Many home gardeners face the problem of cucumber leaves turning white and not getting quality yield, the main reason being too much shade. Shaded cucumber plants don’t grow well as they require full sunlight, they increase the chances of fungal growth, and a lower probability of a good harvest.
In this article, we will talk about why cucumber leaves are turning white and how you can fix it.
Why are cucumber leaves turning white?
There are many practices and environmental factors that can be the reason for cucumber plants turning white and ultimately becoming the cause of death.. Let’s see some of the causes for the leaves turning white.
Pests and Bugs
Pests and bugs can be one of the few causes for the leaves to turn white. It’s important to know what pests or bugs are destroying the plant. The commonly found ones are Leafhoppers and Thrips.
Overwatering
Overwatering leads to driving away nutrients and minerals from the soil. All plants use nitrogen to produce chlorophyll, which gives the leaves their rich green color. Without enough nitrogen available in the soil due to overwatering, cucumber leaves will start to go white or yellow. Nitrogen presence is already a deficient nutrient in soil, since plants use so much of it, overwatering will worsen the situation.
Adequate Sunlight
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Cucumber plants need full sun to grow well. A good 6 to 10 hours of sunlight is said to be a standard time for the best harvest. If the plant is kept in too much shade, it wont be able to perform photosynthesis which leads to the leaves turning white.
Transplant Shock
It usually happens when you transplant the plant from one pot to another or from the pot to the soil on ground. It’s mostly a temporary condition that resolves by itself in due time.
Powdery Mildew
It’s one of the most commonly found fungal infections in the plants. They are not dangerous to the plants at first sight. They can easily be cured if treated right with proper solutions in right intervals of time.
Also Read: Lemon Cucumber Water Detox Recipe
Leaves turning white due to Powdery Mildew!!
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One of the key reasons for cucumber leaves turning white is Powdery Mildew. Powdery Mildew is a type of fungal infection that causes the cucumber leaves to turn white. The infection in itself is not a dangerous disease because plants have survived for years in this condition. It becomes a major problem when the leaves are totally covered with a white layer of fungal hyphae stopping the plant from performing photosynthesis.
How to fix the cucumber leaves turning white due to Powdery Mildew
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It’s a good thing that a powdery mildew infection is not as bad as it looks at first glance. Rather than using chemicals to cure the problem, there are few home remedies that have proven to fix the cucumber leaves turning white due to Powdery Mildew .
Spray Milk
Take a spray bottle and add water and milk in the ratio where the container has 60% water and 40% milk. Use the mixture and see results in due time. This mixture can also be used as a preventive measure by spraying on the leaves every 10 days once.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is one of the most widely used home remedies for treating Powdery Mildew. To make this solution you will need baking soda, liquid soap (any kind) and water.
Take a bottle that can contain 2 liters of water and add 1 tablespoon baking soda and ½ tablespoon liquid soap. This mixture is mostly used as a primitive measure but it’s also said to have worked for existing powdery mildew infections very effectively.
Neem oil
Neem oil has always proven to have anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. Using neem oil on affected areas will reduce and prevent fungal attack. Best results are seen when used on a 7 day cycle.
Diluted vinegar
Take a spray bottle and add water and vinegar in the ratio where the container has 70% water and 30% vinegar.This mixture can also be used as a preventive measure by spraying on the leaves every 10-14 days once.
Other remedies or solutions to fix the Powdery Mildew on cucumber leaves.
Sulfur or Copper-Based Fungicide
The results are best seen when used at early or at the first sight of the infection. It’s recommended that the solution be sprayed thoroughly to all parts of the plant and repeat the same in the intervals of 7-10 days up to the day of harvest.
Potassium Bicarbonate
The best patented formula of potassium bicarbonate is Green Cure Fungicide. It’s most commonly used in food products that kill the fungus or disease on contact and also prevents the relapse by providing protection for up to 2 weeks.
Things to take into consideration while cucumber cultivation.
It’s always said that prevention is better than cure, so let’s see steps to follow in cucumber cultivation.
Soil range
Cucumber cultivation can be done in soil ranging from sandy loam to heavy soil. It’s said, loamy soil which is rich in organic matter and has a good draining structure is the best cucumber cultivation. Also a pH ranging from 6-7 is said to be a good standard .
Avoid crowd growing
The commonly made mistake by beginners is crowd growing. When we say crowd growing, it’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s important to let the plants breathe and receive good sunlight to grow right.
Don’t dry the soil
You dry the soil, you dry the plant and you kill the plant. Since cucumber cultivation needs a good amount of sunlight unlike the others that need less sunlight and more shade, it’s important to keep in check that the soil never turns dry.
Watering
The best way to water the cucumber’s is through Drip Irrigation. It’s important to strike the perfect balance between over and under watering.
Also Read: Cucumber Lemon Ginger Detox Water Recipe
Some misconceptions on cucumber leaves turning white.
The white cast on the leaves is just dust and nothing more.
It’s one of those mistakes that a person shouldn’t make. There are N number possibilities where dust can settle on the leaves, but the white cast shouldn’t be mistook for dust. The faster we act on the prevention of the spread the better the plant’s growth.
Cucumber leaves left in water turn them white.
That is not true. Leaving cucumber leaves in water will not turn them white, it’s either an infection or an environmental condition.
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