Why do cucumber leaves turn yellow on the windowsill: what to do, how to treat

Cultivation of cucumbers at home is a responsible test for every gardener. Why do leaves dry on cucumbers living on a veranda or open beds? There are several reasons for this problem. The plant has rich foliage and is constantly evolving, capturing living space.

General information

The main problems preceding the yellowing of the foliage lie in the wrong watering, top dressing or lighting.

But there are some nuances that need to be considered in more detail:

1. Lighting. The plant has dense and wide foliage. In pursuit of sunlight, the lower part is oppressed. Some diseases of cucumbers on the windowsill really occur in low light. Yellowing and drying of the leaves is the first sign that the plant needs additional care.
2. Water. Insufficient watering leads to the disease of seedlings of cucumbers and adult plants. Abundant irrigation should be done at least once a week. When setting and growing fruits, there is an intensive consumption of moisture, which can only be replenished from the soil. There is no need to treat the culture for imaginary diseases. It is enough to organize an effective watering schedule and subsequently follow the recommendations of specialists.
3. Hypothermia. When growing a crop in a zone of risky farming, sudden temperature changes are possible. The heat-loving plant does not tolerate the test of cold, after which the leaves turn white, and part of the flora dies.The most favorable is a constant temperature regime without sharp fluctuations.
4. Food. When examining a crop, gardeners first inspect the tops. The lower leaves on cucumbers are a kind of indicator of he alth. Yellowing, wilting and dying off of a plant part depend on nutrients. With intensive development, cucumber leaves require elements such as phosphorus, potassium and magnesium.
5. Fungal diseases. The culture develops well in greenhouse conditions. Abundant watering provokes the development of soil bacteria, after which infection of the entire crop is possible. Zelentsy are often also affected, covered with a grayish-brown bloom. Treatment with a disinfectant solution, for example, Topaz or Quadris, helps. Infected leaves are removed immediately.
6. Stressful situations. With a sudden change in weather, a change in temperature, or damage to the plant by strong winds, rain or hail, survival mechanisms are triggered - this is why the leaves turn yellow in cucumbers.The culture is trying to survive and provides food for the most productive parts: tops and fruits.
7. The end of the season. Cucumbers are an annual plant whose purpose is to grow fruits and lay seeds for the next season. At the end of the life cycle, a gradual yellowing of the foliage occurs, the tops dry out. Cucumbers on the windowsill clearly show this process: first, the lower part of the leaves dries up, and in the future, the whole plant.

But what to do if the cucumber leaves turn yellow on the windowsill and why does this happen?

Effective folk remedy to prevent yellowness of leaves - a solution of kefir and whey from sour milk. The composition is diluted with water in a ratio of 2:10. Cucumbers are regularly processed with the resulting composition.

The effect is achieved by lactic acid bacteria, which do not harm the culture, but inhibit wild soil bacteria.

A little about fertilizers

So why do cucumber seedlings turn yellow with proper care? Why does this kill the leaves? If the irrigation regime is correctly selected and the temperature conditions correspond to the requirements for growing the variety, then they do not dry out. The problem most likely lies in the lack of nutrients.

Feeding is carried out several times a season using mineral and organic fertilizers. If the edges of the leaves begin to turn yellow, this is the first sign that the plant is feeling uncomfortable.

One of grandmother's effective recipes is mullein infusion. If the leaves dry up, pour a kilogram of manure with three liters of warm water and let it stand for several days. After that, the solution is filtered and again diluted with water. Plants are watered with the resulting liquid. This method is well suited for top dressing: cucumbers on the balcony usually receive more attention than in the summer cottage.

Mineral fertilizers

In organic dressings, some elements are in scanty quantities. With an insufficient amount of minerals in cucumbers, the leaves turn yellow and the yield decreases. The application of mineral fertilizers is extremely important for the diet of plants.

