeding, it releases such a sticky substance as honeydew, it is the best breeding ground for the fungus.

This pest reproduces very quickly. In advanced cases, it will most likely be pointless to fight it, the plant will have to be eliminated so that the pest does not migrate to healthy plantings. If you managed to notice a mealybug in the early stages of its appearance, then in this case you can use chemical preparations such as Aktara, Fitoverm and Biotlin, or folk remedies based on garlic, citrus peel, soap or calendula .

Folk remedies, by the way, can also be used for prevention, which will prevent the occurrence of parasites in the garden.

Shield

This is another small parasite, the size of which is about 3 millimeters. It has a flat body with a dense shield, and its coloration can vary depending on the species – it can be greenish, brown, yellowish, brown or light. During the season, the female of such a pest is able to lay about a thousand eggs, while after oviposition, the adult insect dies. The hatched larvae of this pest intensively feed on the juices of the plant.

Scale insects cause great harm to young shoots. In affected plants, leaves begin to fall off, the plant itself weakens, loses the ability to form fruit ovaries. In addition, the parasite secretes a special sticky substance that does not allow the plant to absorb oxygen and inhibits the process of photosynthesis.

You can fight this parasite with the help of chemicals, which are recommended to be used only in advanced cases. Among such funds, Aktara, Admiral and Bitoxibacillin are especially distinguished. Before using these products, you must carefully read the instructions, which are usually located directly on the package.