Description of unusual methods for planting and growing cucumbers

There are many ways to plant cucumbers today. Gardeners resort to various tricks to conserve their precious space of two or three acres. Taking advantage of the fact that cucumbers are a vertical vegetable crop, they minimize the amount of land needed for cucumbers by using various available materials and methods. It's worth knowing. How to plant cucumbers in open ground, in a greenhouse, so as not to harm the vegetables.

Unusual methods for growing cucumbers

When choosing a cucumber planting method, it's important to consider your abilities and the space in your garden where the cucumber beds will be located. If space is at a premium, the following ideas may help.

We use bags and packages

The method is simple; all you need is several large bags or sacks made of thick, waterproof material. These containers can be made of cloth or polyethylene, and can hold up to 120 liters. You'll also need a thin wooden pole 2 meters long.

What else you will need:

• cord or twine - 30 m;
• metal tubes with a cross-section of 30 cm and a length of 3 m;
• stakes for supporting the tent not less than 3 m - 10 pieces;
• soil for cucumbers.

Preparatory work:

1. A couple of nails are driven into the pole at one end to secure the cord.
2. The bag is tightly packed with substrate and placed in a pre-planned location. The bags should be placed near a support structure, as they are frameless structures and cannot stand upright outdoors. It's best to place them near a greenhouse, gazebo, or against the wall of a house, but on a sunny side.
3. Several holes are drilled in hollow metal tubes along their entire length in a checkerboard pattern.
4. The stick is placed in the center of the bag, with the nails facing up.
5. Tubes are stuck into the ground around the stick.

Sow 3-4 seeds in each bag. The metal tubes with holes in them will serve as watering devices.

To begin watering, you need to determine the condition of the soil, and then, by lowering the hose into the tube, fill the soil with moisture.

The remaining stakes are driven in around the perimeter of the bags. A fishing line or rope from a wooden stick will run to them, which will later be used to cling the cucumber tendrils. These "beds" take up little space and will always retain heat, but if holes are not made in the bags, fungi and viruses can develop.

Landing in barrels

This cucumber planting option is an alternative to sacks and bags. However, barrels are much more stable and practical. Buckets can be used instead.

Important! The barrels must have holes in the sides to allow air to enter the soil.

The soil in the barrel is prepared in advance. Organic fertilizer mixed with soil is poured into the bottom, and then a layer of soil alone is added on top. The layer should be 10 cm thick. A plastic container, without a cap, is buried in the center, upside down. The bottom of the bottle is cut off. The cucumbers are watered and fed through this bottle.

Plant 3-4 seeds, depending on the diameter of the metal structure, and cover with plastic wrap to speed germination. In this case, the cucumber vines don't need to be tied up; they hang freely and thrive in this position. They can be tied up by placing a tall stake in the center and tying rope to it.

How to Grow Cucumbers in Plastic Bottles

Plastic bottles and recycled materials are all the rage these days. They offer a wide range of possibilities, especially in the garden, where they're becoming a go-to. The same is true for cucumbers. Growing cucumbers in plastic is the most economical option.

You'll need large plastic bottles, usually 5-liter ones. The seedlings can be planted in soil, covered with a corked portion of the bottle. Once a few leaves appear on the vegetables, unscrew the cap.

When the space for the seedling under the bottle cover becomes limited, remove the bottle, install a support, and grow the plant as usual. In this case, the bottle serves as a shelter for early cucumber sowing. In general, plastic containers can be used in a variety of ways, depending on your imagination.

Growing cucumbers in a tent or hut

Growing cucumbers this way can be a beautiful addition to your garden. A cucumber tent looks unusual, appearing to be lined with individual leaves. To achieve this landscape technique, cucumbers are planted in a circle rather than in a furrow.

The cucumber bed should be at least 1 meter in diameter. A three-meter pipe is installed in the center of the bed. It must be sturdy, as the subsequent cucumber vine structure will be quite heavy. The pipe is driven into the ground to a depth of 1 meter, leaving 2 meters above ground. Hooks should be attached to the top of the pipe using any means.

Sow the seeds in a circular furrow at a distance of 15-20 cm. Place a wire hook or stake next to each seed, then tie a rope or strong string to it. Attach all the strings to the hooks on the pipe. Once the plants begin to climb, it's important to train them toward the strings. This method of planting cucumbers will allow you to use your garden space efficiently.

