Growing cucumbers in bags: step-by-step instructions, advantages and disadvantages, care rules, photos

What is the success of this planting method?

Strange at first glance, growing a vegetable garden in plastic bags actually successfully replaces the use of seedling containers or large containers for home planting. With minimal costs for materials and equipment for cultivating plants, you can provide them with uniform heating of the root system and faster growth of the above-ground parts, which guarantees earlier fruiting and an abundant harvest. Simply put, by filling bags with prepared nutrient soil mixture, you get small beds in any convenient place , and caring for them will be much easier than in the same ordinary greenhouse.

Did you know? The longest cucumber in the Guinness Book of Records grew in the garden of British farmer Alf Cobb in 2008. Its length was 91.7 cm, and this despite the fact that the previous similar record of the same gardener was 89.2 cm.

Advantages and disadvantages

There are many advantages of using this particular method of growing cucumbers, but along with them there are also some disadvantages that slightly cloud the overall picture. For this reason, in order to make a final decision, it is worth studying all the advantages and disadvantages of cultivating cucumbers in bags.

The list of advantages includes the following:
saving space in the garden beds, which is especially important for small garden plots;
simplicity and ease of care for growing plantings (for example, weeds do not actively develop in bags);
earlier terms of obtaining a tasty and high-quality harvest;
long fruiting period;
reduced likelihood of diseases and crop pests appearing, but even if this happens, it will be much easier to cope with the problem.
A significant advantage is also the ability to preserve harvested vegetables longer, since they did not touch the ground during cultivation.

As for the weaknesses of this method, first of all these are:
it is difficult to control the humidity of the substrate, and in case of waterlogging, the root system of plants quickly rots, and they themselves quickly die (for gardeners who come to the site once a week, this is not the most successful planting option);
the impossibility of successfully using bags in regions with a dry and arid climate, since a rapid increase in soil temperature contributes to the drying out of the root system;
the likelihood of damage to bags and scattering of soil under the influence of ultraviolet solar radiation (for this reason, the selection of suitable products should be approached with all responsibility, giving preference mainly to dense materials).

With sufficient attention to the plantings, all of these disadvantages can be minimized, significantly increasing the chances of successfully growing cucumber crops in bags or sacks.

Preparing planting bags

The most suitable for the procedure are wicker bags made of sugar or flour; ordinary polyethylene bags are also suitable, but they are less durable. The container volume should be about 80-100 liters.

The process of preparing the container is simple: organic debris should be placed at the bottom - hay, dried grass, tree branches or bark, small wood chips. Then a little more than half of the total volume of the container is filled with pre-prepared soil, watered well and tied with burlap. After this, the container is placed in a warm, sunny place for at least a week so that the earth warms up.

The next stage is placing the bags in a permanent place. If there are no pallets, the bags are lightly dug into the ground so that they stand steadily. The containers are placed next to each other, leaving a small distance between them so that the seedlings do not get tangled and it is convenient to harvest.

Be sure to prepare bags for planting

A wooden stick up to 2 m in length is driven into the center of each container to the very bottom. At the upper end of the stick, hammer a nail into the middle and bend it into a loop. Ropes are tied to it so that the cucumber lashes can curl. From all sides with a radius of approximately 10 cm, 4 plastic or polyethylene tubes are inserted almost to the very bottom, through which water will flow. The lower end of the tube is covered with clay or plasticine, and a watering hose is attached to the upper end.

Water 2-3 times a week with warm water. Water goes directly to the roots through the tubes without soaking the leaves. Also, small triangles with sides of 3 cm are cut out on both sides of each bag in a checkerboard pattern for ventilation. As many cuts are made as the number of seedlings bushes are supposed to be grown in one container. After this, you can plant cucumbers.

Preparatory work

Technically, planting cucumbers in bags is a more labor-intensive process than placing them in open ground . But by strictly observing all the requirements for preparing materials and performing the planting actions themselves, even a novice gardener can cope with the task.

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Preparing bags and fertile soil

The first thing you should find out at the preparatory stage is what exactly you are going to work with : polyethylene or burlap (you can use thick sugar bags). Their number should be calculated based on the number of available seedlings, so that individual specimens have enough space in the finished “bed”. In addition to bags, you should also prepare peat soil, tubes, twine and wooden sticks, not to mention seeds or cucumber seedlings. All bags must be durable, preferably new and pre-disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or any other disinfectant.

