Cool and wet weather causes a lot of concern among summer residents, as this provokes the occurrence of various fungal and viral diseases of cucumbers. Many people are concerned about a bacterial disease such as powdery mildew, which is why it is important to know under what conditions it develops, what its symptoms are and how to deal with it.

What is powdery mildew?

Powdery mildew is a bacterial disease of cucumbers that causes premature drying of plants. Leaves, stems, and fruits may be affected. The disease is characterized by the fact that it spreads very quickly, which is why it is important to carry out timely prevention and treat already affected plants.

Powdery mildew on cucumbers in a greenhouse often appears on plants that grow near doors, near poorly glazed frames, where it is quite damp and cool. In open ground, this disease often occurs with significant temperature fluctuations.

Conditions for the occurrence of powdery mildew

Powdery mildew often forms on cucumbers in a greenhouse, since there are the most suitable conditions for the occurrence of various diseases and the spread of bacteria. Especially if there have been previous cases of infection. Often, even after comprehensive plant treatment and prevention, bacteria remain in the soil and form again on plants in the spring.

In open ground, the disease occurs when dry days often alternate with wet and cool ones. Excessive application of nitrogen fertilizers to the soil can provoke the rapid spread of bacteria.

Signs of powdery mildew

The signs of powdery mildew on cucumbers are quite pronounced, and they make it possible to accurately distinguish it from many other diseases. One of the very first and most obvious signs is the formation of a whitish coating on the leaves, covered with drops of water. In addition, the white coating can affect many other parts of the plant located near the soil, and then the infection gradually spreads over the entire surface of the plant.

A closer examination may reveal the presence of severe lesions and ulcers. Affected leaves stop functioning normally. The plant begins to become very sick, dries out and gradually dies, as the fungus takes away all the required useful components from it.

Fruits affected by bacteria become covered with cracks, into which painful microorganisms penetrate, provoking the process of rotting.

Methods to combat powdery mildew

Many people are interested in how to combat powdery mildew on cucumbers and what methods and medications are best to use. It is very important to prevent the spread of the disease at the very beginning. At the initial stage of fungal formation, plants can be saved. There are various methods of combating this type of fungal infection, in particular, such as:

• prevention;
• use of folk remedies;
• treatment with chemicals.

When choosing treatment methods, the period of infection is of great importance. At the initial stage, prevention is required. In case of minor damage to the plant, traditional methods are used, and in case of extensive damage, chemical preparations are used. If the fruits are already beginning to ripen, then the use of chemicals is unacceptable.

Use of chemicals

When the very first signs of fungal infection of a plant occur, it is important to know how to deal with powdery mildew on cucumbers. It is worth remembering that measures to eliminate bacteria must be taken immediately, otherwise it will be very difficult to destroy the harmful fungus. Before carrying out therapeutic measures, you need to stop fertilizing, and it is also important to thin out the plantings, remove dry plants, and cut off affected flower stalks.

To combat this type of bacteria, fungicide preparations help quite well, in particular, such as:

• Fundazol product;
• Topaz mixture;
• spraying liquid "Tilt".

The drug “Fitosporin” has proven itself well against powdery mildew on cucumbers. To treat plants with this product, you need to dilute 6-10 g of the drug in 10 liters of water. Among its disadvantages is that it does not tolerate sunlight very well. However, it is classified as a biofungicide, so it is safe for people and animals.

When wondering how to treat cucumbers against powdery mildew, you can use the Baktofit product. This is a very good biofungicide that can be used for spraying plants and watering them at the root. To prepare the product, you need to take 20 ml of the drug and dissolve it in 10 liters of water. The only drawback of this product is that it is washed off by precipitation or water when watering.

When using the drug "Topaz" you need to take 3 g of the product and dissolve it in 10 liters of water. It is worth remembering that this fungicide must not be used throughout the entire fruiting period; in addition, precautions must be taken when working with this product.

The “HOM” product shows good results. To use it, you need to dilute 40 g of powder in 10 liters of water. Sprinkle the resulting solution over the beds with cucumbers. This amount of solution is enough to treat 10 square meters. meters of garden area.

The frequency of treatment with these and other drugs is 1 time every 2 weeks. Chemicals prevent the formation of spores of the causative agent, and high air temperatures enhance their effects. The protective effect of chemical preparations appears literally a few minutes after spraying and remains for 2 weeks after treatment. Despite the fact that treatment with biofungicides is allowed during the fruiting period, vegetables can be consumed as food after treatment no earlier than 2-3 days later.

It is worth remembering that some products can be dangerous to humans, so it is important to follow certain safety precautions. It is very important to know how to deal with powdery mildew on cucumbers correctly, since this fungus develops resistance to chemicals over time, so they need to be changed periodically during treatment.

Application of traditional methods

Folk remedies for powdery mildew on cucumbers help prevent the spread of the disease at the very beginning of its occurrence. Good results can be obtained by using such means as:

• soda solution;
• copper sulfate;
• horsetail decoction;
• mullein solution;
• soap solution.

Folk remedies can be used both to treat infected plants and as a preventive measure. When carrying out preventive maintenance, plants need to be sprayed after each rain.

