How to deal with the crap?
By empty flowers is meant the presence of a flower without an ovary. Such a phenomenon in an insignificant amount is quite normal, but the abundant formation of empty flowers leads to significant yield losses. In today's article, we will talk about the causes of this problem and how to better deal with it.
Why there are a lot of empty flowers on cucumbers: the main reasons
In science, a male flower with a stamen is called a hollow. Ovary never forms from it. It is necessary for the fertilization of female flowers with pestles. The abundant formation of flowers with stamens can begin for a number of reasons, most often associated with non-compliance with the cultivation agricultural technique. Let us consider in more detail some of them.
Poor quality seeds
The use of low-quality seed is the most common cause of empty flowers. Seed from a dubious producer may not be prepared for sowing or not selected for germination. As a result, a plant emerging from it can often get sick and it will not have the strength to reproduce. Some gardeners, having encountered such a problem more than once, refuse to buy seeds and try to harvest them themselves. But here another trouble awaits them - the seeds collected from hybrid crops are unable to reproduce normally. As a result, you may get a completely unexpected result.
Did you know? On the islands of the Pacific Ocean, natives wrap cucumbers in banana leaves and bury them in the ground as reserves. Their number determines the status of the groom: the more they are, the more financially enviable his financial situation. In Fiji, until the bride’s parents evaluate the groom’s reserves, they will not allow her daughter to marry him.
Another common mistake is the use of “young” seeds. This word refers to the seed collected in the previous year. Germination is worse, and barren flowers are formed more often. To avoid this, you need to use seed stored for at least 2 years. It is also not worth storing for more than four years, since they lose germination again. Most hollow flowers give seeds of hybrid varieties, harvested independently. There are also many flowers without ovaries due to the lack of balance between male and female flowers in mid-ripening and late-ripening varieties of cucumbers (not hybrids).
Wrong watering
Cucumbers are moisture-loving crops, so you need to water them abundantly and regularly. But it happens that it seems that watering is done on time, and the bushes turn yellow from the abundance of empty flowers or begin to wither. This can happen due to the fact that cold water was used for irrigation. It provokes the development of diseases of the root system, the fall of the ovary, the mass appearance of male flowers.
Incorrect fertilizer application
Planting a crop in a bad soil, as well as the lack of top dressing, forces the plant to choose between survival and procreation, as there are no where to get nutrients from. You should not get carried away with nitrogen fertilizers, as they build up a plentiful green mass and do not stimulate the formation of ovaries at all.
Did you know? In Cyprus, jam is made from cucumbers.
Heat or cold
It was found that for the abundant formation of the ovary on the street should be comfortable warm weather. If the thermometer goes down too much, the roots will feel cold and the plant will begin to produce many empty flowers. A similar situation occurs when the temperature rises above + 30 ° C. To exacerbate the situation, increased humidity can.
Lack of lighting
Cucumbers love sunlight and when it is lacking, they begin to languish, and above all, it is displayed on the ovary. Even their own shadow is not to their liking. Due to the lack of lighting, not only many empty flowers appear, but the already existing ovary is crumbling.
Seeding too tight
Solid cucumber beds look more attractive than those on which there are many "bald" plots, and a dense landing allows you to save space. But such savings lead to the fact that few fruits are formed on the bushes. The bushes are crowded, lack nutrition, and they slow down in growth, lag behind in development and bloom weakly. In addition, due to tightly closed leaves, air does not flow to the stem, and various diseases begin to develop, which also leads to the fact that there are no ovaries on the bushes.
Important! The optimal planting scheme: 4-5 seedlings per 1 m² .
What to do and how to get rid of an empty flower on cucumbers
The reasons described above are typical for open ground, and for greenhouses, but the solutions to these problems in each case are different.
In the open ground
It should be noted that in open ground it is better to plant bee pollinating varieties. They are more resistant to changes in weather conditions. To attract bees to the site will help a simple folk remedy: spraying the bushes with a solution of sugar or honey. There is also a simpler solution - planting near a cucumber garden of flowers (marigolds, petunia, night violet).
If nevertheless you have planted suitable varieties, and empty flowers appear you need:
- cover the garden with a film and temporarily stop watering, if it is noted that the appearance of male flowers is associated with a decrease in temperature;
- on dry hot days, water the bed with warm water in the morning and evening;
- if there is no ovary, then most likely you need to feed the culture (mullein, wood ash, superphosphates, potassium);
- if the variety is bee-pollinated, and the weather is not suitable for the wake of insects, then artificial pollination should be carried out (hold a brush on the male flowers, and then on the female);
- pritenit and mulch the bed, if the sun is scorching, and the thermometer rolls off scale;
- spray the plant with boric acid to strengthen the root and deciduous part of the culture, as well as to increase the ovary;
- with an abundance of empty flowers, carry out regular weeding, loosening the soil, tying the bush.
Important! It is advisable not to plant parthenocarpic and non-parthenocarpic varieties in the same greenhouse, since the former lose their taste, appearance, and grow worse.
In the greenhouse
In closed ground, it is better to plant self-pollinated varieties, since insects in the right amount can not get into the greenhouse. These same varieties are perfect for those who want to grow a cucumber on a windowsill or balcony. Their flowers have both a pestle and a stamen, and the fruits are filled with seeds that can later be used for planting. You can also use varieties in which female flowers predominate or male ones are completely absent.
These include:
- Zozulya;
- Competitor;
- Masha F1;
- Herman F1;
- Emelya F1;
- Chinese snakes (Chinese cucumber).
When a large number of male flowers appear on cucumbers growing in greenhouses:
- with a dense landing, reduce watering and pinch the main stem;
- it is possible to pour with preparations like "Ovary", "Bud" than you will provoke active formation of an ovary;
- regularly pinch bushes before flowering;
- avoid excessive humidity at high temperature, as the pollen from this becomes sterile;
- upon detection of soil jams, arrange temporary drought.
Find out in more detail what to do if the cucumber in the greenhouse is empty.
Preventive measures
In order not to have a mass emergence of a netflower, it is desirable:
- use 2-4 year old seeds for sowing;
- Do not thicken the beds;
- pour warm water;
- maintain proper light conditions;
- comply with the rules of watering and feeding;
- maintain a comfortable temperature;
- pinch the main stem after 5-6 leaves;
- timely harvest;
- choose varieties suitable for certain conditions (some for greenhouses, others for open soil).
Do I need to pick off the crypt?
Many gardeners, having noticed a flower with stamens on a cucumber bush, try to immediately remove it, hoping that a flower with pestles will appear in its place. But are they right? The fact is that male flowers are necessary for pollination of female. Without them, the ovary will begin to fade and crumble. Therefore, you need to leave them, but it is desirable to regulate the amount, since with an abundance of empty flowers there will be no ovaries from anywhere.
Read also how to grow cucumbers properly.
As you can see, for normal fruiting, empty flowers should be present on the bush, but in moderation. In case of violation of the balance between female and male colors, in favor of the latter, urgent measures must be taken.
