What to do if cucumber fruits are curled. Irregular cucumbers - what to do? How to deal with the curved shape of cucumbers

Simultaneously with the observance of the fertilizing schedule, it is necessary to carefully monitor the appearance of plants and fruits. At the slightest delay in growth, the formation of ugly fruits, plants immediately "signal" about their poor health.
With a lack of nitrogen in the soil, the fruits, regardless of the variety, acquire a light green color, the upper part of the fruit (where the flower was) is narrowed, pointed and often bent like a beak, the cucumber resembles a conical carrot in shape. In this case, the lower leaves turn yellow, the growth of stems and lateral shoots in plants is delayed.
But there may be another reason. Not everyone knows that nitrogen is poorly absorbed by plants if there are not enough magnesium and iron ions in the soil. If the lack of these elements is not filled in time, then the leaves will take on a domed shape, and a light strip will appear along their edges, which will darken over time. In this case, it is necessary either to apply complex fertilizers under the root, or to sprinkle the plants over the leaves.
And if the leaves and lashes of plants, on the contrary, grow violently and have a dark green color, then there is an excess of nitrogen in the soil. In this case, it is necessary to immediately feed the plants with superphosphate (preferably with an extract) or wood ash, otherwise you will not see the cucumber harvest, because there will be only leaves.
With a lack of potassium in the soil (this usually happens in the second half of summer), the fruits of cucumbers are narrowed towards the stalk, and at the top, regardless of the variety, they have a spherical shape and are very similar to an ugly green pear. At the same time, a light border appears along the edges of the leaves (starting from the lower ones); in the heat, the plants may wither slightly.
The reason here is that in the first half of summer, cucumbers are often fed with infusion of manure, chicken droppings, weeds, which are very rich in nitrogen. And gardeners forget about ash or potash fertilizers at this time.
Therefore, those doses of potassium that were introduced into the hole during planting are no longer enough for long and abundant fruiting. Therefore, against the background of enhanced nitrogen nutrition, potassium deficiency is acutely felt. In addition, potassium is less well absorbed by plants at low temperatures, and they are not uncommon in August and September.
It is possible to correct the situation if the cucumbers are fed with potassium sulfate (by leaves and at the root) or ash at the root and watering them only with warm water.
But there may be other reasons for the poor "health" of plants. If there is little phosphorus in the soil, then the growth of the lashes slows down, the leaves become smaller, become dark green and dry out quickly. All these signs will tell you the composition of fertilizers for subsequent dressing of cucumbers.
If the fruit is narrowed in the middle and has a pronounced "waist", then this was due to a large difference between day and night temperatures or due to watering the plants with very cold water. And if the cucumbers are curved and have an irregular arched shape, then this happens when the soil is very dry or when the plants are very unevenly watered.
To achieve a quick effect, it is better to carry out foliar dressing, and not root.
And if you see that the cucumbers need to be fed urgently, and you do not have any fertilizers and you cannot purchase them in the near future, then take a liter jar of soil from the place where you had the compost heap, stir it in a bucket of water and pour cucumbers with this slurry. This is quite enough to improve the soil in a greenhouse on an area of 2-3 sq.m.
To increase the yield and accelerate the growth of ovaries, the increased content of carbon dioxide in the greenhouse is of great importance. To do this, you must constantly keep a tank with a solution of fresh mullein or bird droppings there, which usually emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere of the greenhouse. And if you throw a clump of dry hay or a handful of sawdust into the tank, then fermentation intensifies, and the air of the greenhouse will be enriched with carbon dioxide to an even greater extent, which will affect the harvest.

The ideal harvest of cucumbers is smooth, crispy, fragrant fruits without bitterness and yellowness on the sides. Regular watering and fertilization helps to make the gardener's dream come true, but after the first wave of fruiting, you can often see in the beds not long smooth greens, but pear-shaped barrels, the taste of which will also not please.

Problem or varietal feature?

