home · electrical safety · Why don't cucumbers set fruit? The ovaries of parthenocarpic cucumbers do not grow: causes and solutions to the problem. Violation of the optimal temperature regime of air and soil

Why don't cucumbers set fruit? The ovaries of parthenocarpic cucumbers do not grow: causes and solutions to the problem. Violation of the optimal temperature regime of air and soil

It so happens that when flowering is successful, cucumbers do not set an ovary. I planted seedlings, grew them, transplanted them into the soil, watered them, looked after them, but there was no harvest. It's a shame! In this article we will try to figure out why cucumber ovaries do not grow and how to avoid empty flowers.

Lack of pollination

What should you do when there is no ovary on cucumbers? The fact is that cucumbers are bee-pollinated crops, which, as is known, require the presence of a pollinator. It is logical that if the bees will not be able to get to the seedlings, then there will be no ovary. If the temperature environment rises above +35 °C, the pollen is sterilized. As a result, cucumbers bloom but cannot pollinate, so waiting for the ovary to set is a waste of time. In cool weather, insects also do not fly, and pollination does not occur.

Some people believe that if you remove barren flowers, the number of female flowers will increase. But this opinion is erroneous, as this will lead to pollination conditions deteriorating. Do not touch barren flowers, as they will fall off on their own as they dry out. In greenhouse conditions it is better to grow self-pollinating varieties. Pollination can be done mechanically: With a brush, first touch the male flowers, and then the female ones.

Strong thickening

In order for cucumbers to set fruit properly and bear fruit, they must be planted correctly. If the crop is too thick, you may be left without a harvest. But the situation can be corrected: you can simply weed the plants; You should also harvest regularly (some varieties grow very quickly and should be harvested almost every day).

Unsuitable conditions

Are cucumbers setting but not growing? The reason may be a violation of growing conditions. Perhaps the lighting mode needs to be reconsidered. If there is little light, then cucumbers have weak stems and elongated fruits. To grow excellent harvest, needed good watering. The main condition is that the water should not be colder than the soil. Most often this is around +25 °C. The best solution is to pour water into the barrels to heat it up, or add hot water. It is not recommended to water cucumbers late in the evening.

Keep in mind that excess moisture will not lead to anything good. Here, as in any other matter, balance is important. If the soil has excess moisture, it needs to be dried. After this simple procedure, a few leaves will wither, but the main thing is that many female flowers will appear, which is the key to the fact that the cucumbers will begin to set. Just don’t overdo it, as the plant may die. Cucumbers have an excellently developed root system, so if groundwater rise close to the surface, the roots begin to rot and the harvest is at risk.

One of important factors obtaining the ovary for cucumbers is the temperature. At high temperatures, gardeners can observe an abundance of barren flowers, but frosts are not the best option so that the cucumbers can set and bear fruit. During hot weather, cucumbers need to be watered daily, cloudy weather refrain from watering. Great option- drip irrigation, which allows you to maintain the necessary soil moisture.

Spoiled seeds

Cucumbers bloom, but there is no ovary? What to do if all conditions are met? The reason may be the seeds. For example, if the seed is not fresh, then the flowers with the ovary (female) will grow first. And among the fresh seeds there may be only barren flowers ( male flowers). If it is not possible to know the age of the seeds, then they should be warmed up before planting. This procedure will allow female flowers to appear earlier.

However, there are varieties where flowers with an ovary appear later. Such varieties are considered late. In this case, you just need to wait a little.

In general, hardening will not interfere with swollen seeds. To do this, they are placed in a cool place for several days, then dried a little and only then sown. Such seeds will begin to grow earlier.

Lack or excess of nutrients

Cucumbers have started but are not growing - what to do? It is possible that there is an imbalance nutrients. The opinion that there is no such thing as too much fertilizer is erroneous. The abundance of nitrogen in the soil will lead to an increase in the number of barren flowers.

If your cucumbers don’t set at all, what should you do in this case? Feed the soil with the missing microelements and reduce the amount of those that are already in abundance.

