You care, water, you waste strength and time in the hope of a rich harvest. And it turns out that with such difficulty, grown cucumbers simply can not be eaten. One such specimen will fall into the salad, and even though the whole salad bowl is turned out. From the bitter cheekbones brings. What's the matter? Why such injustice?
Causes of cucumber bitterness
"Why cucumbers are bitter?" - This question has long worried farmers. Different hypotheses were put forward at different times, but the main reason was insufficient watering. Now the main causes of bitter cucumber are found:
- presence of cucumber in cucumber;
- insufficient watering;
- dry air;
- too bright lighting;
- dryness of soil;
- clayey depleted soil;
- sharp changes in temperature;
- watering with cold water;
- substandard seeds;
- incorrect harvesting of seeds.
Here is a list of all the reasons why cucumbers are bitter. Let us consider in more detail each of them.
Cucurbitin is contained in cucumber. As soon as the plant begins to experience stress, for one reason or another, cucurbitacin begins to develop bitterness.
And stress cucumbers experience from all the above reasons.
So, in order to rid the cucumber of bitterness, you need to save it from stress and provide the plant with the necessary care.
We care for the cucumber correctly
- About the fact that the cucumber very much loves moist, light and fertile soil is known to all. Watering with warm water, and on especially hot days to arrange sprinkling by means of special installations - one of the ways to grow sweet crispy cucumbers.
- With temperature differences, too, everything is clear. If it's very hot, then you need to remove the film, or open the windows in the greenhouse. If the nights are cold, then, accordingly, cucumbers need to be insulated.>
- Cucumbers like a light shadow. If they are planted in an open area under the scorching rays of the sun, then the cucumber will also become bitter from the stress experienced.
- Cucumber is very responsive to top dressing with nitrogen fertilizer. Feed the plants with a solution of Mullein , and fertilize the beds with manure, in order to obtain a plentiful harvest of sweet cucumbers.
- Now about the seeds. Those gardeners who prefer to harvest seeds themselves, sometimes violate the main principle - to take only those seeds that are located in the first third of the cucumber. Seeds that are closer to the tail, most often give bitter offspring.
- Cucumbers grown from seeds of old varieties are bitter. Many truck farmers do not like to take risks and buy new items. But in vain. Breeders tirelessly bring out the best new varieties of cucumbers without bitterness. In plants of a new generation, the gene that is responsible for producing cucurbitin is simply destroyed. Not bitter varieties of cucumbers - mostly hybrids. They can not be propagated by their seeds, as in hybrid varieties the quality of the variety is not transmitted through the seed.
Why does the cucumber have bitter but the cucumber is sweet? Just bitterness begins to form in the back of the fetus. And then, with prolonged stress, can spread to the entire cucumber. By the way, bitter cucumber, mostly, skin, and not flesh. So cleaning the vegetable helps sometimes to get rid of bitterness.
It turns out that bitter cucumbers are not tasty, but terribly useful. The bitter skin of a cucumber can even slow down the growth of tumors. Like all bitterness, the bitterness of cucumber contributes to better digestion, very useful for the liver.
If you got a harvest of bitter cucumbers, what to do with them ? Really have to throw? Of course not. Bitter cucumbers can be salted and canned. Under the influence of heat treatment, the bitter taste of cucumbers is lost.
Now you know all the reasons why cucumbers are bitter. And you can minimize the appearance of bitter fruits, even if they are useful for therapeutic purposes. We wish you that your cucumbers grow sweet and crispy, so that neither they nor you get into stressful situations.