Failure to comply with the technique of growing crops and a cold, rainy summer are the two main root causes of the appearance of pear-shaped greens. But pot-bellied fruits with a thickened tip grown on the beds are not always a sign of non-compliance with agricultural technology or a varietal flaw of the plant.

Pear-shaped cucumbers are not appetizing and are not at all suitable for preservation.

Causes of the appearance of pear-shaped cucumbers

There are several reasons that significantly affect the change in the shape of the fruit of cucumbers, as well as the taste and color.

Wrong choice of planting material that is not suitable for climatic conditions.
Excessive watering.
Water is too cold to irrigate the beds.
Failure to comply with crop rotation.
Poor pollination quality.
Pollination of parthenocarpic varieties.
Failure to comply with the harvest time.
Lack of potassium.

Potassium is especially important for cucumbers, the lack of this element often causes the appearance of pear-shaped greens.

Video: why does the shape of the fruit change in a cucumber

When pear-shaped cucumbers are considered the norm

Unpretentious and long-fruited varieties of Chinese cucumbers (Chinese snake, Chinese miracle and others) are good in salads and are distinguished by long-term fruiting. Their peculiarity of the development of the fetus is that as it grows, it increases in volume from the tail to the nose, acquiring the shape of a pear. Fully ripe greens are almost even, smooth and have the same thickness along the entire length.

Frightening at first glance, the name and appearance of a cucumber Chinese snake hides juicy tender pulp, which is indispensable in salads and snacks

Domestic summer residents can boast of unusual pear-shaped hybrids, which emphasize the varietal feature, but is not a drawback. For example, the cucumber-watermelon and the American white-fruited Long Mix hybrid have the same taste as ordinary cucumbers and are suitable for preservation.

Solving the problem - "leveling" Zelentsy

The situation with pear-shaped cucumbers can be corrected, subject to agricultural technology and the correct selection of planting material. Often difficulties in growing cucumbers arise due to ignorance of some of the nuances of plant biology.

Many varieties do not tolerate sudden changes in temperature. For cultivation in Siberia and in the North-West of our country, it is necessary to select the recommended cold-resistant varieties of cucumbers for open ground, thermophilic ones are suitable for growing in a greenhouse.
The soil on cucumber beds should not dry out completely. The ideal option is when the lashes are suspended on supports and are constantly ventilated, while the soil in the root space remains moist.
Cucumbers are watered with settled water, the temperature of which should not be lower than 20 ° C.
Violation of crop rotation in the beds with cucumbers leads to depletion of the nutrient layer in the soil and reduces its permeability. The number of weeds increases, which promotes the growth of bacteria and pests. All these factors significantly affect the quality and quantity of the crop; it is best to plant cucumbers after legumes, cabbage and onions.
Poor pollination of bee-pollinated varieties affects the shape of zelents - small, underdeveloped fruits take the shape of a pear and can fall off without fully ripening. To solve the problem, you will need to plant at least three such varieties or resort to manual pollination.
If parthenocarpic varieties (which do not require pollination) are visited by pollinating insects, then the likelihood of pear-shaped greens is much higher. Therefore, it is recommended to grow parthenocarpics separately from bee-pollinated varieties both in the open field and in a greenhouse.
Cucumbers harvested at the wrong time lose their shape and taste. Overgrown greens become barrel-shaped, the tips turn yellow, the fruits turn into a "pear", the skin coarsens, the pulp is emptied and withers. The cucumber is harvested every two days.
Untimely application of mineral potash fertilizers and organic matter also affects the formation of the fruits of the culture popular with summer residents. It is especially important to feed on time when growing cucumbers in a greenhouse and at home (on a balcony, veranda).

Chicken droppings, mullein and wood ash as a source of potassium are most preferred for feeding during the period of active ripening of fruits.

Half a bucket of rotted manure or chicken manure is stirred in 10 liters of water at room temperature. Add 2 cups of sifted ash and water the cucumber bushes during fruiting at the root twice with an interval of 10 days.

Ash is an organic fertilizer, which is completely safe to apply during the fruiting of cucumbers.

