Cucumber Grower’s Tips
- Why are my cucumber plants produce softer leaves, darker green and sometimes thickened and brittle?
- Overdosed of Nitrogen caused excessive growth and a softer plant; leaves will be darker green and sometimes thickened and brittle.
- Plants given too much nitrogen are generally have thick stems, short internodes, short side shoots, and fewer flowers.
- The middle and older leaves cup downwards and wilt easily in warm conditions.
- Adjust the fertilizer program to ensure that nutrient ratio and rates do not exceed crop requirements.
- Nifosk Series: Imported Compound Fertilizer, produced by a well-known European manufacturer, uses high-grade raw materials with advanced and latest technology that complies with International Standards (IFA). Specially formulated with different ratios of Nitrogen (Ammonium and Nitrate), as well as Phosphate, Potassium, Magnesium, Boron, Sulfur and Effect Elements (TE) that are highly water soluble to ensure the availability of nutrients throughout the planting process, and reduce loss of nutrients.
2. Why are my cucumber plants having yellowing young leaves, but the veins of the leaves stay green.
- Typically, the iron deficiency caused leaf chlorosis start at the tips of new growth.
- Iron deficiency causes a uniform pale green chlorosis of the newest leaves, other elder leaves remain dark green. If the deficiency is severe, the leaves may eventually burn, especially if exposed to strong sunlight.
- Iron deficiency in plants is normally cause by Soil pH is too high, Soil has too much clay, Compacted or overly wet soil, too much phosphorus in the soil, short of supply of trace elements especially Iron.
Solution:
- Fixing Soil pH That Is Too High; If the soil pH is over 7, the soil pH is restricting the ability of the plant to get iron from the soil.
- Correcting Soil That Has Too Much Clay; Clay soil lacks organic material. The lack of organic material is actually the reason that a plant cannot get iron from clay soil, adding more organic materials.
- Increasing soil TE with TRACEION (5Fe/2.5Zn/2.5Mn/0.5Cu/1B/3Mgo/0.05Mo); The best way to quickly solve the TE problem especially Fe deficiency is to apply a soluble form of the Trace Element Mix, so that the plant can quickly absorb the deficient nutrient. In situations where deficiencies are severe, both soil and foliage applications are advisable for quick recovery.
3. Why my cucumber plant grows toward sunlight? Is it related to my curving fruits?
- Auxins are a powerful growth hormone produced naturally by plants. They are found in shoot and root tips and promote cell division, stem and root growth. They can also drastically affect plant orientation by promoting cell division to one side of the plant in response to sunlight and gravity.
- The roots to the plant function like the foundation of a house. The stronger the root system, the stronger the plant and the more likely that plant can overcome environmental stress.
- Auxins can be produced naturally (by the plant) or synthetically (in a lab). When produced synthetically, they can be used in high concentrations as a pesticide, causing drastic growth.
- How to induce more Auxin?
Solution:
- WEGROW induced synthetic plant growth regulator to induce auxin.
- It is suitable for the whole growth period of all plants. Mainly used for regulating plant growth and increasing yield.
- This product can be used in every stage from seedling to harvesting, without residual. It promotes the flowing of protoplasm in cells, increase the photosynthesis and improve the absorption of root to nutrient
- Stimulating root branching and initiate roots system.
- Promoting fruit development, promote maturation of the ovary wall and promote development of the fruit.
- Fruit curving lowers the commercial value of cucumber and leads to significant economic losses. Changes in the curve angle in the fruits and analyses showed that asymmetric auxin distribution induces fruit curving.
- Analysis showed that the addition of auxin concentration were contributed to an equal rate of growth of both sides of cucumber fruits and resulted in a straight shape of the fruits.
4. Is pollination needed for cucumber plants?
- Cucumbers are monoecious plants which have separate male and female flowers on the same plant. The female flowers have small immature fruit at the base of the flower and male flower do not have any. Pollen is transferred from male to female flower by bees or other insects. When pollinated properly, female flower develops into fruit.
- There are different types of cucumber hybrids such as gynoecious varieties that produce predominantly female flowers, and seeds of monoecious varieties are mixed with it for pollination.
- There are also cucumber hybrids that produce fruits without pollination. These varieties are called parthenocarpic varieties, resulting in fruits that are called ‘seedless’, although the fruit often contain soft, white seed coats.
- How to improve flowering to extend harvesting period?
Solution:
- For crop such as cucumbers which has a continuous flowering and fruiting, a regular supply of phosphorus (and other elements) is needed to ensure that the plant can continuously produce flower and sustain quality fruit production over a prolonged period.
- P availability is usually optimal when the soil pH is between 6.0 and 6.5. The P is “fixed” with other elements when the pH is too low or too high, making the P less available to plants.
- The P application through foliar may enhance the applied P efficacy with potential increase in P use efficiency.
- Nisol 10-50-10+TE; Foliar spray at dosage of 2-4g per L of water. Quick absorption to prepare plant with sufficient nutrients, especially Phosphorus that needed during flowering.