Cucumbers in a barrel - a step-by-step algorithm for growing in the country

Non-traditional methods of growing garden crops are increasingly used by vegetable growers. The desire to place a maximum of crops in a small area makes modern gardeners go to all sorts of tricks, adapting to growing vegetables in completely impossible places and objects. The construction of greenhouses is no longer a surprise. Today, in summer cottages, you can find cultures growing in hanging flower pots, floor drawers and even plastic bottles.

One of the unusual methods of cultivating garden plants is the use of barrels. Despite the simplicity of the method, it has its own secrets. You need to know these nuances, because barrel cucumber cultivation has a number of advantages over the ordinary way, when the culture is sown in the beds.

Advantages and features of growing cucumbers in a barrel

Growing vegetables in barrels involves planting seedlings in large barrels or containers of a similar type. A feature of this method of growing is to isolate the plant from the garden. The braided shoots of cucumbers do not interfere with other plants. They grow compactly and are more likely to maintain integrity.

Planting vegetables in barrels has several advantages:

1. Saving. In a good gardener, land is always worth its weight in gold. And cucumbers, as you know, take up a lot of space on the site.
2. Location This method of growing allows you to place the barrel anywhere, even on the paved area.
3. Refusal of the main garden work. There is no need to dig up the earth in a barrel and weed, just loosening is enough.

   

   

   

4. Minimize fertilizer costs. Feeding is calculated per square meter. The minimum space occupied by vegetables allows you to save on fertilizer well.
5. Simplified care system. It is much easier to take care of such cucumbers: all parts of the plant are in plain sight and are not dirty with earth.
6. Productivity The enclosed space in which the root system of the cucumber bushes is located further protects them from pests and hypothermia. Therefore, the yield of such bushes is much higher.

A barrel of cucumbers also serves as an element of garden decor. The original landing site allows you to grow crispy vegetables not only in the country, but also on the balcony.

Choosing a place and materials

The quantity and quality depend on the selection of the place and material in which the vegetables are planned to be grown. An important factor is also the right choice of seed.

Where to place?

Cucumbers planted in sunny places. But at noon the sun is at the peak of its activity and can significantly harm plants. Therefore, it is recommended to place barrels behind buildings or trees, on the eastern or western side, where the sun's rays will fall on the plants in the morning or evening.

At the same time, plants must be protected from drafts, because the flow of cold air can affect the health of the bushes.

A good solution is to be near fruit trees.Elongated lashes can be launched along the branches. This will give the garden an exotic touch.

Which barrel is better?

Any barrel is suitable for landing. Most often, containers of such materials are used:

• iron;
• wood;
• plastic;
• enamelled iron.

Earthworms can get into holey barrels or in a tank without a bottom, which render the roots of the plant an invaluable service, loosening the earth from the inside. On the other hand, other less useful insects that can harm the plant can also get into a leaky barrel.

Suitable varieties of cucumbers

All plant varieties are suitable for planting in a barrel, but the following hybrids are preferred:

1. Muromsky 36 - fruits not exceeding 10 cm. Perfect for canning and pickling. Plants tolerate partial shade and the first frost.

   

2. Pace F1 is a high-yielding variety that is dominated by female flowers. Cucumbers have the same dimensions as representatives of the Muromsky 36 variety. The hybrid has good natural immunity, and is resistant to weather changes.
3. Connie F1 is very similar to the Temp F1 variety. It differs in slightly smaller sizes (by 1-2 cm) and a longer fruiting period. Cucumbers of both varieties are not bitter or overripe.

   

4. Othello F1 - cucumbers reach a 12-centimeter size. Fruits are sweetish in taste, crispy, without internal voids. The variety is high yielding.
5. Phoenix - late cucumbers, capable of bearing fruit up to frost. They give crispy and not bitter fruits. The variety is dominated by female inflorescences, which indicates increased fruiting.

   

Any cucumber varietygrown in a barrel will bear much more fruit than the bushes that grow in the garden.

A step-by-step algorithm for growing cucumbers in a barrel in the country

Proper care of vegetables is the key to a good harvest. A step-by-step barrel-growing algorithm with a photo will help inexperienced growers avoid common mistakes.

Preparing and planting seeds

Preparing seeds for planting consists of the following steps:

1. Seeds are placed in salt water for half an hour. After the specified time, empty seeds pop up, and the full ones fall to the bottom.

   

2. Many gardeners advise hardening plants for the safe transfer of the first frosts. To do this, swollen but not hatching seeds in a moist tissue are placed in a refrigerator with a temperature of -2 - 0 ℃. They are kept there for 2 days, then immediately sown.

   

3. Before planting, the soil in the barrel is disinfected. It is watered with hot water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Seeds are planted in 6-8 pcs. in 1 hole. Later, excess plants are removed. The distance between future bushes is about 15 cm. In practice, 4-5 cucumber bushes are grown in one 200-liter barrel.