No less effect on the full-fledged fruiting of cucumbers is provided by "green" fertilizers with the addition of dry baker's yeast (5 g per liter of infusion).

Green fertilizer - infusion of nettle, wormwood, quinoa, dandelion. The crushed grass is filled to the top with a barrel, poured with warm water and left for 2-3 weeks to ferment the infusion. To speed up the process, add dry yeast (7-10 g per 20 liters) or crush bread crumbs. The finished brew is used at a concentration of 1: 5, where one part of the herbal infusion accounts for 5 parts of water. "Green" fertilizer is a source of micro and macro elements.

Herbal bodyagi - an alternative to chemical fertilizing in the beds

Cucumber beds require attention, but not extra efforts from gardeners. It should be remembered that cucumbers are a thermophilic and moisture-demanding crop. It is necessary to strictly observe the agrotechnical methods of cultivation, and when planting, take into account the climatic features of the region, then the well-groomed beds with smooth juicy greens will delight until the end of August.

Every year, gardeners look forward to the start of the summer cottage season to go to the countryside and start growing healthy and tasty vegetables. For many people, this is not just a hobby, but a whole life. Experienced gardeners invest all their love in growing vegetables and other crops and spend all their free time on work. Therefore, it is very annoying when troubles occur with plants and they do not give the expected yield.

When growing cucumbers, many gardeners face a host of challenges. It is necessary to prepare the soil, grow seedlings and care for them in anticipation of the long-awaited harvest. However, during the growth process, unexpected metamorphoses can occur with vegetables. Sometimes the fruits turn out to be ugly and look the most unpresentable way. Therefore, it is worth figuring out why cucumbers are crooked or crocheted in a greenhouse or in the open field.

It's worth starting with the fact that the problem is not only that the fruits grow in an irregular shape. It becomes difficult to process such a crop, since it is stored for much less time. In order to get delicious winter preparations that will delight you throughout the year, it is important to consider all the reasons why crooked cucumbers grow and try to solve the problems.

Potassium deficiency

Due to a lack of nutrients, cucumbers often grow irregularly shaped. If the fruit is not getting the right amount of potassium, this may be the reason why crooked cucumbers grow. The situation is aggravated if the weather is cool outside. In cold temperatures, potassium is absorbed even worse.

The deficiency of this trace element will first of all be indicated by yellowing of the fruit and thinning of the stalk. Also, this problem can be seen long before the beginning of fruiting. If the cucumber foliage begins to curl downward, then this may be a clear sign of a lack of potassium.

How to solve a problem

Having determined why crooked cucumbers are growing, it is necessary to prepare a solution consisting of 25-30 g of potassium salt dissolved in 10 liters of water. The liquid must be insisted for 4 days and the earth must be spilled with it. After that, it is recommended to pour a little potassium sulfate on the soil (consumption is about 40-60 per 1 m 2).

You can also prepare an ash solution. For this, 0.5 l of dry matter is dissolved in a bucket of water. Each plant requires at least 1 liter of nutrient fluid.

Nitrogen deficiency

When wondering why crooked cucumbers grow, you should pay attention to the fruits. If they become a light green hue and narrow strongly on one side, and thicken on the other, then this indicates problems. Also, there is a noticeable lag in the development of young cucumbers. All these signs indicate a lack of nitrogen, which explains why the crooked plant grows in this case?

How to solve a problem

In order to exclude the appearance of deformed fruits, it is enough to treat the plants with urea, 5 g of which must be diluted in 1 liter of water. You need to treat the soil with a similar solution. After 5-6 days, you need to sprinkle the earth with ammonium nitrate (consumption is about 30 g per square meter).

However, do not overdo it, as excess nitrogen can lead to the fact that the ovaries can crumble. Therefore, be careful.

For those who are afraid to use this product, it is recommended to use less aggressive organic dressings. For example, you can prepare a manure solution. To do this, you need to mix fresh mullein with water in a ratio of 1:10. Also, a lot of nitrogen is contained in the herbal infusion. However, before using it, the concentrate must be diluted with water (1:10).