Uses of baking soda

Baking soda helps well against powdery mildew on cucumbers; it has been widely used for many years; preparing such a solution is quite simple. To prepare the product, you need to take liquid soap and baking soda in equal proportions, 1 tsp each, and then pour 5 liters of boiling water over it all. Mix everything well and cool. You need to spray cucumbers with this solution once every 10 days. The total number of treatments largely depends on the degree of plant damage. It is best to use tar soap rather than ordinary soap, as it helps to more effectively remove fungal infections.

Using copper sulfate

Folk remedies for powdery mildew on cucumbers involve the use of copper sulfate. You need to take 5 g of copper sulfate, mix it with 50 g of soap and add 5 liters of water. This remedy helps prevent the development of spores and treats an existing disease.

Mullein and whey solution

When choosing means to combat powdery mildew on cucumbers, you can use mullein solution. To prepare it, you need to dissolve 1 kg of fertilizer in 10 liters of water, and add another liter of water just before use.

Whey helps cope well with the fungus. To do this, you need to dilute it with water and apply the root treatment of cucumbers with this solution. After this, a film of lactic bacteria forms on the leaves, preventing the growth of the fungus.

Plant decoctions

A decoction of horsetail helps to cope well with the fungus. To do this, you need to take 100 g of fresh or dried plant, pour 100 g of water for a day, then boil for 1-2 hours, strain, cool, dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:5 and spray the cucumbers. This decoction can be stored for a week.

An infusion of weeds is considered a good helper against fungus. To do this, fill half a bucket of grass with water and leave for several days in a warm place.

You can also use nettle decoction, which helps to quickly and effectively deal with bacterial spores.

Application of garlic

When wondering how to treat cucumbers against powdery mildew, you can use an infusion of garlic. To do this, you need to steep a medium-sized head of garlic in water for a week at room temperature. Strain the resulting infusion, dilute with 10 liters of water and spray on the plants using a spray bottle.

Other remedies against powdery mildew

Pollination of leaves with sulfur helps to cope with bacterial damage. To do this, you need to pour carefully crushed sulfur into gauze cloth and carry out pollination in warm sunny weather. After processing, the cucumbers in the garden should be covered with film for 2 hours. When carrying out processing in the greenhouse, all windows and doors must be closed.

A good result can be obtained by spraying cucumbers against powdery mildew with a solution of potassium permanganate. To prepare it, you need to dilute 1.5 g of potassium permanganate in 10 liters of water.

Spraying with colloidal sulfur, which must be diluted at the rate of 40 g per 10 liters of water, is also considered an effective remedy. It is better to use this product in cloudy weather.

Carrying out prevention

You need to know not only how to deal with powdery mildew on cucumbers, but also how to prevent its occurrence on plants. Among the main preventive measures, the following should be highlighted:

• planting varieties of cucumbers resistant to powdery mildew;
• carrying out pre-sowing seed treatment;
• watering with warm, settled water;
• careful use of nitrogen fertilizers;
• careful collection and destruction of plant residues.

These reliable preventive measures will prevent future powdery mildew infections. In addition, it is necessary to provide the plants with a sufficient supply of fresh air, which is why it is necessary to thin out the seedlings in a timely manner, as well as remove old leaves in contact with the soil.

Cucumbers should be watered only after the top layer of soil has completely dried. Watering and spraying should be done in the morning so that the plants have time to dry completely before the evening.

Cucumbers often suffer from viral and bacterial infections of various origins. Gardeners are faced with such a dangerous disease as downy mildew of cucumbers (another name for this infection is mildew). Symptoms of this disease can be easily noticed by visual inspection of cucumbers. Photos of leaves and fruits affected by this disease can be viewed on the Internet and in specialized literature. There you can also read about new, progressive, and ancient, time-tested control measures.

Selection of control measures depends on how severely the cucumber leaves are affected. Photos of plants suffering from this disease can also be found in newspapers and magazines for gardeners and gardeners. Before planning measures to combat an infection, you need to find out the cause of its occurrence and spread. Sometimes eliminating this cause helps end this cucumber disease once and for all, without resorting to powerful chemicals.

Powdery mildew and other cucumber diseases

Cucumbers spend most of their life cycle on the ground: the lashes and leaves of the plant lie on the ground, in direct contact with it. Moist soil, especially if there is no drainage of liquid, is an ideal environment for the growth of a variety of fungi, bacteria and viruses. Cucumbers are very susceptible to infectious diseases. It should be noted that cucumbers that curl and grow up the support get sick much less often than cucumbers whose vines lie on the ground.

At first glance, this may seem strange, but cucumbers that grow in a greenhouse suffer from downy mildew much more often than cucumbers growing in open ground. This is due to the fact that warm and humid air under the film promotes intensive reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms. If cucumbers that are in a greenhouse become ill, the main measure to combat the disease will be regular ventilation of the greenhouse.

Cucumbers also suffer from other diseases. Fighting them can sometimes be very difficult. Leaves and fruits affected by various viral infections can be seen in photos on the Internet. Diagnosis of the disease using a photo allows you to identify the causative agent of the disease in time and take competent control measures.

More often cucumbers suffer from the following infectious diseases:

Powdery mildew: causes

More often this fungal infection appears and spreads because:

It is quite easy to notice signs of the disease on leaves and fruits. “Mealy” comes from the word “flour”. A characteristic white coating appears on the leaves, as if they had been rolled in flour. If the disease spreads and the gardener does not take any measures, soon not only the leaves, but also the fruits are affected.

