Cucumber beds and how to make them in spring: warm, high, dung and others + video

Even a novice gardener can get an excellent harvest of cucumbers, especially if he pays attention to some important nuances, the first of which is the preparation of the correct garden bed.

2 Warm cucumber bed
2.1 Advantages and disadvantages of a warm bed
2.2 Video: what are warm cucumber beds

3 Dung bed

4 Vertical cucumber bed

4.1 Photo: options for trellises for equipping vertical beds

5 Step beds

6 Mobile beds for cucumbers

6.1 Video: growing cucumbers in a barrel

Different types of cucumber beds

For good growth and development, cucumbers need organic-rich soil, therefore, when arranging a garden for growing this vegetable, humus, grass, branches, food waste and other organic matter are introduced into it. Such additives not only improve the nutritional value of the soil, but also generate heat during decomposition.

Natural heating of the soil sterilizes it, kills pathogenic bacteria and many pests.

The introduction of organic matter is the main condition for arranging a place for planting cucumbers. The beds can be deep and high, warm and regular, suspended and multi-stage. Among gardeners, the following types of ridges are especially popular:

warm;
dung;
vertical;
mobile.

The shape of the beds depends solely on your imagination: they can be made square, rectangular, round, in the form of a trapezoid, in the form of any objects, animals

Types of structures

Growers interested in vertical cultivation of cucumbers can use one of the common types of designs.

Vertical bed of tires

Among the popular methods for creating cucumber beds, the use of car tires is distinguished. First you need to prepare the necessary tools with materials:

wood block;
chisel;
tires.

In each tire, holes are made with a chisel for bushes. Then the tire is transferred to the garden and dug into the ground to a depth of 10-12 centimeters. After that, a prepared soil mixture is poured into it, in which a cucumber is planted.

We grow cucumbers in a PVC pipe

Most often, PVC pipes are used for growing berries, but some vegetable growers use them for cucumbers.

For work, pipes of two types are used:

wide with a diameter of 15 centimeters;
narrow with a diameter of 8-10 centimeters.

All pipes are carefully cut with a grinder so that their height does not exceed one meter. In this case, the narrower tube should be 10 centimeters longer than the wide one.

A narrow pipe will be used to moisten the soil and therefore 7-8 holes are made in it through which moisture will penetrate into the soil. Then it is wrapped with a cloth and rewound with nylon threads. After that, holes with a diameter of 100-130 millimeters are drilled in a wide pipe. They are made for the branches of bushes.

At the end of the creation of the structure, a narrow pipe is placed inside a wide one and attached with screws. The gap between the walls of the tubes is covered with gravel and soil mixture.

Using a grid

Another common way to create vertical ridges is to use a grid.

The construction mesh is carefully rolled into a ring with a diameter of 30-40 centimeters. The ends of the material are held together with wire, and the bottom is covered with straw. The soil is poured on top with mineral and organic fertilizing. The soil is thoroughly stirred, after which cucumbers can be planted in it.

Planting cucumbers outdoors in plastic bags

You can also plant vegetables in special plastic bags. It is recommended to use containers with a diameter of at least twenty centimeters. Dense handles are sewn to each bag for further hanging the plants. Then they are filled with soil mixture, which includes ash, river sand, superphosphate and other fertilizers.

Vertical bed of bottles

The most affordable material for creating vertical ridges is plastic bottles. To create reliable beds, you need to familiarize yourself with how to make them step by step:

cleaning bottles from labels;
creating holes for growing bushes;
creating a small hole at the bottom through which a rope will be passed to hang the bottle;
filling containers with earth mixed with expanded clay.

From the barrel

When growing vegetables in a greenhouse, ordinary barrels are often used. Even damaged containers that do not have a bottom are suitable for this. For planting cucumbers, it is better to use barrels not made of plastic, but made of wood.

Before planting, cells are cut out on the walls of the containers with a knife or saw, into which the seedlings will be planted. The length and width of each of the cells should not be less than 50 centimeters. You also need to create a drainage system so that moisture does not stagnate. To do this, a layer of gravel with river sand is poured into the center of the container with your hands.

From flower pots

People who have chosen their own balcony for planting cucumbers should use flower pots. They are suitable for growing dwarf varieties of cucumbers that grow poorly.