You can normalize the soil by fertilizing with phosphate fertilizers. Water the seedlings with an infusion of tree resin. A cucumber can bloom even if the balance of microelements in the soil is disturbed, but due to lack of strength it will begin to drop its flowers. To avoid this, feed flowering plant mullein infusion every seven days.

What to do

So, what to do if cucumbers don't bloom? Here are some tips:

  • create favorable conditions;
  • maintain the balance of nutrients in the soil;
  • sow high-quality and proven seeds;
  • avoid thickening.

It is good to choose seeds for sowing that have been stored for several years. Why? Because age increases quality and, accordingly, productivity. Flowers with an ovary appear earlier than usual. To increase productivity, it is also recommended to soak the seed in special solutions.

The reason why cucumbers do not bloom may be excess moisture. To prevent this from happening, during flowering you can refrain from watering on some days. As soon as the ovaries appear, daily watering must be restored.

If there are too many barren flowers, then it is necessary to pinch the top of the main stem.

Cucumber ovaries do not grow - what to do in this case? Check the air humidity level in the greenhouse; it should not exceed 90%. You may need to feed the plant - for example, with drugs such as Zircon or Epin.

Video “What to do if cucumbers have empty flowers”

From this video you will learn what actions to take if cucumbers have barren flowers.

Before you find out how to increase the ovary on cucumbers, you need to know the main reasons for their wilting and drying of the ovaries.

The reasons for yellowing of the ovaries of cucumbers may be: characteristics of the cucumber variety, temperature changes, irregular watering, thickened planting of cucumbers, lack of nutrients, improper formation of bushes, as well as various diseases plants. All this can be monitored, prevented in advance and prevent yellowing of the ovaries on your plants.

Yellowed ovaries inevitably fall off and cannot produce a harvest; accordingly, the yield of cucumbers from your plot decreases sharply. Therefore, it is in your interests to eliminate all causes of yellowing and falling of the ovaries.

Features of the cucumber variety

Modern productive varieties of cucumbers, especially those that do not require pollination, are distinguished by a large number of ovaries; they are located in each leaf axil. The plant cannot “feed” such a quantity of fruits, so it gets rid of some or all of the ovaries at once. To prevent this from happening, you should remove excess ovaries, cutting them off before the flowers bloom. On average, 25-30 fruits can form and ripen on one cucumber bush.

Provided that only part of the ovaries turn yellow and dry out, and the rest develop normally, nothing needs to be done, the plant itself knows how many fruits it can feed.

Temperature difference for cucumbers

It is not always possible to create favorable conditions for growing in a greenhouse. vegetable crops, many summer residents complain about temperature changes. So, during the day the sun heats the greenhouse, and at night it becomes cool, which leads to undesirable changes. As a rule, it is difficult to influence the temperature, so it is easier to provide the plants with good nutrition.

Improper watering and lack of moisture in cucumbers

Cucumbers love water very much, but there are nuances here. Before cucumbers bloom and during fruiting, cucumbers need to be watered often - 3 times a week, and in hot weather - every day. However, during flowering, in order to form more female flowers, it is recommended to stop watering for several days so that the soil dries out and the leaves wilt slightly. After the appearance of female flowers with ovaries, watering is immediately resumed, and in larger volumes than before flowering. If the soil is too dry at this time, the cucumber ovary will fall off.

Another important point– do not water the cucumbers cold water. The temperature of water and soil should be approximately the same, around 23-25 ​​degrees (ideally). Watering cucumbers with cold water not only promotes the appearance of a large number of male flowers, but also leads to yellowing and falling off of the cucumber ovaries.

Cucumbers don't grow

Many people make this mistake and it often leads to the ovaries starting to turn yellow. Be sure to remove everything that somehow tries to “climb out” from the axils, which are located in the area of ​​the first 3-5 leaves. In addition, all those stepsons on cucumbers that will definitely grow a little taller will need to be pinched above the 2nd leaf. Many people simply don’t do this at all, thinking that if they carry out pinching, the yield will be significantly reduced. But it is still necessary to do this. It often happens that stepsons actively grow from the sinuses, which are not present on the main lashes, but from those sinuses that are located on the stepsons. It is these same shoots that are called second-order shoots. They will definitely need to be pinched after the 1st leaf.

