Vegetable growing » Cucumbers
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Kira Stoletova
The size of the plot or the quality of the soil does not always allow for growing vegetables. To get a bountiful harvest from a small garden, there are many original ways. How to make vertical beds for cucumbers? We will analyze in detail the simplest technologies that are available to beginning farmers.
Homemade vertical beds for cucumbers
Why is such a design needed?
Each farmer tries to use the plot with maximum benefit, so he often experiments and shows imagination. Knowing the intricacies of cultivating a heat- and moisture-loving vegetable, you can easily create acceptable conditions for growth and fruiting. The structure is made individually to suit the needs of the gardener.
pros
A vertical bed for cucumbers saves the time needed to care for plantings. Thanks to its simple design, comfortable conditions are created for irrigation and weed control. The plant's vines are positioned at such an angle that they do not block the view when harvesting.
Minimal contact with open soil helps prevent the occurrence of common species diseases. Compact beds do not take up much space, so they will be relevant on a plot of any size. If you give preference to mobile options, you can move the structures to any part of the garden or yard, saving you from the heat or cold.
“Cucumbers in a vertical bed are well protected from rotting, contamination by soil particles, and attacks by rodents.”
The main disadvantages of vertical beds for cucumbers include rapid drying of the soil and lack of nutrients. Not all farmers can be nearby their plantings every day, which causes the coma to dry out. To ensure regular irrigation, it is not necessary to buy a complex drip system - it is easy to do it yourself.
For vertical wooden structures, it is better to give preference to the “external” system. The surface of the plastic bottle is pierced with a needle and placed between the vines. The liquid flows down the walls and irrigates the plantation.
Minuses
However, not everything is so positive and the technique has its negative sides. Due to the limited volume of soil, the soil dries out quickly. If it is not possible to irrigate the plants every day, then you need to install a drip irrigation system. Farmers often add hydrogel to the substrate, which retains moisture and later releases it to the bushes.
In limited containers, cucumbers quickly lose their nutrients. To provide the crop with all the necessary microelements, it is necessary to apply fertilizer (at the root and along the leaf) twice a week. It is important to choose the right concentration of drugs, giving preference to natural remedies.
A small volume of soil freezes quickly in cold weather. The vegetable is a heat-loving crop, so the roots immediately respond to glaciation of the earth. If you do not take care of covering materials when growing, then a light frost will destroy all your work.
Economy options
Vertical homemade beds for cucumbers can be used both on a personal plot and on a balcony. Simple hanging structures do not take up much space, so they are suitable for plantations of limited size. They are easy to fix on the fence or tie to the railing.
From bottles
You can plant cucumbers in plastic bottles
Plastic water containers or old buckets are quickly adapted for growing greens. We advise you to take containers with a volume of at least five liters, otherwise you will not create optimal conditions for the development of the crop. Drain holes are made in the bottom of the tanks, after which they are poured in layers in the following sequence:
- drainage (expanded clay, broken bricks);
- compost;
- earth with sand;
- fertile soil.
Cucumbers can be grown either by seedlings or by planting in the soil. Before planting, the mixture is watered, after which agricultural work begins. The containers can be easily moved to a suitable place or covered with polyethylene to protect them from frost. A stick is buried next to each bush, which is used to check the need for irrigation.
Plastic bottles have long become a universal raw material and are used in many areas of modern life. A two-liter container will provide one plant for three days. To do this, small holes are made on the sides, and the balloon itself is buried in the ground when planting seedlings. It is important that the surface of the device is in contact with the roots. Simply add moisture into the neck, and the cucumber itself will take the necessary water.
From bags
You can use thick bags for garbage or cereals to create original vertical beds for your cucumbers. The containers are twisted in several places in the form of “pockets”. Each bag is filled with a nutrient mixture of soil, compost and drainage. The planting structures are fixed on the balcony railing or chain-link mesh, after which the seedlings are planted.
To protect plants from overheating, we recommend covering the structure with foil. The material reflects the sun's rays, so you don't have to worry about vegetables on hot days. Overgrown vines entwine the fence, making harvesting convenient.
