Reason 3. Excessive or insufficient lighting
Cucumbers like bright, but scattered light, and on direct sunlight, burning them in hot summer weather, react with increased production of cucurbitacin. Especially bitter cucumbers are obtained, which are illuminated by the sun directly. Therefore, often on the same Bush can be found different in taste fruits: those that were shaded by foliage, are quite edible, and those that are all the time “roasted” in the sun, unbearably bitter.
Bitter taste is also differ cucumbers growing in the opposite conditions – in low light, the reason of which was the close planting of plants or deep shade taller neighbors.
Conclusion:
Start taking care of the good taste of cucumbers from the moment of planting. Do not thicken the plants and plant seeds or seedlings in the garden at intervals of 20-30 cm in a row and 40-50 cm in between rows. Timely pinch long-leaved varieties and do not let the shoots grow more than 1.5-2 m.
Ideal light conditions for this culture are created in a polycarbonate greenhouse – the material of this design gives a bright but diffused light. The ceiling and walls of the glass greenhouse in hot weather can be whitewashed or shaded from the outside with light sheets.
To reduce the harmful effect of direct sunlight on open ground cucumbers, corn or sunflower is planted in advance on the southern side of the beds. Plants attached to the trellis, it is easy to protect from the scorching sun, throwing on the upper crossbar of the structure light non-woven material.
Reason 4. Stressful situation
Cucumber – creating a gentle, preferring consistency. It reacts keenly to any alarming changes. These include unstable weather with sharp changes in day and night temperatures, strong gusty wind, prolonged cold rains and indelicate actions of the gardener, primarily his careless handling of lashes. In any stressful situation, the cucumber reacts with an increased release into the fruits of bitterness, and an absolutely inedible crop falls into the hands of the gardener.
Conclusion:
It is impossible to affect the weather conditions, so experienced gardeners have long moved the cultivation of cucumbers in a greenhouse – in a quiet and cozy house the plants feel safe. If the construction of the greenhouse is not yet included in your plans, try at least to reduce stress for cucumbers, which depends on your hands and feet. Do not trample and turn the lashes of plants, if they grow in the spread, and very carefully pick cucumbers, avoiding the slightest injury to the leaves and shoots.
Reason 5. Varietal features
The production of cucurbitacin is a genetic feature of any cucumber, the strength of which depends on the conditions of growing plants. Old varieties react to adverse conditions quite sharply. While modern hybrids that breeders have endowed with “protective forces”, the same conditions are more resistant and give very tasty cucumbers.
Conclusion:
Experiment with varieties and hybrids of cucumbers and select those that will best prove themselves on your site. Give preference to modern varieties – they are less sensitive to stressful situations and are more resistant to adverse weather conditions.
It is unlikely that cucumbers are delighted that they are forced to grow and bear fruit in inappropriate conditions for them. But since we have moved them from the tropics to our climate zone, we must try to smooth out the unfavorable conditions and provide plants with suitable care. The reward for the work will be a generous harvest of delicious cucumbers without the slightest hint of bitterness.
Dear readers, surely some of you had to harvest bitter cucumbers. Tell us in the comments that, in your opinion, was the cause of such an unpleasant phenomenon, and how you were able to further solve this problem.
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