Fruits with a white coating cannot be eaten. This fungal infection was called “dew” because when the disease rapidly progresses, the appearance of a white coating is added to the release of moisture: the leaves become wet to the touch. If you do not fight the infection, the leaves and stems begin to become wet and rot, then necrosis (death) of the leaves occurs and the plant dies. It happens that entire areas planted with cucumbers die.

The disease practically does not affect cucumbers growing in hot and dry climates. Most often, the disease begins to develop when there are prolonged heavy rains for several days in a row in the summer. To prevent infection, it is advisable to loosen the soil after each heavy rain so that the liquid goes into the soil and does not stagnate. It is best to arrange a bed for cucumbers on a small hill so that water flows down after heavy rains.

Recently, domestic breeders have been actively developing new varieties of cucumbers that have stable immunity to this disease and other fungal diseases. Seeds of such varieties are quite expensive, but planting them allows you to avoid many problems.

Disease Prevention

Disease It affects not only cucumbers. This infection is also often observed in grapes and currants of various varieties, as well as in gooseberries. To prevent cucumbers from spreading, you should not plant them next to berry bushes. After all, the infection tends to spread rapidly.

If it appears on currants or gooseberries, it will immediately transfer to cucumbers, because the plants grow on the same soil. If it so happens that cucumbers grow next to currants or gooseberries, in early spring, before the buds open, you should pour boiling water over the berry bushes. Then they are not in danger of getting sick, and, therefore, the cucumbers will not get sick.

There are also the following methods of prevention for cucumbers:

• you need to observe moderation in watering;
• the greenhouse in which vegetables grow must be regularly ventilated and disinfected;
• If possible, you should install supports for the cucumbers. These can be wooden or iron sticks. When the cucumber curls and climbs up the support, the lashes do not lie on the ground, and, therefore, are reliably protected from rotting;
• if there are several plants in the garden with a severe degree of disease (white, weeping and rotting leaves), you will have to part with them. In no case should the affected vines be taken to the compost heap, otherwise re-infestation will occur. They should only be burned, observing fire safety rules.

If you follow these simple preventive measures, the gardener will be able to protect cucumbers from infection.

You need to think about prevention in winter and early spring, when gardeners are just starting to prepare seeds for planting. If cucumbers have been suffering from disease all season, it is not recommended to use your own seed; it is better to purchase seeds in a store or from neighboring gardeners. If the gardener uses his own seeds, they need to be stored correctly.

After collecting the seeds, they are thoroughly dried (for example, on a newspaper or on a windowsill) and stored in a dry, dark place. You can store the seeds in a hermetically sealed tin or canvas bag. Before preparing the seeds for planting, you need to treat them with antifungal solutions, this increases the resistance of cucumbers to the disease.

It is recommended to plant seedlings on a sunny day, when the weather is dry and warm for several days in a row, and there are no heavy, prolonged rains. A foggy day when air humidity is high is not the best option for planting seedlings in open ground. The more moisture in the soil and air, the greater the risk of “catching” this dangerous disease.

Powdery mildew and downy mildew on cucumbers: control measures. Folk remedies

Old “grandmother’s” remedies help a lot. The only disadvantage of such control measures is that these remedies do not act quickly. To achieve tangible results, spraying cucumbers must be repeated several times and done systematically, and not occasionally. The most effective “grandmother’s” method of combating the disease is based on the antifungal properties of common garden weeds.

While weeding Sow thistles, wheatgrass and other weeds need to be collected in one heap of beds, and then these greens should be finely chopped along with the roots. Chopped greens are poured with water, and an infusion is prepared from it, which can be used for watering or spraying cucumbers. The procedure must be repeated daily until the symptoms disappear completely. You can also use young spring nettle instead of weeds; it also fights bacteria and fungi well.

Powdery mildew on cucumbers: means to combat industrial production

If the disease was caught at the very beginning, it can be dealt with by limiting watering, loosening the soil and using folk remedies. However, if you miss the onset of the disease, there will be no time left to treat cucumbers with folk remedies.

In cases where it is necessary to act quickly, industrially produced fungicides will come to the aid of the gardener. You can use fungicides (antifungal agents that contain chemicals) and biofungicides (antifungal agents that contain natural biologically active substances that prevent the appearance and spread of fungus). Some fungicides are toxic to humans, so all precautions must be taken when working with them.

If measures are taken in time, this fungal disease is easily treated. The main thing is to monitor soil moisture and pay attention to liquid drainage. First, you can try proven “grandmother’s” remedies, and only then, if they do not help, should you switch to more powerful fungicidal agents. Anyone, even a novice gardener, can successfully cope with fungus if they notice the onset of the disease in time and prevent its development. A disease that progresses will become more difficult to treat.

