Why there are a lot of empty flowers on cucumbers: reasons, what to do

Cucumbers can bloom profusely and not set fruit. The main reasons for the predominance of empty flowers on the bushes are associated with a violation of agricultural technology. Ovaries form only on the female flowers. Experienced gardeners know what to do when many male-shaped buds are formed on cucumbers. Reduce their number will help proper planting care and folk remedies, which are described in the video.

What does a netflower look like on cucumbers

Cucumber is an annual plant on which heterosexual flowers can form. Nettles are buds that do not form ovaries. These include:

• male flowers with stamens, which are necessary for pollination;
• female pistil buds that did not get pollen.

Empty flowers form on cucumbers with dioecious flowers. They are easy to distinguish from each other: female-type buds are placed on oblong thickenings, and male ones are on thin legs. Cross-pollinated varieties are for open ground only. For the greenhouse, self-fertile and parthenocarpic varieties of cucumbers are more suitable. On them empty flowers are not formed. The buds of the first group are self-pollinated. They contain both stamens and pistils. Parthenocarpic hybrids form fruits without pollination.

In the early varieties of cucumbers, the number of male and female flowers is approximately the same, so there are few empty flowers. On their lashes the buds open almost simultaneously. Mid- and late-ripening new hybrids have the same feature. The more female flowers the plant has, the higher the yield. Pollination occurs with the help of insects or wind. The source of pollen is male flowers. There are more of them at the beginning of the stem and on the crown. After pollination, the empty flowers dry and fall.

Causes of Nettles and methods of control

With improper care of cucumbers, many empty flowers appear. In order not to be left without a crop, you need to find out the reason and correct the situation. The appearance of "empty" flowers is promoted by many factors: poor-quality seeds, errors in sowing and caring for plants, adverse conditions. Agrotechnical techniques and folk remedies will help reduce the number of empty flowers on cucumbers.

Poor seed

To avoid unpleasant surprises, it is better to buy cucumber seeds from proven agricultural companies. Not all varieties are suitable for self-preparation of seed. A lot of the barren flower is formed on bushes grown from the seeds of hybrids. In addition, seed should not be collected from curved or diseased cucumbers. Seeds must be harvested from female fruits. They are determined by the number of seed chambers and faces. Male cucumbers have 3, and female cucumbers have 4.

Sowing young seeds may become the cause of the barren flower on cucumbers. From last year’s planting material, bushes grow on which mainly male flowers are formed. Correct the situation will not work. For planting, it is better to take seeds collected 3-4 years ago.If there is no such material, you can “age” the fresh one by hanging it in a cloth bag over the heating battery. Seeds are heated at a temperature of + 28 ... + 30 ° C for a month.

Wrong watering

Cucumbers need moderate watering. Excess moisture, as well as its deficiency, leads to an abundance of empty flowers on cucumbers, especially in the greenhouse. With excessive watering, the stems and leaves grow well, many male flowers appear. Drought can lead to the death of plantings. During the period of active growth, the earth around the plants is moistened daily. The temperature of irrigation water should not be lower than + 20 ° С. Before applying it is recommended to defend. Water is poured into the grooves or under the root, avoiding liquid getting on the foliage.

In the cool period, watering is reduced. In rainy weather, the plants in the open ground have enough moisture from rainfall. One trick will help stimulate the formation of female buds on cucumbers: when the bushes bloom, watering is stopped. Under extreme conditions, plants form mostly female flowers to leave more offspring. Watering resume when the fruits are tied.

Heat and cold

Cucumber is a thermophilic plant. The optimum temperature for good development and fruiting of pumpkin culture is + 22 ... + 25 ° С. However, prolonged heat, especially under cover of a film or polycarbonate, is another reason for the formation of many empty flowers. Already at temperatures of + 27 ... + 28 ° C, pollen becomes unfit for fertilization. Ventilation of greenhouses, plentiful watering and mulching of beds will help to save the situation. A layer of dry grass or compost retains moisture and inhibits weed growth.

If the summer is cold, there will be few female buds on cucumbers. With a lack of heat, greenhouses are formed a little. If the air temperature is below + 15 ° C, watering is suspended until warming. In order not to be left without a crop, zoned varieties of cucumbers are selected for open ground. The greenhouse should be equipped with additional heating in case of a sharp cooling.

Dense crop and lack of light

Often the reason for the formation of a large number of empty flowers on cucumbers is a lack of light. If the cucumbers were sown in a shaded place, shortening the main shoot and reducing watering will save the situation. In early ripening plants, pinch the stem after 9-10 leaves, in mid- and late-ripening - after 7-8. This measure stimulates the growth of lateral shoots on which female flowers are formed.

With dense sowing, plants are deficient in moisture and nutrients, obscure each other. In such thickets, bees cannot reach the flowers to pollinate them. The close placement of cucumbers on the bed negatively affects their development: the stems grow slowly, only empty flowers are formed. The recommended scheme for planting cucumbers is 25x25 cm. Thicken crops need to be thinned out by pinching the main shoot at the base.

Often a lot of the empty flower on the cucumbers is formed in the greenhouse, and what to do is the main problem in this case. Therefore, in conditions of closed ground, in particular on window sills, it is necessary to plant parthenocarpic varieties. Artificial pollination will help get rid of empty flowers in the absence of bees. The procedure is carried out in the morning, following these recommendations:

1. Stamens of different male corollas are alternately applied to the stigma of female flowers.
2. It is convenient to transfer pollen with a soft-brushed brush.
3. Pollination should be carried out in the first hours of bud blooming, when pollen is most viable.
4. The optimum temperature for pollination is + 25 ° С.

