Why cucumber leaves curl inward and what to do with the photo

Cucumber leaf curl can be caused by a lack of nutrients in the soil, as well as various viruses and bacteria. To help the plant and not lose the crop, you need to know the cause of the problem, and there are a lot of them.

Why cucumber leaves curl up

Sometimes you can notice that the leaves of cucumbers in the garden wrinkle, turn yellow, dry and fall off. Before you start treatment, you need to understand the problem, consider diseased bushes, perhaps other signs will be found.If it is not timely and incorrect to find the cause, you can completely lose the harvest.

Common causes are:

lack of nutrients in the soil (nitrogen, sulfur, magnesium, calcium);

improper feeding (insufficient or excessive application of certain components);
violation of the irrigation regime;
attack of insect pests;
fungal, viral or bacterial infections;
sunburn.

If you find the problem in time, you can stop its spread and reanimate diseased bushes.

Top

If the leaves of cucumbers curl up, then the cause is often a lack of nutrients, in particular potassium, calcium and zinc.

The leaves curl outwards due to many diseases. Most often due to powdery mildew. Additionally, a whitish coating can be found on the surface of the leaves.

Inside

Cucumber leaves can curl inward due to a lack of, for example, calcium, nitrogen, magnesium, sulfur. Deficiency of these nutrients can result from improper preparation of the land before planting or insufficient fertilization during the development of a vegetable crop.

If there is not enough moisture in the air and in the soil, evaporation from the surface of cucumber leaves is accelerated. To retain moisture, the plant reduces the surface area of the leaves and they shrink. Often this condition of the leaves can be observed on hot summer days.

The leaf plate of cucumbers curls down as a result of excess moisture and high humidity in the air.

Leaves can twist inward due to diseases and pest attacks. In diseased bushes, the color of the leaves changes, black or light dots, stripes appear. The plant turns yellow and dries. The reason may be the wrong planting pattern (planted too densely), non-compliance with crop rotation, too low or high air temperature, improper care (for example, untimely weeding and loosening the soil).

Dry

Sometimes vegetable growers may face a problem when cucumber seedlings dry out.

Often the problem is easily fixed if it is noticed in the early stages:

Incorrect watering, excess moisture, but most often its lack.
Insufficient lighting.
Cold air, causing the soil temperature to drop below 17 degrees, and the plant does not absorb nutrients well.
Micronutrient deficiency, especially nitrogen and potassium.
The reason for the drying and curling of the leaves of the seedlings may be too dense planting or a small capacity.

The same reasons can lead to a change in the appearance of cucumber leaves when grown outdoors.

Diseases and pests can lead to yellowing. Most often, cucumber beds suffer from fusarium, powdery mildew, whiteflies and aphids. The edges turn yellow due to a lack of nutrients in the soil. In some cases, cucumber leaves turn yellow and dry as a result of the natural aging process. As a rule, this applies to large leaves that have been growing on the stem for a long time.

Crinkling

A wrinkled, yellowed leaf should alert growers.

You need to determine the cause in time to start the right fight:

The main reason why the green mass of cucumbers in the greenhouse withers is improper watering.Gradually, the leaf plate begins to turn yellow, dry and fall off. Cucumbers need to be watered 4 times a week, at first you can use a weak solution of potassium permanganate, Fitosporin, Trichodermin.
Wrinkled leaves may indicate a lack of nitrogen and other trace elements in the soil. In this case, it is useful to make an infusion of chicken manure or urea.
Cucumber leaves can shrink from direct sunlight. A shelter structure should be installed that would protect from the effects of the scorching sun.
If a vegetable crop is infected with infections or attacked by pests, then the leaves wrinkle, dry, turn yellow.

Each unfavorable factor can cause a decrease in the yield and taste of the fruit, so you need to eliminate it in a timely manner.

Issues related to boarding and leaving

The reason why the leaves of cucumber seedlings curl, wither and dry may be non-compliance with the rules of planting:

Plant cucumbers only when the soil warms up to +12 degrees, and there is no threat of frost.
They begin to plant in the greenhouse in mid-April, in open ground in early June.
Seedlings to be transplanted should be 25 days old.
It is better to tie cucumber lashes to a support so as not to shade all parts of the plant and allow light and air to circulate freely.

In case of improper care, the lashes begin to grow, the leaves curl, dry and turn yellow, and the cucumbers form an irregular shape with a bitter aftertaste.

Weather conditions

For cucumbers, warm and humid summers are most favorable.Due to the high air temperature, the soil is constantly dry, the plants begin to hurt, the fruits lose their juiciness and taste, the leaves wither and dry. As a result, the plant may die altogether.

Cloudy days also cause the leaves to curl inward or outward, losing their rich green color.

Hypothermia

Cucumber leaf curl can be caused by a decrease in air temperature, as the vegetable belongs to a heat-loving vegetable crop. In the open field, these can be unfavorable weather conditions (long rains, return of frosts), too early planting of seedlings in unheated soil.

