Cucumbers are a demanding crop. When grown, they occupy a considerable area. Not all gardeners have the opportunity to allocate a lot of land for them - the size of the plot does not allow it. In addition, cucumbers produce the maximum yield when grown on soil rich in organic matter and well-warmed, so a warm bed is prepared for their cultivation, and this is a process that requires considerable labor. We have to look for unconventional ways to grow everyone’s favorite crop. And one of them is cucumbers in a barrel. At its core, this is the same warm bed, only located vertically. It is clear that it will take up much less space, and the result will pleasantly surprise you. How to grow cucumbers in a barrel at the dacha? Let's look at the process in detail.
Interesting Facts
- Ninety-five percent of the vegetable consists of liquid.
- Square-shaped cucumbers were developed in the UAE.
- In Egypt, cucumbers were placed in the sarcophagi of the pharaohs along with other precious gifts.
- The first greenhouses were built in Ancient Rome by order of Emperor Tiberius, a great admirer of this vegetable.
- A kilogram of cucumbers contains only one and a half hundred calories, therefore, this is a dietary product.
- Napoleon gave a significant monetary reward to anyone who could invent a method of storing fresh cucumbers so that they could be taken on military campaigns.
- In the cities of Nezhin and Lukhovtsy, monuments to the cucumber were erected.
Unconventional method
It is hardly possible to meet the owner of a country plot who does not grow cucumbers and tomatoes in the garden, does not boast about the harvest received, and how to grow vegetables.
Let's consider one original option - how to grow cucumbers in a barrel.
This method is very common in China, and has recently become very popular in Russia. Let's consider what positive and negative aspects this method has.
How to collect correctly?
Harvesting is necessary when the fruits reach technical ripeness. If the cucumber should be 7-8 cm in size, there is no point in leaving it on the bush longer. It is better to pick it a little earlier so that it does not become overripe and lose its quality characteristics.
Collection should be carried out daily or every two days, preferably at the same time. It could be either early morning or evening. It is better not to disturb the plant during the day. Watering is carried out after harvesting the fruits. You need to pick it with your hands or carefully trim the stem with scissors so as not to damage the stalk.
Growing in a barrel is a great way to increase the yield of cucumbers and significantly reduce labor costs. Use our tips and you can make sure that one barrel is equal to a large bed. Have a good harvest!
pros
Green vegetables are a very capricious crop and require compliance with a number of conditions. Growing cucumbers in a barrel at the dacha has a number of undoubted positive aspects:
- saves space, which is very important for owners of small plots of land;
- the ability to equip a garden bed in a place that is absolutely unsuitable for a traditional vegetable garden, say on asphalt;
- Early ripening varieties, thanks to the possibility of insulation and creating a greenhouse effect, can be planted much earlier than agrotechnical dates;
- the same greenhouse effect protects late-ripening varieties from frost;
- harvesting is facilitated - good access to the bush is provided;
- the soil in the container retains its fertile structure and is suitable for other plants;
- the risk of contracting various diseases is reduced;
- makes pest control easier;
- the beautiful design of the barrel can become an additional decorative decoration for the site.
Site selection
Cucumber is considered a light-loving and heat-loving crop, so containers should be placed in a sunny place that is protected from drafts. It is better to choose the southern or southwestern part of the site. In areas with hot summers, you should not plant cucumbers under the scorching sun; it is better to choose a place next to trees that can provide partial shade to the crop. The branches can act as additional support for climbing cucumbers. By placing containers outside near the gazebo, you can also tie a plant to the structure.
Soil preparation
The container must be installed in the chosen place (cucumbers love sunlight) and the following work must be done:
- Laying the drainage layer. It should occupy approximately one third of the barrel and consist of fallen leaves, branches, tops of garden plants, etc.
Please note! The drainage mixture will rot over time and decrease in volume.
- The next layer will take up another third of the container's volume. This is a nutrient layer of manure and organic waste.
- The top layer of soil (up to twenty cm high) is turf, compost, sawdust, straw or peat.
Important! The first two layers must be left for at least twenty days to allow them to rot. It is better to do this in late autumn.
If preparations for sowing begin in the spring, special means should be used to speed up the decay process. For example, "Baikal EM". The proportion is as follows: one hundred grams of the drug is dissolved in ten liters of water, the barrel is covered with a film and periodically watered with water.
After the lower layers begin to rot, the top layer is placed in the barrel.
Why do cucumber leaves turn yellow?
It can be very disappointing when you put so much effort into a cucumber bed, but for some unknown reason the plants begin to turn yellow. Let's figure out what cucumbers don't like:
- There is little light - the barrel needs to be moved to a sunny area or the bed should be thinned out if it is too thick;
- The plant lacks nutrition , most often nitrogen. Perhaps the barrel was filled with low-nutrient soil, so it is necessary to fertilize, preferably complex;
- Lack of moisture leads to the fact that the root system cannot cope with the delivery of nutrition and the plant weakens and acquires a lemon tint. Make sure that the soil does not dry out; mulch the surface;
- The cause of yellowing and drying of leaves can be diseases and pests . To combat them, use special drugs or folk remedies.
Sowing
The first step is to treat the top layer of soil in the barrel - pour boiling water and a solution of potassium permanganate.
A number of rules should be followed in order to properly plant cucumbers in a barrel:
- the air temperature must be at least fifteen degrees;
- lay the grains in larger quantities than can fit on the surface, so it will be possible to leave the strongest and healthiest sprouts;
- do not water the soil after planting;
- the barrel is covered with film;
- “warming” is maintained until warm weather finally sets in;
- From time to time the film is removed and the cucumber sprouts are watered.
Watering and fertilizing
In a barrel, water evaporates faster than in open ground, so in the summer you need to water the cucumbers several times a week.
The optimal feeding during the growing season is nitrogen fertilizer. At home, you need to dilute one teaspoon of urea in a liter of water and pour the solution over the sprouts.
Harvesting
Such cucumbers ripen earlier than those planted in open beds, so harvesting should be organized correctly.
Picking the fruits is quite simple, because the gardener does not have to bend over to pick up the cucumbers every time, and there are no special or special requirements for storage.
Garter and bush formation
A two-meter wooden stick is stuck into the middle of the container. Several rays are made at the top to which the cucumber stems are tied.
Experienced gardeners advise leaving one of the strongest and healthiest stems and removing all unnecessary shoots. This makes it much easier to care for the bush.
Why do cucumbers have little ovary?
Sometimes you have to deal with the fact that a cucumber is driven away by barren flowers, and the fruits do not set .
More often, this situation can be observed in varietal cucumbers, and practically this is not the case in hybrids. There are a number of other explanations for this:
- Barren flower is a male flower that appears before the ovary. Mother flowers will grow on side lashes of the second, and especially third order;
- Excess nitrogen - reduce the dose or completely eliminate this component from the next feeding;
- Seed quality – material from the first year after collection was used or the seeds were not heated before sowing. If you prepare seed material yourself, it is better to sow it after the second year of storage.
Most experienced gardeners recommend dealing with excess barren flowers in two ways:
- Purchase reliable seed material - self- or partially pollinated (hybrids);
- Form a bush , stimulating the growth of lateral vines with an ovary.