When creating a vertical structure, the pots are placed on top of each other so that the largest and heaviest pot is at the bottom, and the lightest and smallest is at the top. Experienced growers advise staggering containers so that cucumbers have more free space to grow.

Dung bed

For growing a heat-loving vegetable on cold and heavy soils that need high-quality heating, it is recommended to equip manure beds. They are erected as in early spring, but necessarily on thawed ground, since under manure the ground will not be able to warm up for a long time.

For the arrangement of the ridge, it is best to use horse manure. During decomposition, it maintains a high temperature for more than a month (within +70 degrees), enriches the soil with elements necessary for feeding cucumbers and carbon dioxide.

The construction of the ridge is carried out as follows:

Open method of growing cucumbers - plastic bottles

This is how not only summer residents grow, but amateurs on the balcony or loggia.

The method allows you to get an early harvest, grow vertically, and conveniently take care of the seedlings.

Vertical bottle garden

On the vertical southern surface, you can fix horizontally plastic bottles with a cutout on one side. For reliability, the bottles are also secured with a rope so that they are not blown off in strong winds. With good care, you can get a decent harvest.

tent

An unusual way of growing cucumbers - in a tent

Such a planting with a diameter of about a meter resembles a flower bed, in the middle of which a pipe up to three meters long to a depth of about 1 m is placed. Hooks should be placed at the very top of the pipe. In the future, a cord is tied to them, and pegs are added to the perimeter of the flower bed and a cord is tied to them.

Seeds are sown in holes along the perimeter of the flower bed. After sowing, the entire structure is covered with a film in order to create a microclimate inside the garden to accelerate germination. When the time for returnable spring cold snaps has passed, the film is removed. When the plants grow up, the whole structure will look like a tent or hut decorating the site. The tent saves space, cucumbers grow well and give a decent harvest, but the construction requires some financial investment and a lot of time to set it up.

The listed unusual ways of growing cucumbers will save space on the land, as well as get a decent harvest.

About growing cucumbers under a film.

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Cucumber vertical bed

This version of the garden bed is suitable for gardeners who have a small plot of land. You can build a vertical cucumber bed in a variety of ways. One of them is the use of trellis structures that allow cucumber vines not to creep along the ground. Trellis can be vertical along the entire length of the prepared ridge or arranged in the form of a wigwam on rounded beds with a diameter of about a meter.

Construction of a rounded vertical ridge:

Layering is organized according to the principle of a warm bed.
A high peg (1.5–2 m) is driven into the center of the garden bed, at the top of which pieces of twine are fixed according to the number of the planned number of cucumber bushes.
The ends of the twine are fixed with hooks or small pegs along the edge of the bed.
Seeds of cucumbers are sown in a circle at a distance of at least 25 cm from each other. Growing up, cucumbers will climb up the support, and soon the garden bed will look like a green pyramid.

Photo: options for trellises for equipping vertical beds

Very easy to assemble from scrap materials, hut trellis for cucumbers are an excellent option for growing them vertically

The optimal mesh for growing cucumbers is considered to be a flexible trellis or rigid garden plastic mesh with a cell of at least 15x15 cm Cucumbers themselves cling to the trellis with their whiskers, but they still need to be guided and tied

The simplest wooden tapestries for cucumbers, assembled from scrap materials with their own hands, are frames (frames) in the form of the letters "A" (with a spacer bar in the middle), "L" (without a spacer), "T" or "P"

Vertical cultivation provides the gardener with free access to each leaf, stem, fruit, which makes it easy to care for the plant, detect problems in a timely manner and deal with them

The undoubted advantage of vertical beds are the following:

they are decorative. With due diligence, such a design brings a touch of attractiveness and unusualness to the design of the site;
occupy a small area;
require minimal tillage and plant care;
easy to move, supplement, rebuild;
it is convenient and easy to collect greens from them without turning over or damaging the cucumber vines;
the almost complete absence of contact of leaves and stems of the plant with the ground, as well as good ventilation, allows you to avoid many cucumber diseases.

It should be borne in mind that with the vertical arrangement of cucumber lashes, the vegetable needs more fertilizer. In particular, the need for phosphorus increases by 20-30%. Also, upright plants require more moisture due to the drying effects of the sun and wind.

