Diseases of cucumbers in the open field and greenhouse: fighting them, how to spray, how to protect
Quite often, gardeners have to deal with cucumber diseases that can lead to the death of plants. In such cases, it is necessary to understand how to treat the disease. For this, special preparations are used for treatment and cucumbers are treated for diseases.
Causes of diseases
Before you protect cucumbers from diseases, you need to familiarize yourself with the causes of their occurrence. There are several specific reasons why young plants start to get sick.
Wrong temperature
Often, fungal diseases of cucumbers occur due to non-compliance with the temperature regime during cultivation. Cucumber is a heat-loving plant that does not tolerate sudden temperature changes. If the temperature is too low, then the cucumber bushes will grow more slowly, and all their nutrients will be used to support the most important life processes.
At temperatures below ten degrees Celsius, the likelihood of cucumber disease increases several times.
High temperature also negatively affects the he alth of the bushes. If it is above 30 degrees, then the accumulation of substances for growth will stop. The plant will become susceptible to most infections and will need to be treated for diseases.
During the cultivation of bushes, it is recommended to maintain the temperature within 20-25 degrees of heat.
Soil moisture
Cucumbers often get sick in the garden due to the low level of soil moisture. Low humidity impairs the supply of nutrients, as they cannot dissolve.
Also, bacterial and infectious diseases can appear as a result of high soil moisture. A large amount of liquid displaces air from the ground, which causes oxygen starvation at the roots. If this problem is not solved in a timely manner, then the plant can not only get sick, but also die.
It is recommended to periodically monitor the soil moisture with cucumbers. To do this, you can use a special moisture meter. The optimum humidity level should be 70-80%.
Humidity
In order not to think about how to save cucumbers from diseases in the future, you need to monitor the humidity in the room with plants. It should be in the range of 80-90%. To check this indicator, a hygrometer is used.
When humidity is less than 55-60%, the leaves of cucumbers begin to evaporate moisture more, which leads to serious energy costs. This leads to a slowdown in growth and a weakening of the immunity of the bushes.
If the humidity is more than 95%, then this can also adversely affect cucumbers. Because of this, the leaves of cucumbers are covered with drip dew, which often leads to diseases.
Unhe althy diet
Quite often, disease prevention and pest protection is accompanied by plant nutrition, which should make it stronger and more resistant to disease. To do this, several times a season, fertilizing consisting of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus is introduced into the soil. If there is too much nitrogen in the fertilizer, then the likelihood of infection of the bushes will increase.
Genetic Resilience
Some varieties of cucumbers do not have genes that could protect them from disease. That is why it is recommended to plant only those varieties that have genetic resistance to the most dangerous diseases.
Sources of infections
Most cucumber diseases appear if there is a source of infection. These include:
- Last year's remains of plants. It is recommended to regularly clear the site of residues, as they are the most common source of disease spread.
- Weeds. Quite often they are carriers of infections, so weeds should be disposed of before planting cucumbers.
- Infections in seeds. Before disembarkation, disinfection should be carried out for prevention.
Powdery mildew
Such a disease of cucumbers as powdery mildew is very common. Before treating her, you need to study her photo and description.
Signs
During the appearance of the disease, leaf curl is observed.Over time, a lot of gray spots appear on them. Gray spots on the leaves of cucumbers gradually spread over the leaves and completely cover their surface. Because of this, they begin to turn yellow and fall off. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the features of the manifestation of powdery mildew in the picture in order to better understand how it looks.
Reasons
There are several reasons why the leaves become covered with a grayish coating. Powdery mildew affects bushes that are rarely watered and overfed with fertilizers with nitrogen. However, the main reason is the low temperature in greenhouses and on the street. Powdery mildew most often develops at temperatures below 10-15 degrees. If this indicator is more than 25 degrees, then the spores will stop spreading and begin to die.
Treatment with folk remedies
Many vegetable growers do not know how to process cucumbers during the treatment of such a serious illness. There are quite effective folk methods of struggle.
