One of the main difficulties that summer residents and farmers face when growing vegetables is the lack of space. The compact organization of usable space does not always help maintain optimal conditions for crop growth. Cucumbers in this regard are especially demanding, because they have branching stems, which require a place for growth. A compact planting of cucumbers in bags or bottles will allow you not to lose in productivity and rationally plan a place on the site. This method, according to experienced gardeners, allows you to grow up to 1,000 cucumbers per square meter. Of course, such a result is possible only with proper landing and further care.
Optimal time for landing
Begin preparations in early May. By this time, cucumber seeds should be purchased, and then planted in small pots for germination. Even at the purchase stage, it is necessary to calculate what the planting of cucumbers in bags will be - one or several seedlings per container. A month later, in late spring, you can plant seedlings in prepared beds. Around the middle of summer, one can observe the abundant growth of a cucumber tree in height and begin to look closely at the first fruits.
Preparatory work
For planting you will need bags made of polyethylene, and you should choose the most dense material possible. The container volume should be approximately 70 liters - the optimal capacity for the development of the root system and the formation of soil enriched with nutrients. The bag is filled with earth and a layer of manure. This is the minimum set of “filling” components that will allow you to grow healthy cucumbers in plastic bags in sufficient quantities. Next, in the center of the soil, stick a two-meter wooden stick-rod. At its end, a nail for knitting is nailed.
The advantages of a vertical bed
Outwardly, this way of organizing seems very limited and fetters plants in further growth. But, as practice shows, careful irrigation and the right composition of fertilizer for the soil contribute to a good harvest, which cucumbers planted in bags give. Growing conditions are more important than the organization of beds, which in itself is very convenient. In this regard, thermal comfort for plants and pest protection are important. As an advantage, the owner can count on saving space on the site, early ripening of cucumbers, the ability to move the beds and the original decorative element during the flowering period.
Irrigation system
To organize watering, several tubes should be introduced into the design. The segments can have a length of up to a meter - the main thing is the presence of holes in them, which should be on different axes of each tube. The optimal model implies three tubes placed vertically in a bag around the rod. To ensure the full cultivation of cucumbers in bags with sufficient irrigation, it is also necessary to integrate a hose with water. This will allow you to supply leaves and roots with moisture in hot weather. The regularity of water procedures is determined based on local climatic conditions. In particularly hot regions, watering should be performed every day, and in other cases, the frequency can be reduced to three times a week.
Planting and growing
Much of the success of the cultivation depends on how properly organized the planting of cucumbers in bags and, in particular, their distribution. Three seedlings need to be planted between the sticks, while others can be placed in previously created side cuts in a plastic bag. Incisions should be made with a triangular shape and limbs. A cucumber is planted vertically in the pockets thus formed. One bag can hold up to 15 seedlings with such a system.
As you grow, cucumbers need to be tied up. Even before the cucumbers in bags were planted, knits should be prepared. The first garter is done when 6-7 leaves appear on the plants. To do this, use a stick with prepared bindings. Also, pegs distributed around the bag will be required - with their help, the rope will be fixed.
Optimal conditions for the development of cucumber
To get the maximum possible yield, you must first consider filling the bag. In addition to humus, it is recommended to use ash and superphosphate. At the bottom, you can put various debris from the garden and dilute them with humus. Next, you need to create the basis for filling with superphosphate, ash and the same humus. One of the secrets of how to grow cucumbers in a bag with an abundant harvest is to protect the seedlings. First of all, plants should be protected from frost. The bag is not as protected from the cold as open ground. For warming, you can use mulching with a newspaper, sawdust or dry grass. Sprinkle the surface carefully so that there is no contact of the material with the cucumbers. Ideally, this cover should act as an insulating layer, but again, mulch should be used only in places with risks of freezing.
Tricks to consider
The use of a bag for growing vegetables involves many nuances that appear depending on the influence of external conditions. Nevertheless, there are universal rules, the accounting of which will make the cultivation of cucumbers in bags more fruitful. Among these nuances are the following:
- Since the operation of a plastic bag in the area involves the risks of damage, it should be maximally fenced from contact with sharp objects.
- The bag is installed only in an upright position. It is best to provide for its installation a small depression in the ground.
- Farmers usually use large bags in which several seedlings are placed, but if the place allows and a small amount of planting is planned, it is better to take a separate container for each plant.
- Mixing varieties in one bag is also not recommended, since cucumbers have different requirements for temperature conditions - accordingly, warming measures will differ.
Of course, this is not a complete list of rules, and many subtleties in answering the question of how to grow cucumbers in a bag will be found in the process of personal observations. Do not forget that many factors are individual in nature and manifest depending on the local climate, the type of soil used, the variety of cucumbers, etc.
Features of bottling
This method is much similar to growing in bags, but it is not so complicated and quite practical. You can use several plastic bottles with a volume of 2.5-5 liters. The upper part of each of them is trimmed so that the rim remains. After that, the tank is immersed in the soil by about 70%. The earth is scooped out of the bottle, and soil filled with useful fertilizers is laid in its place. You can plant either one seedling in each bottle, or several seeds. With proper organization, growing cucumbers in bottles gives the following advantages:
- In the process of irrigation, water remains precisely within the root system, without being eroded over the entire surface of the bed.
- Plastic walls serve as a barrier to pests, including a bear and a locust.
- The development of weeds near the cucumber will not become a problem - the plastic shell prevents their growth in the area of the bed.
- With long-term operation of the bottles, there is no need to update the soil layer throughout the site - spot replacement of soil in the "pots" facilitates the maintenance of ridges.
Despite all the advantages of this method, growing cucumbers in bottles has many opponents. First of all, criticism implies cramped conditions for the development of seedlings and the further growth of an adult cucumber. However, this drawback is significant only when growing large plant varieties.
Reviews of the method of growing in bags
The practice of applying this method mainly relates to special farms and experienced gardeners, since amateurs do not often decide on experimental methods of cultivation. Nevertheless, this attitude has changed the benefits and, in particular, the yield that cucumbers in bags give. Cultivation, reviews of which still have conflicting ratings, does not require much effort, which attracts newcomers. For professionals, this method is convenient, first of all, by saving large areas and the ability to harvest in winter. Negative reviews usually affect the difficulties in the technical organization of the beds. One way or another, the preparation of the bags, their maintenance and the adjustment of the irrigation system with tubes inevitably require time.