​Similar articles​​When you discover the first leaves affected by this disease, you must carefully cut them off and immediately destroy them or put them in a bucket with a 0.5% solution of copper sulfate. At the same time, the dose of potassium fertilizers in the mineral fertilizers must be significantly increased.​

Symptoms of the disease

​The disease simultaneously affects all parts of the plant - petioles, leaves, stems, fruit tendrils. First we see a white coating, then the plant tissues become soft and rot. On the affected areas, fruiting bodies appear, first white, and then the color changes to black. These are sclerotia. They overwinter in the soil and spread occurs when the air or soil is too moist.​

​In the fall, after fruiting has completed and the last harvest has been harvested, the soil in the greenhouse is treated with a solution of copper sulfate. After 24 hours, spent plants and their roots are removed from the beds and burned.​

A white coating with fungal spores on the leaves and stems indicates that the cucumber plant has contracted powdery mildew. As the disease develops, the leaves dry out, fruiting stops, and already set fruits grow ugly, deformed and vulnerable to sunlight. They taste less sweet.​

Vegetable growers encounter this pest when growing cucumbers, both in central Russia, China, and Africa. It especially often settles in our latitudes on vegetable plants grown in greenhouses. The insect sticks to the bottom of the leaf and draws juices from the plant. And the leaf is covered with cobwebs. Ticks are reborn in hordes - one female lays a hundred eggs a week. Young insects enter reproductive age after 20-30 days. The leaves of cucumber plants affected by mites become colorless, lose flexibility, and the plant gradually dries out.​

• ​soda ash solution (0.5%) with soap;​
• ​Remember, if you are late by at least 1-2 days, the plant may die and cannot be saved. It is also important to avoid over-treating cucumbers with fungicides, because this is a direct path to the accumulation of pesticides and harmful substances in them. These drugs have the property of stopping the growth of fruits, as well as reducing yields.​
• ​It is very important to increase the resistance of plants to possible diseases by fertilizing with mineral and organic substances.​
• ​For example, plant early varieties, which makes it possible to get a harvest before the onset of cold weather, during which peronosporosis develops favorably. Since there is a risk that the seeds are already infected with this disease, it is recommended to treat them with a 0.1% solution of potassium permanganate before sowing.

​pumpkin;​

​Cucumber is a very ancient vegetable. It appeared 6 thousand years ago. It was originally grown in the tropics and subtropics of China and India. This product is a real storehouse of vitamins. It contains vitamins B, C, potassium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, and also promotes the rapid absorption of animal fats. Therefore, meat dishes go very well with salads or cold cuts that contain this healthy vegetable. But, sadly, every year growing cucumbers becomes an increasingly more difficult process.​

Against powdery mildew during fruiting, plants should be regularly sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate (1 tsp per 10 liters of water), soda ash (20 g per 10 liters of water) or potassium permanganate (3 g per 10 liters of water). Colloidal sulfur will help: 10 liters of water and 20 grams of 70-80% sulfur. An excellent and lasting result in the fight against powdery mildew is given by the ancient remedy of our grandmothers - an infusion of mullein or rotted hay.​

​The affected parts of the plant are sprinkled with charcoal or fluff lime. The affected areas are cut out with a sharp, disinfected knife, and healthy tissue near the affected area must also be captured. It is better to do this during the hottest time of the day - this will help the cuts dry out and heal faster. The sections are sprinkled with crushed coal. You can also wipe them with a solution of copper sulfate. It is important not to allow air to stagnate and to constantly ventilate the greenhouse. Water plants during the recovery stage with warm water in the evening. It is also necessary to provide them with enhanced “nutrition” - it will be useful to feed them according to the recipe: 10 g of urea, 2 g of copper sulfate and 1 g of zinc sulfate per ten-liter bucket of water.​

​This disease is characteristic of the early stages of development of the cucumber plant. A number of errors in agricultural technology can contribute to the disease. One of the risk factors is a sharp decrease in soil temperature as a result of watering with cold water. The risk of disease increases if cucumbers are planted in beds where pumpkins previously grew. And also, if the planting of seedlings in the greenhouse was carried out with errors, in particular, the stems spud up too high.​

At the first signs of the disease, it is necessary to immediately apply fungicides: topsin, bayleton. If the symptoms of the disease do not disappear, spraying must be repeated.

​Spray with a special anti-spider mite compound, which is sold in flower shops. You can simply treat the leaves with a solution of laundry soap. Mites will not like spraying with infusions of yarrow, celandine, dandelion and horse sorrel.​

​Bordeaux mixture solution (1%);​

What methods should be adopted to combat downy mildew?

​Many gardeners are faced with this problem every year: within a few days, the leaves of the cucumbers turned white and began to fall off. What kind of harvest can you dream of? Many people say: acid rain has passed. But what about in greenhouses, where not even a drop of rain falls?! It's not the rain. Powdery mildew causes great harm to cucumbers, especially when grown indoors. This is mainly due to the specific features of their cultivation in small amateur greenhouses. This is the lack of basic crop rotation, a limited range of cultivated crops, the lack of necessary drugs and basic skills to combat this insidious disease. Moreover, it affects not only cucumbers, but also pumpkin, zucchini, squash, turnips, radishes, lettuce, beans, etc. Powdery mildew causes especially great harm to plants at high air humidity, especially with frequent dew and sudden temperature fluctuations, poor ventilation, watering with cold water, etc. The disease causes a severe reduction in yield and a significant reduction in the growing season.​

The cucumber leaves turn yellow, cracks appear in the lower part of the stem, the plant weakens and dies.

