Saving cucumbers: diseases and their treatment

Many cultivated plants are susceptible to various diseases, including cucumbers. Diseases (and their treatment in the future) is better to prevent. Otherwise, you can lose, if not the entire crop, then its most. To prevent this from happening, you should carry out 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 (with a photo you can see immediately) 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 pass to the neighboring ones. This fungus takes all the nutrients from the plant, thereby reducing the yield. The disease can occur if the air humidity is too high or the application rate of nitrogen fertilizers is exceeded. For prevention and treatment:

• Change the cucumber planting site annually;
• In the greenhouse the temperature should be 23-25 degrees;
• Water the plant with warm water;
• Monitor the moisture of the soil (to be not very wet, but not dry), every 10 days after the appearance of the first signs of the disease, spray the plant with infusion of mullein or colloidal sulfur ;
• With a severe lesion, cut the diseased leaves.

2. Olive spotting is manifested by round spots on leaves and fruits of olive color. Because of these spots, the appearance and taste of cucumbers deteriorates. The source of infection are fungus spores, left over from last year. For prevention and treatment, ventilate the greenhouse and treat the sores with foundation.

Among the fungal diseases there are also brown olive spot, white rot, gray rot, root rot and others, which infect cucumbers. Diseases (and their treatment) can be prolonged for a long time, so it is better not to allow them, for this, observe the temperature and watering regime.

Viral diseases

In this group, the most commonly affected are cucumber diseases themselves, and their treatment consists in replacing the virus infected with the viruses.

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

2. White mosaic is shown by white or yellow spots on the leaves and the same strips on the cucumbers themselves. Control measures are the same as with the previous disease.

Bacterial diseases

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

There are other diseases that affect cucumbers, and their treatment is complicated by pests that do not only carry the infection, but also cause considerable damage to the crop. Most ailments can be prevented, because many of them are associated with improper irrigation, temperature drop and contaminated soil.