Why is such a construction needed?

Each farmer tries to use the site with maximum benefit, so he often experiments and shows imagination. Knowing the intricacies of cultivating a warm and moisture-loving vegetable, you can easily create acceptable conditions for growth and fruiting. The structure is made individually for the needs of the gardener.

pros

A vertical cucumber bed saves the time required for planting maintenance. Thanks to the simple design, comfortable conditions for irrigation and weed control are created. The scourge of the plant is positioned at such an angle that it does not obstruct the view during harvesting.

Minimal contact with open soil prevents the occurrence of common species ailments. Compact beds do not take up much space, so they will be relevant on a site of any size. If you give preference to mobile options, then you can rearrange the structures in any part of the garden or yard, saving them from heat or cold.

"Cucumbers on a vertical bed are well protected from rotting, soil particle contamination, rodent attacks."

The main disadvantages of vertical cucumber beds include the rapid drying of the soil and the lack of nutrients. Not all farmers can be near their plantings every day, which provokes a drying out of the coma. You don't have to buy a complex drip system to ensure regular irrigation - it's easy to do it yourself.

For vertical structures made of wood, it is better to give preference to the "external" system. The surface of a plastic bottle is pierced with a needle and placed between the vines. The liquid flows down the walls and irrigates the plantation.

Minuses

However, not everything is so positive and the technique has its negative sides. Due to the limited volume of soil, the soil dries quickly. If it is not possible to irrigate plants every day, then it is necessary to equip a drip irrigation system. Farmers often add hydrogel to the substrate, which retains moisture and later gives it to the bushes.

In limited containers, nutrients are quickly washed out from cucumbers. To provide the culture with all the necessary microelements, it is necessary to apply fertilizers (root and leaf) twice a week. It is important to choose the right concentration of drugs, giving preference to natural remedies.

A small volume of soil freezes quickly in cold weather. The vegetable is a thermophilic crop, so the roots instantly react to glaciation of the earth.If you do not take care of covering materials during cultivation, then a light frost will destroy all work.

Step beds

The variety of vertical beds includes stepped or multi-tiered structures that are convenient and popular among gardeners, which involve placing several beds on top of each other:

First, a large garden bed is created, usually of a square shape.
On top of it, another smaller area is being built.

Such a structure can be created using metal strips, curb tape, ordinary boards. It should be borne in mind that a stepped bed can be unevenly illuminated by the sun, therefore, the most illuminated part of the ridge is chosen for cucumbers, and plants less demanding on light are planted in other areas (onions, parsley, celery).

Almost all plants develop much better and bear fruit when grown not on a monoculture (consisting of plants of strictly one species) bed, but "in the company" of several types of compatible crops

Does vertical planting affect the growth and yield of cucumbers

People who came up with the idea of growing vegetables vertically are interested in how such a planting will affect the further growth of the planted bushes and their yield.

If you plant cucumbers correctly, their yield will increase several times. It increases due to the fact that the bushes will be better illuminated by the sun. Also, the amount of the harvested crop increases due to the fact that plants are less likely to die from diseases that could appear after contact of leaves with the soil.

Plants grown vertically absorb nutrients and moisture better. Thanks to this, the bushes grow a little faster than with conventional cultivation.

Mobile cucumber beds

The advantage of a mobile bed is that it can be built in any illuminated corner of the site without digging up the soil. It is easiest to equip such a bed in any container according to the principle of a warm bed. It is prepared in early spring, about a month before the planting of cucumbers, so that organic matter begins to decompose a month and a half before sowing, matures and becomes a nutritious soil for the planted plants.

The advantages of growing cucumbers in bags, barrels and other containers:

the roots of the plant will not be damaged by the bear;
with proper watering, plants are less susceptible to fungal diseases;
from a small plot you can harvest no less than from a full-fledged garden;
convenience and simplicity in plant care, harvesting;
early ripening of zelents.

It is better to take a thicker bag, made of sugar, for example, since polyethylene tears from the sun

You can build a mobile bed in a wooden container on wheels. It is preferable to cover the inside of the case with a film - this will save the wood from rapid decay, and drainage drains should be arranged in the bottom. The wheels must be strong to support the weight of the soil and plants, while maintaining mobility.