Method of shaping cucumbers on a trellis

This method can be seen in any garden plot today. It's not that this method of growing cucumbers saves space, as the structure must be spacious and ventilated on both sides of the trellis.

The seeds are sown in a single furrow, the length of which can be adjusted depending on your capabilities and soil availability. The trellis is installed immediately after planting the seedlings or seeds.

It's important to install the trellis base. This can be wooden poles, small-diameter pipes, or wooden triangles. Ropes, wire, cucumber netting, or wooden slats can be used as connecting elements. Sometimes you can see cucumbers tied to a rope that is then tied to two adjacent tall sunflowers.

Such plantings are well lit, easy to weed, and picking cucumbers is a pleasure.

Growing cucumbers under black film

This method allows you to increase cucumber yields. Covering with plastic will eliminate weeds and the need for frequent watering:

1. Prepare the bed for planting and add all the necessary organic and mineral fertilizers.
2. Trenches are made along the edges of the bed, into which the edges of the film will subsequently be buried.
3. The soil in the garden bed is carefully mulched.
4. Black film is laid on top, and the edges are buried in the side trenches and the soil is carefully compacted to prevent the wind from blowing off the shelter.
5. A planting pattern is figuratively outlined on the film, and a hole is made in the intended locations for planting the seeds or seedlings. This hole should be not only in the film, but also in the ground.
6. Two seeds or one seedling are sown in each hole. When the seeds germinate, the weaker one is removed. The second one is placed on the surface of the plastic cover.

Important! It is not recommended to make beds wider than 1 meter, as this makes them difficult to maintain. 60 cm is optimal.

The film retains moisture, and weeds and mulch rot, forming a kind of organic fertilizer. A structure can be built over the bed to support the cucumber vines.

Growing cucumbers on willow rods

Willow rods are a very flexible material that can be used to create a convenient structure for growing cucumbers. This is a fairly old method, used by our ancestors in the days before modern technology.

The idea is to create a trellis using willow rods. Thick stakes are installed along the cucumber furrow for support, and willow rods are woven between them. However, this should not be done too tightly, as cucumbers need air and light. As they grow, the cucumbers will cling to the branches with their tendrils.

Using car tires

Growing cucumbers in car tires step by step:

1. You'll need several used tires. Typically, car tires are used.
2. Build a structure of 3-4 tires, stacking them one on top of the other. You can fasten the tires together if desired.
3. The result is a sort of tower, reminiscent of a barrel. Soil is poured inside, into which cucumber seeds or seedlings are planted. The amount depends on the diameter of the top tire. To make it larger, the top tire can be cut out, allowing for a larger seeding area.

A layer of compost or humus is placed at the bottom of the simulated barrel, which will subsequently transfer heat to the plants. The cucumbers are watered daily, as the soil tends to dry out. They don't require support; they can droop, as the structure is about 1.5-2 meters high.

Old chest of drawers

An old chest of drawers can be used for vertical cucumber growing. Before using it, it's important to disinfect the drawers by painting or sealing them. The drawers slide out like a pyramid and are secured in place.

Fill each box with soil and plant 2-3 cucumber seeds. Then, care for the plants as you would for a regular garden bed. Water more frequently, however, as the boxes have less space and moisture evaporates more quickly.

Method in buckets in a greenhouse and in open ground

This method is suitable for low-branching and bush cucumbers. The buckets should be at least 5 liters in volume. How to make bucket beds:

1. Holes are made at the bottom of the bucket to drain excess water and provide additional aeration.
2. Bucket flower beds can be moved around and taken out of the greenhouse and outside.
3. Fill a bucket with soil and sow two seeds. When seedlings appear, remove one weak sprout.
4. As the cucumber grows, a rope is attached to the bucket so that it curls.

If the planting is organized outside, the bucket can be brought into the greenhouse to protect it from rain or wind.

Interesting ways to make Finnish sausages

This structure is located horizontally:

1. The beds are made in the form of narrow trenches. Fine gravel is placed at the bottom to serve as drainage.
2. Covering material or film is laid on top and unrolled along the length of the trench.
3. Soil is poured onto the film and the film is wrapped with the side cuts facing up.
4. Clamps or ropes are placed under the film in several places and tied when the film is covered with soil.
5. The soil is watered well to compact it.
6. The film is slightly pulled back between the joints on top of the film to create holes. Cucumbers are planted in these holes.

