Cucumbers growing both in open ground and in greenhouses are susceptible to various fungal diseases. Zelenka is an accessible fungicide and bactericide that can prevent the development of fungi on plant tissue (stem, leaves, fruits, roots). About how to breed and how to use the brilliant green, we will tell in this review.
Why are cucumbers sprayed with brilliant green?
Spraying with brilliant green is considered a folk remedy, but the method is based on a scientifically sound approach. The main active component of greenery is copper. This is the first substance that began to be used as a fungicide for plants. Spraying with a copper-based solution is used to combat powdery mildew, bacterial rot and other fungal diseases. The solution with brilliant green sprayed on cucumbers is a suspension of copper microparticles, which will remain on them after the moisture dries.
Important! Studies conducted in 2013 by the Department of Plant Microbiology and Pathology at Cornell University (USA) showed that copper ions destroy harmful microorganisms on the surface of a cucumber plant. Therefore, they are most effective in the initial stages of infection or as a preventative measure.
In the morning, when the surface of the leaf becomes wet from dew, copper ions will begin to be released regularly, toxic to fungi, but safe for the plants themselves. Therefore, this process will daily protect your cucumbers from pathogens. The effectiveness of copper solutions depends on its quantity in them, as well as on how they are prepared. The finer the copper particles, the greater the effect achieved by processing. It is such small particles that the greenback contains.Considering the studies conducted by scientists on the effect of copper solutions on plants, it is recommended to spray them with brilliant green at the initial stages of infection or as soon as suitable conditions for the development of rot are created. In an infected cucumber plant, all parts affected by the disease are first removed, and the places of the slices are smeared with a saturated solution of brilliant green.
When and how often can I feed cucumbers with green stuff?
Treatment against bacteriosis, mildew, rot is carried out every 7-10 days. The next spraying is sure to be needed after the rain. In dry and sunny weather, re-processing can be omitted so as not to increase the concentration of copper ions on cucumbers. With repeated spraying, copper accumulates in the plant tissue, and when it rains, the substance is released in full, which causes burns on the leaves, fruits and stems of cucumbers.
It is also important to consider that the acidity level of tap water is not the same in different regions. Water with an acidity of 7 pH and above enhances the release of copper ions, therefore, treatment with such a solution is carried out less often (after 10-14 days) than with greenback dissolved in neutral water.
How to prepare a solution for processing
The simplest recipe is 1 teaspoon of greens per 1 liter of water. This amount of solution should be enough to spray 10 m² of cucumbers. It is enough to mix the green stuff thoroughly in ordinary water at room temperature, and the drug is immediately ready for use.
Proportions
For different plants use solutions of varying degrees of saturation:
- for processing the above-ground part of the cucumber - 1 teaspoon of greens per 1 liter of water;
- for the vine - 10 ml for the same amount of water;
- for root dressing of plants, you need 5 ml of greens per 1 liter of water.
Did you know? The largest crystal of copper sulfate weighed 69.8 kg (as of July 21, 2010). He was raised by students of the 8th grade in the gymnasium of the city of Neustadt (Germany).
Step-by-step cooking instructions
Choose a calm, calm day with an air temperature of +15 ... + 20 ° С. Check the weather forecast and make sure that no rains are expected in the coming week. Do not spray the solution with brilliant green in windy weather - the wind will not evenly apply it to the cucumber vines.
Instructions for processing plants with brilliant green:
- Wear protective clothing with long sleeves and glasses to protect your eyes. The solution is toxic and may cause damage if it comes in contact with skin or eyes.
- Fill sprayer with prepared solution.
- Shake it before use.
- Use a nozzle that will give a fine spray. It is necessary that the drug settles on the cucumbers, like fog.
- Spray the mixture from top to bottom.
- If conditions are favorable for the development of bacteria, repeat treatment every 10 days.
How to water cucumbers with greens
Among the diseases that affect cucumbers, it is worth noting downy mildew, anthracnose, gray rot, root rot and other pathologies caused by fungi. They are similar in effect, therefore, they are treated with similar methods.
Important! Zielonka and any copper solutions are toxic to humans and animals. Observe precautions for use and storage.
For the treatment of diseases
Disease is promoted by climatic conditions - high or low humidity, lack of fresh air due to the density of planting. The conditions for the occurrence of each specific disease are described below, as well as methods for treating bushes.
