To grow a good harvest of cucumbers, it is important to consider all the secrets of growing: from the method of planting to caring for the bushes. To save space on their plots, gardeners come up with various planting methods: in bags, in barrels, on trellises, and a herringbone.

What is herringbone planting of cucumbers

The method of planting cucumbers with a herringbone not only saves space on the site, but also decorates it.

The herringbone involves planting cucumber bushes in a circle, the diameter of which must be at least two meters. A support is installed in the center of the circle, to which the twines coming from the pegs installed near the bushes will be tied. The twines stretched around the central support form a pyramid for the cucumbers. Plants are planted every 40 cm.

Note! Planting cucumbers in a pyramid receives more sunlight and resembles a neat flower bed.

Christmas tree advantages:

  • when caring for plants, less water and fertilizers are spent;
  • it is convenient to form a bush and care for plantings;
  • plants feel free;
  • the amount of the harvest increases.

    Herringbone planting of cucumbers

Preparing for herringbone planting

Planting cucumbers in a barrel

To plant cucumbers with a herringbone, mark out a circle with a diameter of 1.5 to 2 meters. They dig a trench 40 cm deep. Mowed grass is laid at the bottom and covered with earth. Wells are made at a distance of 40-50 cm. Prepared seeds are placed in the holes or seedlings are planted.

To improve the quality of the crop, it is necessary to pre-prepare the seeds. Stages of pre-sowing treatment:

  1. Calibration. Weed out empty and low-quality seeds. To do this, they are soaked in salt water - 30 g of table salt is dissolved in 1 liter of water.
  2. Disinfection. The seeds are placed in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate and kept in it for 20 minutes. Then they are thoroughly washed.
  3. Treatment with growth stimulants. The seeds are kept in special biological products. From folk methods, aloe juice diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 5 is used as a growth stimulant.
  4. Hardening is carried out in order to increase the endurance of the seeds. Placed in a damp cloth bag, which should be refrigerated for 24 hours.
  5. Germination accelerates the appearance of the first shoots.

Planting cucumbers in a circle

After processing, the seeds are planted in open ground if the air temperature does not drop below +18 degrees Celsius.

Important! You can not germinate cucumber seeds too much, so as not to damage the root during planting.

If it is still too cold for planting, the seeds are planted on seedlings. For this, the soil is prepared, consisting of 1 part of sawdust, 2 parts of humus and peat. Fertilizers are also added to the mixture: ash and nitrophosphate, 50 g per 10 liters of soil. For seedlings, choose small containers or peat cups. The seeds are immersed in the ground to a depth of 1 cm.

Note! Seedlings must be watered at least 1 time per week. When the second true leaf appears, the plant is fed with nitrophos at the rate of 1 teaspoon per 1 liter of warm water.

When the seedlings reach 30 days of age, they can be planted in a permanent place. When planting with a herringbone, a dug trench is spilled in advance with hot water with 1 tablespoon of copper sulfate in order to disinfect the soil. When planting seedlings, a distance between plants of 40 cm is observed.The depth of the planting holes is 4 cm.

Garter and grooming

A small peg is installed near each planted seed or planted seedlings. A twine is attached to this peg, which is pulled to the upper end of the central support. Hooks are placed on it, for which the stretched twine will cling. As it grows, the cucumber bush is wrapped around the thread, and when it reaches the highest point of the pyramid, the cucumber lash is launched in the opposite direction or allowed to hang freely.

Planting cucumbers in open ground

Instead of twine, a fabric mesh is sometimes installed, to which the plant clings to a mustache.

Note! When stretching the mesh, the plants must be periodically adjusted so that they do not get entangled. The cucumber pyramid requires the same maintenance as the cucumbers that have been planted in the usual way.

Garter using mesh

Watering shoots

Herringbone cucumbers are watered with warm water in the morning. Watering is carried out once a week. During the flowering period, watering is reduced, and when the fruits ripen, it is increased up to 3 times a week.

After each watering, it is necessary to loosen the soil so that the plant receives more oxygen and forms additional roots to strengthen the bush.

Feeding cucumbers

At the beginning of flowering, cucumbers need mineral dressing. To prepare the nutrient solution, use 1 teaspoon of superphosphate, urea and potassium sulfate, dissolved in 10 liters of warm water. The resulting solution is watered at the root of the plant at the rate of 5 liters per 1 square meter.

The following dressings are done during the fruiting period. A mixture of a glass of thick mullein and 30 g of nitrophoska per 10 liters of water is suitable for her. Nitrophoska can be replaced with a teaspoon of potassium sulfate.

Diseases and pests

Preventive measures against pests and diseases of the cucumber are also important.

The most common diseases:

  • Powdery mildew,
  • Cladosporium disease
  • Peronosporosis.

Important! To cope with the fungal disease cladosporiosis, drugs based on which benzimidazole will help. Fungicides are used against powdery mildew and downy mildew.

Spraying

The pests of the cucumber are the whitefly butterfly and spider mite. Before the beginning of the fruiting period, you can fight them with the help of insecticides, and during the ripening period, the bushes are treated with soapy water.

As a prophylaxis against diseases and pests, the following rules should be observed:

  • Selection of predecessors and observance of crop rotation. Good precursors for cucumbers are potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and cabbage. Do not plant cucumbers after other pumpkin crops. Cucumbers are returned to their original place no earlier than after 5 years.
  • Before planting, the soil is disinfected to destroy the larvae of the pests.
  • Avoid dense plantings so that there is good ventilation between the plants.
  • From pests and diseases, the bushes must be treated with a solution of karbofos. The regularity of processing is 1 time in 5 days.
  • To scare off pests, garlic, basil or dill are planted between cucumbers.

Tips from experienced gardeners on cucumber agricultural technology

Planting cucumbers in peat pots for seedlings

Experienced gardeners advise using the herringbone method of growing cucumbers, because they see many advantages in it:

  • Planting cucumbers with a herringbone tree saves space in small areas.
  • All plants get enough light.
  • Plant care and harvesting is simplified.
  • Landing in this form decorates the site.
  • A cucumber pyramid can be a wonderful hut for children.

Landing in the form of pyramids

Also, gardeners are advised to adhere to some rules so that the design pleases with its harvest:

  • Watering is carried out in the morning with settled water so as not to damage the fragile roots of plants.
  • It is necessary to remember about timely feeding so that the plant does not experience a deficiency of nutrients.
  • For good development, a cucumber needs only 12 hours of daylight hours, which allows you to get a large harvest at the beginning and at the end of summer.
  • The first ovaries are removed to allow the bush to strengthen and gain strength.
  • Loosening and hilling is an important part of cucumber care.

It is not difficult to grow cucumbers, taking into account agricultural practices, but some skill is required. In order to get a large number of cucumber fruits, it is not at all necessary to plant long beds. You can collect a rich harvest from a small area, so summer residents adapt to growing crops in bags, barrels, sawdust, tires, etc.

Planting cucumbers with a pyramid is not difficult, and the structure can be made with your own hands. This planting method is in no way inferior to ordinary beds. Moreover, the Christmas tree has undeniable advantages over them and can serve as an excellent decoration for a small garden plot.