There are practically no pests in cucumbers. They are damaged only by some omnivorous insects. They cause the greatest harm to greenhouse cucumbers. The most dangerous pests are spider mites and aphids. How to deal with them effectively, we will learn from this article.

Major pests and how to deal with them

spider mite

naked slugs

Damage all garden crops, especially carrots, cabbage, strawberries. In rainy weather, the pest can attack cucumbers.

Greenhouse plants are especially affected by slugs. The conditions in the greenhouse are very favorable for them. AT open ground slugs do not attack cucumbers, preferring other cultures.

Description of the pest. Pests 4-12 cm long, do not have a shell, gray Brown color covered with slime. Some species have a tapered end. The anterior end has two pairs of tentacles that retract when needed. The tongue is covered with sharp teeth.

Eggs hibernate under lumps of earth, plant debris. In the spring, young individuals emerge from them, which live 6-7 months. 2 months after leaving the egg, the pests become sexually mature and begin reproduction. The female lays 30-50 eggs in the soil.

We fight slugs

  1. Molluscicides in the greenhouse are not recommended, since the drugs are quite toxic.
  2. In the greenhouse, the ground must be mulched with sawdust, needles, straw. The lower leaves of the cucumbers are removed.
  3. Removal of boards, bricks, loosening of the earth. It is necessary to create unfavorable conditions for slugs, then they will not appear.
  4. With a strong spread of pests, the drug Ulicid is applied superficially, it is safer. But this is only if there is no other way out.
  5. Sprinkle the ground around the lashes with dry mustard, ash, fluff, tobacco dust. The drugs do not close up.
  6. Small grooves are made along the cucumbers, filled with eggshells and sand. When trying to get close to cucumbers, slugs scratch their tender belly and go to other plants.

Folk remedies based on bait and subsequent destruction of the pest.


Slug trap.

  1. At night, put wet boards and rags in the greenhouse. At night accumulates under them a large number of pests. They are collected in the morning.
  2. Shed a bed with cucumbers infusion of mustard, hot pepper, ash.
  3. Use of cornmeal. For slugs, it is a delicacy, but in large quantities it causes paralysis and death of mollusks. Cornmeal is poured into a jar and placed under the lashes. You can use cornstarch instead of flour.

Prevention consists in the daily ventilation of the greenhouse, the destruction of weeds along its perimeter.

Woodlice

Sometimes they appear in greenhouses and damage young plants. Almost never found in open ground.

Description of the pest. Woodlouse belongs to the family of crustaceans. It has an intimidating and repulsive look. The body of the woodlice is oval, 1-2 cm long. There are plates on the back, their color is from light to dark gray. When threatened, the woodlice rolls up, turning into a small gray hard lump that is hardly visible on the soil surface.

They feed at night on decaying plant remains, but in a greenhouse they can damage crops growing there. They eat the lower leaves, make moves in the ground and eat the roots of plants.

During the day, they hide under lumps of moist soil and under damaged leaves.

X damage character.

  1. The pest eats irregularly shaped cavities and holes on the upper side of the leaf (since it cannot crawl along the lower side) and on the stems. In places of damage, the leaf begins to turn yellow and dry.
  2. Damaged stems dry out. The pest can completely gnaw through the lash, then the cucumber dies.
  3. Getting to the roots, it eats them away, as a result of which the cucumbers die in 2-4 days.

How to get rid of wood lice

  1. The main control measures are to reduce soil and air moisture. The pest cannot live not only in dry, but even in insufficiently moist soil. When the earth dries up, wood lice hastily leave the greenhouse, looking for a wetter place.
  2. Pruning as the cucumbers grow lower leaves. Then the surface of the earth will not be too damp, therefore, wood lice will not appear.

It is highly undesirable to use insecticides on growing cucumbers.


Folk methods of pest control in combination with airing and drying the air are very effective.

Prevention. The best preventive measures are the observance of agricultural practices. Then the pest will not appear at all.

These are all the most common cucumber pests. The spider mite is the most common in culture. Melon aphid more often damages cucumbers in the south. In the northern regions, it appears less often on cucumbers. The rest of the pests are found in the borage only in violation of the cultivation of cucumbers.

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Hardly to be found garden plot, which does not have at least a few cucumber bushes. But cucumbers, whether outdoors or in a greenhouse, are often affected by pests. There are simple preventive measures to help minimize the risk of infection. If it was still not possible to avoid this, then you need to be able to identify specific symptoms and know what to do in each specific case.

Since cucumbers are more than 90% water, it is easy to guess that they need frequent and plentiful watering. High air humidity combined with elevated temperature, as well as the closed space of the greenhouse, is an ideal "incubator" for many pathogenic fungi, viruses and bacteria that often attack bushes and crops. But this is not the only misfortune that plants can suffer from. Cucumbers are a favorite delicacy for many insects. And although many modern hybrids have protection against at least some diseases at the genetic level, breeders are not yet able to save them from pest attacks. If measures are not taken in time, it is quite possible to lose a significant part or all of the crop.

Not a single breeder is able to protect cucumbers from pests yet

Often, gardeners themselves unwittingly contribute to the appearance of pests. The risk of infection is greatly increased when:

  • neglect of weeding and preplant seed treatment;
  • failure to provide optimal temperature regime and air humidity;
  • lack of ventilation in greenhouses and greenhouses;
  • untimely soil replacement and non-compliance with crop rotation.
  • Cucumbers are to the taste of many "universal" pests that do not disdain most plantings in the garden.

    Slugs

    These pests are fairly easy to identify. Despite the fact that they are mainly nocturnal, slugs leave characteristic traces in the form of through holes in the fruits and traces of a sticky viscous liquid that casts silver in the sun. I don’t want to eat such cucumbers (and other fruits spoiled by them).

    Slugs are relatively easy to deal with. Since they do not differ in speed of movement and ability to mimicry, manual collection of pests is quite effective. The procedure is best done in the early morning when they are least active.

    You can create an almost impassable barrier for pests by surrounding cucumber bushes with several rings of sand, wood ash, soda ash, spruce needles, ground eggshells, and so on. The delicate body of slugs does not have even minimal protection.

    Very effective and homemade traps. Deep containers are dug into the ground, the upper edge of which should be flush with the soil. They are filled sugar syrup, jam, beer. Slugs are well caught on cabbage leaves or grapefruit cut in half.

    There are also special preparations - Meta, Thunderstorm, Slug Eater. But it is worth remembering that it is forbidden to use any chemicals during fruiting and at least 20 days before the expected harvest, it is undesirable - during flowering and the formation of ovaries. This does not apply to biological products, the effects of which disappear in 2-3 days.

    Slugs leave traces of a sticky, shiny liquid on cucumbers.

    whitefly

    Whiteflies look like moths - these small whitish, yellowish or grayish butterflies stick around the leaves of cucumber bushes from the inside, rising into the air in a cloud at the slightest touch to the plant. Most often, greenhouse cucumbers suffer from them. Whitefly larvae feed on plant sap, and adults are carriers of many bacteria and viruses that are dangerous to them, such as cucumber mosaic.

    The hardest part is keeping the whiteflies out of the greenhouse. To do this, the windows and doors are curtained with a mesh with small cells or ordinary gauze. If it was not possible to avoid the appearance of pests, sticky tape for catching flies or homemade traps are hung next to the plantings. For some reason, the whitefly is very partial to the color yellow. This feature of it is used by smearing pieces of cardboard with some kind of adhesive substance.

