Growing cucumbers in a barrel from planting to harvest

Growing cucumbers in a barrel is an easy way to get a bountiful and early harvest without unnecessary hassle, using old containers that are unsuitable for their intended purpose: a leaky bucket, a large plastic or wooden container without a bottom with a volume of at least 80 liters. A rusted iron barrel is also great for creating a “vertical bed”. This method allows you to easily get an early harvest in areas with unfavorable weather conditions, for example, in the Leningrad region, and save the usable area of ​​the site by filling it with other necessary crops.

Preparing the soil and planting cucumbers in a barrel

Before planting seeds, you need to prepare in advance:

• twine or rubber band;
• scissors;
• film;
• planting material;
• humus.

It is better to choose a light place for cucumbers. The container can be filled in advance, in autumn or spring, when the snow melts, conventionally dividing its volume into three parts. If there are no holes in the bottom, they will need to be made to provide air access to the plant roots. Finely chopped branches, sawdust, fallen leaves are placed below - this will be a drainage layer. Above - manure, weeds and various organic waste, from which compost will be obtained. To speed up the process, it is advisable to use special preparations that accelerate waste processing: the contents of the barrel are spilled with their solution, and then covered with a film or lid. Ash can be added - this will have a positive effect on the fruiting of cucumbers.

A layer of nutrient soil is placed on the compost so that about 20 cm remains to the edge of the barrel: there should be room for stretching the film. You can plant seeds when the thermometer reaches + 15 ° C. For this purpose, it is better to use early hybrids, for example "Zyatek", "Othello", "Horses", "Courage", "Temp". You can plant different varieties in one container. Chinese cucumbers grow well in a barrel. 4-5 seeds are placed in a large container, no more than 2 seeds in a bucket, so that the distance between them is about 20 cm. The day before planting the plants, the contents of the barrel must be well watered so that the soil settles. After that, the required amount of earth is poured into the container.

Planting is carried out the next day: several recesses are made in the soil and a seed is placed in each of them. They can be covered not with soil, but with humus, slightly compacting the surface. No need to water. The barrel or bucket is covered with a film, securing it with twine. The film helps create a greenhouse effect and accelerates seed germination. The temperature in this greenhouse should not be lower than +10 ° C.

Advice

Instead of twine, you can use a regular linen elastic band - this will simplify the removal of the shelter, you will not need to unwind the rope every time.

Due to the fact that the seedlings are high above the ground, the likelihood of pest damage is reduced. Growing in a barrel reduces the risk of contamination of cucumbers with various infections, fungal diseases. Since the fruits do not touch the ground, they do not deform and remain even, clean and beautiful. Cucumbers prefer warm soil - in large containers it warms up faster, and overheating waste at the bottom serves for additional heating, because the yield increases, the fruits ripen earlier than in the garden.

Growing process

If there are more than 5 seeds in the container, it is advisable to transplant the extra plants to another place or remove. Cultivation of cucumbers in a barrel includes shaping, abundant watering, and top dressing. When sprouts appear, the film is removed, and the soil is regularly moistened using only warm water.In containers, the soil dries out much faster than on a regular garden bed, but complete drying of the earthen clod cannot be allowed. For watering use a watering can with a diffuser. You can fertilize cucumbers with liquid vermicompost, diluting it in a ratio of 1:30. One plant will need about a glass of solution.

When the seedlings grow up, it will be necessary to establish a support for them, making it from wooden racks with wire or placing flexible arcs around the perimeter, then direct the shoots and tie them up. With these supports, you can make a film cover for cucumbers when the nights are still too cold. If the shoots are allowed to run down the edges of the barrel without tying them up, they can break under the weight of the crop. It is important to pick ripe cucumbers on time in order to increase the fruiting period of the bushes.

Advice

The upper part of the support can be wrapped with thick paper or cloth so that it does not tear the film cover.

Plants form into one stem, pinching the stepchildren after 2-3 leaves, otherwise the cucumbers will begin to build up the green mass, and not set the fruits. In the leaf axils, stepchildren are completely removed as soon as they appear. From long shoots, there is a chance to get new plants if you try to root them in a jar of water, which is located in a place protected from direct sunlight. You can plant rooted cuttings in the garden. Stepsons will not weaken an adult bush, as it will already build up a strong root system. The soil is mulched to keep the soil moist longer; you can use dry grass, leaves, peat chips for this.

Cucumbers love warmth and abundant watering; one barrel will need half a bucket of water. Overheating organic components in the soil will generate heat and additionally heat the roots of plants. In a barrel or bucket, you need to water more often, since the soil dries out very quickly. The optimal regimen is once every 2 days. You can do automatic watering to save yourself the need to constantly moisturize the soil, for example, using ordinary plastic bottles filled with water. Several small holes are made in them and placed near the plants. The dripping drops will gradually moisten the soil. There are also special devices for such irrigation on sale.

Output

To plant cucumbers in a barrel or bucket, you do not need to buy a new one - even an old, rusted one will do. The soil for planting can be prepared in advance, in autumn or spring, when the snow melts. Garden garbage, branches, foliage are placed on the bottom of the barrel, organic waste is placed in the middle, from which compost will be obtained, on top - nutritious soil. For planting, early varieties are chosen, the seeds are planted in holes at a distance of 20 cm, covered with a film, tying it with twine or elastic band on top.

When the seedlings grow up, the greenhouse is removed, and supports are installed in the barrel, to which the shoots are tied. Watering cucumbers requires abundant. Since the soil in the barrel dries up quickly, you need to moisten the soil more often than in the garden bed. They are fed with liquid vermicompost or other organic fertilizers. At the beginning of growth, young plants require pinching. The soil can be mulched to retain moisture longer. Recommended to use autowateringby making it yourself from plastic bottles or buying it in a store.