Cucumbers do not start growing? I tell you what to do and how to help, otherwise you will be left without a crop

It so happens that the seedlings of cucumbers sit in place and are not going to develop, despite the fact that all fertilizing is made in a timely manner. Moreover, the leaves begin to turn yellow and wither slightly.

High soil acidity

The most common cause of this condition is too acidic soil. Most gardeners diligently apply fertilizers containing nitrogen to the soil.

Over time, this leads to soil acidification. And in such an environment, most garden crops grow and develop very poorly.

To solve this problem, I add dolomite flour or regular chalk to the soil. It is best to do this in the fall, but if the problem was discovered during the growing process, then you can add substances in the summer.

I do this twice a season. The first time the plants start throwing out the third leaf. Re-feeding is done after 15 days.

Chalk is best purchased from a gardening store. It should not contain any additives. It is enough to take 200 g of chalk and dilute it in 10 liters of warm water.

After it has been infused for a few minutes, I stir well and pour half a liter of liquid on each plant. This top dressing is applied at the root.

It is very important not to mix chalk with other fertilizers. Also, after feeding with chalk, you should refrain from introducing other chemicals into the soil for at least 3-4 days.

Other reasons

1. Cold nights. Temperature drops negatively affect the state of plants. Cucumbers will begin to actively develop only when the night temperature exceeds +10 C.

To speed up growth, you can cover the bed with agrofibre or plastic wrap.

2. Planting too dense. If the plants are too close to each other, then competition for a place in the sun begins. As a result, various diseases begin to appear.

To prevent the problem, you can use a trellis. Do not plant more than 2-3 plants per m2.

3. Lack of nutrients. It is important for cucumbers that the soil is nutritious. Most often, when digging a bed, humus or compost is introduced.

You can also do additional feeding with green fertilizers, mullein or chicken droppings.

4. Diseases. Most often cucumbers suffer from powdery mildew. For prevention and treatment, a solution of milk and water is used.

For 5 liters of water give 1 liter of milk and a few drops of iodine. Leaves and stems are processed with this mixture.