Marbled cucumber leaves: causes and what to do

An experienced gardener accurately determines the state of he alth of a vegetable crop by the state of cucumber leaves. Symptoms of any infection appear on them. Signs of the disease should be considered yellow, brown and whitish spots, brown border, white and gray bloom, as well as marbling of leaves on cucumbers.

What is meant by marbling of leaves?

They say that cucumber leaves have a marbled color when instead of a uniform green color they are covered with lighter streaks or, conversely, dark streaks on a light green or light yellow background.

The difference, at first glance, is insignificant, but the diagnoses are completely different and so is the treatment. In the first case, when pale green stains cover a dark green surface, we can talk about a lack of magnesium (Mg) in the plant.

In the second case, the plant has a viral disease, when the entire surface of the leaf is pale green or pale yellow and dark green stains are visible on it. It turns out that cucumbers have marbled leaves for various reasons. Find out what to do when cucumbers have marbled leaves.

Deficiency and excess of magnesium

Magnesium deficiency causes marbling in cucumbers. This is explained by the fact that magnesium is part of the chlorophyll molecules; without it, the process of photosynthesis is disrupted. Consequences of Mg deficiency:

slows down or stops the growth of the aerial part of the cucumber;
reduces root growth;
deteriorating nutrient and moisture intake.

Excessive magnesium content in the soil, tissues leads to the death of the root and the death of the plant. How to correct the situation, how to feed the cucumbers when marble stains appear on the leaves of the cucumbers?

Closing the deficit

You need to be serious about preparing the soil before planting. So that the leaves of a young cucumber do not lose their elasticity and color, you can increase the percentage of Mg in the soil, for this, add ash or potassium magnesia to it, their estimated consumption is 25 g per 1 sq. m.

Food is used to prevent any diseases. There is no need to wait until the plant is established, cucumbers need to be fed in the system from the very beginning. Principles to follow to restore balance Mg:

preparation of soil for cucumbers;
maintaining a constant microclimate;
regular fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers.

Processing can be carried out almost from the first month after germination. Preparations help from marbling cucumber:

Agricola.
Topers.
Bio-Master.

With a lack of magnesium, the old leaves located in the lower part of the bush first lose their normal color. If the disease is not treated, marbling will spread throughout the bush, reaching the crown.

Reasons

Most often, magnesium deficiency occurs in cucumbers growing on sandy soils. This type of soil contains a high percentage of potassium, an excess of which impairs magnesium intake. Excessive application of potash fertilizers gives the same picture.

Frequent application of nitrogen fertilizers, leading to excess nitrogen in the soil, gives the same result. Magnesium is poorly absorbed in acidic soils. To prevent marbling in cucumbers, the soil is deoxidized with lime or dolomite flour.

Regardless of the soil, it is possible to distinguish the stages of plant growth when the probability of marbled leaves in cucumbers increases. Most often, cucumbers suffer from magnesium deficiency at the beginning and at the end of fruiting.

What to treat?

Liquid fertilizer Uniflor Bud helps replenish magnesium deficiency and eliminate marbling on cucumber leaves. Add 2 tsp to a bucket of water. liquid fertilizer, stir and water the plants under the root, in the evening you can carry out foliar treatment.

The pharmacy sells burnt magnesia (magnesium oxide). It is in the form of a white powder that dissolves easily in water. For feeding cucumbers suffering from marbling, 2 tsp. magnesium oxide is dissolved in 10 liters of water. The resulting fertilizer is fed to weakened plants.

Magnesium is found in dolomite flour. At home, you can prepare dolomite milk: 10 liters of water, 1 cup of flour. Pour 0.5 l of dolomite milk onto each bush.

Reviews

Marat: “Agricola is the best fertilizer for cucumbers with a lack of magnesium. It takes me the whole pack to prepare the solution. I plant it in a bucket of water and water the cucumber bushes, the leaves become prettier, turn green, become denser and stronger. Cucumbers grow delicious.”

Alexandra: “In the spring I put humus and mineral fertilizers on the cucumber bed, but in the summer I don’t forget to feed the cucumbers. When the weather deteriorates, I spray the bushes with milk and iodine. Mineral dressings under the root (potassium nitrate, nitroammophoska) alternate with organic fertilizers (infusion of grass, mullein). From marbling on the leaves of cucumbers, I use Uniflor Bud. Every year I’m just littered with cucumbers, I don’t have time to process them.”

Elena: “Marble stains appeared on the leaves of cucumbers. Decided not to let the problem run its course. I found a description of the problem, treated the bushes with Bio-Master fertilizer. The leaves stopped losing color, the bushes got stronger.”