Thickened planting of cucumbers

If cucumbers are planted too densely, the plants, during the growth process, suffer from a lack of nutritional area, which leads to the development of diseases and the fall of the ovaries. To avoid these unpleasant moments, always carefully study the information about planting frequency located on the back of the seed packages. And, following these instructions, carry out planting work.

Lack of nutrients in the soil

A very common cause is a lack of all essential nutrients in the soil. The fact is that for the formation of a fruit from the ovary, a lot of a substance such as potassium is consumed from the soil. If there is not enough of it in the ground, then the ovary cannot properly set and produce a harvest.

That is why it is necessary to constantly feed cucumber plants. During fruiting, cucumbers need potassium and small amounts of nitrogen. There is a lot of potassium in wood ash. And as a nitrogen fertilizer urea may appear. However, it is best to feed cucumbers with liquid chicken or cow droppings.

Diseases and pests of cucumbers

Of the pests that bother cucumbers, the most annoying is the aphid, which affects plantings both open ground, and in greenhouses. Due to the precocity of this crop, use chemicals dangerous, so it is better to give preference to biological products such as Verticillin. You can also fight aphids with a strong stream of water or by rubbing the affected leaves with ash.

To strengthen plant immunity and prevent diseases such as ascochyta blight, powdery mildew, downy mildew, it is worth using “Gaupsin” or “Mikosan”. It is recommended to treat cucumbers with biological preparations after germination, when planting seedlings, during flowering and, of course, when the first signs of disease appear.

Basic methods for increasing ovaries on cucumbers

Proper care of cucumber seeds before and after planting

The more developed the root system, the stronger the plant. To have large, powerful roots in cucumbers, this needs to be done from the very moment of planting the seeds:

  • spread a layer of sand into the box for planting seeds at the bottom, and then a mixture of earth and humus in a 1:1 ratio. Plant the seeds without additional germination and cover the box with glass;
  • When the seeds sprout, remove the glass. After some time, there will be a noticeable increase in the growth of the shoots; they will stretch out slightly. At this point you need to add more mixture of earth and humus. As a result, the part of the stem covered with soil gradually transforms into the root part;
  • then the picking is done without traditional root cutting and without freeing the earthen clod. After some time, you will also need to add a little soil to each individual pot - the root system will increase in size again. Thus, by the time of planting in the ground, the root system of the cucumber has already acquired sufficient power to provide you with a higher yield.

Watering cucumbers to increase ovary

In order for plants to remain healthy throughout the growing season, it is necessary that the soil around the base of the stem is always dry. This will help avoid rotting of the root system. On days when the weather is dry and sunny, with temperatures above +25 C, the temperature in the greenhouse can be very high even with regular ventilation.

It is also important to remember that both sprinkling and proper watering cucumbers should be carried out with warm, heated water. The water temperature should be about +200C +250C, or even better, approximately the same temperature as the soil in the greenhouse. This will avoid damage to the superficial root hairs and result in decent harvest from a plant.

Nutrition for cucumbers to increase the ovary

How to feed cucumbers to grow? The question is quite important, since cucumbers love well-fertilized soil, warm temperatures and are best planted in greenhouses or greenhouses.

  1. Feeding with bread. Experienced gardeners resort to using natural fertilizers. For example, ordinary bread is a high-quality food for cucumbers. To do this, simply fill a bucket with chopped pieces of black bread, add water and leave for 7 days in a warm place to infuse. You can water cucumbers with this product once a week. Ovaries of the future harvest
  2. Use of ash. Wood ash is also an excellent fertilizer for plants; in addition, it contains calcium, which is necessary for fruit growth. This fertilizer is applied several times during the period of vegetable growth, sprinkling the soil with dry ash before watering the beds.
  3. Chicken droppings. Chicken manure is an affordable and effective fertilizer for cucumbers. It contains nitrogen, zinc, copper. The droppings can be used both dry and diluted, directly during active fruiting.

Spraying for cucumber ovary

In order for cucumbers to form multiple ovaries and have less empty color, it is necessary to use special drugs, helping plants in this matter. Most often, summer residents and gardeners use preparations such as Epin or Zircon.

