How to make a cucumber bed in open ground with your own hands, types

Many vegetable growers plant cucumbers not in greenhouses, but in small beds in their gardens. It's recommended to familiarize yourself with how to make a cucumber bed in the open ground and what varieties are available.

What should be considered when planting cucumbers in a garden bed?

There are several nuances that need to be taken into account when planting cucumbers in open ground.

Landing dates

It's important to figure out the best time to plant vegetables in advance. Experienced gardeners recommend planting seeds and seedlings in the spring, when temperatures remain above 10-15 degrees Celsius, even at night.

When choosing the right time to plant cucumbers, you'll need to consider the region's climate. For example, residents of central regions can plant vegetables in mid-May. In northern regions, they don't plant cucumbers until late May.

Choosing the right location: cucumbers like sun or shade

Cucumbers should be planted only in locations that are best suited for growing this vegetable. It is recommended to choose areas that receive full sun throughout the day. It is best to grow cucumbers in the southern part of the garden.

It's also important to ensure the chosen location is not exposed to strong wind. Strong gusts of wind can cause the stems of cucumber plants to break. Planting tall Jerusalem artichoke, corn, or potatoes nearby will help protect the bushes from bad weather.

What kind of soil do cucumbers prefer: acidic or alkaline?

It's crucial that the soil in which cucumber seedlings are grown is suitable. Cucumbers prefer loamy and sandy soil, as it contains all the necessary components for the normal development of the vegetable crop.

Planting them in areas with heavy, uncultivated, alkaline soils is not recommended. In such soil, seedlings will grow poorly and produce little fruit. However, sometimes gardeners have no choice but to grow cucumber plants in such soil. In this case, they will need to regularly feed the plants with organic and mineral fertilizers.

What should the soil acidity be?

Many vegetable growers planning to grow cucumber seedlings in their garden beds are concerned about the optimal soil pH for the vegetables. Experts recommend against planting cucumbers in areas with acidic soil. In highly acidic soil, cucumber root development is very slow.

Soil with an acidity of no more than 6 pH is considered suitable for growing crops.

Preparing a bed for cucumbers in open ground

Before planting cucumbers, it is necessary to prepare the area and beds.

How to treat the soil before planting cucumbers

It's recommended to cultivate the soil in advance to enrich it with nutrients. The following fertilizer mixtures are used for this purpose:

• Potassium permanganate. A solution prepared from potassium permanganate is used to disinfect the soil and eliminate pathogens that cause fungal diseases. This solution should be prepared using one liter of water and 20 grams of potassium permanganate. The area is watered with the potassium permanganate mixture two days before planting.
• Copper sulfate. Before treating the garden with the copper sulfate mixture, you'll need to prepare it. To do this, add 30 grams of copper sulfate to 11-12 liters of warmed liquid. Mix the mixture thoroughly and let it sit for 2-3 hours. Apply the mixture one week before planting cucumbers.
• Mineral fertilizers. Before creating the beds, the area should be treated with potassium sulfate, superphosphate, wood ash, and nitrophoska.

Basic rules for forming a garden bed: width and height

Before making garden beds, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic rules for their formation:

• Determining the dimensions. First, you need to determine the size of the beds where the bushes will be grown. The width should be 30-40 centimeters, and the length should be at least 3-4 meters.
• Marking. After determining the dimensions, you need to mark out the area where you'll create the beds.

Types and features of cucumber bed arrangement

There are several types of cucumber beds you can create in your garden. It's recommended to familiarize yourself with the specifics of each one beforehand.

DIY warm cucumber bed

Cucumbers are known to be heat-loving vegetables that don't cope well with frost. This is why some gardeners decide to create heated beds.

sunken bed

Many vegetable growers construct insulated, sunken beds in their gardens to ensure cucumbers thrive even in low temperatures. In this case, the soil is dug to a depth of 30-40 centimeters. The bottom of the hole is covered with a thick layer of logs and dry tree branches. A box made of planks is constructed on top to maintain the shape of the beds. The hole is then filled with soil mixed with organic fertilizer.

Raised bed

Some people think raised beds are used for growing stone fruit trees, but this isn't true. They can be used for growing cucumbers and other vegetables. They're most often used in areas with high groundwater levels.

Such beds shouldn't be too high, no more than 30-40 centimeters. Building materials such as wood or slate are used as borders.

At ground level

For lazy people, ground-level garden beds are the easiest to build. This way, you won't have to waste time preparing walls or borders to hold the soil. The only work you'll need to do is dig the soil and water it with mineral or organic fertilizer.

Vertical garden bed

Using vertical garden beds is a great way to save space in your garden. It's best to start building vertical structures in early spring so that they're ready for planting by May.

To create vertical garden beds, metal barrels are used to plant cucumbers. They are filled with soil mixed with fertilizer.

Manure bed

Manure beds are popular among gardeners, as they're ideal for growing cucumbers. To create these beds, dig a trench in the garden. It should be 20 centimeters deep. The bottom is filled with rotted manure mixed with wood ash and compost. The entire trench is then covered with soil and watered with warm water.

How to make stepped garden beds

To save space in your garden, you can create stepped garden beds. They can be installed on the surface or suspended from supports. When creating stepped garden beds, several wooden or metal frames are constructed and filled with soil. The created frames are secured in such a way that one of them is located above the other.

Mobile cucumber beds

You can create portable beds that can be moved to a new location as needed. For example, they are often moved from a shaded area to a sunnier spot. These beds are created using large pots or other containers that can accommodate 3-4 shrubs. The containers are filled with soil mixed with rotted leaves, manure, and other organic matter.

Organic garden beds without manure

Organic beds without the use of manure are created in vegetable gardens with high-yielding soil. A trench 30-35 centimeters deep is dug. Compost with rotted greens and mineral fertilizers is added. The mixture is then mixed with soil and watered with heated water. Once the soil has cooled, cucumbers are planted.

Conclusion

People planning to grow cucumbers must create their own beds. It's important to familiarize yourself with the main types of beds and understand how to build them properly.