    Tobacco planted on a cucumber bed is guaranteed to attract attention. Then these bushes can be treated with a suitable insecticide - Actellik, Aktara, Fitoverm.

    Whitefly mainly affects cucumbers growing in greenhouses and hotbeds.

    gall nematode

    The females of these worms lay their eggs in the soil. The larvae choose the roots as their habitat - characteristic spherical swellings appear on them different sizes. Then they turn brown, unnaturally thicken, become brittle. If you do not change the soil in the garden or in the greenhouse for a long time, any crops grown on it will suffer from the mass reproduction of nematodes. They are especially dangerous for cucumbers with their not too developed root system. The situation is aggravated by the fact that it is almost impossible to notice the appearance of nematodes in a timely manner. Their presence becomes apparent only when many plants have already been affected. Therefore, special attention should be paid to prevention:

  • alternating crops on the same bed or planting cabbage, radish, radish (and other plants from the Cruciferous family), garlic mixed with cucumbers - the nematode does not eat them;
  • regular weeding;
  • soil sterilization - watering with boiling water or freezing in winter;
  • annual renewal of the soil in the greenhouse, or at least its upper layer (7–10 cm);
  • treatment with disinfectant solutions of any garden equipment before use.
  • Cucumber roots affected by gall nematode look completely unnatural

    The wireworm, also known as the larva of the click beetle, can most often be found on beds with potatoes and carrots. But if there is an active fight with him, he may well switch to cucumbers. Omnivorous larvae destroy the planted seeds, gnaw the roots.

    As part of the fight against wireworms, in late spring and early summer, as well as in autumn, they deeply loosen the soil in the beds, at the same time introducing slaked lime, dolomite flour, wood ash, crushed chalk, powdered eggshells. All this neutralizes hyperacidity soil. It is in such soil that the wireworm feels best.

    He also does not like high nitrogen content. But it is not recommended to get involved in fertilizers, which include this macronutrient. This goes to the detriment of the future harvest. It is better to plant any legumes next to cucumbers.

    For prevention, 0.5 liters of a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate are poured into the wells prepared for planting seeds or seedlings. And cut potatoes or carrots are buried in the ground to a depth of 15–20 cm. After 2-3 days, the root crop must be removed (for this, a long stick is first stuck into it) and the larvae must be collected.

    The wireworm's favorite crops are potatoes and carrots, but it may well switch to cucumbers.

    A fairly large insect feels most comfortable in nutritious, well-moistened soil. It is this soil that is provided to cucumbers in greenhouses and greenhouses. Medvedki live mainly underground, in the process of moving, they gnaw through all the roots that come across along the way.

    They can be dealt with mechanically without resorting to dangerous chemicals. Effectively deep digging of the soil in spring and autumn, manual collection of pests, pouring vegetable oil or soap solution into the tunnels found underground. You can also build traps - containers with water, corn or millet porridge. Marigolds are planted in a greenhouse or in a garden mixed with cucumbers - the bears do not like their sharp aroma very much.

    In the process of movement, the bear gnaws through any roots that come across in its path.

    thrips

    Thrips are small sucking insects. Adult individuals are painted black, have the shape of an elongated ellipse with pointed ends. Pests are dangerous because at the same time insects are present on the plant at different stages of development.

    They are easily identified by beige-silver "scratches" and blurry yellowish or almost colorless spots on the underside of the sheet. Sticky traps are effective against adults, but not yellow, but of blue color. Regular weeding is also very important. For prevention, cucumber bushes are sprayed with infusions of garlic, onions, any sharp-smelling herbs, orange peel. In the absence of effect, insecticides are used - Aktar, Fury, Calypso, Inta-Vir.

    Thrips are easy to recognize but hard to get rid of.

    Of course, the list of pests dangerous for cucumbers is not limited to this. The most common are the following.

    Video: pests typical of cucumbers

    How to spray from melon aphids

    Aphids are small yellowish or dark green insects that cover the underside of leaves, buds, fruit ovaries, and the tops of young shoots with whole colonies. They feed on plant sap. As a result, the leaves wrinkle, deform, the buds fall off. The cucumber bush practically stops growing, then dries and dies. Aphids are dangerous not only in themselves - they carry many dangerous microorganisms, for example, soot fungus.

    Melon aphid - a pest that is very easy to notice

    If the problem is noticed in a timely manner, when the aphids are still a little, you can simply wash it off the bush by pouring water over the cucumbers from the hose with a stream of water under strong pressure. If not technical feasibility, the leaves are simply wiped with soapy foam.

    Melon aphid in a dense layer sticks to young cucumber leaves

    Processing cucumbers from aphids with folk remedies

    Folk remedies are good mainly for the prevention of aphids. Cucumbers growing in a greenhouse are sprayed with appropriate solutions every 7–10 days, in open ground - after each rain. Any product with a strong pungent odor will do. He is very unpleasant.

  • onion peel (100 g per 2.5-3 liters of boiling water, leave for a day);
  • garlic (chopped into gruel head per liter hot water, leave for 2–3 days, dilute with water 1:5 before use);
  • hot pepper (30 g of finely chopped pods or 10–15 g of powder per 10 liters of water, leave for 24 hours);
  • tobacco chips (it is desirable that tobacco is grown independently, 200 g of dry leaves per 10 liters of water, leave for 2-3 days, add a liter jar of sifted wood ash before use);
  • dandelion leaves or roots (400–500 g pass through a meat grinder, pour 5 liters of water, let stand for 2–3 hours, add 30–40 g of mustard powder before use);
  • tops of tomatoes or potatoes (200 g of crushed raw materials per 5 liters of water, leave for 10–12 hours, add 25–30 g of soda ash before spraying).
  • An infusion of onion peel, like other products with pungent odors, is an effective remedy against melon aphids

    Other methods of struggle

    If time is lost, and the pest has bred en masse, the most affected leaves and whole lashes are cut off and burned as quickly as possible. The remaining plants in the greenhouse are fumigated with sulfur bombs, in the open field they are sprayed with a solution of Karbofos (50 g per 10 l of water) or dusted with colloidal sulfur powder.

    When there is no effect, insecticides are used. Against aphids, mainly broad-spectrum preparations are used - Inta-Vir, Fitoverm, Aktar, Konfidor, Fufanon, Karate. Biological preparations cause less harm to plants - Biotlin, Iskra-Bio, Strela (fruits can be eaten 2–3 days after spraying). The plant treatment solution is prepared in strict accordance with the instructions given by the manufacturer in the instructions. The procedure is repeated every 4-7 days until the pest is completely destroyed. It is advisable to change the drugs in this case.

    Herbs are a good defense against aphids. You can surround the beds or plant basil, coriander, lemon balm, mint, dill mixed with bushes. Dope and henbane will also help, but they are very poisonous. Most of these plants are good honey plants and attract natural enemies of aphids - ladybugs - to the garden. By the way, if you wish, you can simply collect them somewhere and release them into a greenhouse or garden beds.

    Inta-Vir is one of the most common broad-spectrum insecticides.

    Do not forget that aphids live in a stable symbiosis with ants. The latter will also have to be fought. From the anthills found next to the bed, the top layer of the earth (5–7 cm) is removed and the soil is sprinkled with soda ash, mustard, hot pepper, boric acid, or the soil is shed with a solution of special preparations, for example, Anteater or ordinary boiling water.