These products must be used according to the instructions included with the package. It is categorically undesirable to deviate in one direction or the other.

In addition, a remedy such as boric acid. This cheap, accessible drug increases crop yields and stimulates germination planting material, and also nourishes the roots of plants.

Promptly shoot vines of cucumbers to increase the ovary

Stepchildren of a cucumber are shoots that take away the plant’s strength, as a result of which it does not bear fruit. To avoid this, excess shoots must be removed. Usually, side shoots in the axils of the first 6 leaves are considered unnecessary. In addition, it is also recommended to get rid of ovaries in the axils of the first 4 leaves.

The pinching procedure must be carried out very carefully. It is extremely important not to damage the main shoot, as well as its flowers. To prevent this from happening, you need to slightly pull the leaves back with one hand, and carefully pinch off the excess sprout from the stem with the other. If cucumber planting is done correctly, the first cucumbers should appear by mid-July.

You can plant cucumbers when the stepsons reach a size of 4-6 cm. This way they can be seen better, but the plant has not yet spent too much effort on such stepsons. But if the stepsons reach sizes greater than 20 cm, then the loss of harvest may be 2.5 kg.

Pollination of cucumbers to increase the ovary

The pollination problem can be solved in the following ways. If you plan to grow cucumbers in a greenhouse, then it is better to take seeds of self-pollinating varieties. In open ground, you can use any variety - in this case, pollinating insects will come to the rescue. But even if you initially made a mistake with the variety for the greenhouse or the insects hid in cold summer conditions, you need to take pollination into your own hands. The greenhouse must be opened in daytime days. This will allow insects to fly in and also reduce too much high temperature in the heat of the moment. You can also use the mechanical method, i.e. independently transfer pollen from male flowers to female flowers. It is easy to distinguish them: the flower on the ovary is female, the barren flower is male. You need to touch the male flower with a soft brush, and then carefully, trying not to shake off the pollen, touch the female one. Repeat the procedure until all the flowers are pollinated.

It happens that the ovary on greenhouse cucumbers, which seems to be developing normally, for some reason begins to turn yellow and wither. This reduces fruiting, and the vegetable grower does not reap the harvest. The reason for this phenomenon is often mistakes in agricultural technology, which some gardeners may make. Let's find out why the ovaries of cucumbers growing in a greenhouse turn yellow and what to do to help the plants.

The reason for yellowing and drying of the ovary of cucumbers is often the young age of the plants. Such bushes do not yet have time to form a sufficiently strong leaf apparatus that will fully nourish the ovary, so young plants are forced to get rid of it, since they themselves are not yet strong enough.

While the cucumbers are growing and forming, it is necessary to remove all the flowers, since they will not produce full-fledged greens anyway.

Violation of the optimal temperature regime of air and soil

Cucumber ovaries turn yellow and dry out from too high or low temperatures in greenhouse air or soil, or from sudden temperature changes over a short period of time. Plants suffer greatly when it gets cold during the day and especially at night, since their ovaries grow at night. Under such conditions, the root system of cucumbers does not develop, or this process goes poorly and may even begin to die. IN cold ground healthy roots lose their ability to normally absorb nitrogen from the soil, and the ovaries lack the essential nutrient they need.

There is an ideal temperature that must be maintained in order for cucumbers to grow and develop normally. Before fruiting it is:

  • 22-24 °C – in clear weather;
  • 20-22 °C – in cloudy weather;
  • 17-18 °C – at night.

When the cucumbers begin to bear fruit, the temperature needs to be increased slightly:

  • 23-26 °C – in clear weather;
  • 21-23 °C – in cloudy weather;
  • 18-20 °C – at night.

For varieties pollinated by bees, everything temperature indicators should be 1-3°C more.

The maximum temperature that cucumber plants tolerate well is up to 36 °C, the minimum is 13-15 °C. Temperature conditions above and below these limits have a negative effect on vegetating cucumbers; they either overheat or become overcooled. All this has the most negative effect on the growth and development of the ovaries; they begin to turn yellow.

