Cucumbers: lack of fertilizers

Content

1 Necessary substances
2 Variety of fertilizers
3 Feeding cucumbers
4 Let's sum it up

Cucumbers are very picky about soil composition. They need many minerals in balanced amounts. An excess or deficiency of microelements affects the intensity of plant growth, yield, and the taste of vegetables. A competent gardener will always be able to identify the problem by the external signs that appear on the leaves and fruits of the plant. For novice farmers, we will try to determine in more detail the symptoms of cucumbers with a lack of fertilizers and their excess, as well as ways to solve the problem.

Necessary substances

The micronutrient requirements of cucumbers depend on the stage of the growing season. In general, a plant needs all minerals in one quantity or another. Cucumbers are only intolerant to chlorine.

Nitrogen

This microelement is necessary for all plant crops, including cucumbers. Nitrogen allows plants to quickly grow green mass. This is why cucumbers especially need nitrogen at an early stage of the growing season in order to form a sufficient number of leaves. Nitrogen is used to feed seedlings and young plants planted in the ground after rooting.

Subsequent use of nitrogen may negatively affect crop yields. With an excess of this substance, cucumbers begin to “fatten”, increasing the excess amount of greenery, without the formation of ovaries.The leaves of the plant turn dark green. You can correct the situation and reduce the amount of nitrogen by washing out the soil (regular heavy watering).

Important! Nitrogen tends to accumulate in cucumbers, so after the ovaries appear, the use of fertilizing with this microelement should be reduced.

The lack of nitrogen in the soil can be understood by the following signs:

new shoots do not form on cucumbers, existing ones grow weakly;
the leaves formed on the main stem are small in size;
old leaves become light green and then light yellow in color, and over time they fall off;
the number of flowers and ovaries is reduced;
ripening cucumbers of small sizes with insufficient filling.

When observing such symptoms on cucumber plantings, care should be taken to apply root or foliar fertilizers with a high nitrogen content.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus in plants is primarily responsible for the growth and development of the root system. Without phosphorus, cucumbers cannot absorb other nutrients. microelements from the soil, which leads to general “starvation” of plants. This microelement is necessary at all stages of growing cucumbers and especially after planting seedlings in the ground. That is why during the soil preparation period care should be taken to add phosphorus. Phosphate fertilizers should also be used during flowering, ovary formation and ripening of cucumbers. The amount of microelement should be moderate.

Signs of phosphorus deficiency in cucumbers are:

change in color of existing, mature leaves. They acquire a bluish tint or become red;
young, emerging leaves become smaller;
the growth of new shoots slows down;
the number of ovaries decreases, and existing cucumbers ripen slowly.

It is worth noting that phosphorus deficiency in cucumbers is extremely rare. As a rule, this happens when cucumbers are grown on depleted soils with a high level of acidity.

Excess phosphorus also negatively affects the growth and yield of cucumbers. Signs of an excess amount of this microelement are:

accelerated plant growth with an insufficient number of leaves and side shoots;
cucumber leaves acquire a light yellow tint, necrotic spots can be observed on their surface;
untimely watering of the crop leads to sudden wilting.

Excessive amounts of phosphorus prevent potassium from being absorbed properly. Therefore, signs of potassium deficiency may also indicate excess phosphorus.

Potassium

Potassium fertilizers are of particular importance for cucumbers. This micronutrient allows micronutrients to move from the roots to the leaves and fruits, thereby accelerating the ripening of cucumbers. That is why potash fertilizers are applied to the soil before planting seedlings and during the process of fruit ripening. Without potassium, normal growth and development of a plant at all stages of the growing season is impossible.

A sufficient amount of potassium in the soil is the key to a tasty harvest. In this case, cucumbers are tasty, sweet, crispy. In addition, potassium makes the crop more resistant to adverse weather, diseases and pests.

The lack of potassium in the soil can be determined by a number of signs:

the leaves of the plant acquire a dark green color;
the lashes of the plant are greatly extended;
cucumbers practically do not form an ovary;
a dry yellow border forms on the leaves of the plant;
ripe cucumbers are over-watered and have a bitter taste.

Thus, without a sufficient amount of potassium, it is impossible to get a good harvest of cucumbers. The fruits will be set in small quantities, and their taste will be of poor quality.

Excess potassium in cucumbers is rarely observed. Its symptoms are:

discolored, pale leaves;
plant growth slows down;
internodes become long;
On the surface of leaf blades with severe potassium “starvation”, mosaic spots can be observed. Over time, damaged foliage falls off.

Excess potassium stops the supply of nitrogen, causing the plant to slow down its growth. The intake of other microelements also slows down.

You can determine mineral deficiency not only by the leaves and intensity of plant growth, but also by the cucumbers themselves. With a lack of one or another microelement, they develop deformity of a certain nature.

In the figure, in the first and second cases, nitrogen deficiency is shown. The shape of the third cucumber signals a lack of potassium. The ovaries of cucumbers numbered 4 and 5 were incorrectly pollinated and therefore the fruits acquired such shapes. The shape of the sixth cucumber indicates a deficiency of a whole complex of substances.