For treatment, it is recommended to spray the bushes with mullein infusion. It is prepared from three liters of water and 1 kg of mullein. For processing, only the infused solution is used, which must be infused for two or three days. After that, the mullein mixture must be filtered and poured again with three liters of purified water.
Also, untreated bushes can be sprinkled with a mixture made from sour milk. For its preparation, milk is mixed with warm water in equal proportions. The tool is used no more than once a week.
Manganese solution, which is very easy to prepare, will help get rid of this disease. To do this, two grams of potassium permanganate are added to ten liters of water. Then the mixture is infused for 1-2 hours and applied to the bushes.
Use of chemicals
Special chemicals are often used to process cucumbers. Fitosporin is especially popular, which is recommended to be used after the first signs of powdery mildew appear.
Fungicides and preparations with copper are used in case of serious damage. Colloidal sulfur is also used instead of these agents.
Preventive measures
So that the bushes do not become infected with powdery mildew, it is necessary to take up the prevention of diseases of cucumbers in the open field. Preventive measures include the following:
- regular watering bushes with heated and settled water;
- maintaining cleanliness in the beds and in the greenhouse - timely cleaning of dried plant residues and weeds, loosening the soil;
- optimal temperature support;
- growing disease-resistant varieties of cucumbers.
Peronosporosis
The disease affects bushes in the open field and in greenhouses. To understand how to protect cucumbers from diseases and peronosporosis, you need to read the description of the disease in more detail.
Signs
After infection, the green leaves on the bushes are repainted in a light yellow color. Within a few weeks, they begin to darken and gradually fade. If cucumbers are not sprayed with special preparations in a timely manner, they will die.
Reasons
The main causative agent of this disease is a fungus. The optimal conditions for its appearance and development are high humidity and low temperature. Therefore, in a well-protected and insulated greenhouse, downy mildew appears much less often.
Folk treatments
Cucumbers can be treated with some folk methods. Quite often, a special whey from milk is used for this. For its preparation, a liter of milk is mixed with a liter of warm water. Also, this solution can be used for prevention. Some gardeners use a mixture made from iodine and kefir. During its creation, it is necessary to add four drops of iodine to five liters of kefir.
Chemicals
Sometimes traditional methods do not help cure peronosporosis and gardeners do not know what to do next. In such cases, it is recommended to use chemical drugs, as they are more effective in treating diseases.
It is known that most fungi are incompatible with copper. That is why Bordeaux liquid should be used. It is prepared from one hundred grams of blue vitriol, lime and several buckets of water. You can also prepare a copper-soap mixture. To do this, 200 grams of soap and 20 grams of copper sulfate are added to a bucket of water.
Keep in mind that chemical mixtures can only be used at temperatures above 25 degrees.
Prevention
Preventive measures are quite simple:
- harvest ripe crops in time;
- don't plant cucumbers too close;
- water the bushes only with heated water;
- burn the remains of old bushes that may contain spores.
Chlorosis
Chlorosis, like bacteriosis of cucumbers, is a fairly common disease of cucumbers in other plants as well. It appears due to a lack of chlorophyll involved in photosynthesis. As a result, yellow and dry spots appear on the leaves.
Signs
A diseased bush may show various signs, which depend on what substance the plant lacks.
With a lack of iron, spotted leaves begin to turn yellow or white. At the same time, their veins retain their original green color. First, signs begin to appear on the sheets located on top. Over time, they spread to the lower ones.
If the bushes do not have enough nitrogen, then chlorosis will manifest itself differently. In this case, the veins begin to change color, which immediately turn white. Gradually, the disease completely destroys the leaves.
Reasons
There are various reasons why cucumbers develop chlorosis. These include:
- Lack of minerals and trace elements. It is because of this that most often spotting appears on the leaves.
- Infections. Chlorosis may appear after infection. Quite often, infectious diseases are carried by insects that fly from infected bushes to he althy ones. Therefore, it is recommended to get rid of diseases and pests in a timely manner so that chlorosis does not appear.
- Incorrect planting and poor growing conditions. The disease can appear if the roots of the plant were damaged during planting. It also appears when there is no drainage.