Sudden changes temperatures most often occur in greenhouses. During the day, the air and soil in them become very hot due to the fact that excess heat cannot escape, and at night they cool sharply. No crop welcomes such temperature changes, but cucumbers are most sensitive to them.

Measures to combat overheating of plants include:

  • ventilation of greenhouses in hot weather;
  • whitening the walls and roofs of shelters with chalk;
  • shading plants with white reed shields or mats;
  • abundant watering in the evening;
  • mulching the soil under cucumbers with hay, straw, fresh sawdust, black film or agrofibre of the same color.

To avoid a drop in temperature at night, low greenhouses are covered with another layer of film and dark-colored containers filled with water are placed in them. During the daytime, the liquid will heat up and accumulate heat, and at night, it will release it into the air space. In large greenhouses, if electricity is supplied to them, electric or infrared heaters, Such structures are perfectly heated by stoves that burn wood, sawdust and pellets, for example, such as Buleryan.

Nutrient deficiencies or imbalances

Often the reason that cucumber ovaries turn yellow and do not grow is insufficient nutrition, that is, a lack of basic elements and microelements in the soil. This picture can be observed when plants have exhausted the supply of nutrients in the soil, and there are no additional feedings. Especially from malnutrition varieties and hybrids with a bunch type of ovary suffer. In this case, it often turns out that 1-2 cucumbers grow, and the rest wither.

Cucumber embryos can also turn yellow due to excess nutrients or illiterate application of fertilizers without observing the required proportions.

When the flowering phase begins, cucumbers need phosphorus, and during fruiting - nitrogen and potassium, so you can save the bushes and the harvest if:

  • reduce or stop feeding with fresh manure;
  • replace it wood ash(300 g per 1 m2 of planting area);
  • feed them with solutions complex fertilizers: Crystalon, Master, Mortar, Kemira, Agricola, etc.

Such fertilizing is needed both for greenhouse cucumbers and for those growing on open beds, but they are especially relevant for plants planted in closed ground, since in such conditions the need for nutrition is greater.

Improper watering - excess or lack of moisture

Cucumbers, as humid tropical plants, are very partial to moisture, but in order for them to grow and bear fruit, they need to be watered correctly. Before fruiting begins, watering should be moderate, and with its beginning - more abundant. The optimal frequency of watering is every 1-2 days, in hot weather - daily (or even 2 times a day - morning and evening). In general, you need to look at the condition of the soil - if it is dry, you definitely need to water the beds. If the ground is wet, you can skip the next watering. The main thing is to maintain a balance, since a lack and excess of liquid in the soil is equally unfavorable and can lead to yellowing of the ovaries.

Water for watering this crop in a greenhouse must be free of chlorine and warm (23-25°C); cold water is not allowed (such liquid causes temperature stress to the roots, which ultimately affects the condition of the entire plant, including the ovary).

The best time for such events is evening or early morning. There is no need to do this during the day: the water will quickly evaporate, this will only increase the air humidity, while the plants themselves will be able to receive moisture in a minimal amount.

Insufficient air humidity

Dry air is another reason for the yellowing of cucumber ovaries. These plants have an increased need for high relative humidity air (at the level of 85-95%). If this indicator is lower in the greenhouse, transpiration will be more intense, so the absorption of moisture from the soil by cucumbers will also increase. If there is not enough of it in the soil, the leaves and ovaries will begin to wither and the flowers will fall off.

The necessary measures to prevent yellowing of the ovary are to irrigate the soil between the rows (but not the plants themselves). Water evaporating from the ground will increase the air humidity in a closed greenhouse.

Thickened plantings

Cucumbers need a lot of light for normal growth and fruiting. Despite the fact that the beds for growing them and the greenhouses are always located in a sunny place, the plants themselves can shade each other. This happens if the seeds or seedlings were planted too densely.

On initial stage A small area is enough for plants to develop. But with the growth of the bushes and the increase in green mass, the fruits find themselves in dense shade, which provokes yellowing of the ovaries and their subsequent falling off. Bee-pollinated varieties and hybrids throw out barren flowers, delaying fruiting.

