5 reasons why cucumbers bloom but don't set fruit

So, if cucumbers aren't setting fruit, you should check for and, if any, eliminate any negative factors affecting this process. These could include temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius, relative humidity above 90 percent, lack of pollination, or insufficient soil nutrients.

Pollination

Many people wonder whether it's worth removing barren flowers. Yes, removing them can improve pollination. But they quickly turn yellow and fall off, even though they grow quite quickly. Therefore, it's up to the gardener to decide whether to do this.

Some hybrid varieties with predominantly female flowers may fail to pollinate due to a lack of male flowers. To correct this, you need to sow another cucumber variety for pollination.

A lack of pollination can also be caused by prolonged cool weather, which prevents pollinating insects from flying and failing to do their job. Then, the foliage grows, but there is no fruit.

But this can be remedied by pollinating the flowers by hand while they're in bloom. To do this, take the male flowers, pluck the petals, and carefully place them inside the female ones. You can also pollinate the stigma of the female flower with a brush.

Thickening

Why is proper planting of cucumber seedlings so important for fruit set? Because if the plants become too crowded, they won't produce fruit. But this can be remedied by weeding the plants.

It's important to ensure timely harvesting. Overripe fruits prevent new ovaries from forming. Some varieties recommend harvesting every other day or even every day, as they grow quite quickly.

Violation of growing conditions

To obtain an ovary and, as a result, a good harvest, there are a number of conditions that, if observed, can be used to grow a certain crop.

One of the conditions for properly growing cucumbers is proper watering. Seedlings shouldn't be watered with water colder than 25 degrees Celsius, but in any case, the water shouldn't be colder than the soil.

But overwatering is just as bad as underwatering. The key is to maintain the right balance. If the soil is overwatered, allow it to dry out for a few days. After the soil dries out and the leaves begin to wilt slightly, numerous female flowers will emerge, leading to the formation of cucumber ovaries. However, avoid allowing the soil to dry out too much, as this can kill the plant.

Proximity to groundwater can also have a detrimental effect on plant growth and yield. This is because cucumbers have a fairly extensive root system, and such conditions can simply destroy it.

Ambient temperature is also a key factor for a good cucumber harvest. High temperatures can kill the plant, and frost also has a detrimental effect on fruiting.

Bad seeds

Often, the cause of barren flowers and a lack of fruit stems lies in the quality of the seeds. If fresh seeds are sown, only male flowers (barren flowers) will likely grow. If seeds are two or three years old, on the contrary, female flowers will appear first, followed by only male flowers. If the age of the seeds cannot be determined, but they need to be planted after warming them before planting, then female flowers will appear much earlier, along with the male barren flowers.

For good seed germination, it's important to monitor the phosphorus level in the soil. Potassium fertilizers are also important.

There are cucumber varieties where female flowers form later. These are late-season cucumbers. Under these conditions, you need to wait a little longer than usual for fruiting to occur.

Hardening off swollen seeds is beneficial. To do this, swollen seeds are placed in the refrigerator for several days, then dried and sown. Such hardened seeds germinate earlier. They can even germinate at lower temperatures than usually required.

The optimal temperature for seed germination is twelve to thirteen degrees Celsius. Hardened seeds can germinate at a temperature of ten degrees Celsius.

Nutrient imbalance

A nutrient imbalance is also a significant cause of cucumber fruit failure, when one micronutrient predominates in the soil while the other is deficient. This imbalance can be disrupted by an excess of nitrogen fertilizers in the soil. This excess wastes the plant's energy into excessive leaf growth and barren flowers.

For cucumbers to produce good fruit, a balanced nutrient balance is essential in the soil. To improve the soil's condition, phosphate fertilizers or wood ash infusions are suitable. A superphosphate extract is also suitable. Prepare this extract at a rate of two tablespoons of the mixture per ten liters of hot water.

If the soil's nutrients are deficient, numerous ovaries may form, but they may fall off due to lack of vigor. Therefore, if the plant has produced enough flowers, they should be fed every seven days with an infusion of mullein and urea. Many recipes and tips can also be found online.

To ensure optimal organic matter content in the soil, apply manure, humus, or compost under the plants at a rate of one bucket per square meter of soil.

In sandy soils, cucumbers need magnesium, so it is good to add Kalimag to such soil.

If all the negative factors preventing the plant from bearing fruit normally have been eliminated, but nothing helps—the cucumbers are blooming but the ovaries aren't developing—an alternative is to pinch off the tops of the foliage. This will stop the stem from growing longer, encourage the growth of lateral shoots, and, consequently, the growth of female flowers.

To increase the plant's resistance to stressful situations, it is necessary to carry out foliar feeding of cucumbers.

Video: "Why cucumbers aren't setting fruit"

This video is about the secrets of pollinating cucumbers in a greenhouse and the possible reasons why ovaries fail to develop.