In addition to the traditional method of growing vegetables in the beds, there are more interesting ones that save time and effort. One of the most famous options is barrel cucumbers. There are many subtleties and features of this method. Therefore, you need to know how to properly plant cucumbers in a barrel.

Planting process

Planting cucumbers in a barrel is not difficult. A detailed plan for the planting process:

  1. Choosing a suitable container.
  2. Preparing containers for planting cucumbers.
  3. Planting seeds.
  4. Arrangement of plant protection from frost.
  5. Proper care - watering, feeding, and more.

For this purpose, a bucket, box or metal tank is best suited (it is not at all necessary to buy a new one, you can take any old steel barrel) with a volume of 100 to 200 liters - the more, the better. You need to fill the container and let it stand for a while so that everything goes through. Immediately before planting the seeds, a bottle (several pieces of one and a half liters or one in five) with holes at the bottom, in the middle and at the top should be dug in the middle. Water is periodically poured into it so that the earth is constantly moist and does not dry out.

Unusual cultivation

Seeds must be soaked for a day before planting. It is not necessary to grow seedlings, cucumbers will still grow a couple of weeks earlier compared to the same cucumbers in the garden. It is not worth placing the seeds close so that they do not interfere with each other during growth. It is important to decide how many cucumbers to plant in a barrel, it depends on its size and volume. At first, when there is a threat of frost, you need to protect future cucumbers by closing the top of the tank at night and on cold days.

Important! Fruits grown in this way are less eaten by pests and less likely to get sick.

Secrets of a proper fit, how to care

Herringbone planting of cucumbers

You can start planting seeds from mid-April. But first you need to choose a variety - for this, hybrids and seeds of an early variety are best suited. The wells are placed 5-6 cm from the walls of the container and at a distance of 15 cm from each other. It is important to know how many cucumbers can be planted in a barrel: one container takes up to ten grains.

Additional Information! A good solution is to plant several varieties in one container, so the plant will be more pollinated and, therefore, give a better yield.

After planting, cover with foil or a lid until the temperature at night exceeds 15-17 degrees. In the Moscow region, the climate is temperate, so the plants must be covered until about mid-June. As soon as it gets warmer, you need to open the barrel.

When the first full-fledged leaves appear on the shoots, it is necessary to build a small frame so that the plant curls over it. For example, it can be a stick or a steel pipe stuck near each branch, or several arcs. If the tank is against the wall, it would be a good idea to stretch the mesh up to it so that the plant curls along the weaving. You can, of course, leave them to go down over the edges of the container: the frame will not let the cucumbers fall to the ground and get dirty, and the garden will look more interesting.

Braided cucumber

From time to time, the soil in the tank will sag, so you must remember to fill it up, at the same time you can add a little fertilizer if there is not enough humus from the barrel soil. You need to water the cucumbers 3-4 times a week and do not forget that there is a bottle, which also needs to be filled with water as needed.This method of cultivation is better in that due to overheating of garden waste and compost, the soil in the tank is several degrees warmer than just in the garden, and this has a beneficial effect on plant growth.

Important! Do not forget to periodically turn the iron tank so that on one side the plant does not wither due to strong sunlight. When the sun bakes strongly, you can cover the plants with the same film, protecting them from burning and creating a greenhouse effect.

Cucumber care consists of regular watering, depending on the weather conditions, and you can also feed the plant with a decoction of nettle (optional). From time to time you need to loosen the ground a little. There will be no weeds in the container, there simply is no place for weeds to come from. All that remains is to harvest the crop and straighten the weaving on time so that one plant does not overlap another.

How to prepare a barrel for planting and how to fill it

Planting cucumbers in peat pots for seedlings

Be sure to know how to properly prepare a barrel for planting cucumbers. The cultivation container is prepared in autumn or early spring. In temperate climates, the outside of the barrel should be painted dark in order for the soil to warm up well. This is especially important in late spring and early summer. Before filling the container, you need to make 2-3 small holes so that excess water comes out.

Additional Information! It is better to place the tanks in a sunny place.

There are several options for filling:

  • First of all, you need to put about a third of garden debris - twigs, dry grass, leaves. Then humus goes to the second third (its overheating gives plants an additional source of heat). Tamp both layers well and cover with earth and compost on top.
  • Small branches and pebbles should be placed on the bottom, then there is vegetable waste and paper. Pour soil on top (it does not matter, purchased or from the garden), if desired, you can mix manure.
  • As in the first two methods, any garden waste is placed on the bottom. On top of this, you need to lay out the scraps and peels of vegetables, tops, compost, leaves, rotted manure or sawdust. Pour earth on top.

The bottom layer always plays the role of drainage. After filling, it is necessary to saturate the soil with water so that it reaches the bottom. The next step is to cover the top of the keg with agrofibre or plastic wrap. If in the spring, closer to the time of planting, the soil subsides, be sure to fill up the soil slightly below the edges of the tank (20-40 cm).

Abundant watering

Sowing can be done as early as 14 days after preparing the container.

Important! Use at least three compost buckets for each bin.

Tips and tricks for growing cucumbers in barrels

Planting cucumbers in open ground

Growing cucumbers in a pot is much easier than using the traditional method. One of the advantages of growing cucumbers in a container is that the vegetable will be clean and even, because the fruits do not touch the ground. In addition, it is easier to collect them, you do not have to bend over and look on the ground, you just need to reach out and rip.

Gardeners note the fact that the plant takes up more space on the garden bed than in the barrel, because it crawls not along the ground, but along the frame or walls of the container. After the plant has outlived its own, the soil from the barrel can be used as humus, because during the entire growing period the soil rotted and became a quality fertilizer. In addition, the dacha will look a little more interesting if there are a couple of cucumbers in the garden.

The advantages of this unconventional growing method:

  • ease of care;
  • saving space;
  • early harvest.

You don't have to stop growing cucumbers in this way; you can also try growing carrots, zucchini or beans in a barrel.