Correct placement of plants can correct the situation. When choosing planting schemes and calculating the number of cucumber bushes per 1 m2, it is worth considering:

  • sizes of beds in greenhouses and on the ground;
  • design of shelters and trellises;
  • whether the cucumbers being grown belong to one or another variety or hybrid;
  • the degree of climbing of the plant;
  • method of forming a bush;
  • timing and place of cultivation.

On average, 3 to 6 cucumbers are placed per 1 m2. A gardener can obtain basic recommendations regarding the selected variety or hybrid from the manufacturer’s instructions on the seed packet. They must be adhered to in order to prevent thickening of the plantings and yellowing of the fruits.

The bush grows without formation

In a greenhouse, one of the reasons why cucumber ovaries turn yellow is the lack of formation of the bushes. On the ground, this problem manifests itself less, when walking and here, when growing crops vertically, the bushes need to be looked after.

Most varieties and hybrids intended for cultivation in greenhouses intensively increase green mass. This is facilitated by a special microclimate, as well as enhanced nutrition of the plantings. While the bushes are occupied with leaves and shoots, they do not bear fruit. In addition, greens also suffer greatly from shading.

Shaping the plants will help speed up the ripening process. It consists in removing the first ovaries, side shoots and leaves from the cucumber, forming a so-called blind zone at the bottom. Depending on the timing of cultivation and the characteristics of the variety or hybrid, it may vary. On average, from 3 to 8 first nodes are subject to blinding.

  • for specific conditions (heated or unheated, high and low greenhouses);
  • growing time (early spring, spring-summer, autumn-winter);
  • type of cucumbers (bee-pollinated, parthenocarpic);
  • growing location (open or closed ground).

When using molding, the fruits receive enough nutrients and light and do not turn yellow.

Pollination problems

When growing insect-pollinated varieties and hybrids, the reason that the ovary turns yellow and falls off may be that there is insufficient fertilization of the female flowers. Risk factors include:

  • weather;
  • early or late dates cultivation;
  • improper microclimate in the greenhouse;
  • absence of plants with pronounced male type flowering.

Bees, which are the main pollinators for cucumbers, do not fly in rain, cloudy or cold weather. They also do not show much interest in hot greenhouses and greenhouses, so they need to be attracted there. For insects to do their job, it is worth opening the windows and doors. Spraying the plants with a solution of water and honey and boric acid will help.

If there are no bees, the gardener will have to work for them. To prevent cucumbers from turning yellow, hand pollination is used. Work is carried out in the morning when the female flower is blooming, in warm and dry weather. Use a soft brush or male flower stalks.

Growing several varieties or hybrids of cucumbers in a greenhouse also helps to increase the number of fertilized ovaries. If the main crop is a plant with a predominantly female type of flowering, it is worth planting bushes that consistently form male inflorescences. They will act as good pollinators for green plants. Usually, to solve the problem of yellowing of cucumber ovaries in a greenhouse, the presence of 10% of such plants is sufficient.

Too many ovaries

Small cucumbers also turn yellow if the fruit load on the bush is too high. Then the plant itself regulates the number of fruits it can grow. Isolated cases are not the reason for intervention on the part of the gardener. Measures to save the crop should be taken only when cucumbers shed their ovaries en masse.

The main reasons for such sabotage are:

  • insufficient nutrition of bushes;
  • incorrect formation;
  • bunch type of fruiting plants.

They will help correct the situation quality training soil, regular fertilizing, the use of optimal formation schemes, removing part of the ovaries so that the rest of the greens can receive sufficient nutrition and grow.

Over-ripening of cucumbers

Often, cucumbers turn yellow and do not grow in the upper nodes when the fruit is collected irregularly and inattentively. This happens because most of nutrients are supplied to the greens hanging below. They become larger and larger and enter the biological stage of maturity.

At the same time, the plant itself no longer needs to grow new ovaries. The seeds he has are enough for him. He does not need to spend resources on forming new cucumbers.

For getting good harvest Fruit harvesting is carried out regularly. During the period of mass fruiting - every day. They pick off all the greens that have reached the size characteristic of the variety or hybrid, preventing them from overgrowing. The only exceptions can be specimens that gardeners specifically leave for seeds.


