Vertical beds for cucumbers own hands

Cultivation of cucumbers, like any other agricultural crops, has its own characteristics. This vegetable is rather whimsical, it is very demanding to have a comfortable air temperature and constant optimum soil moisture. Therefore, truck farmers, summer residents, farmers are constantly looking for effective ways to cultivate this crop. One of the directions is the use of vertical beds. Moreover, many owners of household plots and vegetable gardens are interested in such a topic as a vertical bed for cucumbers, equipped with their own hands.

Pros of vertical beds

First you should answer one question. What are the advantages of a vertical bed for cucumbers? First of all, of course, saving the space of the land plot, when instead of horizontal grabbing the necessary surface, the bed uses a vertical direction for the development of planted plants. Fruits ripening on such a bed, do not touch the ground. An experienced vegetable grower, a summer resident, an amateur knows that cucumbers on a vertical bed are well protected from rotting, soil contamination by soil particles, and rodent encroachments. Soil fertilization also becomes safer (that is, fertilizers will not contact fruits). The uniformity of fruit ripening is ensured, the conditions of plantation care become more comfortable. In some cases, it becomes possible to create a convenient or even automatic irrigation system.

Types of vertical beds

Vertical beds for cucumbers is, in fact, a structure that can have a wide variety of designs. Sometimes it is placed in a certain order on a vertical surface (wall, shield, partition, grid) plastic bags, bags, hanging bottles. In other cases, the vertical beds for cucumbers are suspended plastic bars with closed ends, wooden containers, plastic 5-liter tanks from under water, also cut along the axis, under the crossbeams or beams. To the vertical beds belong different types of trellises, located in the form of tent, wall. One of the simplest variants is a plastic mesh stretched from the bottom up or obliquely. A special variety of structures are vertically buried into the ground pipes with holes. Such a vertical bed for cucumbers can be combined with trellises or pendant containers. Quite simple, even primitive, constructions of metal or plastic barrels, original designs from old furniture, where cucumbers are planted in the ground, covered in the drawn boxes of tables, chests of drawers, cabinets, etc.

How to make a vertical bed for cucumbers? About this - further.

Grid

The first option - the use of a grid as a basis for which the tendrils of growing stems will cling. Vertical beds for cucumbers, created with a grid, is an attractive inexpensive option, effective and does not require a huge amount of labor.

Grids are sold in special stores for summer residents and truck farmers. You can make them yourself from the line. The main thing is that the net should be either of fishing line or plastic, metal is not allowed! The reason - when heated in the sun, a metal wire can cause burns on the leaves of plants.

Planting cucumbers in vertical beds is not difficult. The soil before planting should be enriched. In spring or autumn organic fertilizers are introduced, a month before sowing cucumbers or planting seedlings, mineral fertilizers should be scattered. Places of cucumbers on a mesh vertical bed will take a little, they will have enough sun, they are very convenient to assemble!

Plastic bags

Another simple option - the use of canvas or plastic bags containing inside the soil for planting. The easiest way is a plastic bag, but it's the most short-lived - just for one season.

Bags for this bed should have a volume of about 100-120 liters, suitable and trash, as well as homemade, if it is very unlucky and ready-made bags you will not fall for sale.

Still need a two-meter stick with notches for fishing line, plastic pipes (trimming hoses) with a diameter of up to 3 cm and a length greater than the height of the package each, fishing line (hank not less than 30 m), a dozen pegs.

The land for filling the packages should be prepared a good, ideal option - to buy the soil mixture in the store.

Then, place the plastic bag in place. In the center of the bag, a stick is installed (simply stuck), and in the bag are pre-punched three plastic tubes, they should not touch the stick. The ends of the tubes should look out of the bag. The entire structure is strengthened with pegs. Making the cuts in the packages, fill them with earth. After pouring water into the tubes, the earth will humidify. Further, watering the beds should be performed through these tubes. Through the incisions in the package, the soil moisture inside is determined, since the dry upper layer of the earth can not serve as an indicator of a lack of moisture. Cucumbers do not like both drought and waterlogging.

After the appearance of the antennae, circle them around the line, then everything will go by itself.

The advantage of this method is that the crop of cucumbers ripens earlier on the site than on ordinary beds, a borage tree adorns the site, watering once a week, no additional fertilizing is required. And plus - all the same saving of useful space.

Pipes

Cultivation of cucumbers is also possible in vertical beds in the form of pipes, although these methods are less common, they are mainly used for the cultivation of flowers, for berries (especially strawberries), greens.

Here we can distinguish the use of pipes in two directions. The first direction - perforated plastic pipes are vertically installed in the soil. The most suitable for this are sewer pipes from sanitary ware shops. Sometimes inside a large pipe passes a smaller diameter pipe, which serves to organize the irrigation system. The pipe is buried in the soil for a third of its length for structural stability. From above, soil is poured into the pipe, it can be premixed with seeds. But you can plant the seeds in the soil and through the holes in the pipe. Also through these holes can be planted and cucumber seedlings. Vertical pipes, placed in a row, can play the role of a partition between different areas and garden beds, gazebo walls or serve as a fence of the site.

