Cucumber is one of the main crops in the garden. Breeders are constantly breeding new varieties of this vegetable, and among them there are both self-pollinating and those that have both female and male flowers on the same stem. The latter are also called "empty flowers", and they deliver a lot of trouble to gardeners when they are formed in excess of the norm.
Seed quality
Fruit bearing is greatly influenced by how much fresh seed you use. From last year's material, cucumbers with an abundance of male flowers will grow, and female ones will appear only after a while. If you plant seeds 2-3 years ago, then those and others will bloom at the same time.
Top dressing
Even experienced gardeners often make a fatal mistake - they regularly feed the culture with nitrogen fertilizers, for example, abundantly mullein is watered almost every other day. As a result, there is an intensive growth of lashes, leaves and all the same empty flowers. For cucumbers to bear fruit well, use fast-acting phosphate fertilizers. The easiest and most affordable option is an infusion of wood ash. Only 4 top dressings are enough in season.
Watering
Cold water is not suitable for watering cucumbers. Its temperature should be at least 25 ° C and always above the temperature of the soil.
Moisture
Another obstacle to the formation of female flowers is waterlogging. That is why skillful summer residents advise to dry the soil in the garden for several days. Do not be afraid that the leaves are slightly tucked up: such a “shake” will lead to fruiting. As soon as flowering begins, watering should be stopped, and with the appearance of the ovaries, you can return to the previous mode.
Pollination
Since male flowers are pollinated by female, and the only way the ovary is formed, it is impossible to remove empty flowers. Some novice gardeners for some reason go to this step and exacerbate the situation. Also, for full pollination, the participation of bees is necessary, therefore, if cucumbers grow in a greenhouse, you need to open it. It is even better when there are beehives nearby with these insects important for the garden.
Air temperature
Cucumbers respond to an increase in air temperature of more than 27 ° C so that the pollen of male flowers becomes sterile and no ovaries form. To neutralize this negative factor, water the plants twice a day - morning and evening, but only when the sun is low. In cold weather with temperatures below 15 ° C, watering should be completely stopped.
Lighting
Under cucumbers, a well-lit place in the southeastern part of the garden should be highlighted. When planting a crop in the shade, productivity decreases significantly or the ovary does not form at all.
Thickened crops
Plants are poorly developed, grow slowly and, accordingly, bear little fruit if sown too closely. The classic scheme for planting cucumbers is an area of 25 × 25 cm per seed.