Parthenocarpic cucumbers are increasingly gaining popularity among gardeners, especially when grown in greenhouses. The reason is simple: for a good harvest of a green vegetable, pollination by insects is absolutely not required. The plant has only female flowers and the ovaries form independently, and in large quantities.

However, in order for the harvest to be not only large, but also of high quality, parthenocarpits require a little more attention than regular varieties. The fact is that such plants grow very quickly, forming many new shoots. Therefore, most of the nutrients go to new ovaries. Since there are so many of them, the fruits grow slowly. It seems that this situation happened to the author. To redistribute the consumption of nutrients and direct them into the growth of cucumbers, the plant should be pinched.

How to properly form parthenocarpit cucumbers?

Pinching is different from plain cucumbers. Non-hybrid varieties usually begin to form after the fifth leaf, since male flowers are formed on the main shoot.

In parthenocarpits, flowers grow in the same way, but it must be taken into account that they are feminine, so you should not pinch after the 5th leaf.

It is better to do the formation this way:

  • in the axils of the first to fifth leaves, remove side shoots and inflorescences;
  • Leave the next six side lashes (the length of each should be no more than 25 cm);
  • pinch two or three shoots growing behind them, shortening them to 35 cm;
  • Increase the length of the next three lashes by 10 cm, then also pinch.

The main shoot must be secured, and when it acquires maximum length, also pinch it or throw it over a support (so that it grows towards the ground).

For secondary shoots that appear from lateral shoots (not the main ones), after the first leaf, the growth point should be removed.

What other reasons could there be for the ovaries not growing?

If the bush was formed correctly and on time, but the set fruits still do not grow, the reason should be sought in the following:

  1. Too much a large number of ovaries, which the plant cannot “nourish”. Solution: remove them before the flowers bloom, leaving no more than 30 pieces per bush.
  2. "Young age" of the plant. Immature bushes have weak leaf apparatus, but can already form side shoots with ovaries, but there is not enough food for everyone. Solution: if the bush is not yet strong enough, it is better to remove the first ovaries and give it time to gain strength.
  3. High air humidity. Solution: ventilate the room more often.
  4. The room is too hot. Solution: lower the temperature or move the plant to another location.
  5. Sudden changes in temperature.
  6. Heavy soil. Solution: feed the cucumbers with growth regulators (Epin)

Parthenocarpic varieties of cucumbers during the period of fruit formation and ripening require weekly feeding, for example, mullein infusion with urea.

Parthenocarpic cucumbers: popular hybrids - video

The formation of barren flowers on cucumbers is an annoying nuisance for gardeners. Not on time Taken measures, mistakes in caring for plantings nullify long-term efforts. To successfully combat this problem, you need to know what doesn’t produce fruit. We will learn more about what to do to form the ovary, what are the reasons for low yields, and how to restore the fruiting process.

For the ovary to form, female flowers pollinated by males. However, often more male flowers grow and they bloom much earlier than female ones. These are barren flowers - they bloom en masse, but the fruits are not set. To correct the situation, you need to understand the mistakes made when caring for the plant and find out why the cucumbers do not set.

Errors when storing seed

From what quality characteristics the seeds have, the percentage of germination and immunity of cucumbers depends on the entire growing season. The most common mistake novice vegetable growers make is sowing last year's seeds. It has been verified that last year's seeds produce late shoots with a lot of barren flowers. If the seed material was stored in a cold room and did not have time to ripen, then this only aggravates the situation.

To avoid the absence of an ovary, use seeds for seedlings that were collected two or three years ago. According to agronomists, such planting material is the most productive.

Collect seeds hybrid varieties should not be done, since the secondary harvest will lack varietal characteristics.

If you collected them yourself or bought them on the market, then be sure to pre-process them. Remember about hardening, warming and soaking them. If you do not have time to prepare planting material, then it is better to purchase ready-made granulated seeds in the store. Choose a variety that is adapted to climatic conditions growing region.

Temperature violation

The second common cause is temperature changes. This factor is equally decisive for greenhouse and ground cucumbers.

