Saving cucumbers: diseases and their treatment

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Many cultivated plants are susceptible to various diseases, including cucumbers. Diseases (and their treatment in the future) are best prevented. Otherwise, you can lose if not the entire crop, then most of it. To prevent this from happening, you must take preventive measures and, at the first symptoms, take immediate measures to eliminate them, then the fight against cucumber diseases will be effective.

Classification of diseases

All diseases of cucumbers (you can see the photo here) are divided into three groups:

1. Fungal.
2. Viral.
3. Bacterial.

Fungal diseases

1. Powdery mildew is the most common disease in this group. It looks like this: white spots appear on the leaves, which eventually affect the entire leaf and move to neighboring ones. This fungus takes all the nutrients from the plant, thereby reducing the yield. The disease can appear if the air humidity is too high or the rate of application of nitrogen fertilizers is exceeded. For prevention and treatment:

• Change cucumber planting site annually;
• in the greenhouse the temperature should be 23-25degrees;
• water the plant with warm water;
• monitor the soil moisture (so that it is not very wet, but not dry), every 10 days after the first signs of the disease appear, spray the plant with infusion of mullein or colloidal sulfur;
• in severe infestation, cut diseased leaves.

2. Olive blotch appears as round spots on olive-colored leaves and fruits. Because of these spots, the appearance and taste of cucumbers deteriorate. The source of infection is fungus spores left over from last year. For prevention and treatment, ventilate the greenhouse and treat the sores with foundationazole.

Among the fungal diseases there are also brown olive spot, white rot, gray rot, root rot and others that infect cucumbers. Diseases (and their treatment) can drag on for a long time, so it’s better to prevent them, for this, observe the temperature and watering regime.

Viral diseases

In this group, diseases that affect cucumbers themselves are most common, and their treatment consists in replacing the earth infected with viruses.

1. Green speckled mosaic is characterized by yellowing of the leaves and the appearance of mosaic warts on the fruits. It is necessary to decontaminate the seeds with potassium permanganate or heat treat them before sowing.

2. White mosaic appears as white or yellow spots on the leaves and the same stripes on the cucumbers themselves. Control measures are the same as for the previous disease.

Bacterial diseases

Bacteriosis is the most common and most dangerous disease of this group. Curves with brown ulcers are observed fruits, leaves with holes, and their treatment is carried out with a solution of lime and copper sulphate. If the disease is running, then it is better to remove diseased leaves and fruits and bury them. Bacteria spread by insects or plant debris.

There are other diseases that affect cucumbers, and their treatment is also complicated by pests, which not only spread the infection, but also cause considerable damage to the crop. Most diseases can be prevented, as many of them are due to improper watering, temperature fluctuations and contaminated soil.