Why do cucumbers become twisted and how to prevent it?

Gardeners who grow cucumbers know that unfavorable conditions in beds and greenhouses lead to crooked and deformed fruits on vines. The massive appearance of greens on vines with thickenings at the ends or twisted cucumbers indicates improper care of the plants.

Main causes and methods of eliminating them:

1. Violation of the water regime.

A constant lack of moisture in the soil, when the leaves wither, leads to curling of the fruits. Cucumbers react especially negatively to lack of moisture and watering the plantation with ice water. It is enough to normalize the watering regime and use water heated in the sun to restore the growth and development of seedlings within a week.

The simplest option is to install drip irrigation systems, when valuable moisture arrives evenly throughout the day and goes directly to the root zone of the bushes. In the absence of such a system, cucumbers are watered daily during drought, either early in the morning or in the evening. Water is poured into dug grooves, preventing drops from falling on the leaf plates of the lower tier.

2. Diseases and pests.

The presence of aphids and spider mites in plantings leads to a depressed state of plants.

Outbreaks of fungal and bacterial diseases of pumpkin crops are also dangerous: downy mildew, powdery mildew, cladosporiosis, root rot, bacteriosis, etc.

To protect plants, they must be treated with fungicides and insecticides every 10 days, starting from the stage of formation of 5-7 true leaves. For prevention, you can safely use microbiological preparations for diseases based on green Trichoderma and Bacillus subtilis (Trichodermin and Phytosporin). Of the biological insecticides, the most productive are: “Aktofit”, “Aktoverm”, “Verticillin”, “Bitoxibacillin”, “Fitoverm”.

3. Lack of nutrition.

Cucumbers react to a lack of nitrogen substances by forming fruits with a sharp yellow tip. Potassium deficiency is manifested by thickening of the fruit at the base. Boron deficiency is determined by the massive dropping of flowers and ovaries and yellowing of the set fruits.

To prevent disruption of mineral nutrition, cucumbers should be regularly fed at the root and leaf level using complex fertilizers, which, in addition to the full NPK complex, contain microelements, for example, “Cucumber Crystal” or “Agricola - the favorite drink of pumpkin vegetables.”

Of the organics, cucumbers are most responsive to infusions of bird droppings (1:25) and cow manure (1:12). Green fertilizers prepared by fermenting nettles and other weeds have also proven themselves well. Their regular use (2-3 times a month) leads to a significant increase in yield both in open beds and in greenhouses.

That is why, in order to extend the fruiting period of cucumbers, as well as other pumpkin vegetables, it is necessary to carefully follow the agricultural practices of the crop and pay special attention to the organization of irrigation, measures to protect plantings from pests and diseases, and regular root and leaf feeding.

Have a good harvest in your garden!