Actually, the useful plants are easy to care for and bring a rich harvest with them. We are talking about the cucumber, a plant from the pumpkin family. From time to time, however, the plant can suffer damage, often affecting the leaves. The cause is usually a disease called cucumber wilt.
Cucumber plant droops the leaves
How do you recognize cucumber wilt?
Regardless of whether the cucumber grows outdoors or in a greenhouse, one care mistakes the cucumber plant hardly forgives. the cucumber wilt, which is responsible for drooping foliage, is triggered by a fungus and is difficult to recognize at first. The following symptoms appear:
- at the beginning the leaves droop during the day
- the foliage regenerates at night
- later stems and shoots wither
- limp foliage does not recover in the late stage
First, individual shoots die, and later the entire cucumber plant. The disease can only be recognized by the foliage and the dying parts of the plant. Early detection is hardly possible, so that the fungus can easily spread to other plants.
Leaf of a cucumber plant
cucumber wilt
Can the cucumber plant be saved?
Treatment of cucumber wilt is not possible. The affected plant must be disposed of, otherwise the pathogen can spread further.
warning notice: Disposal must not take place in the compost as the spores could spread. Instead, dispose of an affected cucumber plant with the household waste and make sure that the packaging is airtight!
Once you spot an affected cucumber and dispose of it, you need to keep a close eye on the plants around you. If symptoms appear, it is advisable to dispose of the plant as early as possible.
Note that the soil must also be changed, because the fungal spores that are responsible for cucumber wilt are also in the substrate.
Prevent cucumber wilt
What promotes the development of cucumber wilt?
There are some care mistakes that can permanently weaken a cucumber. The wrong location is also a hazard and carries the risk of the cucumber plant becoming infected. The following care mistakes are frequent triggers for the cucumber letting its leaves hang:
- Irrigation water that is too cold (15 °C - 20 °C is ideal)
- draft at the site
- the substrate is too dense
- the ground is too cold (frost)
- Waterlogging in the substrate
- too frequent culture in the same place
- the location is too dark
- lack of sun protection
The cucumber is also very sensitive to temperature fluctuations and the plant's resistance decreases. This increases the risk of diseases. With the optimal site conditions and avoiding waterlogging, the emergence of cucumber wilt can often be prevented.
The right location
The cucumber plant needs a sheltered and bright location. Any form of draft, too cold soil or strong temperature fluctuations are not suitable for the plant. The midday sun should also be avoided, but a location in partial shade is ideal.
tolerate cucumbers no waterlogging and therefore need a permeable substrate with drainage (in tub cultivation).
If the location is in the sun, it is necessary that you remedy the situation with a shading net. This can prevent too much water from evaporating through the leaves and burns from occurring.
Watering to prevent limp leaves
Poor watering is one of the most common causes of leaf damage and disease. Cucumber plants have a fairly high water requirement, but the liquid must not be too cold when watering. The plant perceives water that is too cold as a temperature fluctuation and reacts with a general weakening. Therefore, when watering, pay attention to:
- water at a pleasant temperature, never too cold
- stagnant water
- Tap water with little lime
Less damage from resilient cucumber species
A good preventive measure against diseases such as cucumber wilt is to choose particularly resistant plant varieties. All cucumbers that have been refined on a pumpkin basis are well suited.
This measure makes the plant robust and resistant to fungal diseases and infections. When finishing, care must be taken to ensure that the interface is above the substrate and that there is no direct contact.