    Video: measures to combat aphids in the garden

    Spider mite - dangerous garden pest that affects most plants. They themselves are almost invisible, but thin, translucent cobwebs, braiding leaf petioles, buds and tops of shoots, are striking. The spider mite feeds on plant sap, so the affected parts quickly turn yellow, dry and die. At first, only small yellowish or translucent spots are visible on them. It also spreads a fungus that causes a very dangerous disease - gray rot.

    Notice the spider mite itself naked eye quite difficult, but the traces of his life are clearly visible

    The pest feels best in a dry, hot climate, so they create unacceptable conditions for it in the greenhouse by increasing the humidity of the air and regularly ventilating the room.

    Plants affected by spider mites quickly turn yellow and dry out.

    Prevention and control at an early stage

    It is impossible to cope with spider mites with folk remedies. Onion, garlic, pepper infusions are used mainly for prevention. Plants are treated every 5-12 days. It depends on how hot it is outside. The warmer it is, the faster it breeds. spider mites. You can also place several containers with kerosene, turpentine, acetic acid in the greenhouse. If cucumbers grow in open ground, this method is less effective.

    When a tick is detected on time, spraying with 3% hydrogen peroxide (40 ml per liter of water) or ammonia (5–7 ml per liter) can help. The leaves of diseased plants are powdered with tobacco dust, colloidal sulfur or sifted wood ash. The following herbs are also quite effective:

  • Datura. Fresh (1 kg) or dry (100 g) herbs are poured with a liter of water, boiled for 2-3 hours. Before use, dilute another 10 liters of water.
  • Dandelion. Greens or roots (0.5 kg) are crushed, poured into 10 liters of warm water, left in the sun for 3-5 hours.
  • Calendula. Dry flowers (400–500 g) insist 4–5 days, pouring 3 liters of water.
  • Sorrel. Finely chopped rhizomes insist in 10 liters of water for 5-6 hours.
  • Yarrow. Dry leaves and flowers (0.5 kg) are poured with a liter of boiling water for a day. Before use, dilute with water 1:10.
  • Cucumbers are processed with prepared decoctions and infusions using a drip irrigation system. Cannot be processed under bright sun, best time for her - early morning or late evening.

    Datura is a fairly effective remedy for spider mites, but it is a strong poison for people and pets.

    Experienced gardeners advise planting tomatoes and cabbage mixed with cucumbers.

    In the event of a massive invasion

    The spider mite is not an insect, so general insecticides will not work to combat it. It is necessary to use special preparations - acaricides (Akarin, Agravertin, Floromite, Apollo, Sunmite). There are also less dangerous means of biological origin - Vertimek, Kleshchevit, Fitoverm. The spider mite develops immunity very quickly, so it is advisable to use a new remedy for each subsequent treatment. Before the procedure, cucumber bushes must be cleaned of the cobwebs on them. She retains drops of water, preventing them from getting on the plant itself.

    The first time after wintering, spider mite larvae live on weeds, so weeding should be given special attention. It is best to cut and burn the affected leaves immediately, and fumigate the greenhouse or garden bed for prevention with sulfur checkers or sprinkle the soil with colloidal sulfur.

    Antiklesch - one of the safest acaricides

    The safest means of dealing with spider mites for the future crop and ecology is its natural enemy. Phytosailus mites are released onto the beds or into greenhouses next to the affected plants. It is very effective in destroying pest egg clutches. It is desirable to increase the population of "helpers" every 20-25 days.

    Video: fighting spider mites on cucumbers

    How to treat cruciferous (black) flea

    The cruciferous flea is a small (up to 3 mm) bug of black color and rounded shape, most often with a glossy shiny shell that shimmers in green or blue. Pests are active already in the middle of spring, when the air temperature rises to 12-15ºС. The larvae are not particularly picky, feeding on roots and greens. The leaves quickly turn into a sieve and dry.

    The black flea is easily identified by its long legs.

    The main thing in the fight against cruciferous flea is to correctly calculate the time. Early varieties cucumbers are planted as early as possible (in April), late-ripening - later (in the second decade of July). Thus, until the beginning of May or mid-August, when the mass appearance of these insects is noted, cucumber bushes will have time not only to grow, but also to “roughen” slightly. The pest prefers young soft leaves, so there is every chance that the flea will “pass by”.

    The black flea got its official name due to the fact that, before the availability of more suitable food, it feeds on weeds from the Cruciferous family (colza, shepherd's purse, wild radish). Therefore, you need to regularly weed the beds. Any covering material - spunbond, lutrasil, agrospan - will also be effective protection. It is desirable to pull it on arcs and remove it when the bushes are strong enough.

    Black flea turns cucumber leaves into a real sieve

    The black flea is very sensitive to strong odors. Therefore, cucumbers in the greenhouse and in the open field alternate with dill, garlic, basil, coriander. The beds are surrounded by a "barrier" of marigolds, nasturtiums, calendula, wormwood.

    Folk remedies

    The experience of many gardeners shows that the black flea rarely attacks "dirty" plants. Therefore, cucumber bushes, especially young ones, are regularly sprinkled with crushed chalk or activated carbon, sifted wood ash, tobacco dust, hot pepper. The powder is poured into a gauze bag and shaken over the plants. It is best to carry out the procedure early in the morning when the leaves are still damp. In the grooves between the bushes, naphthalene is scattered in moderation.

    For spraying, solutions of the following agents are used:

  • Minced garlic and tomato leaves. The raw materials are mixed in a ratio of approximately 1: 1, pour 10 liters of warm water, leave for 2-3 hours. Strain the solution before use.
  • Table (9%) vinegar. 200 ml per 10 liters of water. Mix thoroughly and can be used immediately.
  • Potato tops. Grind 4 kg of raw materials, boil for 2-3 hours. Then the broth is cooled, filtered and diluted with water 1:1.
  • Chicken manure. Fresh raw materials are infused for 4–5 days until a characteristic odor appears. Then dilute with water 1:20 and spray the leaves. It is also an effective foliar top dressing.
  • Aromatic oils of any coniferous trees, Corvalol tincture, valerian. 10-15 drops are enough for a bucket of water.
  • Infusion of chicken manure - not only effective remedy against the black flea, but also useful top dressing

    You can also hang “flags” made of cloth smeared with something sticky next to the bushes. In the very heat, it is useful to walk along the beds with such a trap, swinging it so as to touch the leaves. Disturbed insects, jumping in different directions, stick to the fabric.

    Even to combat the black flea, it is recommended to use used engine oil (they lubricate pieces of plywood or cardboard, leave them in the aisles) or a conventional vacuum cleaner. Early in the morning, when the pests are least active, they can walk through the plants. Flea shampoo intended for pets (50 ml per 10 liters of water) is also successfully used.

    Proper care is important. Cucumbers need abundant watering (the black flea does not like high humidity), correct top dressing(nitrogen-containing fertilizers are needed - natural organics, ammonium nitrate, urea), regular loosening of the beds.

    Insecticides to combat the black flea are used only in mass attacks of insects. Most of them (for example, Lightning, Decis) are quite toxic and destroy not only pests, but also young cucumber seedlings. Arrivo, Aktara, Sherpa are the safest for humans. Treatments are carried out in the late evening, when fleas accumulate on the leaves.

    Insecticides against black flea are used only as a last resort.