The position of the mobile container can be adjusted during daylight hours by turning or moving it with the right side towards the sun

With the help of mobile beds, you can set up a garden anywhere in the garden plot, quickly change the space, using such structures as partitions, zonal additions.

On a fence, metal mesh or a farm building wall, you can organize a vertical bed for growing cucumbers by hanging plastic or wooden boxes, plastic bags filled with nutrient soil.

To organize mobile beds, you can use the items in the house: old suitcases and bags, garden cars, old strollers, shopping baskets and even large children's trucks

The maximum return from a mobile bed can be obtained if part of the cucumber lashes is directed upward along the established arcs or poles, and part of it will freely crawl down and creep along the ground.

Growing cucumbers on a mobile garden bed using a barrel saves time and space (one 200 liter barrel replaces a 2 square meter garden bed)

If a small capacity is used to equip a mobile garden bed, then the following difficulties must be taken into account:

one cucumber plant needs at least 5 liters of nutrient soil;
the soil in the container will dry out quickly, so watering the cucumbers should be done more often: not 2-3 times a week, but daily. The solution to this problem is in the organization of drip irrigation or in the use of a hydrogel - special balls that absorb water during irrigation, and then gradually give it to the plants. When using a hydrogel, it is pre-soaked for several hours, then mixed with the soil. Next, make sure that there is at least 5 cm of earth above this enriched layer.... This is a prerequisite, since the product will dry quickly on the surface of the soil under the influence of sunlight;
The hydrogel is applied to soil, mixtures, composts and any other substrates used to grow plants
cucumbers will quickly draw out nutrients from a small amount of soil, so plant feeding will need to be done twice as often.

Care for cucumbers with vertical cultivation

Vertical beds allow you to avoid some of the problems when growing cucumbers. But new ones are added, and the care of the crop may be necessary as much as in ordinary ridges.

Recommendations for growing in vertical beds:

You should carefully choose the place for the structure. Cucumbers do not like drafts and scorching sun rays.
The soil must be well loosened before planting. If it is too heavy, then peat and sawdust are introduced into it.
Before planting, the bed is fertilized with organic matter. For 1 m2 of soil, about 6 kg of manure will be required. You can replace it with 1 tbsp. l superphosphate and a glass of ash.
Before planting seeds or seedlings, you can add a little bird droppings to the hole, it will allow the soil to warm up faster and provide additional trace elements for sprouts.
It is necessary to timely and correctly shape the bush. Female flowers are most often formed on lateral shoots. Therefore, it is recommended to pinch the cucumbers. But you need to pay attention to the type of culture. In hybrids, productive flowers are formed along the main stem, so it is worth pinching the lateral shoots.
It is necessary to water the plant in a timely manner. For average summer weather, 2-3 times a week is enough. When planting cucumbers in small containers, you should especially carefully monitor the moisture content of the soil, since it can dry out faster than usual.
It is recommended to harvest the fruits at least once every 2 days. Because overripe cucumbers seriously drain the entire bush.
At the end of the season, all stems and shoots are harvested. Twist the nets, thoroughly cleaning them from the remnants of vegetation and dirt. Trellises and wooden structures are stored under a canopy.

Caring for cucumbers in vertical beds is not much different from caring for them in standard beds. Unusual designs can add zest to the design of the site. They are beautiful and decorative. In addition, vertical beds perfectly save space on small backyard plots.

Methods for planting cucumbers on a trellis

The peculiarities of the variety or hybrid determine which planting scheme to choose in the open field - in 1 or 2 lines.

Table: schemes for growing cucumbers

landing	bed width (m)	distance between plants in a row (cm)		row spacing (cm)
landing	bed width (m)	weakly branching	strongly branching	row spacing (cm)
in 1 line	0,7–0,8	15–20	25–30	45–50
in 2 lines	1,1–3,0	25–30	35–40	50

Before the appearance of the mustache, the seedlings are grown under temporary shelter - they place a frame made of arches covered with a film under the trellises, or protect the entire structure with spunbond.

Cucumber lashes are formed - the seedling is tied up with a free loop under the first real leaf.A peg is stuck next to the plant and the free end of the twine is tied to it. The shoot is wrapped with a rope, covering each internode. For better rooting of seedlings, 4 lower nodes are blinded - at the beginning of growth, the buds of female flowers and the rudiments of lateral shoots are plucked from the axils of the leaves.