Treatment
It is imperative to treat chlorosis, because without this the bushes may die. Iron chelate is used to treat bushes with iron chlorosis.You can prepare it by adding a few grams of citric acid and iron sulfate to a liter of water. The result should be a mixture with a yellowish tinge.
Some vegetable growers fight the disease with rusty nails. They are placed in the soil near the infected bushes. Also, peeled rust can be placed in the ground. This method is recommended if other methods have not helped in the treatment of chlorosis.
Ascochitosis
Cucumber ascochitosis is most often found in greenhouses. Outdoor plants are much less likely to get sick.
Signs
First, oval dark dots of a grayish tint appear on the sheets. Over time, they become brown and gradually dry. They also sometimes get minor burns. The disease spreads very quickly throughout the bush. At the same time, ascochitosis rarely damages the vascular system, which allows infected plants to bear fruit.In the later stages of development, a black coating appears on the leaves of cucumbers on the stems.
Ascochitosis also appears on the fruits of the plant. First, the fabric on top of the cucumbers begins to dry out. In just a few days, the fruit will completely turn black and rot.
Reasons
Most often, the weakest bushes suffer from ascochitosis. Plants that are poorly cared for are susceptible to the disease. Also at risk are bushes that are planted too densely.
Treatment
Before you spray cucumbers, you need to understand the features of the treatment. To begin with, the greenhouse should be treated to stop the spread of the disease and destroy the sources of infection. For this, a weak formalin solution is used. One square meter of the greenhouse must be sprayed with a liter of the prepared mixture.
During the treatment of the disease, a pre-prepared Bordeaux mixture is used. Also, diseased bushes can be sprayed with urea mixed with copper sulphate. These funds must be used within a week.
Some vegetable growers use special preparations. For example, you can use Saprol, which helps to cope with most cucumber diseases.
Alternariosis
Alternariosis appears in almost all varieties of cucumbers. This disease negatively affects the yield of plants. It may decrease several times.
Signs
Appears on the bushes that grow in the greenhouse and are located closest to the other doors. At the initial stage of development, the leaves are covered with small convex spots, the size of which does not exceed a centimeter. Spotting first appears on the edges of the leaves and eventually spreads to the rest of them. If you ignore the disease and do not treat it, the leaves will begin to fall off.
Reasons
Alternariosis appears in conditions of high temperature and high levels of humidity. That is why it is recommended to monitor the climate in the greenhouse where cucumbers are grown.
Treatment
If the bushes are already sick and the first symptoms of the disease appear, you must immediately lower the temperature in the greenhouse to 20 degrees. To do this, films are removed from the beds and doors are opened for ventilation. After that, cucumbers should be treated with copper products. To do this, you can use Bordeaux liquid or Fitosporin.
Root rot
One of the most dangerous and widespread diseases is root rot.
Signs
A disease appears at all stages of development of cucumber bushes. It is very difficult to determine it, since the spread of rot begins with the root system. The first symptoms are darkening and wilting of the roots. Gradually, the disease spreads to the stem. If measures are not taken in time, the infected bush will die.
Reasons
The main reason for the appearance of root rot are unsuitable conditions for growing and fruiting bushes. The disease develops rapidly in conditions of high temperature. It can also appear if supercooled water is used for irrigation.
Treatment
Immediately after the obvious manifestations of the disease, the root system should be restored. To do this, it is necessary to scatter a thin layer of fertile soil near each infected bush. With its help, new roots will form. This procedure should be accompanied by regular watering with warm water.
Sometimes it is not possible to detect the disease in time. In such situations, it is almost impossible to save the plant and you will have to get rid of it. If the bush is already dry, then it will have to be dug up and burned so that the disease does not spread to other bushes.
Conclusion
It is quite simple to identify diseases of cucumbers in the open field and deal with them. To do this, it is recommended to study the diseases of cucumbers and their treatment. It is also necessary to familiarize yourself with their prevention in advance. By reading all this, you will secure the bushes you grow.
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