Cucumbers in a barrel: growing step by step with photos and videos

A considerable number of vegetable growers are engaged in the cultivation of cucumbers. After all, it is quite difficult to find a person who would not like this culture. Owners of small household plots face certain difficulties during planting, as it is difficult to get a good harvest in a small area. That is why some grow cucumbers in a barrel.

Growing and caring for cucumbers planted using barrel technology is not an easy job. Therefore, it is necessary to familiarize yourself in advance with how to grow cucumbers in a barrel.

Pros and cons of the method

Growing cucumbers in barrels has positives and negatives that you should be familiar with before planting cucumbers.

This technology has the following advantages:

Planting cucumbers in a barrel is carried out not in ordinary soil, but in humus. Thanks to this, the bushes will always have enough nutrients.
Growing cucumbers in a barrel is quite simple and therefore does not have to spend a lot of time on care.
The temperature of the soil in barrels is always higher than in the open field. The soil in the containers is warmer due to the fact that rotting plants are placed in each barrel to plant cucumbers. It also protects young bushes from frost and some diseases.
The picking of cucumbers grown in this way is carried out much earlier than when growing vegetables in vegetable gardens.

Planting and caring for cucumbers in barrels does not have too many disadvantages. The main disadvantages are related to the fact that the soil in the barrels dries out rather quickly. Therefore, you need to know how to care for cucumbers in a barrel.

Preparation of containers

Before planting cucumbers in the country, you should familiarize yourself with the features of the preliminary preparation of barrels. First you need to decide which containers are suitable, how many they will need and where it is better to put them. Cucumbers grow best in barrels made of metal. It is recommended to use leaky containers that will not be needed to store water in the future. Some even use barrels without a bottom, since it is not necessary for growing cucumbers.

All kegs must be taken outside and placed in a well-lit area. Then each of them should be thoroughly cleaned of debris. This can be done with a broom or a small broom. When the barrels are cleared of debris, they will need to make holes along the walls. With their help, a natural microclimate is created and air exchange improves several times. Also, drilled holes open access to the barrel for worms, which are needed to loosen the soil.

Soil preparation

Before growing cucumbers, it is necessary to prepare the ground for their planting. The soil should be prepared in the fall and therefore this should be done already in October. Many vegetable growers are interested in how many layers the soil is laid out in barrels. They should be filled in three layers, each of which should be a third of the capacity:

The first layer is formed from the waste of various plants. This layer is created to remove excess moisture from the soil and improve drainage. To create it, at least five stalks of cabbage and corn are placed on the bottom of the container. You can also put some food waste with fallen leaves on top. Over time, all these components will rot and feed young seedlings. To speed up composting, the first layer can be treated with special preparations.

The formation of the next layer begins with the addition of fresh manure to the tank. It is necessary to maintain soil temperature. Most often, this layer is added during the cultivation of early cucumbers, as they are more thermophilic.
The topmost layer consists of several components. Peat with compost and soddy soil is added to it. If peat is not at hand, then ordinary sawdust or small straw can be used instead. Feed lovers add a little nitrophoska to improve the growth of cucumbers.

Planting

Before planting, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with how to properly plant a cucumber in metal barrels. It is recommended to plant cucumbers in barrels when the temperature outside does not fall below 15 degrees. A few days before this, the soil in each container must be watered with heated water. Then you should prepare the tools that you may need for planting. These include:

scissors;
elastic band;
humus;
film.

During planting in each barrel for cucumbers, four small holes are created. At the same time, the distance between them should be at least 5-8 cm. One seed must be placed in each hole and sprinkled with earth. It is not recommended to immediately water the planted cucumbers.

When all the seeds are planted, the containers are covered with polyethylene film and tied with tight twine. In some cases, ordinary underwear elastic bands are used instead. It is imperative to cover the barrels with film, as it creates a greenhouse effect, which is necessary for the rapid germination of seeds.

Features of care

It is recommended to familiarize yourself with the intricacies of care after planting cucumbers in a barrel.

Tie up

Tie up cucumbers in barrels is a must so that young bushes grow better. Also, the garter of planted cucumbers helps to protect plants from most diseases transmitted by open ground.

There are several ways to attach bushes to supports. However, the most common is to install a meter-long peg in the middle of the barrel. It is to him that cucumber seedlings will be tied. First, the whips will twist along the rope to the very top of the peg. When they get to the cross, they form a small umbrella there.

It is not recommended to set the support too high, as this may complicate the harvesting process.

Irrigation

Cucumbers should be watered regularly so that a good harvest can be harvested in the future.It is water that is responsible for the delivery of useful elements to the roots of the plant. If it is not too hot outside, then watering should be done no more than once a week. In summer, you need to do this a little more often, because due to the high temperature, the earth dries up several times faster.

Many vegetable growers are faced with the problem of rapid evaporation of the liquid. In order for moisture to linger in the soil longer, it should be mulched in advance. Quite often, dried grass is used as mulch.

Formation

The formation of cucumber bushes is a rather important procedure, since the amount of the crop obtained largely depends on it. First you need to decide how many main stems to leave the plant. Many form them into one stem. Every grower who forms cucumbers with this method claims that this method is the best. In order for the plant to grow into one stem, you will have to get rid of all the stepchildren and flowers that are in the first five nodes.

There is another way of formation - cluster. In this case, you will have to get rid of the top, which is located after the fifth leaf. This has a positive effect on the formation of new stepsons, which in the future will also have to be pinched under the fifth leaf. The result should be a bush that will have about ten fruiting lashes.

Conclusion

If there is little space and a lot of cucumbers, you need to plant cucumbers in a barrel. For people without some experience, it is quite difficult to do it on their own. Therefore, it is recommended to read reviews in advance with planting recommendations or watch a video that will show you how to grow cucumbers in a barrel step by step.