Content
When choosing cucumbers for open ground, every gardener tries to find varieties that are not only fruit-bearing, but also resistant to various diseases. This crop is often subject to fungal and viral diseases, which is accompanied by loss of yield, plus the plant itself also dies. To help gardeners understand a little about this complex problem, in this article we will look at common diseases of cucumbers and try to identify the most resistant varieties.
Review of common cucumber diseases
Any diseases of cucumbers are expressed by characteristic spots on the plant, and sometimes even on the fruit. One of the reasons is nature itself. Sudden changes in temperature from the coolness of the night to the heat of the day are detrimental to the plant. Another reason, without knowing it, is the person himself. By watering beds with cucumber seedlings with cold water, the gardener creates favorable conditions for the development of various diseases.
Let's look at the most common diseases of cucumbers and briefly familiarize ourselves with control methods:
- powdery mildew easy to identify by the white spots on the front side of the cucumber leaves. At first they are small, but over time they grow quickly, affecting all the leaves. You can save the plant at the initial stage of stain development. To do this, prepare a solution of two parts chalk plus one part colloidal sulfur and treat all the plantings in the garden bed. After 7 days, and then at such intervals until cure, the plants are treated with a solution prepared from 10 liters of water and 15 g of sulfur. Instead of sulfur, you can add 100 g of liquid soap and 7 g of copper sulfate to the same amount of water.
- Downy mildew, scientifically called peronosporosis, is expressed on the leaves of the plant by similar spots only yellow. Sometimes a gray or purple coating may also appear on the back of the leaf. The drug “Ridomil” or “Ordan” can prevent such diseases. They are used according to the instructions included in the package.
- White rot spreads throughout the entire plant, from the stem near the ground to the upper leaves. It is easy to identify a cucumber disease by its white, slippery coating. This often occurs due to untimely removal of old foliage. When the first signs are detected, the plants are immediately sprinkled with dusty lime or chalk. You can treat it with copper sulfate by dissolving 5 g of powder in 1 liter of water. The affected parts of the plant only need to be removed, there is no other way out.
- Root rot develops on the lower part of the plant, affecting the stem and foliage. The cause of the cucumber's malaise is the cold water used from the well for irrigation. The plant begins to acquire a brown tint and gradually withers.Preventive watering with a solution of the drug “Previkur”, every 14 days, will help prevent the appearance of rot on cucumbers.
- Anthracnose is expressed by yellow spots turning into sores on the stems and foliage of the plant. Over time, the fruit itself is affected by pinkish ulcers. For treatment, Bordeaux mixture with a consistency of 1% or a solution of 40 g of copper oxychloride per 10 liters of water is suitable.
- Angular spot or another name - bacteriosis. The disease is expressed by brown spots on the foliage of the plant and damage to the fruit by rotten sores of a brown hue. The control methods are the same as for anthracnose.
- Mosaic It mainly affects young cucumber foliage, making it wrinkled and brown in color. Such plants cannot be cured; it is better to destroy them. The disease can be prevented by preventing open ground. Copper sulfate is added once a year in the fall or spring.
- Olive spot covers the fruits with rotten sores. Spots of a similar brown color appear on the stems and foliage of the plant. After three days, the spots begin to turn black and increase in diameter. This disease is more common in greenhouses due to a lack of fresh air with little ventilation. Less common on open ground plants. To control cucumber plantings, they are treated with the drug “Fundazol” or a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture.
Even the most disease-resistant varieties can be affected by one of the ailments. To get a good harvest, it is important to identify the disease at the initial stage and remember about prevention.
The video shows tips for combating cucumber disease:
Selecting cucumber varieties that are optimally resistant to diseases
The easiest way for a summer resident to plant seedlings in the garden and get the first harvest in a month and a half. Cucumbers from open ground, saturated with sunlight, are juicier and more aromatic than those from a greenhouse. However, natural conditions often contribute to the development of many diseases. Of course, preventative measures and the ability to fight diseases will help save the cucumber harvest, but it is better if the plants themselves are resistant to diseases.
Trying to sell his product, the manufacturer, as an advertisement, writes enticing inscriptions on all packages of cucumbers, for example: “resistant to all diseases”, “super wounding”, “super fruitful”, etc. In fact, an inexperienced gardener, succumbing to such advertising, receives the opposite picture. To avoid getting into trouble, let's try to identify varieties that are more disease-resistant and suitable for open ground.
Competitor
Many gardeners prefer old varieties of cucumbers, considering them the best. One of them is “Competitor”.
The bee-pollinated plant has proven itself well when grown in open ground. A high-yielding, medium-ripening variety that is resistant to spotting and powdery mildew. Fruits up to 14 cm long and weighing 100 g ripen 53 days after germination. The peel of the cucumber is covered with large pimples with dark spikes. Cucumbers are ideal for barrel pickling.