Hypercooling of cucumber seedlings can occur due to a cold window sill, improper hardening procedure.

Violation of landing pattern

Often, shoots that are planted too close to each other curl, turn yellow and dry leaves. This happens as a result of insufficient supply of light, air, nutrients to all parts of the plant. The risk of developing fungal and viral diseases increases.

When growing seedlings of cucumbers, it is necessary to choose large containers and keep a distance during sowing. If the seeds are planted immediately in open ground, then the holes are made no more than 3 cm deep. The distance between rows should be 80-90 cm. An interval of 20 cm is left between the bushes.

In the greenhouse

Almost everyone has a greenhouse installed on their land. It allows you not to adapt to weather conditions, in addition, you can independently adjust the humidity and temperature of the air. But problems can also arise in the greenhouse.

There are several reasons why cucumber leaves curl:

unheated soil (the plant's immunity decreases, development slows down);
low humidity and high room temperature;
lack of trace elements in the soil (in a greenhouse, the soil is depleted faster, so it is recommended to renew the top layer of the earth every year and apply fertilizer regularly).

It is very important to set the correct temperature and watering during the care of greenhouse crops.

Twisting and other changes in the leaves in the greenhouse should be treated with frequent airing of the room, setting the temperature regime and fertilizing the soil with fertilizers. The air temperature in the greenhouse after germination should be +22 degrees. The humidity level in the greenhouse varies depending on the period of development of cucumbers.During the period of active growth, humidity should be 90%, during the flowering period a little lower - 80%.

The humidity level in greenhouses and greenhouses is easy to maintain with constant watering. If there is enough moisture in the greenhouse soil, the plant will feel good.

On the windowsill

At home, on the windowsill, you can grow cucumbers and enjoy them in any season. But some factors can impair the development of the plant and reduce the yield.

If the leaves of cucumbers on the windowsill curl and dry, then adverse factors can be:

wrong watering regimen (when growing a crop in a room, rare watering is required);
insufficient air humidity;
deficiency in the soil of nutrients;
Incorrectly selected soil.

You can correct the situation by restoring the irrigation regime. Plentiful watering of cucumbers with warm water is enough once a week. Be sure to make sure that there is no stagnant water.

It is useful to regularly spray the green part of the plants, do not forget about top dressing.

Leaves of cucumber seedlings change their appearance due to insufficient light, drafts, poor soil, improperly selected capacity, too dense planting of seeds.

Wrong watering

Cucumber loves a lot of water, so it requires constant watering. When the soil is moist, cucumbers receive sufficient nutrients and form tasty fruits. When the soil dries out, the development of the crop stops.

At the same time, water stagnation at the roots should be avoided, this prevents air from entering them and increases the risk of decay:

Before the flowering period, it is recommended to water cucumbers every 4-5 days.
After the appearance of the ovaries, the number of waterings is increased to once every two days.
In the active phase of fruiting, water every other day. If the weather is hot, dry, then daily watering is shown.

When frequent rains come, irrigation of the soil is completely stopped. Before flowering per 1 sq. m spend 4-5 liters of warm water. During the formation of ovaries and fruiting, water consumption per 1 sq. m increases to 10 liters.

Insufficient watering

It is important to set the irrigation regime for cucumbers. The reason for the twisting of the leaves can be dry and hot weather. In this case, you need to restore the water balance. First, carefully loosen the topsoil, and then irrigate abundantly with warm water.

In the future, it is recommended to water every 4-5 days, the soil should get wet to a depth of 12 cm.

Increasing the humidity in a greenhouse or room is easier than outdoors. It is important that the necessary moisture is supplied not only to the roots, but also to the leaves. Water is sprayed with a spray bottle. If the leaves dry on the open ground due to dry air, then you can water the leaves. The procedure can be carried out only early in the morning, using warm, settled water.

Proper watering of cucumbers will allow the soil to receive a sufficient amount of moisture. As a result, the fruits will form even, juicy and sweet. The risk of disease is reduced and the number of crops is increased.

Plentiful watering

Excess moisture causes cucumber leaves to sag and become lifeless. In this case, you need to stop watering until the soil dries.Water for irrigation should be warm, settled. Excessive watering of the soil leads to salinization, waterlogging of the soil and the formation of a crust. A whitish crust appears on the surface of the earth, which prevents the entry of light, oxygen and nutrients. Immediately after planting cucumbers, the first watering is carried out in 3-4 days.

After each watering, it is recommended to loosen the soil. This will avoid the appearance of a crust and ensure better distribution of moisture and beneficial trace elements.

Nutritional deficiency

Leaves curl most often with a lack of nitrogen or potassium. With a lack of nitrogen, the edges of the leaves curl inward, and with a deficiency of potassium - outward, while the edges of the leaves begin to turn yellow. You can fill the lack of nutrients with ammonium nitrate, potassium s alt, wood ash, potassium sulfate.

