Any gardener dreams of having all the vegetables fit in a 6-acre garden bed. To do this, experienced gardeners have come up with the idea of growing cucumbers in bags, which helps save space in the garden. At the same time, you will be able to get a rich and tasty harvest; 12-15 cucumbers grow in one container. Let's look at this method.
Advantages and disadvantages of the method
There are a huge number of advantages of growing cucumbers in a bag:
- Huge harvest.
- Bags do not take up space in the garden.
- You can grow cucumbers on the balcony.
- No difficulties in care.
- Harvesting is easier.
- Clean fruits, since they do not come into contact with the ground and, accordingly, do not rot.
This innovative method of growing vegetables in a bag has appealed to many gardening enthusiasts. Better than greenhouses, it saves us from the need to dig beds in the country, and then weed them after every rain. There are no weeds in the bags, and if they do appear, getting rid of them is easy. Fruits grown this way will look great as there will be no dirt on them. If everything is done correctly, cucumbers planted in this way will ripen earlier than those planted in an open area.
In addition, the yield of cucumbers in bags is much higher than those in garden beds. By the way, if you have enough space in your apartment, you can grow them indoors all year round. The main thing is to properly care for them, provide the plants with light, warmth and proper watering.
No matter how good the method is, it, like all others, has some disadvantages:
- Difficulties in ensuring sufficient moisture levels.
- If the room is hot, the bags will have a high temperature, which will lead to the death of the plant.
It is imperative to water cucumbers in planting bags as often as possible, because the moisture in such “containers” evaporates quite quickly, not like in a greenhouse. If there is a lack of moisture, the fruits will have a bitter taste or the plant will die altogether. It is best to purchase bags that are white.
Preparing the seeds
To achieve a good harvest, the seeds should be properly prepared before planting. This is done in several steps:
- Seeds are carefully selected.
- Warming up is in progress.
- Next, the seed material is processed.
- The final stage is hardening.
It is very important to choose the best, not empty, and most importantly large seeds from the abundance of seeds.. To do this, soak them in liquid (warm) for 5 minutes.After this, you need to move them into a pre-prepared saline solution (50 grams per liter). Next, you should wait, some seeds will float, they should be thrown away.
Next, you need to thoroughly dry the material for sowing, and for this you will need to lay them out on a cloth and place them, for example, in the sun, or, simply, put them on a saucer and place them on a warm radiator. Next, the seeds must be disinfected so that in the future the plants are not exposed to fungal diseases and various types of pests. To achieve this, you need to warm them up for some time at a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius.
This approach will significantly increase productivity. After all these procedures, it is advisable to place the seed in a solution of potassium permanganate for about an hour and a half. By the way, experienced gardeners with experience claim that after disinfecting the seeds, they need to be placed in a solution of wood ash. It is very easy to prepare, two tbsp. l. pour a liter of liquid and let it all sit for two days.
Next, you need to harden the seeds so that temperature changes do not adversely affect them. To do this, the seed material is laid out on a slightly moistened cloth and not removed until it swells. If the cloth dries out, you need to moisten it. After pecking several seeds, all the seed is transferred to the top shelf of the refrigerator for 24 hours, and then to the bottom for the same amount. After this, the seeds are ready and you can start planting.
How to grow cucumbers in bags, step by step
So, we have considered the main factors, and now, in fact, we can carry out sowing. We will need some materials, they should be prepared in advance:
- A thick bag (for example, sugar containers or garbage bags), the volume of which ranges from 70 to 120 liters.
- Two meter pole.
- Cord (tight).
- Three one-meter tubes. They must be empty (they will be the basis of the irrigation system).
- Priming. It can be prepared manually or purchased.
- Nails.
- Pegs (high).
If all this is collected, we move on to the preparatory stage. Take pre-prepared tubes and make holes in them in a checkerboard pattern using a drill. Nails should be nailed on one side of the pole; this is necessary to tie the cords, since cucumbers in bags will send out their shoots along them. Light soil is a great option for growing cucumbers in bags. It is highly not recommended to use black soil or peat.
Please note that if the soil was prepared manually, then it is necessary to add humus and ash to it. Superphosphate will also not be superfluous when planting cucumbers in bags. Skilled gardeners make bag filler as follows:
- A mixture of soil and sawdust is made.
- About 20 grams of nitrophoska are added to one bucket of the finished mixture.
- Next, you need to put a layer of dandelions (fresh) into the packaging.
- A layer of the mixture should be placed on top.
- Next you need to alternate layers.
Many people wonder how much to pour the mixture. There is no exact answer, because this is affected by the height of the package. It is advisable to try to make it about 2/3 full. Growing cucumbers in bags is only possible if they are placed in a vertical position. You should definitely drive a small peg in the middle. Next, prepared tubes with holes need to be placed around the finished structure.Before planting cucumbers, the soil must be watered with warm water.
Now let’s move on directly to how to plant cucumbers in bags of soil. It is advisable to choose varieties that are resistant to various diseases. It is allowed to grow no more than three planted seedlings in one container (bag). If you plan to plant more, then you need to make holes in the container in a checkerboard pattern and place the seedlings in them.
How to properly care
Watering for the cucumber will be provided thanks to the tubes placed around it. The frequency of watering depends on how quickly the soil dries out. In hot weather, watering should be done daily. In cold and rainy weather, you can water only once a week. When the plants begin to develop tendrils, you need to place pegs around them and tie cords to them. The ends of these cords are tied to the nails that were driven into the pole earlier. This approach allows you to ensure that one stem is formed and you get a rich harvest.
By the way, it is advisable to feed cucumbers that grow in bags. For this, an infusion of nettle or any herbs is made. It is necessary to start after the ovaries form.
Recommendations
To achieve a good harvest, use these tips:
- Try to use only thick plastic packaging.
- In those places where the bags with seedlings will stand, you need to make small recesses to place the bags vertically.
- If you need lightly salted cucumbers or for rolling, you need to choose varieties that have small fruits.
- Give your vegetables good care.
- Do not overdo it with watering, otherwise excess moisture will lead to plant diseases.
- Use white bags, then the moisture will evaporate longer.
Experienced gardeners recommend planting cucumbers in bags rather than in a greenhouse. This method of growing vegetables has extremely positive reviews. In a relatively small area you can get a good harvest. You can plant any number of cucumbers in bags, it all depends on your mood and desire.
Conclusion
Now you know how to grow cucumbers in bags step by step. Use this method and get a good and tasty harvest.