    Preventive measures

    Often, the attacks of harmful insects on cucumber beds become possible thanks to the gardener himself. Most often, this is facilitated by mistakes made in care. Complex of simple preventive measures help to minimize the risk of infection:

  • The alternation of crops in the garden. In the same place, whether it be outdoors or in a greenhouse, cucumbers can be grown for a maximum of three years. Then - the same break. Bad predecessors for them are plants from the Pumpkin family, to which they themselves belong. They suffer from the same diseases, are affected by the same pests. Good ones are any Solanaceae and Legumes.
  • Pre-planting treatment of the substrate and seeds. The first is poured with boiling water and covered with plastic wrap for 2-3 hours, fumigated with sulfur checkers (in a closed greenhouse) or frozen well in winter (leaving the windows open). In autumn, thorough weeding and deep digging of the soil are required. Seeds are soaked for a day in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate or in weak hydrochloric acid (a teaspoon per liter of water).
  • High-quality soil preparation. Timely introduced rotted manure, humus, necessary fertilizers. Seeds and seedlings are planted only in sufficiently warm soil. At a depth of about 10 cm, the temperature should be at least 12-15ºС.
  • Regular weeding. Many common pests feed on weeds and lay their eggs there.
  • Planting next to the cucumber beds of onions, garlic, marigolds, calendula, herbs. Many insects do not like strong odors.
  • Proper watering. Use only warm water, which is poured under the root (carefully so as not to expose them) or into the grooves between the bushes. In no case should drops be allowed to fall on the leaves.
  • Fertilization strictly in the doses recommended by the manufacturer and at the required frequency. "Overfeeding" cucumber bushes is just as dangerous as nutrient deficiencies.
  • Maintaining optimal temperature and humidity, avoiding sudden changes. At night - 18–20ºС, during the day - no more than 25–28ºС. The correct air humidity is not more than 80%. The room is regularly ventilated, while avoiding cold drafts.
  • Obligatory garter of cucumber bushes. This makes it easier to inspect them for suspicious symptoms and to control harmful insects.
  • Prevention of thickening of landings. On 1 m², two bushes of cucumbers are most often planted. If there are too many of them, because of the continuous green mass, it is very difficult to maintain the optimum temperature and humidity, to inspect the plants.
  • Immediate removal from the garden and destruction of plants that cannot be saved from pests. It is best to burn such bushes immediately.
  • Compliance with the recommendations for the care of cucumbers is an important preventive measure that effectively prevents the appearance of pests.

    During the season, cucumbers can be sprayed for prevention. The procedure is carried out approximately once a week. If they grow in open ground - after each rain. Most often, folk remedies are used - they can be used without restrictions, the crop will not suffer in any way. To enhance the effect, a little shavings of household or green potassium soap are added to the finished solution - this way it “sticks” to plants better.

  • 25-30 drops of iodine per liter of milk;
  • 100 ml of whey or kefir warmed to room temperature per liter of water;
  • infusion of garlic (peel a medium-sized head, pass through a meat grinder or crush, pour a glass of hot water, leave for a day; dilute in 10 liters of water before use);
  • infusion of wood ash (a glass of 5 liters of boiling water, leave for 2-3 days, strain before use).
  • Wood ash infusion is a 100% natural fertilizer, a source of potassium and phosphorus

    Prevention in the cucumber garden is carried out throughout the gardening season. It begins in April with the preparation of soil and seeds. In May, work begins in greenhouses and greenhouses to ensure an optimal microclimate, the soil must be disinfected before planting. Further prevention is to follow the recommendations for caring for plants.

    If breeders can protect new hybrids of cucumbers from some pathogenic fungi, viruses and bacteria, then they are still unable to do anything against insect pests. However, a set of simple preventive measures helps to minimize the risk of infection. If it was not possible to avoid them, nothing irreparable has yet happened. The main thing is to correctly identify the problem, start dealing with it in time and competently. In this case, the crop may well be saved.

    Cucumbers are one of the favorite vegetables on our table. Many farms grow them and, probably, there is not a single dacha on which a neat cucumber bed would not grow.

    It is quite difficult to get a rich harvest of this crop. Cucumbers are a plant demanding care and very sensitive to many diseases and pests. Often these vegetables are grown in greenhouses, where harmful insects that have been able to breed year-round are most active. Success in growing cucumbers largely depends on the timely detection of pests and their destruction.

    Description of the most common pests

    Slug

    Pest control methods for cucumber seedlings

    To destroy pests, it is necessary not only to treat the beds with insecticides in a timely manner, but also to strengthen the plants themselves through compliance with the technology of their cultivation.

    Necessary:

    • Carry out regular crop rotation, and change the soil in greenhouses and greenhouses.
    • Observe optimal humidity(not higher than 80%) in greenhouses. Ventilate them if necessary.
    • Weed out weeds.
    • Treat seeds before sowing with a disease control agent.
    • Apply the recommended doses of fertilizers, without exceeding their norm.
    • We once used a solution with laundry soap to fight the bear. In principle, it turned out to lure them out of their mink. Another interesting point is how to deal with those slugs that still managed to get to freshly planted cucumbers. It is also very interesting whether it is possible to process cucumbers with a solution with tobacco, they say it helps aphids very well.

    Cucumber pests

    "" common insect cucumber pest, length from 3 to 5 mm, gray color. The larva of this pest reaches a length of 7 mm. Flies out in the first decade of May and lays eggs in the ground, preferring moist and humus soil.

    A week later, the larvae of this pest penetrate into the swollen seeds of cucumbers, or into the young stem of the plant itself. The crippled seeds die and young cucumber sprouts quickly wither. After 15-17 days, the pest larvae pupate directly in the soil.

    To fight it cucumber pest, a deep spring digging of the soil is necessary, in which it is necessary to close the manure deeper, if it was used. Before planting, treat cucumber seeds with the Bud preparation to stimulate growth.

    When shoots appear, they must be treated with the Iskra preparation (10 g tablet per 10 liters of water). " cucumber mosquito" this cucumber pest mainly dangerous for the most weakened plants grown in greenhouses. Cucumbers damaged by the "Cucumber Mosquito" have cracked roots and part of the stem adjacent to them.

    After a while, the roots of the plant rot. Harm to cucumbers is caused by mosquito larvae, they white color with black head, length about 5 mm. The mosquito itself is a winged insect 3-4 mm long, dark gray in color, it begins to fly from the end of March to the end of May.

    The females of this pest lay 20-30 eggs in the soil near cucumber sprouts, larvae hatch from them, which cause irreparable damage to seedlings. To combat the pest of cucumbers "Cucumber Mosquito", it is necessary first of all to ensure normal development of seedlings, for which use growth stimulants.

    With a significant accumulation of insects in the greenhouse, spray with a solution of the Iskra preparation (10 g per 10 liters of water, consumption: 1 liter of solution per 10 sq.m). " greenhouse whitefly"This is a pest of both cucumbers and tomatoes. It harms the leaves of plants by sucking juice out of them, they quickly turn black and dry out.

    The most important thing in the fight against this pest of cucumbers is to destroy weeds in the garden in time. The doors and vents of the greenhouse are closed with gauze. Glue traps are made for insects.

    A good effect is given by the use of the drug "Commander". " spider mite"the most dangerous of all cucumber pests. It is very small in size (0.5 mm). These insects are located below the leaves while wrapping them in a thin cobweb.

    They feed on the juice of cucumbers, piercing the skin of the plant. As a result, the leaves gradually turn pale, then turn yellow and dry. To combat this pest, it is necessary to carry out several sprays of cucumbers, each time with different means.

    You can use such drugs as: "Fitoverm", "Fufanon". The use of "Karbofos" also gives a good effect. To prepare a solution, dilute 50-60 g of the drug in 10 liters of water.