​Ferrous sulfate solution (5%).​

​Powdery mildew is a disease of fungal etiology. It causes a white or red coating to appear on the back of the leaves and leads to their drying out. In advanced cases, the fungus affects the stems, flowers and fruits of cucumbers. To prevent your vegetables from reaching this state, you need to know in advance how to deal with powdery mildew on cucumbers.​

And, of course, it is necessary to spray the plant itself on the green leaf. The drug Planriz, based on an herbal extract, is well suited for this and prevents the disease.​

​This will be a real breeding ground for downy mildew fungi. Another very important point - never plant cucumbers, pumpkins, and zucchini every year in the same place. Choose a different area - this will certainly help avoid an outbreak of recurrent disease. Now regarding the soil in the greenhouse: after the end of the season and harvesting of the plant, you need to remove the top layer of soil. And then this area of ​​the greenhouse needs to be treated with a 0.1% solution of potassium permanganate.​

LetovSadu.ru

Powdery mildew on cucumbers

​watermelons.​

Downy mildew of cucumbers or downy mildew is one of the widespread diseases of this vegetable. This is exactly the disease that can lead to the death of a plant and also significantly reduce its yield. For the first time in Ukraine, this disease appeared in garden plots in Kharkov in 1972. To this day, breeders have not been able to find a cure for this disease.​

Treatment of cucumbers for powdery mildew

​And if you don’t want to use the effective means of our grandmothers, then there are plenty of excellent modern means in the trade.​

• The disease most often affects fruiting plants. First, round spots covered with a white powdery coating form on the upper side of older leaves, and then on the lower side. They then increase in size and appear on the underside of the leaves, covering the entire leaf. Diseased leaves become light, brittle, curl upward and dry out quickly. With severe damage, plaque may also appear on petioles and stems. In this case, individual lashes may even dry out.
• ​The soil from the stem must be raked away to the very roots. Treatment is carried out with a solution of copper sulfate, polycarbacin or copper oxychloride.​
• ​Fungal spores, which are the causative agents of peronosporosis, thrive when cucumbers are watered with water at low temperatures. Especially if the humidity in the greenhouse is too high. The rapid activity of fungal pathogens can also be caused by water condensation.​

​In the fall, you need to dig the area deeply - the tick will freeze over the winter.​

• Completely advanced powdery mildew of cucumbers can be treated with pesticides. They can only be used on the condition that there is no fruit set yet. Among the new drugs, the Karatan solution diluted in 10 liters of water works well. Needs to be processed every week or two.​
• ​It is very important to stop the spread of the disease at the very beginning of its development. At this stage, you can use folk remedies:
• Treatment and prevention of peronosporosis of cucumbers is also carried out using chemicals.

​The most important rule is to avoid seed contamination. To do this, it is recommended to plant cucumbers in places where the occurrence of peronosporosis is unlikely or even impossible. The heat treatment method is very good for disinfecting seeds. To do this, place the seeds in water at a temperature of +50 degrees for 15 minutes.​

womanadvice.ru

Cucumber diseases and their treatment

​This disease does not affect the fruits of the plant. But dried and fallen leaves, which are a source of nutrition for the fruit with useful substances, become a consequence of the drying of the entire vine. And this already leads to underdevelopment of the fruit, or to a decrease in yield. Therefore, marketable fruits are dull in color and tasteless.​

Aphids on cucumbers

It is not difficult to identify downy mildew on cucumbers. It appears as massive brown and yellow spots on the foliage of the plant and affects it at all stages of development. You can visually see downy mildew in cucumbers in the photos posted by gardeners on the Internet.​

Fighting aphids on cucumbers

​Very good results are obtained by spraying plants with the preparations “Topaz”, “Barrier”, “Vectra”, “Zircon”, “Immunocytophyte”, “Fitosporin”, “Oxychom”, “Zaslon”, etc.​

​Powdery mildew develops especially quickly if there is drip moisture in the greenhouse. That is why often the first foci of the disease appear near windows, broken glass, where droplets of moisture fall on the surface of the leaves. In greenhouses, the disease progresses rapidly at a temperature of 20-25 degrees C and a relative air humidity of 80%. The fungus overwinters on the remains of diseased plants, as well as on plantain, sow thistle, phlox, and in the spring it again infects young leaves of cucumbers.​

Spider mites on cucumbers

​Plants that have died from this disease must be immediately dug up and burned. Treat the soil in which they grew with a solution of copper sulfate.​

How to deal with spider mites

The disease occurs frequently and is very dangerous. It usually affects cucumber plants at the fruiting stage, most often in early August, although it can develop in any phase of the plant life cycle.​

This worm also prefers to live under film cover, in greenhouses and hotbeds. The length of the nematode is 1.5 mm. The worm penetrates the roots and lives in them. Symptoms of nematode damage are a lag in plant growth compared to healthy “brethren”, as well as a significant reduction in the yield of cucumbers. Ugly swellings appear on the roots of the plant - worm larvae mature there.

Preventive actions.

Root-knot nematode on cucumbers

​marigold tincture - crushed flowers (half a bucket) should be infused in warm water (fill the bucket to the brim) for 2 days and laundry soap (40 g) should be added to the strained solution;

How to deal with root-knot nematode

​If we talk about seed treatment, preparations containing metalaxyl and mefenoxam are most often used. As soon as the first signs of the disease appear, fungicides are used. For the purpose of prevention, strobilurin drugs are used: Strobi and Quadris. During the entire season, only two irrigations are carried out. Immediately after treatment with these drugs, sporulation is destroyed and spots on the affected leaves dry out.

Preventive actions

​After harvesting the last harvest, be sure to destroy all plant remains and disinfect the soil.​

Powdery mildew

Risk factors

Since downy mildew is a fungal disease, its reproduction occurs through the spread of spores, or more precisely, zoospores. Their unique shape with a flagellum allows them to move through liquids. And each watering of the plant contributes to their favorable reproduction and infection of more and more new plants.

