Diseases of cucumbers in the open field

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Diseases in cucumbers can pose significant barriers to good harvests for outdoor growers. To successfully fight diseases, you must at least know their description and methods of treatment. Photos of infected plants will help you recognize diseases.

Ascochitosis

One of the most dangerous diseases of cucumbers. It can attack not only an adult plant, but also seedlings. If the plant is weakened, it will quickly die. Experts say that it is better to prevent such a disease than to subsequently fight it.

Signs of ascochitis:

1. Formation of light gray spots along the edges of the leaf plate, which eventually spread to the entire leaf area.
2. Black dots appear above, indicating fungal colonies.
3. On the rest of the culture, small brownish spots are formed.
4. After secondary infection, the fruits become dark and die off or are covered with a large number of dark spots.

The most dangerous is the period of fruiting. This is an infectious disease that can be latent for a long time. In this case, the pathogen is on the stem or even in the soil.

The fungus in the form of spores can get into the soil along with particles of organic debris, sometimes contaminated seed becomes its source. Not only greenhouse cucumbers suffer from this disease. Crops grown in open field conditions are also not protected from disease.

In order to prevent ascochitis of cucumbers, it is always necessary to water them only with cold water and avoid temperature fluctuations. Also, you should always use seed from trusted manufacturers.

For the purpose of prevention, you can soak the seeds for a couple of hours in a solution of the drug Trichoderma Veride. If it was still not possible to avoid the disease, then the stems will have to be treated with copper-chalk powder. To obtain such a mixture, it is necessary to mix chalk and copper sulfate in a 1 to 1 ratio.

Bacteriosis

This disease of open field cucumbers is also called "angular leaf spot". According to the description, it is among the most dangerous ailments of the garden culture.

After its appearance, a gradual death of leaves is observed. A moist and warm environment is required to accelerate the spread of the pathogen. If the region regularly experiences heat, which is replaced by rains, we can assume that it is at risk.

If the bacteria attacks cucumbers, it will cause the death of 50 to 70% of the total crop. The last stage of the disease is necrosis, when the plant can no longer be cured by anything. Take a look at the photos of the culture to recognize the disease in time and apply the optimal treatment.

Signs of illness:

1. Formation of brown oil stains. Their number is from 1 to 50.
2. As the disease progresses, the spots become dry and hard, causing a crust to form. It falls off along with some part of the sheet.
3. In the last stages, only veins remain from the leaves.

The growing season is considered the most dangerous, especially in the spring and autumn months. The pathogen can be transmitted through inoculum if it is manually harvested from contaminated crops. In the initial stages of the development of such an ailment, the affected plants grow weakly and form a small number of fruits.

How to deal with the manifestations of bacteriosis:

1. If the disease is at an early stage, you can spray the cucumbers with Abiga-Peak. It is dissolved in a ratio of 50 g per 10 l of water. The periods between spraying should be at least 20 days.
2. If it has already come to necrosis, you should apply a solution of the drug Fitolavin at a concentration of 0.2%.

Cladosporium

Gardeners among themselves call this disease "olive spot". The causative agent is a fungus that demonstrates extraordinary resistance to negative environmental factors.

A characteristic feature is its prevalence in the southern regions, as well as areas where high humidity is observed. What are the signs of the disease:

• curvature of the fruit;
• dark brown spots on cucumbers;
• almost complete absence of damage to leaves and stems, on which only small brown spots are visible.

Most often, young fruits are affected, which are covered with brown spots. The period during which cucumbers are most susceptible to this disease lasts from June to the end of August. The pathogen can get on healthy crops with infected tools, weeds, insects, even with the wind, and items of clothing.

How to deal with the disease:

1. Regularly clean the area around the cucumbers of old plants and weeds.
2. Spray the bushes with a solution of Bordeaux liquid at a concentration of 1%.
3. Additionally, use a solution of copper oxychloride at a concentration of 0.3%. This must be done 3 times per season. The interval between spraying should be at least 10 days.

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Root rot

This disease also affects outdoor cucumbers. The description says that usually the ailment is the result of improper plant care.

If the gardener waters the soil too abundantly, the moisture increases. At the same time, the soil is compacted, and less and less air gets into it. This helps to weaken the root system of cucumbers.