Further pinching:

remove the lateral shoot above the first leaf at a distance of up to 1.6 m;
above the second sheet - on the lash section from 1.6 to 2 m.

When the plant reaches the top of the trellis, the main stem is thrown over the top wire, guided along the row and down. The formation of the plant is carried out within a month after their planting in a permanent place.

Ripe greens are harvested every day, trying not to overgrow. Timely collection of fruits increases productivity, since overgrown fruits inhibit the formation of new ovaries.

Varieties of beds

Zucchini bed

A warm do-it-yourself garden bed in spring for cucumbers is a great way to preserve culture. There are several options for creating a do-it-yourself cucumber garden. This list includes:

deep;
high;
warm;
ordinary.

Warm bed

Hobby gardeners should know how to make warm cucumber beds in spring. They are made in two unusual ways: in a trench or on the surface.

Warm bed

Required materials and tools:

shovels of two types and a pitchfork;
manure;
fallen leaves and tops;
branches of various thicknesses;
sawdust;
roots;
bread;
liquid slops;
boards for the construction of a trellis (mesh);
nails;
a hammer.

To create a garden bed for a cucumber culture, in the fall, they dig a trench 2 bayonet deep with a shovel. The pit is three meters long and 1.5 m wide. Wood materials are laid out on the bottom - branches and logs. Next, make a grid of boards, resembling a box. Then spread the grass, dung heap and tops. At the top, 15 cm thick earth remains.

From above, the prepared bed is covered with foil and left until spring. Throughout the entire winter period, a certain process will take place inside, after which by spring the land will be ready for planting a vegetable crop. A warm bed will last a long time, usually 7 years for sure.

Note! It is even easier to make such a bed on the surface of the earth. To do this, all materials are stacked in one pile, as if ramming. Then it remains to cover it with earth. The soil layer should be equal to 20 cm. In the spring, cucumber seedlings or seeds are planted on the treated surface.

Scheme of a warm bed-hill

A warm bed can be used for several years in a row.

In the first year, the structure is saturated with nutrients, and the decomposition of organic matter generates heat. In such conditions, not only cucumbers, but also pumpkins and zucchini can grow.
By the second year, more food is placed in the soil, you can re-plant cucumbers and zucchini in the same place. You can plant tomatoes and cabbage as a variety.
By the third year, there are enough nutritional reserves for cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, beets, carrots.
Fourth year: planting peas and greens. There is no more nutritional reserve for anything if you do not additionally fertilize.

In the vacant space, you can re-lay a warm bed.

Vertical cucumber beds

For economical gardeners, there is an excellent option for creating a vertical bed. This method allows you to save space and get a plant without fear that pests can spoil the tops.

For work, you will need plastic or metal containers, or horse manure. Round barrels or buckets are installed in a permanent place. Then they should be filled with nutrients. In the second case, high round beds are made from manure (up to 1 meter in diameter).

Vertical bed

Branches are strewn on the bottom. A dung heap pours out from above. The topmost layer is soil (layer up to 20 cm).A peg up to 1.5 meters long is installed in the center. A string is attached to the top, and the lower ends are fixed at the edge of the bed with hooks. Cucumber bushes will grow skyward and twine twines.

Mobile beds

If the soil is poor, it doesn’t matter. For the growth of cucumbers, mobile beds will help. Small costs are spent on their construction. You don't even need to dig up the ground or make complex structures.

First of all, a place is selected. It can be on absolutely any piece of land. The branches are taken as a basis, which are laid out in a layer of 15 cm. Sprinkle with manure on top. If there is no manure heap, you can use leaves and tops. Sprinkle the top with soil with a layer of 15 cm.Then it is necessary to water everything abundantly with manure infusion and cover with a black film. And seedlings are planted through small holes in the films.

Important! If the cucumbers grow in the soil, then the harvest will be late, and also fruiting may not be at all due to the damage to the plant by pests.

Cucumbers growing in barrels are constantly in need of watering and feeding. But there are also advantages of this method - the stability of the temperature regime and the absence of pests.

Mobile beds