Pay attention to the temperature regime if cucumbers do not set in the greenhouse. Temperatures above +35°C are unacceptable for normal plant development. If at the same time there is a sharp cooling at night in combination with the daytime heat, then the expectation of an abundant ovary will be in vain. Hot days at the same time high humidity are a favorable basis for the development of fungal diseases, which lead to barren flowers and the fall of the ovary.

During the day, during periods of solar activity, try to provide ventilation to the bushes and thereby reduce the possibility of overheating. If the cucumbers are blooming and the nights are still cold, provide heating inside the greenhouse.

Long cold days are more dangerous for ground cucumbers. If the cold continues for more than two weeks, the process of root nutrition is disrupted. In such cases will come to the rescue foliar feeding plants, which will prevent a lack of nutrients at the flowering stage. To protect from frost, cover the beds with covering material. On hot days, you need to regularly water the seedlings, but at the same time protect the soil from excessive moisture.

Nutrient deficiencies

The role of timely feeding is difficult to overestimate. A balanced diet of mineral fertilizers and organic matter minimizes the likelihood of barren flowers. However, these statements are valid when the timing of fertilizer application and their proportions are strictly observed.

Insufficient or excess amounts of nutrients, as well as delayed feeding, lead to the formation of an insufficient amount of ovary. More often, the key influence is the excess nitrogen content in the soil. Neutralize negative impact necessary by entering mineral fertilizer containing phosphorus. Such measures will help restore the process of ovary formation naturally.

Density of cucumber plantings

It is possible to allow plantings in the garden to become dense only due to inexperience. Novice gardeners trying to fit in small area as many vegetable crops as possible simply destroy the future harvest. Cucumbers, like other vegetables, do not tolerate limited space. The consequences of thickening are as follows:

  • the plant is weakened by lack of sunlight;
  • slow growth of seedlings due to lack of moisture and nutrients;
  • barren flower formation;
  • poor ventilation of the root system and, as a result, the development of fungal diseases;
  • massive pest infestation.

Avoid crowded spaces cucumber beds possible by strictly following the recommended planting scheme. Plant seedlings in rows at a distance of 20 cm, leaving row spacing of 50-70 cm.

If thickening is detected after sowing the seeds, then it is necessary to thin out the seedlings. As a result, there should be up to five bushes per 1 m2 in the garden bed. Carefully study the instructions for growing a particular variety, since the distance for planting seeds may vary.

Improper watering

Greenhouses and ground cucumbers do not tolerate violations of the watering regime. Not only excess or lack of water has a negative impact, but also its temperature. Cold water, cools the warm soil, which creates unfavorable conditions for the root system. In addition, there is shedding of flowers and ovaries and stunting of bush growth.

For watering cucumbers, the optimal water temperature is +25°C.

Water with water that was previously collected in a large container and warmed up in the sun during the day. Try not to pour water on the plant, getting it on the stem and leaves. Pour water slowly so as not to wash away the root soil.

Frequent watering is beneficial for growing cucumbers only if it is done in moderation. Excessive watering provokes a slowdown in the formation of female flowers. If the beds are accidentally flooded, dry the soil for several days. In the future, watering should be resumed with caution.

What to do if they don’t tie

Creation favorable conditions for healthy growth of cucumbers consists of the following mandatory measures aimed at preventing barren flowers:

  • select healthy seeds collected more than two years ago;
  • create an optimal temperature regime in the greenhouse and take measures to maintain it for ground cucumbers;
  • maintain a regular but moderate watering system;
  • use complex fertilizers, adhering to the established proportions;
  • Observe the recommended distances when planting.

When fulfilling all the conditions does not help to eliminate empty flowers, the cucumbers do not set well, use pinching the tops. This will cause active growth lateral vines containing female flowers. To ensure that newly formed flowers are pollinated, attract bees by planting honey plants near cucumber bushes. Remove obstacles in the way of insects in the greenhouse - leave the door or window open. You can also pollinate cucumbers by hand.

During this time, remove ripe fruits so that new ones can form. Control the ripeness of the cucumber according to the varietal characteristics. For example, for bunch cucumbers, a significant hindrance will be the fruit hanging on the vine for an extra couple of days. It is advisable to pick ripe fruits daily.