Estonia's crops struggling amid summer rainfall

Estonia's cucumber season will be delayed this year due to rainfall and nighttime frosts. A good yield is not expected for any crop.
While temperatures remain similar to this year, the summer has seen more rainfall. Cucumbers are the most affected by the rain.
Kenaste Farm's Ilona Jaanikesing said that she sympathizes with small-scale gardeners, as their harvest is likely to be modest.
"It will noy be a cucumber year for them, nor a potato year. Overall, it's going to be a very, very poor year," said Jaanikesing.
Even crops that usually benefit from the rainy weather, such as cabbage, peas, and beans, are struggling this year.
Priit Põldma, a horticulture lecturer at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, said excess rainfall is behind the poor cucumber growth. The lack of oxygen in the soil caused by the rain delays development.
The weather affects all types of crops. "A plant does not want to grow with its roots underwater. There must be enough oxygen in the soil for plants to grow properly," Põldma said.
He added that cucumbers also need warmer temperatures and more oxygen-rich soil.
"The nights have still been relatively cool. Ideally, cucumbers would like nighttime temperatures above 15 degrees Celsius," the lecturer said.
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Editor: Helen Wright