Probably, all gardeners faced such an unpleasant surprise as bitter cucumbers. This is quite common. Of course, you can eat such cucumbers by peeling them off, but then you will be left without vitamins and minerals, because it is the peel that contains most of them. So what to do, and why are the cucumbers bitter? In a greenhouse or in a garden, they grew up - it does not matter. In this article we will talk about the causes of this phenomenon and how to eliminate it, and also talk about how to care for greenhouse cucumbers in order to avoid a bitter taste.
What people say
Among gardeners, there are different opinions about this, and they all contain some truth. Someone believes that the fault is the composition of the soil. Someone thinks that cucumbers lack nutrients or water, and some are sure that it depends on the variety.
What science says
From a scientific point of view, there is also an explanation. It is proved that the cause of the bitterness of cucumbers is a substance that just accumulates in the peel. It is called cucurbitacin. Moreover, the brighter the sun shines, the more cucurbitacin accumulates, and the cucumbers become fatter. It is also a scientifically proven fact. But why are the cucumbers bitter in the greenhouse, because there is no sun there? It turns out that improper care is also the cause of the bitterness of this vegetable, and in the greenhouse all the necessary conditions are not always observed.
Proper Care - Delicious Cucumbers
From the point of view of agricultural technology, in order to get a rich crop of cucumbers in the greenhouse, they need to be properly watered, fertilized on time, monitor the temperature, and most importantly - not to stress the plant.
In order not to be tormented by the question why bitter cucumbers, in the greenhouse, follow these recommendations:
Water abundantly and only with warm water. At an early age of growth, do this 2 times a week, and during the flowering period, every day. If the air is not sufficiently humidified, you can spray it onto walls and walkways. It is advisable to carry out watering when the sun is shining on the street, but leave the vents closed.
In a greenhouse, the land is depleted faster than on the street, so you need to feed cucumbers more often. Once a week, use liquid mineral fertilizers, potash, calcium, nitrogen (but not manure).
The temperature in the greenhouse should be at least 20 degrees during the day and 18 degrees at night (before fruiting), and in the future it needs to be raised to 28. Sudden changes in it are stress, cucumbers can be bitter from this. It is better if the greenhouse is heated.
When forming a bush, you need to know how to pinch cucumbers. In the greenhouse, this process is especially important, as it allows you to increase productivity and limit branching of the plant. To do this, remove the lateral processes, female flowers and antennae. They only delay the development of the bush and take away the nutrients so necessary for the growing season.
Breeders, who are also worried about why bitter cucumbers are in the greenhouse, have bred salad varieties that contain a special gene that prevents the production of cucurbitacins. Well, if you still could not avoid the bitterness, then you should not be very upset, since such cucumbers are suitable for pickling. With heat treatment, the bitter taste disappears.