    It is necessary to spray early in the morning or in the evening, especially pay attention to good wetting of the lower surface of the leaves. " melon aphid"A pest not only of cucumbers, but also of other crops (squash, pumpkin, zucchini). The length of the insect is 1.5-2 mm, the color is from light yellow to dark green, the pest larvae are green and yellow.

    Overwinters in abandoned heaps of weeds or tops. In the spring, already at a temperature of 10-12 degrees, it begins to actively multiply. Settles on the lower surfaces of the leaves, on the shoots of cucumbers or on flowers. As a result, the leaves shrivel and dry out.

    To fight it cucumber pest it is necessary in the fall to completely destroy all weeds on the site. There is good folk remedy: in 10 liters of hot water put 30 g of fresh bitter red pepper and 20 g of finely grated tobacco.

    The container is covered with a lid and insisted for a day. After that, the infusion is stirred and filtered. In the resulting infusion, add 1 tbsp. lies. liquid soap and 3 tbsp. lies. wood ash.

    Solution consumption: 1-1.5 l per sq.m. After a week, spray the plants one more time. From industrial means for the destruction of this cucumber pest you can use the drug "Iskra DE".

    Before processing, remove the fruits. Preparation of the solution: 10 g of the drug per 10 liters of water. Consumption: 1 liter per 10 sq.m.

    Basic safety rules

    When growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, diseases and harmful insects become the main problem. To get healthy plants, you need to take certain preventive measures.

    If there have already been some diseases in the past, then you need to buy seeds that are resistant to these diseases. It is advisable to adhere to the correct crop rotation and plant cucumbers in the used place only after 2-3 years.

    If one greenhouse is allocated for them, then every three years the soil in it should be changed, or at least its top layer, in which there are the most pathogens and pests. To improve the soil in the greenhouse, beneficial microflora is used, which develops well when rotted manure is applied or the drug "Fitosporin M", for prevention, you can spray the sprouts with the drug "Amulet" at the stage 2 and 4 of the leaf. It is good to use nettle tincture to improve the soil microflora (fill the bucket with cut nettles and close the lid), aged for a week in the sun.

    Having diluted it with water (1:10), they cultivate the land. A humid "bath" atmosphere should not be created in the greenhouse. In the morning they open the top of the greenhouse, followed by the door, then the airing with a dry breeze will go from top to bottom. In the evening, the room, dried out during the day, is packed, keeping warm.

    In the morning, ventilate again, getting rid of the accumulated moisture. In such a warm and dry environment, cucumbers grow most actively and get sick much less.

    The lack of nutrients in the soil weakens the plants and also leads to diseases of cucumbers and their damage by pests, so it is important to apply fertilizers to the ground correctly and on time. If the plants look sick, you need to recognize the cause and start the fight as soon as possible.

    How to deal with spider mites

    Cucumbers can be affected by pests such as mites and insects. Table of diseases and pests of cucumbers. In the protected ground of the greenhouse, a spider mite may appear, sucking the juice from the leaves, as a result of which the process of photosynthesis is hampered and the leaves fall off. Overwintered female ticks wake up at a temperature of +12°C and settle on the underside of the foliage, entangling it with cobwebs (the leaf becomes marble-spotted), in which they lay eggs (up to 150 pcs).

    They hatch into larvae that complete development in 2 weeks. Ticks and larvae suck out the juice, causing the fall of flowers, ovaries, leaves, even the death of plants, which leads to a decrease in yield. For a year, each tick is able to give many generations.

    From the end of August, the pests acquire a red-orange color and hide in cracks and plant remains for the winter. To fight them:

    • clean greenhouses from weeds and plant debris, replace the soil, carry out disinfestation; moisten the soil well, as ticks love overdried soils; use such a folk remedy as an onion solution, which is prepared by taking 1 tbsp for 10 liters of water. ground onion, 1 tbsp. l. ground black pepper, 3 tbsp. l. wood ash, 1 tbsp. l. liquid soap; after filtering the solution, spray the shoots with it 2 times, taking a break for 5 days; apply pepper infusion, taking 50 g of pounded pods of bitter pepper for 10 liters of warm (60? C) water, 1 tbsp. l. soap and 4 tbsp. l. ash, insisting for a day and filtering; spray the plants, repeating after 5 days; phosphorus preparations (karbofos) can be used; dill is planted near cucumbers to attract ladybugs, which are enemies of many pests.

    Fight against melon aphid

    Scheme of cucumber mineral nutrition. The melon aphid lives on the back of the leaves and infects the fruits, flowers and ovaries of cucumbers, sucking the juices out of them. The plant becomes weakened, its leaves fall off, and the yield decreases sharply.

    If the weather is wet during aphid activity, the plants may die. The pests are about 2 mm in size, the oval body is dark green. Females are wingless, larvae are wingless and winged, have yellow or green color. Adult individuals overwinter, which begin to breed in greenhouses in the spring, when the air temperature reaches + 12 ° C, producing up to 20 generations per season. In order to destroy pests in the greenhouse, they have to be dealt with in a certain way:

    1. If there are few aphids, you can simply wash it off the plants with a stream of water from a hose under strong pressure, you can wash the plants with soapy water. A tincture of onion peel (400 g per 10 liters of boiling water, keep for a day, add 40 g of soap) or an ash solution (for 10 liters of water take 50 g of soap chips and 200 g of ash). It is treated 2 times, skipping 5 days. When the aphid has multiplied en masse, the yellow cucumber lashes are burned, the remaining ones are treated with karbofos or sulfur powder, spending 300 g per 100 m? l solution per 10 m², or with the Fitoverm biological product (ampoule per 10 l of water) when using 1 liter per 10 m². After using drugs to completely defeat pests, the bed is kept under a film for a day. Neighboring plants that repel aphids include mustard, coriander, mint, basil, and garlic. The enemies of aphids are ladybugs and their larvae. To strengthen the cucumbers, they follow the fertilizer and irrigation schedule, and destroy all weeds.

    Protection against sprout flies and whiteflies

    Common spider mite: 1 - egg glued to the web; 2 - spider mite. Cucumber pests such as germ flies(length about 5 mm), already in May they lay eggs in the manured soil, from which large (7 mm) larvae appear that infect germinating seeds and seedlings that penetrate inside the stem. The larvae feed on the plant and pupate after 12-15 days, then turn into adults that give offspring.

    So for the season three generations of insects are formed. As a result, the seeds of cucumbers in the greenhouse do not germinate, and the sprouts that appear appear to die.

    • to prevent the appearance of flies in the greenhouse, it is better to use ready-made compost; the soil must be loosened before planting, the seeds should be planted already sprouted and planted shallowly; when soaking the seeds, growth stimulants are used; after harvesting, the soil is carefully dug up, removing all plant residues.

    A small whitefly insect becomes numerous and active from the second half of summer. The whitefly flies from plant to plant, hatching the larvae on the underside of the leaves. The larvae feed on the sap, weakening the plants and secreting a sweet substrate on which sooty fungi develop. The leaves from them turn black and wither, ruining the whole plant. Recipe for getting rid of aphids: tobacco dust - 150 - 200 gr, red bitter pepper in pods - 30 gr, hot water - 10 l. This pest is extremely prolific, it is difficult to deal with it, but there are ways to protect cucumbers from it in a greenhouse:

    1. Protect planting material, sticky tapes are hung for early detection, and upon detection, it is necessary to treat the greenhouse with Phosbecid 2 times (an interval of 5 days). Most in a simple way will wash the whitefly with water from the leaves. Then the earth is shallowly (2 cm) loosened and sprinkled with peat. An aqueous solution of the Confidor preparation is effective in the fight against whiteflies, which is sprayed on the affected plants. original way fight by planting tobacco along the garden with cucumbers, on which the whitefly will gather, and then treat it with the Inta-Vir preparation.