From a barrel
As a base, you need a plastic or metal container, on the surface of which holes are made for seedlings, at intervals of 15 cm. Fill with drainage, soil and compost, being careful not to compact it. Trellis made of slats or thin tubes are installed above the barrel.
As the plant develops, cucumber branches are tied to ropes, lifted above the ground. Watering is carried out both from above and from the sides. To prevent the surface from heating up, we recommend painting it white.
From tires
Planting cucumbers vertically can also be done in a structure made from old car tires. The material is stacked both on top of each other in the form of an even tower, and chaotically. The mixture is poured inside in the following sequence:
- expanded clay;
- compost with sand;
- Earth.
Holes are made in the walls of the tires, into which seedlings are then planted. With this design, we do not recommend growing cucumbers by direct sowing into the ground. Often young bushes grow inside the rubber, which reduces the quality of the future harvest.
From flower pots
You can install a garden bed anywhere
Volumetric containers stacked in several rows are an excellent option for a homemade garden bed. The structure can be secured to a pole or dried tree. Cucumbers do not have as developed a root system as tomatoes, so they grow well in ordinary flower pots.
Seeds are planted directly in the ground or using the seedling method. The advantage of the technology is complete mobility, which allows you to install a “plantation” anywhere on the site. However, it is worth remembering that the soil dries out quickly and you need to water more often.
Watering and fertilizing cucumbers
To make it convenient to water the cucumbers, I made 2 furrows along the rows into which I will pour water and apply fertilizing. And so that moisture would remain in the furrows longer and a crust would not form, I mulched them with dry grass. For watering, I use warm water: next to the borage there is an old bathtub in which water is collected and heated in the sun.
Shading
This season I decided to try growing cucumbers under shading nets. On one side, the mesh is secured to the grape trellis with plastic clamps, which are usually used for electrical wiring, and on the other side of the mesh we made strings from twine, which were tied to a gas pipe. This 45 percent shade net will protect my cucumbers from the sun and hail.
This is how I arranged my borage. I hope my experience will be useful to you too. I wish you all good luck, good mood and rich harvests.
Wooden options
If you want to make a reusable vertical bed with your own hands, then it is better to give preference to wooden structures. The soil in such structures does not dry out as quickly as in the above methods. Plants develop naturally and do not suffer from overheating of the roots.
From old furniture
A chest of drawers is an ideal option for planting cucumbers. The interior item is sanded and then covered with a layer of fresh paint. After the surfaces have dried, pull out the shelves, fixing them in a comfortable position.
A composite with soil and compost is poured inside each planting site. Holes are made in the soil into which seedlings are planted or seeds are sown. Water carefully so that the liquid does not spread on the ground. For drainage, we recommend punching drainage holes in the drawers.
Made of wood
You can assemble a garden bed with your own hands from scrap materials. From boards at least 0.15 cm thick, you need to put together boxes of the required size. The lower “tier” should be the widest, and the upper one should be narrow. If you fold all the boxes, you get a stepped pyramid, up to half a meter deep. Drainage with soil mixture is poured inside, after which cucumber bushes are planted.
The bed is installed on the site, after which a tent made of slats is nailed next to it. The lower bar is fixed at a level of 70 cm from the ground. Polyethylene is fixed on the top stick, which will cover the structure. As the lashes form, you will need ropes to tie the vines.
Favorable time for garter
After the cucumbers are planted, you need to wait until the plants get stronger. The most optimal period for gartering is when the seedling reaches twenty-five to thirty centimeters in height. During this period of development, the plant begins to actively grow and four to five full-fledged leaves are already formed.
ATTENTION!!!
After the plant has reached a height of more than thirty centimeters, there is a danger of its death. An untied trunk can break and die under the weight of leaves and fruits.
Reusable universal bed
You can make a garden bed yourself
If you are not going to move the plantings, then it is better to create a fixed “plantation” that will last for more than one year. When choosing a material, we advise you to pay attention to high-quality raw materials that are not afraid of heat and frost. Regular fertilizing will protect the soil from leaching of nutrients.
From a double pipe
You can make a vertical structure with your own hands using available materials. As a base, you will need a wide plastic “riser” and a thin tube. Holes are made on two-thirds of the surface of the material: the diameter for large ones is up to 20 cm, and for small ones – no more than 1 cm.