Improper watering

This is another reason why cucumbers grow with crooked hooks. The fact is that for full ripening, these fruits require rather warm water, heated to a temperature of + 25-28 degrees. Many gardeners neglect this recommendation and as a result, cucumbers begin to deform during the growth process.

Irregular watering of the plant will cause the fruit to curl. Therefore, when the first ovaries appear, it is very important to moisten the soil around the cucumbers at least 2-3 times a day. Watering is carried out much less frequently since mid-August. Enough 1-2 times in 12 days.

However, not everyone can regularly supply plants with the necessary moisture. In this case, it is recommended to install a drip irrigation system. This will also help prevent the growth of fungus on the plants.

Temperature drops

This most often explains why cucumbers grow in curves outdoors. What to do in this situation and how to determine the signs of the appearance of this particular problem? Everything is very simple. If the cucumbers become narrow in the middle, then the point is in temperature fluctuations. This happens when the air temperature is high enough during the daytime, but it drops sharply with the arrival of night.

To solve this problem, it is enough to start covering the cucumber beds in the dark.

Under-pollination

If we talk about why crooked cucumbers grow in a greenhouse, then quite often such problems arise due to a lack of pollination. You can recognize such an ailment by the uneven color of the fruit.

To prevent such cucumbers from appearing, it is necessary to carry out artificial pollination. However, gardeners often miss the right moment. Boric acid will help to correct the situation. The solution is prepared from 3 g of the substance per liter of water. The resulting mixture is enough to spray the plants several times.

Harvesting

It should be borne in mind that cucumbers need to be picked once every few days. Overripening of fruits should not be allowed, otherwise they will begin to deform. In this case, an incorrect distribution of nutrients occurs and the cucumbers will begin to take on the most intricate shapes.

Lack of light

If the plants are planted too tightly to each other, then they will not receive the required amount of sunlight, which in turn can cause unexpected deformation of the fruit. The same thing happens if the summer was cloudy. Therefore, it is worth planting vegetables at a certain distance from each other and making sure that the photosynthesis process takes place at the right level.

It is also worth considering the features of the selected variety. Some of them are simply not suitable for specific regions or require special growing and care conditions. In addition, there are varieties for which such curvatures are a familiar feature. For example, Chinese cucumbers quite often grow with a slight bend, and this is considered completely normal.

Kira Stoletova

When growing a cucumber crop in a greenhouse or in open ground, some summer residents wonder why cucumbers have an irregular shape: either the vegetables are crooked, then they grow in the form of an uneven pear, or they turn out to be pot-bellied and hook-shaped. It turns out that in order to get even fruits, it is not enough to plant seedlings in a greenhouse. It is necessary to eliminate the causes of the formation of irregular cucumbers, including providing proper care, good nutrition, the required agricultural technology and timely harvesting.

Improper nutrition

Incorrectly selected mineral nutrition, when vegetables lack useful components, can also be the reason why cucumbers grow in curves, of irregular shape.

Lack of potassium

The lack of a trace element responsible for the formation of cucumber fruits is one of the most common reasons for the change and curvature of cucumbers. Failure to introduce potassium at the stage of flowering and before direct fruit formation leads to potassium starvation of plants, as a result of which a narrow "bottom" begins to form in the fruit and the lower part of the fruit is rather wide in comparison with it. The deformation of the pear-shaped cucumbers, when there is not enough potassium, is also accompanied by the appearance of a yellow border at the edges of the leaf blades.

To replenish the lack of potassium, you can use ready-made fertilizers that have the desired component in their composition. Potassium sulfate is diluted at the rate of 3-4 large spoons per 10 liters of water and watered cucumber bushes with a consumption rate of 0.5 liters for each seedling.

To correct the situation so that vegetables change their appearance in time and become classically straight, you can use additional foliar feeding, which is carried out with preparations containing potassium with a concentration of 2 times less than when watering.