At the same time, these conditions create a favorable atmosphere for pathogenic organisms. This is also facilitated by an increase in the content of salts in the soil.

The disease first attacks weak areas, after which it spreads to healthy tissues. From the photographs you can see what such a disease looks like. But, knowing the appropriate methods of treatment, and it can be overcome.

Signs of root rot:

• thinning of the stem and its drying out;
• if you dig a little soil near the root collar, you can see brown spots on the stem that resemble burns;
• falling leaves, especially in hot weather;
• the root and stem areas gradually become dark and rotted.

It is impossible to single out any separate season when the disease is most likely to attack. At any time when mistakes are made in the care and cultivation of plants, the risk of facing this problem increases.

How to deal with the disease:

• process the lower area of the culture with sawdust, chalk and peat with a small addition of sand;
• quickly remove the affected plant from the garden until the rot has infected the rest of the healthy crops;
• loosen the areas between the beds regularly;
• water the cucumbers with the optimal amount of water;
• process plants with a solution of bleach - 150 g per square meter.

Powdery mildew

This disease is one of the most common, and not only in cucumbers grown in the open field. Typical signs:

• the appearance of white bloom on the upper area of the sheet. Subsequently, the plates become dark and fall off;
• the formation of brownish and gray spots on the stem;
• poor plant growth;
• early appearance of fruits that have low palatability;
• the formation of powdery mildew on cucumbers growing in the open field. This is due to a fungal infection.

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How to deal with the disease:

1. Colloidal sulfur solution can be used. It is prepared in the calculation: 30 g per bucket of water.
2. Fungicidal preparations such as Tiovit Jet, Topaz are also used in accordance with the instructions in the instructions.
3. Repeated treatments are carried out with an interval of at least 10 days.
4. A good way to prevent powdery mildew damage is to alternate crops every 2 years, as well as disinfect the planting material. A necessary measure is the destruction of the affected parts of the cucumbers.

Mosaic

This cucumber disease has several varieties. The most widespread are tobacco, ordinary, green speckled. White mosaics are also common. As for the crops growing in the open field, the tobacco mosaic is the least likely to affect them.

What are the signs of the disease:

• crumpled leaves;
• areas of clarification, especially near the veins;
• as it develops, the areas of lightening acquire mottling, becoming covered with blisters.

In the last stages, foliage deformation is observed. The fruits of the plant seem to be soaked and become bitter. A disease provokes a virus that can settle on the stems and stay on them throughout the winter.

How to deal with the disease:

• if you see that individual seedlings have become infected, immediately remove and destroy them;
• do the same with cucumbers that are in close proximity to diseased crops;
• before using the tools, be sure to disinfect them with "Whiteness" or potassium permanganate.

Peronosporosis

It is one of the most common diseases in outdoor cucumbers. According to the description, this disease is somewhat similar to powdery mildew. The similarities can be seen in the photographs as well.

But at the same time, the ailment has characteristic features and involves special methods of treatment. It is even called otherwise "downy mildew".

What are the signs of such a disease:

• distinct yellow spots appear on the upper side of cucumber leaves;
• as the infectious disease progresses further, a lilac fluffy mold forms on the lower part of the surface of the leaf plate;
• then the spots merge together, and the leaf dries up and falls off;
• the ovaries are formed more slowly, moreover, they form unpalatable fruits.

The fungus provokes the disease. For it to attack plants, excessive humidity, temperature changes and the use of too cold water for irrigation are enough.

How to deal with the disease:

• timely destroy diseased crops;
• apply fungicidal preparations;
• use folk remedies.

For example, a recipe is effective, according to which it is necessary to combine 10 ml of brilliant green and iodine in containers, and then pour them into 2 liters of whey or milk. These ingredients should be mixed well, and then sprayed with the resulting plant solution. The method is suitable for combating disease during the flowering period of cucumbers.

Summarize

1. The most common diseases of cucumbers in the open field: root rot, mosaic, powdery mildew, downy mildew and others.
2. These diseases are caused by viruses or fungi.
3. To get them on plants and provoke disease, it is enough to use untreated seeds or soil. Also, vectors can be wind, rain and insects.