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    What other enemies do cucumbers have?

    Gall nematodes infect the roots of cucumbers in the greenhouse, where rotting growths (galls) are formed, leading the plants to death. These are tiny (about 1 mm), invisible to the naked eye worms, the females of which lay up to 2000 eggs and give up to 7 generations in protected ground, and the larvae develop in growths.

    They can only be detected by the appearance of the roots when the plant is already affected. Pests are introduced mainly with the soil. The measures to deal with them are as follows:

    1. Use of non-infected soil and inspection of the material before planting. After harvesting infected plants, the soil can be decontaminated by steaming, freezing or treating with carbation.

    Cucumbers can be affected by tobacco thrips - a small (2 mm) light yellow or brown insect. Thrips, sucking out the juice, pierce the cucumber leaves, leaving necrosis, strokes and spots on them, and the fruits under their influence acquire a deformed appearance. Pests hibernate in the upper soil layers, eggs are laid by females inside the leaf tissue, the development of individuals takes 30 days. They are fought like this:

    • weeds are removed; agricultural technology is used to quickly grow powerful strong bushes on which insects do not have a noticeable effect; sticky traps are installed to reduce the spread of thrips; after inspection, the bushes are treated with an infusion of garlic; heavily infected cucumbers are sprayed with karbofos.

    A small (1-2 mm) wingless insect, which is the white podura, penetrates the hatched seeds, gnawing out sores on the cotyledons and leaves, weakening the sprouts. As preventive measures, they use the correct agricultural technology that enhances plant growth, ventilation of greenhouses, lowering humidity, and watering the soil. hot water before planting the culture. The larvae of the gray mosquito (up to 4 mm long) can cause considerable harm to cucumbers by nibbling their roots and stem bases.

    Females lay eggs (up to 200 eggs) in the soil or in cracks on the stems, and a colony of larvae that hatch in a month can destroy the plant. These enemies of cucumbers in a greenhouse infect weak plants, so cucumbers should create conditions for rapid growth, make only ready-made compost, disinfect the soil and the greenhouse itself, treat the lower part of the plants and the soil around them with insecticides. With ants digging tunnels in greenhouses and damaging roots, fight by setting syrup traps.

    Ants can be brought out by frequent loosening of the soil, dusting the earth with ash or slaked lime, digging and filling nests with kerosene. Slugs eat away the pulp and greens of cucumbers, spoil the quality of the fruit.

    They prevent their spread by frequent digging of the soil, shedding it with lime and ash, and carefully collecting plant remains. It can be used to treat Metaldehyde beds. When growing cucumbers in protected ground, the main task will be to control pests and diseases that threaten cucumbers. Creating conditions for rapid growth and fruiting, the implementation of all methods of agricultural technology, a careful examination of plants and timely assistance will provide cucumbers with protection from pests and help to get a decent harvest.

    What causes diseases of cucumbers in a greenhouse ^

    Usually greenhouse plants are affected by bacterial, fungal or viral infections. Most often, they appear due to a violation of the optimal conditions for the development and growth of cucumber, improper agricultural practices, and lack of crop rotation.

    It's no secret that temperature is very important for cucumbers. Due to sudden changes in temperature, poor ventilation and high humidity in the greenhouse, diseases and pests appear. They mainly affect the leaves, stems of already fruiting plants.

    If treatment is not started in time, the disease also affects the fruits. To obtain a good crop of cucumbers in the greenhouse, it is necessary to take preventive measures. Another factor in the occurrence of cucumber diseases in the greenhouse is the lack of nutrients in the soil. Therefore, it is important to properly fertilize the soil, change it annually, and if the cucumbers were affected by the disease, then the earthen clod needs to be changed, the affected plants removed, and the greenhouse itself should be well disinfected.

    Remember, the sooner the fight against diseases is started, the more likely it is to collect good harvest. Photos and descriptions made by experienced gardeners will help to recognize diseases of cucumbers in a greenhouse. Let's consider diseases of cucumbers in a greenhouse that are caused by various fungi.

    • Antacnose, in other words copperhead

    Caused by the fungus Colletotrichum lagenarium. It is quite easy to recognize it by yellow-brown round spots on the leaf and cotyledons. Then these spots become brittle and crumble.

    If the fungus infects the cucumber fruit, then ulcers appear on it, which, with high humidity, become covered with pink mucus, and then turn black. You should not eat such a cucumber, it is better to remove it immediately, and regularly spray the neighboring ones with a one percent solution of Bordeaux mixture or 0.4% copper oxychloride. This is how a cucumber leaf affected by antacnose looks like

    • Sclerotinia or white rot

    It affects the cucumber plant completely. Easy to recognize by white bloom on leaves, stems, fruits. It resembles ordinary cotton wool, over time it softens, and then turns into mucus.

    This is the sclerotia - the source of the disease, the fungus. It appears due to waterlogging of the soil and air. Having found white rot on cucumbers, it is urgent to save the plant and the future harvest. It is important to know that the infection persists not only on plant remains, but also in the soil.

    For prevention, it is imperative to alternate crops when planting, and when planting seedlings in the wells, add potassium permanganate (5 g per 10 l of water). Plants affected by white rot must be cut out, it is advisable to capture part of a healthy stem, and remove the leaves in dry weather.

    Sprinkle the cut points and the affected stems with lime, crushed coal or blue vitriol is also suitable. The greenhouse must be ventilated regularly.

    • Gray rot

    Appears due to the defeat of the plant by the fungus Botrytis cinerea. It damages the ovaries of the cucumber, its leaves. First, wet brown spots appear, then they are covered with a gray coating, among which are black dots.

    The appearance of gray rot on cucumbers is facilitated by sudden changes in air temperature, watering cold water, excessive watering, lack of nitrogen in the soil. It is necessary to fight this disease in the same way as with white rot. Cucumbers covered with gray rot must be removed immediately so that the infection does not spread further

    • powdery mildew

    This disease of cucumbers is probably known to every gardener, so often it occurs. No wonder it is so called, because at the first manifestations the leaves seemed to be sprinkled with flour. At first, the plaque is not quite thick, but over time, the spots increase, completely covering the leaf.

    The process of photosynthesis is disrupted, because the leaf turns yellow and dries out. Spores of the fungus are carried by wind, water during irrigation, and in case of severe infection they remain on weeds or in the ground.

    Therefore, it is important to carefully remove diseased stems, leaves, and disinfect the greenhouse at the end of the season. The first rule is not to plant cucumbers in the same place every year. The second is to adhere to the temperature regime in the greenhouse (23-25 ​​degrees), do not overmoisten the soil.

    If powdery mildew has come to your greenhouse, spray the cucumbers with mullein infusion, and remove the affected leaves in the foci of the disease. A good result is obtained by spraying cucumbers with colloidal 80% sulfur (40 g per 10 l of water) with the addition of laundry soap. Who trusts fungicides more, you can use topsin, bayleton, caratan, strictly following the instructions for use. This fungal disease cucumbers occurs due to excessive moisture

    • Downy mildew (downy mildew)

    Another misfortune of cucumbers. It is easy to recognize this enemy of plants by yellow-brown spots of a polygonal shape on the leaves. And a gray-purple coating appears on the back of the leaf, the leaves eventually dry out, curl and fall off.