But not only nitrogen and potassium can lead to a change in the appearance of cucumber bushes. For example, with a lack of magnesium, the leaves look sluggish, pale yellow blotches appear. Leaves become pale with a lack of copper. With a lack of calcium, white stripes can be found on the leaves, which expand over time.

Ammonia burn

When burnt with ammonia, the sheet plate twists inward. This happens as a result of introducing fresh manure into the soil or an excess amount of ammonium nitrate. In this case, it is recommended to remove the top layer of soil along with fertilizers. Then you need to add fresh earth and water.

Picking

The root system of cucumbers is poorly developed and does not tolerate picking, so many experienced vegetable growers exclude the procedure. If it is supposed to grow a crop through seedlings, then the seeds are immediately planted in separate containers, it is best to choose peat cups.

If the seeds were planted in a common container and after picking into the open ground, the leaves began to curl and turn yellow, then the roots were damaged. This is the main reason why cucumber leaves change appearance after picking.

To revive a damaged plant, you need to treat the beds with special preparations: Epin, Zircon, Kornevin.

Diseases and pests

Diseases of cucumbers often appear as a result of non-compliance with crop rotation, temperature changes, increased humidity, lack of timely top dressing, poor lighting, an area not prepared for planting, watering with cold water. Cucumbers can be observed twisting leaves in diseases such as powdery mildew , downy mildew, cladosporiosis, fusarium wilt, gray or white rot, field mosaic.

There are many ways to treat cucumber leaf curl in case of illness. In the early stages, when the fruits have not yet formed, you can use chemicals. If the problem appeared at the stage of fruit formation, then it is better to choose biological products and compositions of folk recipes.

Among the well-known means of fighting diseases: Fitosporin, Hom, Bordeaux liquid, Oxyhom.

Deformation of the leaves can be caused by the settlement of pests. Most often attacked by spider mites and aphids. Insects disrupt the supply of nutrients and water, and also carry pathogens. If pests are found, spray the beds with Fitoverm, Aktofit, Barguzin, Aktara.

Powdery mildew attack

When infected with powdery mildew, a whitish-gray coating is observed on the leaves. Gradually powdery coating spreads to all parts of the plant, the leaves may curl, turn yellow and dry.

The causative agent of a fungal disease very quickly passes to he althy bushes in cold, wet weather. Fungus spores die at air temperatures above +25 degrees. Improper watering and an excess of nitrogen in the soil can provoke the disease.

In order to prevent the disease, it is necessary to properly water the beds and only with warm, settled water, remove the weeds in time and loosen the aisles. After harvesting, the remains of tops must be removed from the site.

Root rot

Root rot affects culture at any stage of its development. Initially, the roots are affected, they turn brown-yellow and dry out over time. Then the stem becomes thinner, and the entire cucumber bush dies.

Irrigation with cold water, improper planting of cucumbers, deep planting of seeds, a sharp change in heat to cold and back can provoke a disease.

Sick plants must be urgently pulled out by the roots and burned. The remaining plants can be treated with wood ash, blue vitriol.

Virus hit

During the defeat of viral diseases, the color of the leaves changes first. They turn pale, curl, wrinkle and turn yellow, spots appear. Viruses are carried by pests or transmitted through seeds. Therefore, before planting, the seeds must be treated with special solutions and heated at a temperature of +70 degrees.

Cucumber mosaic often affects young sprouts after transplantation. Aphids are considered to be carriers of the virus. Numerous spots appear on the leaves, in addition, they can curl.

When and how to feed cucumbers

An important point in the cultivation of cucumber crops is the application of fertilizers and growth stimulants. It is important to know when, in what quantity and what element is best to add. At different periods of development, a culture needs certain trace elements to a greater or lesser extent.

The first top dressing is carried out after unfolding the third true leaf. Nitrogen is needed for the growth of green mass. At this time, choose urea, nitrophoska or mullein infusion with potassium sulfate.

After two weeks, re-feeding is carried out. You can use an infusion of chicken manure or rotted herbal infusion.

The next top dressing falls on the flowering period. The plant needs potassium the most. Suitable foliar or root top dressing with wood ash formulations. The infusion of mullein with superphosphate and potassium sulfate saturates the soil well. Nitrogen, magnesium and potassium are needed during the period of active fruiting. It is useful to apply potassium nitrate in a foliar way.

Preventive measures

To prevent the twisting of cucumber leaves, you must follow the preventive rules of agricultural technology:

do not forget about the importance of regular and proper watering, establishing the level of humidity and temperature in the greenhouse, frequent ventilation of the room;
to prevent the appearance of pests and diseases, the soil must be disinfected before planting, the seeds are also processed, crop rotation must be observed;
timely application of fertilizers will make up for the lack of trace elements and increase the immunity of the plant.

If all the rules are followed, problems rarely arise, and a large harvest of delicious fruits can be harvested.