Video: green from cucumber diseases
Root rot
Basal rot affects the lower parts of the leaves, and the fungus itself is in the soil. The development of the disease contributes to high humidity. In order to prevent the pathogen from climbing the stem, the lower leaves are removed as soon as wet and warm weather is established. The fight against the disease is carried out in 2 stages. First, the plant is watered under the root with a solution of green greens (10 drops per 10 liters of water). Next, the stem is treated (lubricated) with an aqueous solution of iodine in the ratio (2: 1) to a height of 15 cm from the ground.
White rot
White rot affects the top of the plant. The leaves become watery and become covered with a white dense coating. The disease occurs in spring with sharp changes in day and night temperatures in combination with high humidity. The affected cucumbers need to be destroyed, since the pathogen along with the juice spreads throughout the plant. If the affected plants are not destroyed, then the particles of the fungus mycelium fall into the soil and the next year they infect other cucumbers.
To prevent soil infection, carry out root dressing with brilliant green 10 days after transplanting seedlings into the ground. The solution is prepared from 5 ml of greens per 1 liter of water, which is poured into the root zone.
Gray rot
Gray rot appears with high humidity. Its manifestation is a grayish dusty coating on the fruits and leaves. The spores of the pathogen are carried by the wind and affect nearby plants. Processing is carried out with 1% Bordeaux liquid - this is also a copper solution, but more intense than brilliant green. With severe infection, Bordeaux liquid 3% is used. Prepared solutions of chemical preparations should be used immediately after preparation. Otherwise, they lose their properties by contacting with air, water, the surface of the bucket.
Did you know? The longest cucumber in the world has grown to a length of 107 cm. It was raised by Jan Neal from Wales (UK). The giant cucumber was presented at an exhibition in Somerset on September 26, 2011.
Powdery Mildew
Plants affected by powdery mildew look as if they were sprinkled with flour. The fungus spreads in dry and hot weather. To prevent the development of powdery mildew, you need to treat the plants with brilliant green at the rate of 1 teaspoon of brilliant green per 1 liter of water. Then you should maintain optimal humidity (60–65%) near the cucumbers by watering them every 3 days. A solution is also used that is mixed from 1 liter of serum, 25 g of urea and 5 g of greens.The mixture is used to process cucumbers three times during the growing season: at the time of formation of the ovaries and in the process of fruit formation in order to feed the plants with a complex of minerals.
Late blight
The appearance of brown spots on the leaves and fruits are signs of late blight. The disease affects plants in conditions of high humidity (after rain) and in the presence of differences in day and night temperatures. For processing, which is carried out once a week, a solution of brilliant green in the proportion of 40 drops per bucket of water is suitable. A solution of Bordeaux liquid is effective (1% - 100 g of copper sulfate and 100–150 g of lime are dissolved in 1 liter of hot water, separately, after which it is brought up to 5 liters and mixed). Remove from the bush all affected parts - fruits, leaves. Do not destroy them directly next to the beds so as not to infect other plants.
Important! Preventive treatment from late blight is carried out no later than 20 days before harvest.
For prophylaxis
The first treatment can be carried out 2 weeks after transplanting seedlings into the ground. For spraying, use a solution of 1 teaspoon of brilliant green in 5 liters of water. For spraying, you need a nozzle that provides foggy drizzle. It is not recommended to spray the drug in large drops so as not to burn cucumbers. Prophylactic spraying is repeated throughout the entire growing season 10-14 days after the previous treatment.Some gardeners believe that alternating leaf processing and root dressing gives a better result than spraying leaves. This opinion is argued that juices circulate from the bottom up, and never vice versa, therefore, with the help of root feeding, copper ions get to all parts of the plant, and not just aboveground.
Useful Tips
Zelenka is an excellent fungicide due to the fact that it, in fact, kills pathogenic microorganisms. This effective remedy can be used often enough to prevent bactericidal infection of cucumbers.
When applying the solution, consider the following points:
- Young plants are very sensitive to copper, so do not use strong solutions to treat seedlings.
- Apply spraying on a cool cloudy day. If this is not possible, then carry out the procedure in the evening.
- When used weekly in hot, dry weather, copper ions will accumulate in the leaves, which can cause a burn. Reduce the number of treatments if the heat is established.