After the material has dried, the products are filled with a nutrient substrate, adhering to the following recommendations:

Considering the fact that the soil mixture in the bag will only reach half of its total volume, the upper edges are wrapped with a roller, which will later serve as a limit for the improvised mini-bed.
At the bottom of the product it is worth placing a layer of manure, chicken droppings, straw, kitchen waste (preferably dried), last year's leaves and thin twigs (anything that is usually used for making compost will do). The thickness of such a layer should be about 20–30 cm.
The finished pillow is compacted and well moistened, for which clean hot water or a mixture of water and preparations to accelerate the formation of compost (for example, the “Shine” composition) is usually used.
When growing cucumbers at home (on a terrace or balcony), you should immediately place a basin or other suitable container under the bag, into which excess liquid should drain after watering.
On top of the prepared base, you should pour 3-4 buckets of the prepared soil mixture, which includes soil and humus taken from the site, in a ratio of 2:1 or 1:1, which will depend on the level of natural fertility of the prepared land. To improve the characteristics of the substrate, you can add 1-2 cups of wood ash to the resulting mixture or use only special universal soil for garden crops. The soil layer is usually at least 20 cm.
Several small punctures should be made with a knife in the lower end part of the bag, which will protect the cucumber rhizome from stagnation of irrigation liquid and rotting of the roots.

Important! Fill the bag with soil only in the place where you plan to further grow adult plants, since transporting the finished “bed” is a very labor-intensive task.
In addition to the described method of performing preparatory activities, there are some other options for growing plants in bags:

To create horizontal beds, the product is filled with soil to the very top, after which another bag is put on the side of the neck and attached to the one already filled with soil. To plant cucumbers, a suitable hole is cut from the end side, after which the plantings can either be laid on the ground or hung in the desired place.
You can also organize a garden bed in bags with ready-made substrate, with a volume of at least 20 liters. They are laid horizontally on the prepared surface, and then suitable holes are arranged for planting seeds or seedlings of the required crop.
Sometimes it is practiced to plant in bags, bags or other similar products, which, as in the first case, are half filled with nutritious soil mixture, and holes are made in the lower part.

With a small number of seedlings, any of the above options can be used, but it is most convenient to grow plants in large, half-filled bags.

Seed preparation

Preparing seed material for sowing in bags is carried out in exactly the same way as when planting in open soil or in greenhouse beds. The list of main preparatory activities in this case includes the following actions (sometimes performed step by step):

Seed calibration with the selection of the best specimens, without signs of damage by diseases and pests (usually manifested by spots on the surface).
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Disinfection of planting material using a 1% solution of potassium permanganate or special antibacterial drugs, such as the composition “Fitosporin-M” or “Baxis” (soaking is carried out for no longer than 20–30 minutes, unless another time is indicated on the package with the composition).
Warming up the planting material before sowing into the soil (the seeds are exposed to temperatures within +40°C for several hours). Unfortunately, it is very difficult to control this process at home, so in order to protect the seeds from unnecessary stress, it is worth once again reconsidering the appropriateness of warming up the planting material in each individual case.
Soaking cucumber seeds. This method of pre-planting treatment is the most popular and involves placing the selected planting material on a damp cloth or gauze, so that the liquid covers only the lower part of the seeds, and the top is exposed to air. The period of aging the seeds in such conditions is 1-2 days or until the upper shell cracks, which will speed up the germination of plants after planting in the ground.
Germination of seeds. This method of preparation will be relevant for those cases where there are doubts about the quality of the purchased seeds, but it is usually used infrequently. The essence of preparation comes down to spraying the material with water from a spray bottle and removing the top layer of skin with a toothpick, after which the inner part is placed on a damp cotton pad and left for a day at a temperature of +25...+28°C, periodically moistening the surface.

Usually, all these procedures will be sufficient to obtain high-quality seedlings in the future, but in order to further increase the chances of seeds to successfully form seedlings, some gardeners resort to enriching the planting material with oxygen (bubbling). Of course, you can simply choose the most suitable seeds and immediately plant them in bags of soil, but then you cannot guarantee the complete germination of young seedlings, and the more seeds sprout, the greater the chance of obtaining a bountiful harvest of fruit.
Did you know? Cucumber juice relieves pain from burns, so it is recommended to place thin slices of chopped vegetables on the affected area or prepare a compress from the pulp of the fruit.

Sowing cucumbers in a bag

Planting cucumbers in a bag can be done in two main ways: using seedlings or simply prepared seeds. In general, both procedures are almost completely consistent with those carried out in open ground, but they still have their own characteristics.

Seeds

Sowing cucumber seeds in bags is carried out only when the average daily ambient temperature is within +15°C and the threat of return frosts has passed. In the central regions of the Russian Federation, such conditions are created no earlier than May, so it is better to plant cucumbers at this time. In one bag with a volume of 50 kg you can place 2–4 cucumber seeds (the exact quantity depends on the varietal characteristics of the selected crop), deepening them into the soil at least 2 cm.