    The fungus, once on the plant, develops rapidly, depletes it, blocking the supply of nutrients. Peronosporosis mycelium can live on seeds for many years. First, give preference to hybrids that are resistant to downy mildew.

    Secondly, before planting, it is advisable to soak the seeds for disinfection in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. You can’t send plant residues after the season to compost, they need to be burned so as not to infect the new crop with spores. If the cucumbers are already sick, then you need to stop watering, cover well at night, and ventilate during the day.

    It is advisable to sprinkle the soil with wood ash, and carefully spray the plants with a solution of phytosporin. Some use sour milk or kefir with iodine for spraying. If you trust chemicals more, then you should look at various fungicides. Leaves on both sides are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid or copper-soap emulsion. Affected by false powdery mildew leaves need to be removed.

    • root rot

    One of the most dangerous diseases of cucumbers, because it is merciless to both young plants and old ones. Appearing in the root zone, this fungus contributes to the drying of the entire whip, the death of the roots. As a result, the lower leaves turn yellow first, and then the plant dies completely.

    The disease begins with the appearance of brown spots on the roots, which increase rapidly, interception occurs with decay. Even the leaves are easy to recognize root rot. They are deformed and covered with small brown spots.

    Since diseases and pests of cucumbers begin to become more active during temperature changes or excessive humidity, it is worth paying special attention to these factors. To avoid root rot of cucumbers, you need to disinfect the greenhouse well before planting seedlings, add a mixture of humus, turf and decomposed peat to the soil. It should be watered with warm water, do not overmoisten the earthen lump. In order to prevent root rot, cucumbers should be watered with a solution of previcur

    • Bacteriosis of cucumbers

    It is caused by the harmful bacterium Pseudomonas lachrymans. Sometimes brownish small sores are already found on the cotyledons, and the leaves are covered with angular spots. This is bacteriosis or angular spotting.

    Over time, the affected tissues turn brown, dry out, and holes form on the leaves. Even on fruits, bacteriosis is possible: brown ulcers, as if birds had pecked at the cucumber. To protect the crop from bacteriosis, you need to start with seeds.

    They are soaked for a day in a 0.02% solution of zinc sulfate, then dried and planted. If the disease appears on leaves or cotyledons, then they are urgently treated with Bordeaux mixture. A cucumber leaf affected by bacteriosis becomes perforated and the plant dies. In addition to various diseases, gardeners are pestered by cucumber pests in the greenhouse. The most common is aphids.

    You can notice this harmful insect on cucumbers in July-August on the back of the leaf and on the shoots. In addition to the fact that aphid colonies feed on plant sap, depleting it, they spread viral diseases.

    These small insects of 2 mm in black or dark green are capable of completely flooding the plant and destroying the crop in a short time. First, the shoots and leaves curl, wrinkle, and then die. Aphids on cucumbers in the greenhouse appear mainly from weeds, so they need to be removed in time.

    Some growers are quite effective tool to combat aphids on cucumbers in a greenhouse consider an infusion of red pepper. To prepare it for 10 liters of hot water, you will need 200 g of tobacco dust and 30 g of capsicum.

    You need to insist for a day, strain, and then add 1 tbsp. l. liquid laundry soap, 3 tbsp. l. wood resin. After the initial spraying, repeat the procedure after a week. It is advisable to spray the path in the greenhouse between the rows. For adherents of chemical therapy, the drug "Intr-vir" (1 tablet per 10 liters of water) or "Arrow" (50 g per 10 liters of water) helps well. Aphid colonies feed on cucumber juice and spread dangerous infections

    • greenhouse whitefly

    This small insect with a white wax coating and powdery white wings is capable of destroying plants in a short time. The whitefly settles on cucumbers, sucks the juice out of them, releases a sugary substance with a soot fungus.

    After that, the lashes and leaves turn black and die. To protect your greenhouse from whiteflies, you need to cover the windows and doors with gauze, destroy weeds in time, and set up special sticky traps. Effective spraying with the biopreparation Aktofit (0.2%) 2-3 times during the entire growing season. The greenhouse whitefly usually lives on the back side of the cucumber leaf. We hope that the information received will help both beginners and experienced vegetable growers to receive generous harvests in their greenhouse and successfully fight diseases and cucumber pests.

    Cultivation of cucumbers involves a set of activities. One of them is proper protection against pests and diseases. After all, the productivity of agricultural crops directly depends on this.

    To obtain a normal and high-quality crop of cucumbers, a number of requirements should be followed. These include the following:

    • only seeds that are disinfected and prepared are sown;
    • the soil should be fertile, loose, clean, fertilized and warm enough (up to + 14ºС at a depth of 8 cm);
    • crop rotation should be observed, which involves growing cucumbers in one area after 2-3 years (when sowing seeds in a greenhouse, the top fertile soil layer should be replaced annually);
    • all vegetation residues are removed from the site (it is best to burn them);
    • seeds are used that are as resistant to diseases and pests as possible;
    • there is constant ventilation in the greenhouse (a warm and dry environment contributes to the active growth of vegetables);
    • it is recommended to grow cucumbers in the area where tomatoes, potatoes and legumes grew;
    • it is forbidden to plant seeds in a place where a pumpkin or zucchini was last summer.

    There are several pests and diseases of cucumbers. To deal with them, you need to choose the most effective way.

    Plant diseases and their control

    powdery mildew

    It is the most common disease. Feature- defeat of leaves (very rarely petioles, stems and fruits). A white spot covers the upper part of the leaf, gradually covering it completely. After some time, the plant becomes brown. There is a fall of whole lashes. The quality and quantity of vegetables is declining.

    The main causes of powdery mildew:

    • high humidity and density of crops;
    • the presence of temperature differences;
    • weed growth;
    • watering with too cold water.

    The elimination of this disease of cucumbers (pictured) can be carried out by:

    • removal and burning of affected leaves;
    • treatment with 0.3% colloidal sulfur (25-30 g per 10 l of water) or ground sulfur (30-35 g per 10 m² plot area);
    • the introduction of potassium top dressing;
    • spraying the leaves on both sides with liquid cow manure with urea (for 10 liters of warm water, 1 liter of manure and 1 tablespoon of urea);
    • applications chemicals(Oxychoma or Topaz);
    • destruction of the remains of weeds and other vegetation.

    Downy mildew in cucumbers

    It manifests itself in the appearance on the upper part of the leaves of yellow-green spots of various shapes, which have a light green bloom. lower part leaf peronosporosis stains in purple. Due to the wind, the spread of cucumber disease is instantaneous. Therefore, it is impossible to delay with its elimination. Cucumbers should be planted in such a plot after 5-7 years.

    Causes of peronosporosis:

    • the presence of constant condensate (fog, dew);
    • sharp temperature fluctuations day and night;
    • cold watering.

    The fight against peronosporosis involves the choice of one of the following options:

    • the use of potassium permanganate;
    • treatment with urea (1 g / 1 liter of water) or whey (per 10 liters of water 1 liter of milk and 10 drops of iodine);
    • fertilizing;
    • spraying with 1% Bordeaux liquid (for 10 liters of water, 100 g of lime and blue vitriol);
    • the use of the fungicide "Rizoplan".