Lack of nitrogen

When the foliage on a cucumber bush changes color and begins to fade, and the fruit is crooked or has a wide base and a narrow end, these are signs that the vegetable crop is lacking nitrogen.

To saturate the soil with nitrogen-containing components allows chicken manure or herbal infusions.

Chicken manure is used in the form of compost prepared with peat, sawdust and straw in 1.5-2 months, or in liquid form, when it is diluted with water 50/50 and allowed to stand for 2-3 days. Concentrated solutions are diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 and the aisles are watered with working fluid.

Among the suitable herbs for the preparation of solutions, nettle is isolated, the foliage and stems of which are crushed, poured with water and fermented for 7-14 days, diluted again with water in a ratio of 1:10 for irrigation or 1:20 for spraying with foliar feeding and applied at intervals of 2 weeks to improve the state of cucumber plantings.

Violation of agricultural technology

One of the main reasons why cucumbers are crocheted and become pear-shaped is a violation of the rules of cultivation of cucumber crops.

Crop rotation

Planted after pumpkin crops, strawberries, eggplants and tomatoes, taking all the potassium from the soil, cucumbers grow irregularly shaped: they become pear-shaped or hooked.

In conditions of limited cultivated areas, the fertility of the soil can be replenished by planting before late planting of green manure cucumbers. The most potash green fertilizer of all green manure is considered to be oats.

Unsuitable varieties

Cucumbers bend, become round or curl if the variety is chosen incorrectly: it does not fit the description for a particular season. So, photophilous and thermophilic species by the end of the summer period will necessarily begin to respond to a decrease in ambient temperature and a decrease in daylight hours, which is why they will begin to change their shape.

Early varieties of cucumbers, which love light and warmth, need to be planted a little earlier and harvested by the end of August.

In terms of the percentage of potential formation of ugly vegetables, Twixy, Paratunk and Othello hybrids are least likely to appear. From Patty, Champion and Little Boy by the end of August, in 100% of cases, it will be possible to get curved fruits with a thin stalk or an ugly shape.

Wrong neighborhood

Do not plant next to each other, especially in a closed greenhouse, pollinated and parthenocarpic varieties of cucumbers. Parthenocarpic varieties are intended for cultivation mainly indoors, as hybrids form an ovary without pollination. But when their flowers in the vicinity of inflorescences of classic varieties attract pollinating insects, in most cases this leads to deformation of the fruit and the growth of irregular cucumbers.

Neighboring varieties, while saving the cultivated area, are isolated from each other with a non-woven covering material. Also, when growing hybrid varieties, you should not often open the windows in the greenhouse, so as not to attract insects and eliminate the risk of over-pollination of parthenocarpic varieties with other varieties.

Violation of the rules of care

Improper care of cucumber plantings can cause deformation of cucumbers.

Thermal conditions

Too low temperature or indicators above 30-35 ° C lead to a decrease in the digestibility of potassium by the cucumber crop, as a result of which the shape of the cucumbers changes.

In hot times of the day, regular ventilation of the closed greenhouse is required. Some summer residents whiten the roof of the greenhouses for the summer season so that a lot of sunlight does not pass through it. Barrels of water installed in the daytime help to save cucumber bushes from the cool weather at night, which during the day gain heat in themselves, giving it away on a cool night.

When growing cucumbers on open soil, mini-greenhouses are installed to protect from the coolness. Covering materials are used from excessive heat and create a shade.

Crooked cucumbers? Causes and elimination.

The wrong shape is obtained in cucumbers and when watering a vegetable crop with too cold water. In this case, screeds form in the middle of the vegetables and the cucumbers look like curved barrels.

So that the shape of the cucumber does not twist into a hook and the vegetables do not taste bitter, when watering, use water not lower than 18 ° C.

Late harvest

The wrong harvest of cucumbers is also able to affect the further change in the shape of future fruits. The overgrowths present on the cucumber lash not only lose their taste characteristics, but also inhibit the further development of young vegetables, disrupting the supply of full-fledged mineral nutrition to them, as a result of which a completely different shape is obtained from what a classic cucumber should have.