The main elemental composition includes:

1. Nitrogen. Here is the answer to the question of why the leaves of the seedlings dry: it often turns out that due to the lack of nitrogen in the soil. The leaves of cucumber seedlings are sensitive to this element. The best sources of this element are urea, ammonium nitrate and urea. An excess of nitrogen in the soil leads to unreasonable growth of cucumber crops. A small number of ovaries are formed, the foliage becomes a juicy dark green color. Even if the leaves dry on the cucumbers on the windowsill, the situation can be corrected with regular watering: the element is simply washed out of the soil with water.
2. Phosphorus. Responsible for the formation of the root system and the quality of plant nutrition.With its deficiency, the leaves of the seedlings turn yellow and there is a general starvation of the culture. The growth of the stems slows down, fewer ovaries are formed and the yield decreases. If the leaves of your cucumbers on the windowsill turn yellow, adding superphosphate to the soil will help. How to determine the lack of phosphorus? It is quite difficult, since a complex analysis is required here. It is not known why a number of secondary signs appear. An excess of phosphorus prevents the absorption of potassium. The cure in this case is a balanced fertilization.
3. Potassium. The element's function is to deliver nutrients to every cell of the plant. If the plant's leaves turn yellow, growth slows down, one of the possible reasons is a lack of potassium. This element gives the fruits a crispy taste, cucumbers grow juicy. With its lack, the shoots turn yellow and dry. You can fill the deficiency with potassium sulfate or potassium magnesia. Directly affects the vital processes of the plant, strengthens its immune system.

You can determine the lack of potassium in a plant by a number of signs:

• plant leaves turn bright green and dry around the edges;
• overgrowth of lashes;
• practically no ovary is formed, even if development occurs on a window, in a greenhouse at home;
• excessive wateriness of the fruit and a bitter taste - this can provoke the development of cucumber diseases.

Organic fertilizers

The most common fertilizer in a summer cottage is manure. Its use is due to its natural composition.

Manure virtually eliminates nutrient overdose:

• applied dry and dug with soil when planting;
• lay along the bed, providing top dressing with each watering;
• make liquid top dressing: just pour water and let it brew for several days, after straining, water the culture - it heals yellow leaves well, over time the tops acquire a he althy green color.

What to do with the tops

Each gardener solves this issue in his own way:

1. While the stems and leaves are still wet, it's good to have a compost pit or container. In a warm and humid place, the tops decompose and make an excellent organic fertilizer. Sometimes it can take a whole season. The finished mass is laid under the future beds and dug up.
2. The tops of legumes (peas, beans), carrots and beets are especially appreciated. You can let it dry or grind it fresh. Dig along with the soil. Cucumbers or tomatoes will grow well in this place next season.
3. Ash is an excellent fertilizer for most crops.When burning tops, we not only get the basis for feeding the entire garden, but also get rid of various pests and weed seeds. Insect embryos also fall into this list. For example, the foliage of an apple or pear tree that has dried up and turned white is better to burn, as it contains a large number of pests. This will make the whole garden he althier.

Sometimes in the summer cottage you can see a large plastic or metal barrel. The reasons why summer residents keep a container on their site are quite simple: the so-called barrel cucumbers are grown here. During the season, various tops from grass or weeds are laid in it. In the spring, soil with humus is added and cucumbers are planted, which give a stable ovary and develop rapidly.

So that the seedlings do not turn yellow, the rims of the metal barrel are insulated. Contact with them can cause burns to the plant. Seedlings hang from the sides of the barrel and feel great outdoors.

It is recommended to install the barrel on the sunny side, the main thing is to carefully monitor the development of the plant so as not to get burned areas. The processes that go with the release of heat warm up the root system in the cool time of the day. Unlike indoor crops, this planting method has certain advantages.

Fresh products from the garden have a special, unique taste. It seems that the vegetables melt in the mouth, the body happily accepts natural food. Home-grown foods are much tastier than store-bought ones. They are quickly absorbed, heal every cell, bring he alth and creative longevity to life.

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