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At the end of the planting activities, all that remains is to moisten the substrate and cover the cucumbers with plastic film, which should speed up the germination of the seeds. If necessary, plants can be replanted at the age of 30–35 days.

In order for the bag with the crop to turn over, it is fixed using prepared sticks and twine , additionally adding a certain amount of soil from the outside.

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Seedlings

Planting grown cucumber seedlings in bags is a more difficult task than sowing seeds, because the main thing is to maintain the integrity of the root system of small plants. To eliminate possible troubles, a few days before moving the seedlings to new conditions, water the cucumbers generously with water, and make small depressions in a bag of soil, the dimensions of which will correspond to the size of the earthen ball from the previous seedling container. The bottom of the resulting hole must be moistened with warm water, and then carefully remove the plant from its previous place of growth and place it in new soil along with a lump of earth.

You cannot pull the plant by the stem, and if it is difficult to remove it from the cup, then it is better to simply turn the container over and gently tap on the bottom.

It is very easy to place an earthen lump braided with roots in a dug hole, and then gradually fill it with the remaining substrate. The soil around the stem part is compacted, and a little more soil is added on top, up to the level of the cotyledon leaves. With further care, the seedlings need to be regularly moistened , and if the bag is in a well-lit place, then it should also be shaded a little from direct sunlight. Fine mesh, tulle or spunbond are perfect for the role of covering material.

Important! The number of seedlings per bag depends on the characteristics of a particular variety: it is advisable to place vigorous crops 1-2 copies, and representatives of small varieties - 3-4 per “bed”.

Preparing fertile soil

Planting cucumbers in bags of fertile soil requires compliance with certain soil preparation rules. For the harvest, it is necessary to select the soil according to the following criteria:

10 kg of soil;
12 kg of humus;
a tablespoon of superphosphate;
a glass of wood ash;
a teaspoon of potassium fertilizer.

All components are mixed thoroughly, and the rest of the package is filled. After the bag is filled with soil, you need to take a stick up to 2 meters long and stick it in the center into the soil. It is also necessary to use a pipe sealed at the end with a large number of holes for irrigation.

Rules for caring for seedlings

Caring for cucumber seedlings in bags begins from the day they are planted in the soil and involves regular moistening of the substrate, feeding the plants and the formation of seedlings, which has a beneficial effect on the future harvest. If you believe the reviews of gardeners, then growing cucumbers in a bag is as easy as planting them in such containers, the main thing is to know about some basic rules for carrying out all activities.

Bush formation

A properly formed plant not only looks more attractive, but also contributes to the abundant formation of fruit ovaries , therefore, already in the first stages of growing cucumber seedlings, it is important to promptly remove side shoots and other plant debris (for example, damaged or diseased leaves). Usually they try to form cucumbers into one stem, cutting off all unnecessary side branches. As soon as the plant reaches 45–50 cm, all lower leaves, shoots and flowers must be removed (the “blinding” procedure). Until the plant grows to 1 m, all lateral branches are pinched at the level of one leaf, so that only 1 ovary and 2-3 leaf blades remain.

A one- or one-and-a-half-meter plant is formed somewhat differently , leaving all the side shoots at 3-4 nodes, and so that 2 ovaries and 3-4 leaves continue to grow on each branch. If the plant continues to grow tall, you can throw it over the trellis and continue pinching it at the level of the third leaf, leaving 3-4 ovaries and the same number of leaf blades. In the future, when the maximum permissible length is reached (it is different for each variety), you should pinch the top of the main shoot at a height of 20 cm from the ground surface.

For the normal formation of cucumber bushes, even in bags, you will have to install appropriate supports to which you can tie the remaining vines after pruning. After more than five leaf blades have formed on the bush, the entire plant is tied to twine, pre-attached to the top of a wooden support (usually installed in the center of the bag).

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Watering and fertilizing

In order for the planted cucumbers to grow strong and produce a stable harvest of quality fruits, they need to be watered regularly throughout the entire period of growth and development, keeping the soil in the bag slightly moist . On hot days, the regularity of watering is once every 2-3 days, and the procedure itself is performed mainly in the evening, using warm, well-settled water. At the beginning of flowering bushes, the regularity of soil moisture can be slightly reduced, which will ensure better fruit set. However, if the cucumber bushes begin to wilt, watering is resumed according to the usual pattern.

We must not forget about the need to fertilize the crop. During the entire growing season, fertilizers are applied three times: the first time after the first shoots appear (a weak solution of chicken manure is used, diluted in water in a ratio of 1:15), the second - during flowering (ready-made phosphorus-potassium compounds will be useful), and the third - at the beginning of active fruiting, using superphosphate fertilizer.

To protect plants from root rot, it is useful to spill the soil in bags with a solution of brilliant green, prepared by mixing 10 drops of the substance with a bucket of water.