Sowing in a barrel can be carried out a little earlier than in open ground. The early crops are covered with a film for thermal insulation.

Watering mode

Water cucumbers need to be plentiful and regular. The process of active growth and fruiting requires high humidity. Watering is carried out early in the morning or after sunset. Water for irrigation should be warm. About 1 liter of water is consumed per 1 m².

In cloudy weather, watering is reduced as moisture consumption decreases. On particularly hot days, watering, on the contrary, is more frequent, due to increased evaporation of moisture from the soil. Abundant hydration is the key to a good harvest. But you can’t pour cucumbers. Waterlogging threatens the development of root rot of plants.

Fertilizers

Cucumbers are fed according to the scheme, based on the period of life in which the plants and their requirements reside. The feeding scheme is as follows:

1. Before flowering. To build green mass, cucumbers are fertilized with urea. 1 tbsp. l funds diluted in 10 liters of water. For 1 plant is 1 liter of fertilizer.
2. Flowering period. Provides 2 introductions of feed. The first time the plants are fertilized with nitrophos, diluted similarly to urea. The second feeding is carried out with organic fertilizers. A mixture of ash (1 cup) and chicken droppings (0.5 kg) is well suited for cucumbers.

During the period of active growth, plants can enter liquid vermicompost 1 time. Fertilizer is administered according to the instructions for the drug.

Shaping and Garter

There are two ways to form a bush:

1. The formation of a single stem. This method is suitable for plants in the pollination of which bees do not participate. At the first 5 sheets, you need to pinch all the stepsons and inflorescences. The next 5 nodes require only side branches to be removed. Upon reaching the stem 1 m, it is allowed to leave lateral shoots on it to achieve a higher yield.

   

   

   

2. The formation of cucumbers by bushes. In this way, only those plants that are pollinated by bees are made out. The principle of formation is to pinch the main stem to stimulate the growth of lateral shoots. The main stem is pinched over the 6th leaf. All the rest are above the 5th.

   

When barrel growing, the first method of forming a cucumber bush is mainly used.

The method of growing on sawdust

Some gardeners grow cucumbers on sawdust with further transplantation into fertile soil. This method has its advantages:

1. Faster sprouting process.
2. Stronger plants grow from sawdust.
3. Lightweight transplant with minimal risk of injuries to the root system of cucumbers.
4. Possibility of planting plants without releasing the first true leaves.
5. Improving the taste of cucumbers.

Crops are covered with a small layer of the same sawdust. From above, the inoculum is covered with a film and placed in a warm place. Shoots appear after 3 days. Only sprouted plants are considered ready for transplanting.

How to harvest

Harvesting barrel plants is a pleasure. Firstly, you do not need to knead the ground with your feet and constantly squat; secondly, the vegetables are clean, and you can see them in full view.

There are a number of recommendations for collecting cucumbers:

1. The fruit is cut with scissors so as not to damage the neighboring ovaries and the lash on which it has matured.
2. Deformed and dubious vegetables are removed immediately, in order to avoid possible infection of other cucumbers.
3. Charges are carried out in the morning or in the evening, avoiding the scorching sun and heat.

Problems in the care of barrel cucumbers

Even experienced growers face difficulties with growing cucumbers. The most common growing problems are yellowing of the leaves, a small number or absence of ovaries, the defeat of vegetables by pests and diseases.

Why leaves turn yellow

Yellowing of the leaves occurs for several reasons:

1. Plants have little light. Insufficient lighting affects the photosynthesis process, which leads to the loss of a juicy green hue.
2. Nutrient deficiency.

   

3. Cucumbers lack moisture. Dry soil leads to wilting of plants.
4. Sudden temperature changes. Even frost-resistant varieties do not like sudden changes in air temperature and can react yellowing.

All of the above problems are easily resolved by eliminating the cause of yellowing.

What to do if there is little ovary and what is the reason

The absence or small number of ovaries has its own reasons:

1. Individual features of the variety. Most varieties have male and female flowers. Fruits are formed only from female, and male inflorescences remain empty flowers.
2. Incorrect feeding. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus deficiency negatively affect the formation of buds, which leads to fewer ovaries.
3. Weather. She plays an important role in setting future fruits. Ovaries are not conducive to heat or cloudy skies. In addition, the pollination process that is decisive for the ovary is also directly dependent on the weather.

Pest control

Barrel cultivation significantly reduces the risk of plant infection by pests. However, cases of infection do occur.

Most often, barrel cucumbers are affected by ground pests: aphids, whiteflies and spider mites. It is possible to combat harmful insects with the help of insecticides. These drugs are highly effective, but their application to edible vegetables causes reasonable concern for many.

Folk methods of pest control involve the elimination of insects by treating cucumbers with means that are safe for humans. This can be a concentrated aqueous solution of red pepper, garlic, as well as foaming solutions of baby or laundry soap.

Common Growing Questions

Grow vegetables in a barrel not at all difficult. This method saves on sown area and has many other advantages over the conventional planting method.