Deficiency and excess of other microelements

It is nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that play the most important role in the process of growing cucumbers. To feed plants, you should choose fertilizers that contain these microelements in balanced amounts. However, in some cases, on depleted soils, cucumbers may lack other nutrients:

With a lack of boron, yellow borders appear on the leaves. Flowers and ovaries, before they have time to appear, wither and fall off. A characteristic light groove appears on the formed cucumbers. The shape of the fruit is curved. Excess boron causes the edges of the leaves to dry out, curling down like a dome.
Magnesium deficiency is manifested by uneven coloring of the plant leaf. Light and dark spots can be observed on it at the same time. With an excess of magnesium, the color of the leaves becomes dark, they begin to curl up up.
If the veins on the leaves protrude and acquire a dark green color, but the leaf itself becomes pale, then it is worth talking about a lack of manganese. An excess amount of this trace element turns the veins on the leaves red. The space between the veins is also covered with brown dots. Severe manganese poisoning leads to growth arrest and then complete death of the plant.
Yellow, dry edges on leaves that turn brown over time are a sign of calcium deficiency.. At the same time, the cucumber leaves themselves are pale, flaccid, and curled upward. Excess calcium leads to chlorosis. Pale, necrotic, round spots appear on cucumber leaves. The plant ceases to receive boron and manganese, which means that over time, symptoms of deficiency of these substances can be observed.

When one of the signs of “starvation” appears, it is necessary to immediately add the missing microelement. The source in this case may be mineral fertilizer, organic matter or other available means. You can apply fertilizer by watering the roots or spraying.When choosing a method of applying fertilizing, you must remember that when spraying, the consumption and synthesis of substances occurs much faster, which means the effect of such measures will be noticeable almost immediately. To prevent the occurrence of a deficiency of a particular substance, it is necessary to regularly fertilize cucumbers with complex fertilizers.

Variety of fertilizers

Many gardeners prefer to feed cucumbers exclusively with organic fertilizers. Mullein, manure infusions and bird droppings are the main raw materials for them to create fertilizers. However, in the case of cucumbers, such fertilizers are not enough, since organic matter contains a lot of nitrogen and an insufficient amount of other microelements. That is why, even when using organic matter, you should not neglect mineral supplements.

In agricultural stores, gardeners are offered complex preparations and certain nutrients. Depending on the task at hand, you should choose one or more of them:

Sources of nitrogen are ammonium nitrate and urea, which is sometimes called urea. For a one-time application to the soil, these substances are diluted in a bucket of water in the amount of 10-20 g and 20-50 g, respectively. The concentration of fertilizing largely depends on the age of the plant and its condition.
Superphosphate is often used to feed cucumbers with phosphorus.. This microelement is added to the soil at a rate of 40-50 g/m².
You can compensate for the lack of potassium in cucumbers using potassium sulfate or potassium magnesium (a combination of potassium and magnesium). These substances do not contain chlorine harmful to cucumbers. A nutrient mixture is prepared from them at a concentration of 1-3%.A large amount of potassium is contained in wood ash, which can be used in dry or liquid form (infusion) to feed cucumbers.
The lack of boron can be compensated for either with boric acid or with a special preparation Biochelate-Boron. The boron concentration in the fertilizer should not exceed 0.02%. For example, only 0.2 g of the substance is added to 1 liter of water. Boron is toxic and, if the dosage is exceeded, can negatively affect the growth and development of cucumbers.
You can saturate cucumbers with magnesium using potassium magnesium.. This substance should be added per season, in several stages, in a volume of 15-20 g per 1 m² soil. Dolomite flour and wood ash also contain large amounts of trace elements. Consumption of these substances per season per 1 m² soil should be 20-50 and 30-60 g, respectively.
Manganese for cucumbers can be obtained by diluting a weak, light pink solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate).
Calcium can be added to the soil using calcium carbonate in the amount of 5-7 kg per 10 m² soil. The microelement is also found in chalk, dolomite flour, and wood ash. To feed cucumbers at home, you can prepare flour from eggshells.

To feed cucumbers, you can use a specific substance or prepare a complex mixture of microelements in the required concentrations. When preparing fertilizers for young plants, special care must be taken, since they are very sensitive to overdoses.

On sale you can find combined fertilizers that combine the necessary microelements in a certain amount. The most widely used of them is ammophosphate - a three-component fertilizer that contains nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.You can prepare such a mixture yourself by mixing ammonium nitrate (10 g), superphosphate (30 g) and potassium sulfate (15 g). Substances must be diluted in water and used to fertilize plants per 1 m² soil.

Important! When growing cucumbers, you must remember that the crop is intolerant to chlorine. It is for this reason that potassium salts and potassium chloride should not be used to feed cucumbers.

Feeding cucumbers

Cucumbers must be fertilized from the moment 2 true leaves appear. Such seedlings require a whole complex of microelements, including nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. You can fertilize young plants with complex preparations, for example, Agricola, Bio-master, Toppers.

An example of the use of such complex fertilizers is shown in the video:

Before planting cucumber seedlings, the soil must be fertilized so that it contains all the necessary microelements for normal plant growth. So, in the fall, organic fertilizers with a high nitrogen content should be added to the soil. It can be rotted or fresh manure, humus. In the spring, immediately before planting cucumbers in the soil, it is necessary to add fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium. These microelements will allow plants to better take root in new conditions.

A week after planting, the cucumbers need to be fed nitrogenous fertilizers. They will activate the growth of cucumbers and allow the plants to increase their green mass. During flowering and formation of ovaries, a complex of fertilizers containing large quantities of potassium, phosphorus, boron and some nitrogen should be applied. Such combined fertilizers should be used until the end of the growing season.

During the entire period of growing cucumbers, 3-4 basic feedings should be carried out. In the intervals between them, it is recommended to additionally introduce micronutrients by spraying and watering with low concentrated solutions.

Let's sum it up

Having decided to get a good harvest of tasty cucumbers, you need to stock up on certain knowledge. So, by looking at the leaves and fruits of cucumbers, you need to understand and determine the lack of a particular substance. This will allow you to eliminate problems in a timely manner and prevent further development of microelement starvation, because a lack of one substance can cause a cessation of the supply of other substances, which will lead to stunting of growth and possible death of the plant. During the entire growing season, a careful farmer must repeatedly apply complex fertilizing, which will not only prevent starvation, but guarantee high yields and good taste of cucumbers.