    The main way to combat peronosporosis is the correct implementation of preventive measures:

    • acquisition of seeds of hybrids resistant to the disease;
    • sowing early ripe varieties;
    • compliance with optimal temperature and humidity conditions;
    • ventilation of greenhouses;
    • collecting, burning plants and watering the beds with copper sulphate after the final harvest.

    Root rot in cucumbers

    The appearance of a yellow color and a sharp withering of well-growing and flowering cucumbers indicate damage to the roots of plants. In most cases, root rot is the cause of this phenomenon. This can be seen if you slightly open the stem of the plant, located in the ground. It will be cracked and yellow.

    The main reason for the appearance of root rot is planting cucumbers in one area for several years in a row. Most often, the disease of cucumbers develops in a greenhouse.

    To prevent root rot, the following measures should be followed:

    • watering is carried out only with warm water;
    • planting seeds is not carried out in heavy soil and at too great a depth;
    • high humidity is not allowed in greenhouses;
    • removal of all weeds.

    Get rid of root rot early stage disease in one of two ways:

    1. The stem is bare to the root and sprinkled with wood ash or chalk.
    2. The roots are treated with a solution, for the manufacture of which water (0.5 l), lime (3 tablespoons) and copper sulfate (1 teaspoon) are used.

    If the cucumbers could not be saved, then:

    • they should be carefully removed from the site;
    • treat the bed with dry bleach (180-200 g / 1 m²);
    • Wash all tools with detergent.

    Cladosporiosis in cucumbers

    Is viral disease, which affects the fruit. Small and watery spots cover cucumbers. Over time, the cucumber cracks and takes on a curved shape. The leaves also change shape, and the entire ovary dies after a week (if no action is taken).

    Causes of cladosporiosis:

    • use of old plastic film in the greenhouse;
    • high humidity;
    • sprinkler irrigation;
    • weed vegetation.

    The fight against the disease involves:

    • sowing seeds resistant to cladosporiosis;
    • ventilation of the greenhouse;
    • stop watering for 6-7 days;
    • fertilizing with potassium sulfate;
    • spraying with Bordeaux liquid (15%).

    White rot in cucumbers

    Mucus and plaque covers all parts of cucumbers: leaves, stems, flowers and tendrils. Especially often white rot develops in conditions of high humidity. For example, in greenhouses.

    You can get rid of the disease with the help of:

    • soil disinfection (for 10 l of water 10 g of urea and 3 g of copper sulfate, consumption - 1 l / 10 m²);
    • cutting off infected parts of vegetables and sprinkling with ash or lime;
    • rare sowing of seeds.

    Anthracnose in cucumbers

    Round spots of brown and Pink colour leaves of cucumbers are affected. The bushes begin to darken, and the fruits become shriveled. If wet weather prevails, the disease spreads to the roots of plants.

    To prevent the occurrence and elimination of anthracnose:

    • sowing seeds is carried out in a sufficiently heated soil;
    • the crop rotation scheme is observed;
    • weeds and crop residues are completely destroyed;
    • plants are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid (1 time per week 5-6 days before fruit picking);
    • cucumbers are treated with bleach (40-45 g per 10 liters of water, 1 time in 8-10 days, 20-22 days before harvest).

    Pest Control Methods

    melon aphid

    In size, these pests of cucumbers are approximately 2 mm. They have a dark green oval body. The females do not have wings. They can produce up to 15-20 generations per season.

    The melon aphid eats all parts of the plant: leaves, flowers, fruits. The flowers wither and the leaves fall off. The presence of a humid environment will make it impossible to save the crop.

    For the destruction of insects, the following methods must be used:

    1. With a small number of pests, a soap solution is used with the addition of onion husks (10 liters of boiled water is poured with 50 g of soap and 500 g of husks) or an ash mixture (250 g of ash, 60 g of soap, a bucket of water). Processing of crops is carried out 2 times with a 5-day interval.
    2. With mass reproduction of aphids, karbofos (3 g / 1 m²), Fitoverm preparations (8-9 l ampoule, consumption - 1 l / 10 m²) and Iskra (8-9 l tablet, consumption - 1 l) are used / 10 m²). After applying the funds, the area is covered with polyethylene for a day.

    To prevent the appearance of melon aphids, the following preventive measures are followed:

    • complete destruction of weeds;
    • carrying out timely watering;
    • planting companion crops that repel pests (coriander, mint, mustard, garlic, or basil).

    Spider mite in cucumbers

    This sucking pest, characterized by a red-green color, is located on the side of the leaf adjacent to the ground. The insect feeds on the juice of green leaves. As a result, the process of photosynthesis deteriorates. What causes the complete fall of the leaves.

    In most cases, spider mites appear in the spring in a non-collapsible greenhouse. Pest females endure winter in structures without problems. Then they entangle the leaves with cobwebs and lay up to 150 eggs at a time (in hot weather females can breed up to several generations). The hatched larvae grow within 2 weeks.

    Effective pest control of cucumbers involves the following actions:

    • soil moisture;
    • annual replacement of the top fertile soil layer in the greenhouse;
    • clearing the site of weeds;
    • the use of products containing phosphorus;
    • spraying the shoots with an onion mixture twice with an interval of 5 days (10 l of water, 1 cup of onion chopped in a meat grinder, 1 tbsp each of liquid soap and ground black pepper, 3 tbsp wood ash);
    • treatment of plants with infusion of 60 g of crushed bitter pepper, 5 tbsp. l. wood ash, 1 tbsp. l. soap and buckets of water;
    • planting dill near cucumbers, which will attract ladybugs (they eat spider mites).

    Whitefly on cucumbers

    It is a small prolific and voracious insect. The whitefly shows maximum activity in late July - early August. The pest displays larvae, flying from one bush to another. The leaves of cucumbers become covered with fungi, turn black and begin to fade.

    To combat the whitefly, drugs are used:

    • "Inta-vir";
    • "Phosbecid";
    • "Confidor".

    You can also try:

    • washing insects off the leaves with a strong jet of water;
    • placement of sticky tapes;
    • shallow loosening of the soil (up to 2 cm) and rash of peat;
    • planting tobacco near cucumbers (it will attract the whitefly, after which the tobacco should be treated with a chemical agent).

    Sprout fly on cucumbers

    This pest lays eggs in the ground in early May. The emerging larvae reach 7 mm. They penetrate into the interior of plant stems. Two weeks later, the larvae, eating greens, become adults, which also give offspring. Sometimes pests do not even allow cucumber seeds to come out of the ground.

    Insects can be eliminated only by:

    • deep loosening of the soil before planting;
    • planting germinated seeds;
    • the use of growth stimulants when soaking seed material;
    • use of finished compost in the greenhouse;
    • the destruction of all weeds and careful digging of the site after harvest.

    Ants - harm to cucumbers

    These insects can damage the root system of cucumbers. They are also the main cause of aphids.

    To kill ants, you will need:

    • loosen the ground as often as possible;
    • treat the area with wood ash or slaked lime;
    • douse anthills with boiled water;
    • lay out traps (bottles filled with sweet syrup).

    Slugs - harm to cucumbers

    Eating greens and spoiling fruits at night are the “tricks” of slugs. The cucumber crop itself will also be spoiled by pest droppings.

    The fight against slugs is carried out through:

    • adding slaked lime or wood ash to the soil;
    • treatment with the drug "Metaldehyde";
    • removal of weeds;
    • creating structures where slugs will be in the daytime (cardboard, boards, small logs, old dishes), followed by the destruction of pests.

    Video about ways to combat diseases and pests of cucumbers: