Everyone faces this problem at least once a season on their plot. Barren flowers, also known as male flowers, appear due to varietal characteristics or seed quality. Some of it depends on agricultural technology.
Let's figure out why this happened to the cucumbers and whether it is possible to somehow save the future harvest.
Barren flowers
Male flowers form first and at the bottom of the main stem. Then there is some alternation, and closer to the top the number of female flowers may increase. But not always.
Why are there more male flowers?
This happens with seedlings grown from seeds collected from last year's harvest.
Air temperature and lighting (lack of light) also contribute to the formation of barren flowers.
The same thing happens with dense planting, overdose of nitrogen fertilizers, and also due to over-moistening of the soil.
What to do
1. In the case of cucumbers, it is better to choose seeds that are no younger than 2 and no older than 4 years. One-year-old seeds are heated for 1.5-2.5 months at room temperature or dried in the oven - but this must be done carefully, otherwise they can be spoiled.
2. You can use the preparations "Zircon" or its analogues (before sowing seeds) to increase the yield.
3. Cucumbers love organic fertilizers, and superphosphate should be added before sowing.
4. If the abundance of male flowers is off the charts, it is recommended to pinch the main stem (top). Lateral shoots will soon begin to branch out, and female flowers will appear on them.
5. You also need to pay attention to the temperature of the water used for watering, it cannot be lower than 25 degrees Celsius. And during flowering, watering is reduced or stopped altogether, which also reduces the risk of barren flowers.
