The reasons why cucumbers are bitter in the greenhouse and what to do about it
Cucumber is a delicious and healthy vegetable. Everyone knows that. However, many often face the problem of bitterness in fruits and do not know what to do about it. Harvesting such vegetables leaves an unpleasant residue. Of course, you can eat bitter cucumbers without the skin, because it is easy to cut it off with a knife. But, it should be borne in mind that a peeled vegetable is less useful. It is in the peel of cucumbers that most of the micro- and macroelements, as well as nutrients, are contained. Therefore, the problem of bitterness can and should be fought. This is what our article is about.
Unfortunately, both greenhouse vegetables and those grown in open soil are susceptible to the appearance of bitterness in cucumbers.
There are different opinions among gardeners and gardeners regarding the nature of the origin of the bitter taste of cucumbers. Some believe that the soil is to blame, or rather, its composition. Others are convinced that the bitterness in cucumbers is caused by a lack of water or nutrition. And someone is sure that everything depends on the type of vegetable.
Science has an answer to the question "why cucumbers are bitter". It is believed that bitterness appears due to the accumulation of the substance cucurbitacin in the vegetable skin. The brighter the sun shines, the more this substance accumulates, and the cucumbers become very bitter. A similar explanation will satisfy those who grow plants in open soil. But why are there bitter cucumbers in the greenhouse, and what to do about it?
It has been proven that the taste of vegetables depends on the conditions of care. In the greenhouse, ideally correct conditions are not always created, which is why cucumbers have a bitter taste. Indeed, in order to get a good harvest in a greenhouse, you need to organize the correct watering, timely sub-crusting, set the optimum air temperature and not injure the plant.
What contributes to bitterness
In addition to the above reasons (insufficient moisture, dry air, dryness and a decrease in soil fertility), a number of factors contribute to the bitterness of fruits:
- The lighting is too bright. It is necessary to control the amount of light entering the greenhouse, as well as the brightness of artificial lighting.
- Incorrect harvesting of seeds. Gardeners who collect seeds on their own often forget that non-bitter offspring can be obtained only from the first third of the fruit. Near the "tail" are seeds that bear bitter fruits.
- Low quality seeds. All amateur gardeners should follow all the agronomic innovations. After all, varieties that have recently appeared on the market have a gene in their DNA that protects against the accumulation of cucurbitacin. True, such vegetables are hybrids that cannot be propagated by seeds.
How to prevent
So that after harvesting and while eating the fruits, you do not wonder why cucumbers are bitter, you need to prevent this phenomenon.
You can avoid bitterness by watering the plants with heated water, increasing the amount of watering in hot conditions. When the plant is "young", it is enough to water it a couple of times a week, and during flowering you need to water it daily. Moreover, it is advisable to do this in a sunny color with open vents. If necessary, the walls of the room can be sprayed with water.
In addition, the garden bed must be plowed and fertilized periodically (potassium nitrate or Ekoberin is perfect). You need to feed the plant in the greenhouse more often than in the open field, on average - once a week.
It is important to establish the correct temperature and humidity conditions in the greenhouse. At night, it is optimal to maintain the room temperature at the level of 18-22 degrees, after which it should be raised to the level of daytime values of 24-28 degrees. That is, a heated greenhouse is best suited for growing cucumbers.
The pickling of cucumbers is very important when forming a bush. In the greenhouse, this process increases yields and prevents thickening. Lateral stems, tendrils and female flowers are usually removed.
We can say that the main prevention of bitterness is the eradication of the causes of this phenomenon.
Varieties without bitterness
Breeders in their own way are trying to solve the question of why cucumbers are bitter. To prevent cucurbitacin from being produced, they develop special varieties of vegetables with a specific gene. It is very easy to purchase the seeds of such fruits. This information is indicated on the label. Gerasim F1, Garland F1, Doka F1, Egoza F1 - these are some varieties that are not subject to bitterness. These cucumbers do not have the same expressive taste as common vegetables that tend to accumulate cucurbitacin.
How to remove bitterness from fruits
There are several simple methods that can be used to make cucumbers non-bitter.
First, you can cut the tails from vegetables before use. This method is effective, since bitterness accumulates at the place of attachment of the stalk to the vegetable.
Secondly, you can, by cutting off the ends of the cucumber on both sides, put the vegetables in salted water.
Thirdly, you can cut off the skin of the fruit. It will become less useful, but not bitter.
Do not forget that bitter cucumbers can be successfully pickled and canned. After all, the unpleasant taste disappears during heat treatment.
So, now you know why cucumbers are bitter and how to grow sweet fruits in a greenhouse. It is not difficult to get an excellent harvest if you follow all the recommendations and rules. Do you want to please your family and friends with homemade vegetables? It is in your power to do everything to make the cucumbers from your garden the most delicious and healthy.
Video "Causes of the bitterness of cucumbers"
Listen to the opinion of the expert of the newspaper "Gardener" about the causes of bitterness in cucumbers and the possibilities of their prevention.