Cucumber is a crop. But even a good return does not always bring joy to gardeners: gorgeous – looking cucumbers sometimes taste very bitter.
The culprit of cucumber bitterness — cucurbitacin – a natural compound for this culture, the concentration of which in the fruits (primarily the skin) varies depending on the conditions of growth of the plant. Heat treatment of fruits easily destroys this substance, so these cucumbers can be safely put on canning. Much less mustard and fresh cucumbers, if they are peeled. But it is difficult to call these additional efforts pleasant. To grow cucumbers for the sake of a bitter harvest is unlikely to seem interesting to someone.
The right decision is to understand the reasons for the high concentration of cucurbitacin in the fruit and find out what factors added bitterness to them. With this approach, you can try to smooth out the adverse factors in the next season and try to get a rich harvest of cucumbers with excellent taste.
Reason 1. Incorrect irrigation regime
Cucumber is a native of the humid warm tropics, from where it was forcibly settled around the world. For our middle band, he adapted, but fully accept it is not going to. First of all, this culture does not like the dry weather of our summer months, when in the sky for a long time there is not a single rainy cloud.
In such difficult conditions, a moisture-loving cucumber can hope to quench its thirst only from the hands of a caring owner. But gardeners, as you know, are different: some are lazy, others visit the country only on weekends, and others have not yet figured out the preferences of their green pet. The result in all cases is the same: cucumber from lack of moisture gives its negligent owner bitter fruits.
Similarly, the cucumber reacts to excessive watering when the attention of the gardener, on the contrary, becomes excessive, and it literally floods the soil under the bushes with huge volumes of water. Especially dangerous this “care” becomes if the plants are watered with water from a hose. Tap water is too cold for this heat-loving culture, and its great pressure washes the soil under the plants and bare their root system.
With this watering, the tender roots of cucumbers are very quickly affected by root rot. Plants are unable to extract the necessary amount of nutrients and moisture from the soil, which immediately leads to a sharp increase in the concentration of cucurbitacin in the ovary.
Conclusion:
Cucumbers need to be watered so that the soil under the bushes is constantly in a moderately moist state. The multiplicity of irrigation depends on the weather and the type of soil on the site. For example, on sandy soil in drought may need daily watering.
If you do not have the opportunity to visit the country as often as you want moisture-loving cucumbers, mulch the soil on the bed with any available material, for example, a thick layer of weeds, straw or rotted sawdust. Mulch will retain moisture in the soil for much longer and reduce the number of watering, as well as protect the root system of plants from exposure.
If you no longer want to eat bitter cucumbers, forget about watering from the hose. Moisturize the soil under the bushes only warm, sun-heated water, conducting the procedure in the early morning or in the evening. If the water in the watering can is comfortable and clean, do not forget to pour cucumbers on the leaves – they love to “swim”.
Reason 2. Wrong feeding mode
As already noted, the cause of bitterness of cucumbers can be a lack of nutrients. The reason for this is not only the disease, but also the actions of the gardener himself, who is stingy (or lazy) to provide his green guests with a hearty meal. Insufficient nutrition leads to increased production of cucurbitacin in the ovary, as well as the curvature of the fruit – such cucumbers even in banks are inconvenient.
The line between sufficient nutrition of cucumbers and excess is very thin. Inattentive summer residents often cross this line, believing that “porridge oil will not spoil.” But this culture reacts to “overfeed” (primarily nitrogen) in the same way as to hunger – gives bitter fruits.
Conclusion:
Try to remember the correct scheme of fertilizing cucumbers and do not exceed the following doses of fertilizers:
- First feeding phase 2-3 of these sheets of mullein solution (1:10) or a solution prepared from 10 liters of water, 10 g of urea, 10 g of potassium salt and 10 g of superphosphate;
- Second feeding at the beginning of flowering infusion of fermented grass (1:5) with the addition of every 10 liters of 1 Cup of ash or a solution prepared from 10 liters of water, 30 g of urea, 20 g of potassium salt and 40 g of superphosphate. During this period will also be useful foliar feeding solution of boric acid (10 g per 10 liters of water);
- Third feeding during active fruiting with a solution of 10 liters of water, 0.5 liters of mushy mullein and 1 tablespoon of the full mineral preparation;
- Fourth feeding to extend the period of fruiting two-day infusion of hay (1 kg per 10 l) or infusion of fermented grass (1:5) with the addition of 1 Cup of ash and 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
Spend root feeding in the evening on pre-moistened soil, pouring 1 liter of nutrient mixture under each Bush. Foliar spraying will be more useful in the evening or early morning hours, and in the hot afternoon can cause burns on the leaves.
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