What to do if cucumbers don't grow

Cucumbers aren't growing. We'll try to figure out what to do in this situation in this article. Often, the reason for too many female flowers and too few male ones is the wrong approach to seed selection. In this situation, male flowers grow faster than female flowers, resulting in the formation of empty flowers.

Sometimes a gardener doesn't know whether their seeds are fresh or two or three years old. In this situation, simply warming the seeds before planting is essential. This will cause the plants to produce female flowers before male flowers, which will improve fruiting.

Other common reasons why cucumbers don't grow

Nutritional imbalance

If the soil where the plant is grown is high in nitrogen fertilizer, vines and leaves will grow vigorously, and flowers will also appear. Unfortunately, these will be barren flowers. So, every gardener must monitor the condition and composition of the soil in which they grow green fruits. Did you know about A garden for lazy people who don't dig: all the secrets?

If your soil is high in nitrogen, a quick fertilization with phosphorus fertilizer will help. You can dilute two tablespoons of superphosphate extract in ten liters of hot water. Otherwise, simply use regular wood ash and fertilize the soil with it.

Watering with cold water

Female flowers on cucumbers may appear late due to something as seemingly trivial as watering them with cold water. This vegetable crop thrives on moisture and warmth, meaning the watering temperature should be at least 25 degrees Celsius.

Advice! In no case watering cucumbers We must not allow a situation where the water temperature is colder than the soil itself.

Excess moisture

Although cucumbers love moisture, too much water in the soil causes them to stop growing. So, it's best to let the soil dry out for a few days before the next watering, then water it again. You'll notice the leaves begin to wilt in the first few days, but this is a good sign that many female flowers will soon appear.

Other reasons why cucumbers don't grow may be:

• High air temperature;
• Strong concentration of plants on one plot of land;

If nothing helps

If your cucumbers aren't growing, and you've tried all the tips described above and nothing seems to be working, you need to pinch off the top of the main stem. This is done to stop the main stem from growing too fast and allow the side shoots to develop. It's possible that the long-awaited female flowers will appear on the side shoots, which will soon become the site of cucumber ovaries.

What to do with barren flowers

What you definitely shouldn't do when cucumbers aren't growing is simply removing the barren flowers. This won't encourage the cucumbers to actively produce female flowers. Removing barren flowers is a waste of your time, as it won't benefit the plant at all. Don't worry about the barren flowers; they'll quickly fall off on their own once they dry out.

Cluster cucumber varieties have recently become increasingly popular. This is because they produce a large number of female flowers, which guarantees a productive plant. These varieties can produce up to seven ovaries per node.

A brief explanation of why cucumbers don't grow in greenhouses (especially in hot weather):

• The air temperature in the greenhouse remains above 35 degrees Celsius for an extended period of time;
• The air humidity in the greenhouse exceeds 90%;
• There are no pollinating insects. This is especially important for hybrid varieties. Therefore, when sowing such varieties, at least 10% of any pollinating variety should be added to the bed;
• The gardener is lazy and rarely harvests. Cucumbers need to be harvested every day, and in critical situations, every other day. Because overgrown cucumbers will inhibit the development of new ovaries;
• Nutrient deficiency in the soil. Nutrients in the soil, especially for hybrids, need to be distributed carefully and evenly; otherwise, only 1-2 fruits will be harvested from the seven ovaries in the bunch.

If yours cucumbers don't growNow you know what to do in this situation. It's important not to panic and waste your energy, but to focus on the necessary care and adjust them. Then, in the future, you'll be able to reap a bountiful harvest of firm, tasty green fruits. With prompt action, you'll be able to enjoy your cucumbers this year!