Fold both parts into each other, after which the drainage is filled. The soil is added gradually, being careful not to compact it. Irrigation will be carried out through the internal structure. Seedlings are planted in the holes and then installed vertically. The result is a row of pillars located in the sun.
In such a bed there are almost no weeds growing, so the only maintenance is watering and applying mineral fertilizers. To prevent the structure from overheating, we recommend painting the surface white. Developing lashes will fall, excluding tying on a trellis. The harvest does not rot and is available for collection at any time.
From the grid
Chain-link has long been a favorite material for gardeners. Fences and shelters are built from it, and with a minimum of physical strength you can assemble a vertical bed. As raw materials you need to take:
- mesh;
- dry grass;
- film;
- priming.
The chain-link is bent in the form of a tube, the diameter of which is approximately 0.9 m. The ends are fixed, and polyethylene is placed under the bottom. The sides of the structure are filled with straw, after which soil mixed with compost, drainage and sand is added. Seedlings are planted at a distance of at least 15 cm from one another.
Grass is a natural protection against frost, so you can plant cucumbers on time without fear. In case of sub-zero temperature conditions, the plantation is hidden under covering material. By the way, for summer residents who cannot water frequently, we recommend covering the bed with film instead of straw.
Hut
Trellis, like those of grapes, can also be built for climbing vegetables. To do this, a place is found on the site for the structure. Pillars are buried in the ground (two rows on the sides and a large one in the center), on which the whips will be attached. For stability, it is better to concrete it, and then proceed with the rest of the work.
The “roof” is made of slats or mesh along which the plant will weave. The crop can be planted in open ground or in mobile containers. The undoubted advantages of this option are the decoration of the site and the convenience of harvesting: the greens do not lie on the ground, so they are visible to the naked eye.
Growing home vegetables often requires the gardener to have a sufficient amount of free space. Cucumbers in a homemade vertical bed will be an excellent option for small areas. Our recommendations contain the most popular types of designs.
For seedlings
For sowing cucumbers, plugs made of mineral wool are chosen. They are taken out from cubes made of the same material. The corks are placed in a plastic container, saturated with water, and checked for pH. The acid-base balance should be neutral.
It is recommended to pre-prepare the seeds and soak them in a 5% solution of hydrogen peroxide or in a thick solution of potassium permanganate. To stimulate metabolic processes in the core of the seed, they resort to bubbling.
The seed is placed in a container with water; carry out aeration. To do this, place a spray stone at the bottom of the container, which is connected to an aquarium compressor. Processing continues for up to 12 hours.
Seeds are placed in corks. They can be sprinkled with a 1 cm layer of vermiculite. The container is covered with film and placed in a growbox, in which temperatures are maintained at up to 30 0C. Seedlings are ventilated daily. This regime is maintained until sprouts appear. Watering is not carried out.
In the future, a vertical farm is used. The cubes are saturated with a nutrient solution and checked for pH.
The substrate is placed on trays or placed in planting cups and placed in cells on the lid of the tray. The plugs with young sprouts are transferred into cubes. Connect the hydroponic system.
- The solution for seedlings is made in low concentration. Take hydroponics products from the Hydroponics Kit series. 0.2 ml of Grow, Micro, Bloom are diluted in 1 liter of water. Use the solution for 2 weeks. During this time, the seedlings develop a root system, and the shoots become stronger in the substrate.
- The temperature is set at 18-20 0C during the day, 15-18 0C at night.
- Daylight hours 16-18 hours.
- After 2-3 weeks, the composition of the nutrient medium is changed. Grow take 2.5 ml/l, Micro 1.9 ml, Bloom 0.95. The plant begins to develop leaves and stems, and the first tendrils appear.
- The temperature in hydroponics is set at 20-22 0C during the daytime.
- Daylight hours are reduced to 14 hours.
When the bush begins to take shape, 4 full leaves appear on it, the seedlings are transplanted. Industrial greenhouses use soil or horizontal hydroponic systems. At home, growers install some vertical models.
We recommend: How to grow strawberries in vertical hydroponics?