Signs of powdery mildew disease

These spots tend to grow very quickly, which ultimately leads to drying out of the cucumber foliage. The disease affects both plants growing in a greenhouse and those grown in open ground.​

How to deal with powdery mildew

The use of the antibiotic trichocetin gives excellent results. This antibiotic is obtained from the trichothecium fungus. When spraying plants with this preparation 2-3 times per season for the purpose of prevention before the disease appears, it can be completely prevented. The drug combines well with the use of trichodermin.​

Preventive actions

It is difficult to defeat powdery mildew, but it is possible if you use the entire range of preventive and eradication agents. First and most important is the observance of garden crop rotation when growing cucumbers in open ground, and in closed ground if there are 2 greenhouses - alternately growing cucumbers and tomatoes in them.​

Downy mildew or downy mildew

Risk factors

​The leaves, stems and fruits of the affected plants turn yellow. First yellow spots appear, then they are replaced by gray ones. With further development of the disease, the plant becomes covered with black dots.

The leaves are covered with multifaceted oily greenish spots. A week passes, the spots become larger and acquire a brown tint. The leaves appear to be scorched. With the further development of the disease, after a few more days, the affected leaf dries up.

Signs of downy mildew disease

It is better to replace the soil in which the nematode has settled with fresh and clean soil (50 cm layer). You can also treat the soil with steam.​

How to fight peronosporosis

​Usually its appearance occurs in mid-summer. Aphids are 1.5-2 mm in size and their color ranges from dark green to black. The insect feeds on the juice of cucumber plants. A large number of these insects can simply “eat” the plant, drawing out all the juices from it. Aphid colonies appear on the affected plant in tens, hundreds, thousands. Cucumber leaves curl, flowers and fruit ovaries fall off, the plant becomes exhausted and dies.

Prevention of downy mildew

​Horsetail decoction - pour dried (100 g) or fresh (1 kg) horsetail with water (10 l) for a day, then boil for 1-2 hours, cool, strain and use in a concentration of 1:5;​

​As soon as you notice downy mildew on cucumbers, urgent treatment of the plant is necessary.​

Root rot

Risk factors

​Try to maintain normal soil moisture during the growing season of the plant without overwatering.​

Signs of root rot

Even plant seeds can be carriers of the spores of this fungus. What’s even worse is that pests can successfully survive the winter on last year’s leaves that fall on the ground. Downy mildew can affect a plant at all stages of its development, starting from the growth of the first leaves and ending with the ripening period.​

How to deal with root rot

Moreover, downy mildew can spread to nearby cucumber-related plants, such as:

Precautionary measures

There is also such a scourge of cucumber plants as southern powdery mildew: light yellow oily spots appear on the leaves, which then turn brown, and a blue-violet coating forms on the underside of the leaf. To avoid this, you need to regularly carry out foliar feeding: 10 l. water 50 gr. urea, 2-3 gr. copper sulfate and boric acid, a little potassium permanganate. With this treatment, the number of leaves increases, the intensity of disease damage decreases by a third, and the yield increases. Why? Because urea rejuvenates plants, copper and manganese inhibit the development of the disease, and boron helps fruit set. Feeding is best done in the morning.​

Ascochyta blight

Signs of ascochyta blight

​It is important to grow varieties and hybrids of cucumbers that are relatively resistant to powdery mildew - Mazai, Saltan, Faithful Friends, Moscow Evenings, Farmer, Emerald, Othello, Mirinda, Aquarius, Electron, etc. By the way, the range of such varieties in the trade is quite solid. But let's be honest and try to remember - did this interest you when choosing a variety?​

To rid cucumbers of ascochyta blight, you must immediately spray them with Bordeaux mixture.

Sclerotinia (white rot)

Risk factors

​The disease is fleeting and develops quickly, so action must be taken immediately. At the first signs of peronosporosis, we put cucumbers on a diet: stop watering, as well as feeding (for at least a week). Plants must be treated with a solution of copper oxychloride and polycarbacin (preparation temperature +24-+25 degrees). Another way to combat fungal pathogens is by spraying with a whey solution. After finishing processing the plants, you need to ventilate the greenhouse. After treatment, it is necessary to ensure that for 7 days the temperature in the greenhouse does not fall below +22-+25 degrees during the day and + 18-+22 degrees at night. To do this, you can install an additional film cover or cover the plants with burlap at night.​

Signs of white rot

​Digging the soil for the winter will also allow you to freeze out the nematodes hibernating in the ground. Another precaution is to use only clean gardening tools and healthy seedlings when caring for cucumbers.

How to deal with sclerotinia

Treatment of affected plants with tobacco infusion or a solution of wood ash and laundry soap will help evict aphids. Aphids also do not like spraying with infusions of onion and garlic. The recipe is simple: 90 g of finely crushed onion or another option - 60 g of garlic - pour warm water (10 l) and let it brew for a day.​

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Powdery mildew of cucumbers and measures to combat it