Typically, these Finnish sausages are used for growing cucumbers in greenhouses.

Planting in insulated beds

A warm bed is a multi-layered structure made of manure, compost, sawdust, and other materials.

All these materials retain and accumulate heat and moisture, causing cucumbers to develop faster and ripen a couple of weeks earlier than usual.

The bed is installed in a hole in the ground. A wooden structure of the required dimensions can serve as the frame. Various layers are poured into the bottom of this structure:

• branches of shrubs, wood chips, some gravel - drainage layer;
• food waste of plant origin: vegetable and fruit peelings, bread, food leftovers, leaves;
• humus (manure) or compost, a mixture in a 1:1 ratio is possible;
• layer of fertile soil.

A warm bed may be completely free of any soil, but the manure cannot be removed, as it is responsible for the warmth. The beds can be completely buried in the ground, or they can be on the surface. Planting cucumbers in warm beds begins in late April or early May. The main thing is to cover the surface of the bed with plastic film to prevent night frosts from damaging the plants.

How to plant cucumbers in small plots of land: diagrams and methods

There are several other ways to plant cucumbers that will also save time on maintenance and space in the garden, especially if it is catastrophically limited.

The method of planting cucumbers in pyramids

For pyramidal beds, wooden boxes of various sizes are knocked together, each a few centimeters smaller than the next. The resulting boxes are then built into a pyramid, starting with the largest. Iron, plastic, or car tires of various diameters can be used as substitutes for wooden structures.

A drainage mixture of branches, crushed stone, and plant tops is placed at the bottom of the first layer. Soil is added on top. The second layer will consist of soil alone, just like the third. Cucumber seeds or seedlings are planted throughout each layer of the resulting pyramid. This method does not require staking.

Tips for planting cucumbers in a Christmas tree pattern

This method involves constructing a Christmas tree-shaped structure. Growing is done similarly to a cucumber hut. For the structure, you can use thin slats, wire, or thick rope. Cucumbers are planted in a circle. As they grow, they should join at the top support point.

Planting seedlings in mineral wool

Mineral wool is sold in large cubes. The material is breathable and provides the cucumber root system with moisture and nutrients. The cube size should be: height – 8-10 cm, width – 25-30 cm.

These cubes can be installed in a greenhouse or in open ground, but not near a support, as the structure is unstable. Some gardeners bury the mineral wool in the ground. the method is used for vertical cultivation of cucumbers.

Mittlider's method for planting cucumbers in greenhouses

The Mittlider method helps grow cucumbers when soil is limited. This allows for a bountiful harvest in a short period of time. It involves digging only the holes or furrows for the cucumbers, rather than the entire area.

Using boxes

The boxes simulate sides along the entire length of a narrow trench. They are knocked together from planks and filled with potting mix, after which cucumbers are planted using any method (seeds or seedlings). The filler is sand and sawdust. The advantage of this method is that it allows cucumbers to be planted in poor, rocky soil.

Planting in narrow beds

The strips are made 45 cm wide, with up to 1 m between rows. In the fall, food scraps, chopped weeds, manure, and hay are added between the rows. This will later serve as fertilizer after it rots. In the spring, only the furrows are dug, and the cucumbers are planted in them.

Plant in two rows, closer to the edges of the trench. As the plants grow, install supports with ropes to support them.

Recommendations from experienced gardeners

Gardeners and vegetable growers are always sharing their experiences, learning new things, and developing different planting techniques based on their current conditions.

After which crops can cucumbers be planted?

The best predecessors for cucumbers are:

1. Peas, beans, and legumes are capable of accumulating free nitrogen in the soil, which is necessary for the growth and development of cucumbers.
2. Root vegetables: potatoes, beets, radishes. Diseases of some varieties won't affect others. Furthermore, they don't deplete the soil of nutrients.
3. Onions and all types of garlic. The compounds emitted by these plants have a beneficial effect on the beneficial microflora of the soil, without weighing it down or depleting it.
4. Cabbage. Its long root doesn't deplete the topsoil, allowing cucumbers to fruit fruitfully all season long.

In the greenhouse, cucumber plantings are swapped with peppers and tomatoes.

The best neighbors for cucumbers

Cucumber growth is directly dependent on its proximity to other vegetable crops. These may include:

• nightshades: potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants;
• spicy herbs.

Some require different growing conditions, while others draw all the nutrients from the soil. Herbs actually inhibit cucumber growth.