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Reasons And Remedies On Why Are My Cucumbers White!

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Cucumbers have appeared relatively recently, and for many gardeners who are not inclined to experiment, they are considered some exotic vegetable. 

Those who have not yet grown treat cucumber varieties with some suspicion when they turn white, suggesting that they do not have the best taste and that the yield and leaves are not desirable. But those gardeners who got to know they have turned that color understands what needs to be done.

Reasons And Remedies On Why Are My Cucumbers White

Why are My Cucumbers White?

During the development of cucumbers, they can turn white, which may be caused by powdery mildew. Cucumber powdery mildew is a common pest and disease of cucumber, which may damage yellow flowers throughout the year. 

It can endanger the leaves and stems of yellow leaves, causing white powdery objects to appear on the leaves. Also, it makes the leaves and stems gradually become grayish-white.

During the development of cucumbers, if the temperature is too high, cucumbers will appear white. During the curing period, the outside temperature is too high, the cucumbers are not well developed, and the leaves will gradually turn white, yellow, or dry and fall off.

If the temperature is too high, the cucumbers must be watered to reduce and increase humidity to provide them with a good growth atmosphere.

Reasons And Remedies On Why Are My Cucumbers White 2
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During the maintenance period, the leaves of cucumbers will turn white after being infested by insects. Pests lay many eggs on cucumber leaves, making the leaves whitish and wither and turn yellow later. 

If problems are caused, it is necessary to trim the leaves of cucumbers and spray them with relevant chemicals for treatment. Regular spraying can remove the eggs.

How to Grow Cucumbers to Ensure They are Healthy

1. Wait for the soil to heat up

Cucumbers are very sensitive to low temperatures; even a thin layer of frost can kill them. This is especially true when plants are in their most vulnerable stage.

Generally, cucumbers should be planted in April or May, depending on where you live and when the weather starts to heat up. The more definite way is to heed to the final frost date. To be on the safe side, wait for about two weeks sow the seeds, which after the last frost.

The soil temperature can’t go below 65 °F. Note that the temperature of the earth may be slightly lower than the temperature of the air.

2. Choose a well-lit location

During the entire growing period, cucumbers can grow best if they can be given plenty of sunlight. They make full use of photosynthesis, and sunlight becomes their important nutrition source.

Sunlight is also important for temperature management. Stable sunlight means that the soil temperature continues to rise, which is a prerequisite for seed germination.

3. Choose the best variety

Generally speaking, cucumbers have varieties of climbing vines and shrubs. The former is more common, but if you have limited planting space, the latter is easier to control.

Of course, there are also varieties of cucumbers used for raw food and pickling. If you plan to eat cucumbers as soon as they are ripe, you can choose the former. 

But if you want to marinate, choose the latter. Climbing raw food species include burpless, market more 76, and straight 8. Shrub raw food species include bush crops, fanfare, and salad bush. Pickled products include Carolina and shrub pickles, including vines.

4. Start from the seed

The roots of cucumbers are very fragile, so direct seeding in the yard is preferable to transplanting. Only transplant cucumbers when necessary. 

If you want to plant cucumbers before the planting season, you can do so, but only if you have to grow them indoors, be very careful when transplanting. Sow seeds on indoor hot pads or in small pots under the sun. Seedlings can be transplanted only after four weeks.

When transplanting cucumber plants, remove the entire structure from the starting pot, including the soil. When you do the transplant, the earth protects the cucumber plant’s fragile rhizomes. If you are planning to transplant the cucumber with the bare roots, it will not survive.

5. Weeding

You need to get rid of the weeds in your garden before you plant cucumbers. In addition to being unsightly, these weeds will also take away the limited valuable nutrients of the plants you grow.

For best results, pull the weeds by hand and pull out as many roots as possible. If you leave the grassroots, the same weeds will likely continue to grow.

Avoid using herbicides. Both chemical reagents and organic herbicides may make the soil unsuitable for plant growth. Just like weeds, it is also unfavorable for the growth of cucumbers.

6. Fertilize the soil

Before you plant cucumbers, spread granular fertilizer to your garden to improve the quality of the soil overall. Plough the earth with a small rake or shovel before you apply fertilizer. 

By loosening the earth, you can make these additives more thoroughly integrated into the soil to create good rooting conditions for your cucumbers.

Fertile or longer manure is the most natural fertilizer for cucumber growth. Mix them into the soil to a depth of about 5 cm, and then gradually infiltrate them to 15-20 cm.

If you use inorganic fertilizers, please choose slow-release granular fertilizers, and the selected dosage should be following the instructions on the label.

7. Balance the soil pH

Ideally, the soil pH should be between neutral to slightly alkaline, so the pH should be as close to 7 as possible. Use a pH tester to test the pH of the soil.

This kind of device can be purchased at garden supply centers or hardware stores. If you want to increase the pH of the earth, add agricultural lime, and if you’re going to lower the pH of the soil, add sulfur or alum.

8. Improve soil quality

If the soil is too thick or sandy, the cucumber plants will have to fight at the roots. Eventually, they will fail to survive or yield very little, and they will hardly grow any edible cucumbers during the mature period.

The ideal soil for planting cucumber plants is loose, well-lit soil with sand, which can warm faster and maintain temperature more efficiently.


Conclusion

Cucumbers are worthy a source of food. They can be grown in greenhouses from early spring to late autumn. Prostate care and high yields encourage gardeners to plant further. 

But sometimes, cucumbers turn white because of some issues like cucumber powdery mildew, very high temperature, and pests and insects infestation.