Mullein - dilute with water in a ratio of 1:3, leave for 3 days and dilute three times with water before use. Nowadays, combined fungicides are widely used for this: copper oxychloride, Efal, Ridomil Gold. These preparations are more suitable for spraying in a greenhouse. Acrobat MC has proven itself well on open ground.​ ​Grow those hybrids that are less susceptible to this disease (Katyusha, Debut, Rodnichok, Golubchik, Idol, Zodiac and Photon). These varieties are grown both in open ground and in greenhouses. The most popular variety of cucumbers grown in open soil is Phoenix 640.​ But most often downy mildew of cucumber can appear during August, since at this time the night temperature drops. The plant produces condensation, and this is an ideal moist environment for the propagation of spores of this disease. This happens especially quickly in a greenhouse, where there is an even more favorable environment for dew to fall. In addition, unbalanced soil can lead to the appearance of downy mildew. For example, the soil lacks phosphorus, potassium, or has an excess of nitrogen.​ ​zucchini;​

Powdery mildew is a plant disease caused by a fungus. Its mycelium grows on top of the leaves, forming white spots, which subsequently merge into a uniform coating. Soon the castings become deformed (becoming wavy) and dry out. All this prevents the leaves from photosynthesizing, which causes the plant to weaken. Therefore, knowing how to deal with powdery mildew on cucumbers can save you most of your harvest.

The fungus appears most often in early summer on plants overfed with nitrogen fertilizers, at high air humidity and a temperature of 16-20°C.

It is much easier to prevent the disease than to think about how to remove the fungus after infection. The following preventive measures can be used:

• Maintain crop rotation (so that pathogens do not accumulate in the soil every season);
• Remove dead plant remains from the beds in a timely manner (since the fungus overwinters);
• Carry out disinfection after harvesting (for the same reason);
• Maintain the temperature in the greenhouse or garden above 20°C (for example, using plastic film);
• Water vegetables only with warm water;
• Spray the plants with QADRIS;
• Do not overuse nitrogen fertilizers, use potassium and phosphorus fertilizers.

Methods to combat powdery mildew

If, after all, the fungus has spread among your plants, it’s time to go on the warpath. Here are some tips and tricks on what to do about powdery mildew on cucumbers:

• Dilute whey or skim milk with water and spray the plants. A film forms on the leaves, preventing the growth of the fungus. A solution of sodium silicate has the same effect;
• Spray the plants with kefir (you can take spoiled one so as not to waste the product), yogurt or sour milk. The lactic acid bacteria contained in them kill the fungus but do not affect the plants;
• Fill a third of a bucket of cold manure with cold water and leave for three days. Filter the liquid and dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:10. Spray the plants with the resulting mixture;
• You can also use an infusion of nettle or mullein, also spraying them on the leaves of cucumbers;
• In the same way, you can use chemicals such as CE, HOM, TOPAZ, VDT, TIOVIT, JET. The last three remedies are best used immediately after infection;
• Treat diseased plants with a solution of colloidal sulfur. On open ground it is better to use a 20% solution, and on closed ground - 40%;
• Dissolve baking soda and laundry soap (equal in weight) in water and spray the plants with this mixture every 5-7 days;
• You can use so-called fermented grass. Fill half a bucket of finely chopped garden weeds with warm water and leave for several days. The strained liquid can be used to treat infected plants.

Downy mildew

In addition to ordinary powdery mildew, cucumbers often suffer from another disease, also caused by a fungus - penosporosis or downy mildew. The color of the spots on the leaves of plants affected by it is not white, but yellow.

Getting rid of downy mildew is even more difficult than getting rid of real powdery mildew, so it is better to use preventive measures:

• Do not sow seeds too densely;
• Maintain crop rotation;
• Do not water plants with cold water;
• Harvest on time.

If you find that downy mildew has already spread among cucumbers, you can use drugs such as Oxychrome, Kuprosat or Ridomil. You can also spray their leaves with whey, with the addition of copper sulfate (a teaspoon per 3 liters of whey and a bucket of water).

Powdery mildew on cucumbers and other vegetable crops is a very unpleasant phenomenon. This fungal disease occurs quite often. How to get rid of such a scourge on cucumbers? We'll talk about this later in the article.

Photo of the disease:

This bacterial disease provokes premature aging and drying of the bush. Moreover, all above-ground parts of the plant are affected: stems, leaves, fruits. The fungal attack spreads throughout the bush at cosmic speed, so it is important to take preventive measures in a timely manner.

In an open garden bed, powdery mildew occurs more often during damp, rainy, stormy weather that lasts for a long period, which promotes the spread of bacteria.

And in a greenhouse, cucumbers are doubly susceptible to this scourge. Due to the high humidity, comfortable conditions are created there for rapid infection of plants. Especially if in previous years the plants were exposed to disease.

Even after an intensive fight, which made it possible to defeat the disease, the bacteria remain in the soil and attack vegetable crops again in the spring.

Sometimes powdery mildew appears due to the fact that an excessive amount of nitrogen fertilizer has been added to the soil.

Important! If a whitish coating appears on the cucumber leaves, covered with droplets of water, this is definitely powdery mildew. Very quickly, the fungus will spread from the leaves to the entire surface of the plant and even to the fruits. With severe damage, white stains and sores are visible on the leaves.

Such leaves are not able to perform their natural functions, and the plant gradually withers as the fungus takes away from it all the substances it needs for life.

As soon as the fungus takes hold of the fruits, they begin to crack. Bacteria get into these cracks, triggering the process of rotting.

How to get rid of it?

It is very important to notice the disease at the very beginning of its spread. Then it will be easier to fight her.

As for the methods of struggle, there are only three of them:

• preventative treatment;
• fungicidal preparations;
• folk methods.