Important! If an infusion of herbs collected from the area is used to feed cucumbers, make sure that it is dominated by nettles and dandelions, but it is not advisable to use wheatgrass.

Growing rules

Cucumbers are one of the crops that are sensitive to growing conditions.

Properly selected soil is of great importance for them. The soil for cucumbers should be moderately loose, fertile, moist and sufficiently warm. When planting in large garden plots, to fulfill this condition, you need to know the exact period for planting the seeds and carefully prepare the soil. But growing cucumbers in bags is much easier.

In planting containers, plant roots develop faster and grow deeper, which allows them to receive large amounts of essential nutrients. In open ground, it is difficult to saturate a thick layer of soil with microelements, provide oxygen saturation and warm up to a greater depth. As a result, the root system does not grow deeper, but remains on the surface, and can dry out during hot periods. Also, young roots can be damaged during loosening the soil and thereby reduce the yield or even destroy the plant.

Stages

Plants need good care

Growing cucumbers in bags is carried out in several stages:

Selection and preparation of a landing site.
Preparing containers for cucumbers.
Soil preparation.
Planting planting material or prepared seedlings.

The technology is practiced mainly in the southern regions, since the warm climate contributes to the early start of the growing season and cultural development. Before planting, the seeds are checked, treated with a growth stimulant, soaked, and only after that they are planted in bags to a depth of 5 cm. In the northern part, cucumbers are planted using seedlings.

To grow healthy seedlings, they need to be watered abundantly. This also helps to easily remove a lump of earth from the container without damaging the young roots. Prepared holes in containers are watered with warm water and seedlings are placed in them, then covered with earth, lightly compressed and sprinkled with loose soil up to the first leaves.

It is important to plant the seedlings in a permanent place in time, as soon as the third leaf appears on the seedlings. If planted later, there is a risk that the plant will not take root or will become diseased. To properly plant cucumbers in bags and get a large harvest, you need to follow all the steps step by step and ensure proper care of the plants.

Harvesting and increasing bush productivity

Harvesting cucumbers grown in bags is carried out according to the general scenario for plants of a particular variety . The only thing we can hope for is an earlier period of ripening of the first greens, but only if the culture was provided with all the conditions for this. Young fruits should be collected daily, avoiding over-ripening . Firstly, in this form they will be tastier, and secondly, the bush will be able to form a new ovary and soon another good harvest will appear (the fruiting period may extend over time).

Perhaps in a photo or video, cucumbers in bags seem like a funny and ridiculous idea, but in practice, many gardeners have confirmed the success of using this particular method of planting this crop. Moreover, there is no need to immediately plant hundreds of cucumber bushes, because to ensure the effectiveness of their cultivation, it is enough to place 5-10 plants in bags, organizing full care of the “beds”.

Planting cucumbers

There are two ways to grow cucumbers in plastic or wicker bags: seeds and seedlings. If you decide to plant cucumber seeds in large containers, it is better to sow them not only in holes on the surface, but also deep in the ground. To do this, about 10 cuts of at least 5 cm in length are made on the sides and the seed is placed in the soil, and then the soil is lightly compacted. This method allows the seeds to germinate quickly; the first shoots will appear within a week.

When planting seedlings, it is important not to damage the young roots. You need to make a hole in the soil the same size as the lump of earth from the seedling glass and lightly water it with warm water, then carefully remove the lump of earth and place it in the hole. For the first 4 days, the seedlings are watered abundantly and shaded so that they do not get scorched in the sun. During this time, young plants manage to adapt to new conditions and begin to grow further.

Problems when planting cucumbers in bags and boxes

One of the main problems with this method of growing cucumbers is uniform and sufficient soil moisture. Many gardeners nowadays use drip irrigation , which allows for efficient use of water. At the same time, the soil does not become waterlogged or dry out, which is very important for the normal formation of the bush, abundant flowering and obtaining a high-quality harvest. Another problem can be excess sunlight, or more precisely the effect of direct sunlight on plants. Therefore, it is better to choose a place to place the bags in the sparse shade of trees, hedges, near buildings, or on an open shaded veranda. The next problem that gardeners may encounter is excessive planting density. It is important to remember that for the normal development of each bush, a certain space is necessary. If you plant a lot of seeds or seedlings in one bag, they will develop poorly and bear fruit poorly. Therefore, it is better to grow five full-fledged plants than fifteen - but without a good harvest. If you follow all the rules and recommendations for growing cucumbers in bags, you can get a rich harvest of early cucumbers. Using this advanced technology, city residents will be able to enjoy delicious vegetables from a vertical garden bed on their balcony all summer long. And summer residents get consistently high yields, regardless of the vicissitudes of the weather.