Incorrect feeding

With an excess of nitrogen, cucumbers will fatten, i.e. build up the tops. The plants bloom, but the greenbacks do not set. To restore the balance of nutrients, before sowing seeds, the soil is fertilized with organic and mineral complexes. For each sq.m. 10 g of potassium chloride will be required, 20 g of potassium sulfate, urea and superphosphate each. If you do not apply fertilizer during the autumn digging, 2 weeks after seed germination, you will have to feed the plants with nitrogen.

For a good crop, you need to follow the feeding regimen. Cucumbers are responsive to potassium-phosphorus mixtures. In phase 2 of these leaves, the plants are fed a nitrophos, dissolving 10 g of the substance in a bucket of water. The beds can be watered with mullein, diluted in a proportion of 1:10. Bird droppings are dissolved in water in a ratio of 1:20. For 1 plant spend 0.5 l of fertilizing.

It is necessary to alternate organic and mineral fertilizers. To water the cucumber beds, purchased preparations are used: Kemira Universal, Agricola, Ideal. When the bushes bloom, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are excluded. During the fruiting period, the plantings are watered with infusion of ash or a solution of superphosphate. During the season, cucumbers are fed 4 times.

Diseases and Pests

The number of female flowers decreases with the defeat of cucumbers with powdery mildew. Frequent watering, thickened plantings, and excess nitrogen in the soil lead to its occurrence. If no action is taken, the plants will die. For preventive purposes, it is recommended that the bushes be treated once a month with a solution of colloidal sulfur. The product is prepared in a proportion of 4 g of powder per 1 liter of water. For 10 m² plantings will need 1 liter of working solution.

Nettles are formed during attacks on bushes of insect pests. Signs of their presence are yellow spots, cobwebs, dark spots on the leaves and shoots. Plants stop growing, leaves dry out. Of particular danger to cucumbers is spider mite. If pests are found on plants, insecticides or acaricides are used. Folk remedies will also help: spraying tops with infusion of garlic or hot pepper, sprinkling moist leaves with tobacco dust. Landings are treated 1 time per week for a month, then take a break for 20 days.

Garden ants cause great harm to cucumber beds. They take away pollen, which slows down the fertilization of female flowers. There are few ovaries on the cucumbers, so the yield is reduced. Before sowing seeds, it is recommended to spill the soil with boiling water. You can fight ants in a greenhouse with the help of a water barrier - a brook. Insects will not be able to get through it into the greenhouse and harm plants. If the ants nevertheless appeared on the beds, they are destroyed by Bazudin or the Anteater.

Ovarian Stimulation Drugs

To improve fruiting, it is not necessary to make recommended folk remedies. Safe drugs are available on the market that can regulate the ratio of female and male flowers:

1. Borogum - a comprehensive top dressing for vegetables. The main nutrient is boron, which stimulates the formation of female flowers. The solution is prepared from 1 tsp fertilizer and 0.3 l of water. Cucumbers are sprayed during flowering.
2. Ovary is a biological growth promoter.The drug makes up for the lack of nutrients, promotes the formation of fruits. To feed cucumbers in 1.4 l of water, 2 g of powder is dissolved. The expense is small - 300 ml per 5 m². Plants are sprayed twice: before flowering and at its peak.
3. A bud is a complex of micro and macro elements necessary for proper nutrition of bushes. The drug stimulates the formation of greens, increasing productivity. To prepare the working solution, you need 10 g of powder per bucket of water. Cucumbers are sprayed in the budding phase and during fruit setting. At 5 m² plantings spend 2 liters of solution.

Prophylaxis

To avoid the formation of a large number of empty flowers on cucumbers, the following measures are applied:

1. Protect plants from harmful insects with chemical and biological agents.
2. Before sowing, the seeds are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and dried.
3. In a greenhouse or greenhouse, only self-pollinating varieties are grown.
4. Plants are planted at a distance of at least 40 cm.
5. The beds are located on the southeast side of the site so that they are well lit by the sun.
6. When feeding cucumbers, organic fertilizers alternate with mineral ones.
7. We deal with the nettle by pinching long lashes so that they do not thicken the landing. You cannot cut off the shoots. It is better to cut them with scissors.
8. In rainy weather, insects do not fly, so you need to pollinate the flowers artificially.

Pick pickles need to be careful so as not to damage the shoot, otherwise the plant may die. Zelentsy conveniently cut with a knife. You need to harvest often - every 2 days. The formation of overgrown cucumbers should not be allowed, as they drain the plant. The bushes will not have the strength to form new fruits, since all the nutrients are spent on the growth of greenhouses.

Farmers tips

What to do if there are a lot of empty flowers on cucumbers, experienced gardeners know. They recommend that you follow these rules:

1. The beds should be watered early in the morning or after 18:00, when it is no longer hot.
2. Do not loosen the soil at the base of the bush, otherwise the root may be damaged.
3. It is advisable to spray the pollinated varieties of cucumbers with a sweet solution prepared from 300 ml of warm water and 1 tbsp. sugar or honey.
4. In order for cucumbers to be empty in the greenhouse, there is a need to regularly open windows and doors. If the humidity is high, pollen becomes heavy and does not fly away.
5. It is necessary to regularly get rid of weeds that obscure the plantings and absorb nutrients from the soil.
6. After watering, the earth around the bushes should dry out.
7. To attract bees, it is recommended to plant several honey plants in the aisles: thyme, lemon balm or echinacea.
8. If the shoots are tied to a trellis, air circulation and plant illumination will improve.

Thinking about what to do when the cucumbers bloom in one empty flower, you first need to determine the cause. Removing male flowers will only hurt fruiting. To solve the problem, you should adjust the errors in the care of planting. It is necessary to observe the feeding regimen, to prevent the "fatliquoring" of plants. Disease prevention and timely removal of fruits are important. To obtain a stable crop, you need to take care of plants at any stage of cultivation.