Growing cucumbers in a barrel

Having a small plot of land and not permanently living in the country, it is difficult to collect a good harvest of cucumbers, as they need a lot of space and constant watering. Therefore, our summer residents began to use the technology that came to us from China. It consists of growing cucumbers in two-hundred-ton metallic or wooden barrels. This method is not very popular, so we'll get to know him better.

Advantages of growing cucumbers in a barrel

• from roots and weeds , which were placed in spring in a barrel, by autumn we obtain a good humus;
• the care of plants takes less time and energy;
• there is very little space in this bed;
• The barrel, camouflaged with whips to the ground, looks very beautiful;
• the harvest remains clean and easy to harvest;
• Young sprouts are not afraid of freezing, because in such a barrel the temperature of the soil is always higher because of the process of rotting plants;
• Cucumbers in the cask ripen earlier than in the open ground.

Preparatory stage

Before planting cucumbers in a barrel, you need to do some preparatory work. Preparation begins from the very beginning of spring. Empty barrels need to be installed in a sunny place vertically. Then fill them with grass (only without roots), food waste, branches, compost and manure. You can also pour all these layers with EM drugs to eliminate pathogens and speed up the process of fermenting waste. Pour all hot water and cover with a film. In a week this mass will settle, and it will be necessary to refill the barrel with plant waste and manure. This will need to be done before the end of May.

How to grow cucumbers in a barrel?

1. After the preparatory work, it remains only to fill 10-15 cm of good soil in a barrel, pour and begin to plant the seeds of cucumbers.
2. Plant evenly around the circle 6 -8 pieces, so that the distance between them was about 15 cm. Many gardeners recommend planting seeds on May 6 in Egoriev day.
3. A barrel top to cover with a film or nonwoven material, and it is better to make a hut (insert the arc from the wire into the ground). So the shoots are not afraid of rain and frost.
4. Cover the top with a film before the appearance of the first leaves of cucumbers.
5. After the appearance of the sheets, attach the frame from the metal arcs or simply sticks, after which the cucumbers will swirl;
6. Care for cucumbers in the barrel is reduced to weeding once a month and, if there was no rain, to watering: half a bucket of water per barrel every four days;
7. As the sediment settles in the barrel, add fertile soil, fresh grass or humus.

Varieties of cucumbers for growing in a barrel

Not all grades of cucumbers should be used for planting in a barrel. Once the use of such technology is aimed at obtaining an earlier crop, it is recommended to plant the following varieties:

• Chinese frost-resistant;
• Muromsky 36;

as well as hybrids:

• Horses;
• Ecol;
• Othello;
• Pace;
• Rhodes.

How to improve the cultivation of cucumbers in a barrel?

1. Seedlings will grow well if they create an optimal microclimate for them by placing a small container with water inside the barrel. If necessary, add water to it.
2. Cucumbers perfectly grow in one barrel with other cultures: dill, parsley, bell pepper.
3. In the barrel, the ground dries faster than in the bed, so you need to water more.
4. The barrel can be painted black, for better warming of the soil.

Cultivation of cucumbers is a very troublesome business. To grow a good crop you need to know: how to choose the right way, how to choose a variety, how to grow and plant seedlings in the soil. And, using the technology of growing cucumbers in a barrel, you can, without these skills and knowledge, grow as many cucumbers as you can on a two-meter bed. Do not be afraid to experiment and you will succeed!