If there is very little space: three unusual ways to grow cucumbers

A small garden can make a summer resident face a choice of which vegetables to plant and which to abandon. However, this does not apply to cucumbers, because this vegetable ripens on climbing shoots that can be placed extremely conveniently and compactly anywhere, even on the balcony of a city apartment.

Experienced gardeners advise as many as three ways to grow cucumbers compactly. OBOZ.UA learned their secrets.

Growing on trellises

The ability of the cucumber vine to grow upward, clinging to the support, makes it convenient for growing on trellises. You can place such a bed at the very edge of the garden, allocating a narrow strip of land directly under the fence.

Before planting cucumbers in such a bed, organic fertilizers are applied at the rate of 10 kg per square meter, and the soil is dug up about 20-25 cm deep without loosening the clods. Next, install a suitable support structure and place the trellis grid on it. The distance between such posts should be about 50 cm, so the structure will be the most durable. Next, the wire on which the mesh is suspended is stretched in three rows. It is best to choose a variant with square or rectangular cells with a cross section of 15 or 18 cm.

The soil on such a vertical cucumber bed needs to be mulched. Both organic matter – straw, sawdust, etc. – and agrofilm are suitable for this purpose. Seedlings are transferred here when the soil warms up to 14 degrees steadily. The young sprouts are spread manually on the trellis until the first really strong tendrils appear. Then they will begin to cling to the support on their own and the cucumber will form a vertical bed where the fruits will not have contact with the ground, which is definitely a plus.

Growing in a barrel

Cucumber bushes do well not only in the open field. The vegetable can be grown in such a limited space as a barrel, for example. Such a bed can be placed in a corner that is not suitable for gardening and can be easily moved from place to place.

Metal barrels are best suited for this type of cultivation. They should be filled with a variety of plant waste, such as husks or fallen leaves, which are mixed with grass clippings, soil, and humus in layers. For the substrate to ferment well, you need to add preparations of active soil microorganisms, pour heated water over it, and cover it with polyethylene for 1.5-2 weeks. When the substrate has settled, you will need to add new layers of organic matter on top and repeat the fermentation. You need to prepare the bed in this way until it warms up enough to plant cucumbers.

When the weather is warm, the fermented mixture is covered with a layer of soil about 10 cm thick, poured with boiling water, a slightly acidic manganese solution is added, and the seeds are sown. The crops are covered with polyethylene. When the first shoots appear, frame mounts should be mounted on the barrel. Shoots will grow on them. You can also easily arrange drip irrigation in such a bed by burying a vessel with water in the soil.

Growing in a bag

Instead of a barrel, you can also use old sacks for a cucumber bed. The main thing is that they should be strong enough to hold the substrate and water you will use to water the plants. 100-liter cereal bags are best. You will also need a 2-meter pole, a spool of cord for tying, 10 stakes for building a hut, and 3 watering tubes with a 0.3-meter section.

Start by filling the bag with soil and inserting a wooden pole in the center. At the top of this pole, you need to drive a few hooks or nails to attach the cord to. Around the pole, install irrigation pipes with holes pierced in them along their entire length. To better monitor the condition of the substrate, it is worth making several holes about halfway up the bag.

Three seedlings can be planted in one such bed. When the tendrils appear on them, you will need to drive stakes around the bag and fasten a cord to them, which you will stretch to the top of the pole. It is along them that the plant will grow.

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