In the case when it is not possible to maintain the picking of a cucumber crop with the proper frequency, experienced gardeners recommend removing vegetables at least once every 2-3 days all at once - from fully ripe to small gherkins that have grown up to 4 cm. attention to the quality of cucumber lashes:

it is important that they do not break or rot,
old ones that have begun to dry out should be removed,
Do not leave green plants with signs of pathology and diseases.

Kirill Sysoev

Callous hands do not know boredom!

Content

Every farmer wants to get a presentable harvest, because the buyer primarily focuses on external parameters. Problems often arise with cucumbers, especially if they are grown in greenhouse conditions - vegetables are curled. This does not affect the taste, but consumers try to bypass the deformed product.

Why do cucumbers curl in a greenhouse

The first fruits almost always have a beautiful shape - they are even and small. Why then do cucumbers crochet in a greenhouse? This is due to poor conditions of detention, features of the neighborhood and specific varieties. Some nuances of the fruit twisting process:

The totality of many phenomena affects the condition of the fetus. Since the microclimate in the greenhouse is maintained artificially, a person can easily make a mistake, forming optimal indicators. The method of disembarkation also affects the process.
A cucumber loses its normal shape if it lacks nutrients, light and warm water. Because of this, it slows down its growth, the skin becomes denser, not enough liquid is retained in the pulp and the fruit begins to curl.
If the cucumber is pear-shaped (thickens in the place where the flower was), it lacks potassium. The reverse form of "pot-belliedness" indicates a deficiency of nitrogen, sunlight and watering.

Why crooked cucumbers grow with an unsuccessful neighborhood

It depends on the neighboring plants how beautiful and generous the harvest will be. Why do cucumbers crochet in a greenhouse and how do nearby crops affect the shape of green fruits? The reason for the failure is as follows: the proximity of varieties of different types of pollination. Do not cultivate close to each other plants pollinated by bees and parthenocarpic varieties (self-pollinated - hybrids). If they are not isolated from each other, then there is a high probability of getting a crop of crooked cucumbers.

What to do? Block access to the greenhouse for pollinating insects. Cover crops with gauze when leaving them outdoors. It is better if cucumbers of different varieties grow in different ends of the garden or greenhouse. The least crooked fruits are obtained from such hybrids:

Othello;
Octopus;
"Paratunka";
Twixie.

Only 5% of these varieties of cucumbers are curled. Fruiting "Pasamonte", "Pasadena" is not so successful, because about 30% of the fruits are crooked. Poor performance of "Santana", "Prima Donna", "Talisman", "Emelya" - closer to autumn, almost half of the crop has an irregular shape. The situation is even worse with the varieties "Prestige", "Champion", "Buyana", "Patti": almost all of these cucumbers grow poorly and have a crooked shape by the end of summer.

Why cucumbers are deformed when agricultural technology is violated

The reason for the formation of irregular fruits is a lack of potassium. Nitrogen, phosphorus and organic fertilizers are often applied with interest, and potassium-containing dressings are forgotten. Remember a simple rule: while the plant is in the growing season (not bearing fruit), fertilize the crop with phosphorus. During flowering and fruit formation, the cucumbers should be fed with nitrogen and potassium. Observe the required proportions and feeding technology.

Why do cucumbers crochet in a greenhouse and how to fix it? Watering with cold water also leads to deformation of the fruit. The liquid must be defended in the sun, then the harvest will be even. The second point that concerns watering - you need to carry out the procedure in the morning and add water in sufficient quantities. If the soil stays dry for a long time, then the growth of cucumbers will slow down, the fruits will harden and deform.

In order for the cultivation of this crop to give positive results, it is necessary to properly care for the soil. Dense soil with a crust on the surface prevents normal air exchange. Use a hoe or a toothed tool to loosen the soil before sowing. Then you should do it very carefully or completely abandon the procedure - there is a risk of damaging the root system. To prevent the formation of an earthen crust, the soil is mulched - the soil surface is covered with peat and humus.