Which method should you choose? Here the answer is simple: while there is no disease, carry out prevention. In the initial stages of the lesion, folk remedies will help. And if the disease has affected most of the plant, use chemicals that are intended for the appropriate purposes. We'll talk about them next.

Prevention measures

Preventive measures are as follows:

1. For sowing, use seeds of cucumber varieties that are resistant to this disease.
2. Before planting in the ground, treat the seed material.
3. Water the beds with warm, settled water.
4. Do not overdo it with nitrogen fertilizers.
5. Thin the seedlings in a timely manner, remove rotten leaves that come into contact with the soil.
6. In the fall, carefully clean the bed and do not leave plant remains on the ground.

Advice! Water and spray in the morning so that the bushes have time to dry out by evening.

Traditional methods

Recipes that gardeners have used since ancient times make it possible to get rid of powdery mildew at the earliest stages of infection. What can help in this case?

The most famous remedies:

• soda or soap solution;
• herbal decoctions;
• garlic infusion;
• mullein solution;
• copper sulfate;
• serum solution;
• sulfur;
• potassium permanganate solution.

Advice! These same remedies are also suitable as preventive measures. Alternate them, using them as sprays after each rain.

Now we’ll tell you how to use each of the listed folk remedies.

Using soap and soda solution

Soap solution is perhaps one of the most famous and simple means of protection against powdery mildew and other fungal infections. You just need to make a solution from natural laundry (preferably tar) soap and spray it on the plants, not only cucumbers, but also other vegetable crops.

Soap is also included in the soda solution recipe. Take 1 teaspoon each of tar soap and soda and pour everything into 5 liters of boiling water. Cool and spray cucumbers with this simple remedy every 10 days.

Plant decoctions for spraying cucumbers

Take 100 g of horsetail (fresh or dried), add 100 g of water, leave for 24 hours, then boil for 1 hour, cool, strain and dilute in water (1:5). Spray the cucumbers with it. The decoction retains its properties for 7 days.

Nettle decoction also copes well with bacterial spores at an early stage of infection. Fill half a bucket of nettle with water, let it sit for several days and spray the cucumbers with it.

Using garlic infusion

Leave one head of garlic in water for 6-7 days, then strain, dilute in 10 liters of water and spray on cucumbers.

Cow dung solution

Dilute 1 kg of manure fertilizer in 10 liters of water and spray the affected plants with this solution.

Use of copper sulfate

This well-known antibacterial agent is used almost everywhere. Take 5 g of vitriol, mix with 50-60 g of soap and pour in 5 liters of water. This remedy is perfect for prevention and will cure cucumbers affected by powdery mildew.

Whey against powdery mildew

Dilute the whey with water and apply root treatment to the cucumber bushes. This product can prevent bacterial infection.

Spraying with sulfur

Pollinating cucumber bushes with sulfur copes well with powdery mildew. Pour crushed sulfur into cheesecloth and place in water. Spray the plants with this sulfur solution in warm sunny weather. After 2 hours, cover the open beds with film, and in the greenhouse, close all windows and doors for about half an hour.

There is another recipe based on colloidal sulfur. Take 40 g of the substance and dissolve in 10 liters of water. Spray the solution on the beds in cloudy weather.

Note! Colloidal sulfur is not used for cucumbers grown in a greenhouse. The drug can cause leaf burns.

Pollination with a solution of potassium permanganate

Dilute 1.5 g of potassium permanganate in 10 liters of water and spray the cucumbers with the solution.

What chemicals can combat powdery mildew?

Fungicides will help fight this scourge, for example:

• “Topaz” (3 g per 10 l);
• "Fundazol";
• "Tilt."

You can also use the drug "Fitosporin", which is a biofungicide. The product is completely safe for the surrounding fauna, unlike, for example, the drug “Topaz”, which should be very careful when handling.

True, the substances contained in the drug do not like light, so treatment should be carried out in the evening. Dosage for dilution – 7-10 g per 10 liters of water.

A biofungicide called Baktofit has similar properties. The liquid preparation is diluted in water (20 ml per 10 l), after which the solution is sprayed or watered on the bushes at the root.

The fungicidal agent “HOM” is also used against the fungus we are considering. The powder (40 g) is diluted in 10 liters of water, then the resulting solution is sprayed onto the bushes.

Advice! Repeat the chemical treatment of the bushes every 15 days. The drugs will begin to act immediately after they hit the bushes and fruits.

Important! Cucumbers can be consumed only after 2-3 days after treatment with chemical compounds.

Which cucumber varieties are resistant to powdery mildew?

Of course, there are no cucumber varieties that are 100% resistant to powdery mildew. Nevertheless, gardeners identify several varieties that are more resistant to this fungal disease.

If you grow cucumbers in open ground, then in terms of resistance to fungus you can name the following varieties:

• Competitor;
• April;
• Martin;
• Lord;
• Delicious;
• Goosebumps;
• Pasamonte.

• Tournament;
• Mascot;
• Regatta;
• Rowan;
• Strema;
• Alliance.

The following varieties are suitable for sowing both in a greenhouse and in open ground:

• Zodiac;
• fontanel;
• Adam;
• Mashenka;
• Idol;
• Phoenix;
• Ant et al.

Why should you choose your variety carefully? The fact is that fungi have the ability to mutate and adapt to drugs. That is why sometimes it is worth simply changing the variety to a more resistant one.

So, do you want to grow a good harvest of cucumbers that are not affected by powdery mildew? Then listen to the advice presented above in the article.