Murashka F1
Since today we are choosing varieties that are resistant to most diseases, the advantage of this plant is its immunity to true and downy mildew.
Thanks to the work of breeders, hybrids are considered the most resistant to various diseases. The self-pollinating cucumber “Murashka F1” is well suited for open ground.The hybrid belongs to an early ripening variety, yielding a harvest approximately 45 days after germination. The fruits are 12 cm long and covered with large pimples with dark spines. According to reviews from gardeners, cucumbers do not tend to gain bitterness even in the hot summer.
Fontana F1
The advantage of the variety is its resistance to olive spot and anthracnose. Cucumbers do not have the property of being bitter.
This hybrid is known to old summer residents of the post-Soviet space. The popularity of the cucumber dates back to the 70s and continues to this day. The bee-pollinated plant can develop lashes up to 3 m long, on which bunched ovaries are formed. The fruits, 12 cm long and weighing 100 g, always grow smooth with small pimples covered with dark spines.
"Delicacy"
This early-ripening variety of cucumbers was specially bred for open garden beds. The plant tolerates temperature changes well, especially cold. This tempering protects the cucumber from many diseases. Seedlings are planted in a maximum of four bushes per 1 m2. Tender fruits with dense pulp, covered with small pimples, contain a lot of sugar. Cucumbers are very tasty canned, as well as in salads.
"Erofey" and "April"
Two types of hybrids, ideal for open ground, produce early harvests. Cucumber varieties are resistant to cold, which allows seedlings to be planted in the southern regions from April. Approximately 55 days after planting the seedlings, ready-made fruits appear. The length of some cucumbers of the “April” variety reaches 22 cm, and the weight does not exceed 250 g. But “Erofey” cucumbers do not grow larger than 7 cm.
"Son of the Regiment"
Fruits that are not picked in time tend to outgrow and turn yellow, however, even overripe cucumbers do not lose their excellent taste.
The increasingly popular variety of cucumbers with mini-fruits is a mid-season crop. Mature cucumbers 8 cm long with white thorns can be picked 45 days after germination. The plant has medium branching and is resistant to many diseases, in particular powdery mildew.
"Connie" and "Nezhinsky"
These two varieties of cucumbers are unique in that they can be planted even in Siberia, as they take root well in open and closed ground. Plants are immune to common diseases, pollinated by insects, and are highly productive. Small cucumber fruits, maximum 12 cm long, are very juicy, crunchy and without bitterness.
New seeds of pest-resistant hybrids
All varieties of cucumbers are susceptible to disease to a greater or lesser extent. The most common types of rot and powdery mildew are found. The whitefly causes great harm to the plant. spider mite, aphid. Cucumber damage usually occurs during rapid fruiting, somewhere in mid-July. The main protection of a cucumber is its immunity, which is what breeders are trying to impart to new hybrids.
Among gardeners, these varieties of cucumbers are especially popular. They bring high-quality and abundant harvests, adapt to different weather conditions, and the fruits are pleasant to the taste. When creating new hybrids, breeders work in different directions, trying to combine in one plant the main qualities that satisfy the consumer: white thorns, productivity, even shape, the presence of pimples, lack of bitterness, adaptation to temperature changes and, of course, cucumber resistance to all possible diseases.Thanks to new developments, cucumber hybrids have been developed that can tolerate low humidity and temperature.
"Zhukovsky"
The mid-season hybrid has a developed root and leaf system. This quality allows the plant to bear fruit for a long period, without fear of diseases such as VOM-1, brown spot, etc. Cucumber fruiting occurs on the 49th day after germination. Short cucumbers up to 12 cm long have a bright green color, large pimples with white spines.
"Caprice"
The early hybrid bears mature fruits 41 days after planting. The plant has a highly developed root system, large vines with densely spaced dark green leaves. Small cucumber fruits up to 12 cm long are rarely covered with large pimples with black spines. The hybrid is genetically instilled with the absence of bitterness.
"Bunny"
A strongly developed plant with medium weaving is resistant to almost all diseases. The fruits appear 41 days after germination. Cucumbers up to 14 cm long are rarely covered with large pimples with white spines.
"Tanechka"
A plant with a strong root system is resistant to BOM-1, brown spot and other diseases.
The early hybrid bears the first fruits on the 44th day after germination. Light green fruits up to 10 cm long are covered with large pimples with white spines. Cucumber tolerates waterlogged soil perfectly.
In the video you can see growing cucumbers in open ground:
Conclusion
Growing cucumbers in the garden is much easier than in a greenhouse.You just need to choose the right variety and provide the plant with proper care.
April in the garden is all white from powdery mildew!!!