The second direction is also a vertical bed, but the pipes are located horizontally! How? Just take the plastic pipes, cut into trimming (however, you can not and do not cross cutting, just the hanging patch will be long), each cut is cut along into two halves, from the ends put restricting walls. The resulting gutters are suspended on the crossbeams, tree branches, arbours, even on the canopy of the house. Suspension is made with the help of a rope, fishing line, rope, wire. It can be multi-tiered, the length of gutters is chosen independently. In each, the soil is placed, seedlings are planted.

Instead of tubular gutters, you can use hanging plastic containers, cut five-liter plastic containers, wooden boxes.

Vertical tire bed

This scheme is very common for summer residents due to its simplicity and low complexity of creation.

Take old tires of automobile tires in an amount of 3-5 pcs. They may be the same diameter, but this is not necessary. Stacked one on top of the other, as the filling of their internal space with soil with top dressing. If flowers or greens can be planted with seeds mixed with soil, then planting cucumbers in vertical beds is carried out in specially cut openings, where the seedlings are placed. It turns out a multi-level design, bringing a variety in the landscape of the site.

An interesting variant of this technique is that not 3-5 old tires are used, but much more - up to 12 pieces! With a hammer and a chisel, 10 to 12 holes are applied to them on the surface that is in contact with the road. Inside tires for 5-7 cm are filled with a mixture of compost or manure to the ground, topsoil is filled with ordinary soil. Tires are stacked vertically on top of each other. In the holes are planted cucumber seeds for 3 pcs. Seeds are recommended to be kept in the refrigerator for 6-7 hours, then to soak.

When there are shoots, you need to remove weak plants, leaving the most viable. After the appearance of the lashes to protect the latter from the breaking under them is put foam.

Watering can be done well through a perforated pipe inserted through the inside of the tires, but you can get along with the primitive from the watering can.

A vertical bed of a barrel

More interesting option for the greenhouse, conditionally it can be called "barrel-tube", where the main element - a wooden, metal or plastic barrel. In it, you need to make a series of holes for seedlings, rectangular or round shape. The holes on the surface of the barrel should be placed in rows horizontally, the intervals between the rows of 20 cm.

Then the feeder is prepared - a metal pipe about 1520 cm in length and an internal diameter of about 4 to 6 cm. The lateral surface of the pipe is perforated: holes with a diameter of 4 or 5 mm are drilled in it. At the top end of the tube, a funnel is attached. The lower end of the feeder tube is damped with a wooden plug or mud curing solution.

The finished pipe is fixed on a wooden cross. To prevent clogging of holes with ground, the pipe is wrapped with burlap.

The place in the greenhouse where this structure will be installed is leveled and tamped. There is placed a barrel with a pipe installed inside the feeder. Clay and fine gravel are placed on the bottom so that the bottom row of holes is not closed. Then the internal volume of the structure is filled with a substrate. Planted seedlings both in the side holes, and on the top surface of the barrel. By the way, a small remark: seedlings in the lateral holes are planted by the roots downwards, as the substrate subsides, the correct orientation of the roots will be restored.

A simpler barrel variant: in a container without any tricks put a soil mixture, plant seeds or seedlings of cucumbers under the film, later install wire arcs, which are then attached to the shoots. This type of vertical bed does not have all the advantages that are characteristic for this technology, but it is simple, unpretentious and quite allows you to collect a more or less acceptable early harvest of cucumbers. By the way, hanging down shoots beautifully mask the barrel.

Other varieties of vertical beds

By giving a second chance to old kitchen furniture to serve their masters, some summer residents use it to create vertical beds. But for the cultivation of cucumbers this method is rarely used, because it is not as effective as others.

To obtain a good harvest of cucumbers under extreme conditions, it is necessary to use tapestries - wooden (metal, plastic) gratings, slats, walls, slings, between which in several rows stretch horizontally, oblique-wire or string strings. Here again, the property of cucumbers is attached with antennae and whips to the supports and stretch upward. Again, instead of a string, you can use wooden slats.

Several unexpected examples of the creation of vertical beds. These can be the stalks of corn or sunflower! If in addition to cucumbers plant coriander around the corn, radish (to attract useful insects, with the same purpose, you can add flowers to the garden, or, as it is called, the cosmos). Another unexpected example: cucumbers are planted around the pipe, but instead of trellises or nets, hop seeds are used as a support for cucumbers, lovers of this method assure that the crop yield is very markedly increased.

Conclusion

The article does not cover all the details of the topic, in view of the immensity of this direction, but the question of how to grow cucumbers on a vertical bed, basically gives the minimum necessary answer.

Vertical beds, of course, are suitable for growing not only cucumbers, it is quite a universal direction. Moreover, this technology is also applicable for decorative purposes, when effectively placed on walls, racks, tapestries, pipes containers with flowers and grass, transform the site in the country or in front of the cottage, turning it into a truly paradise. But this is a topic for other articles.

And one more remark. Especially a lot of opportunities for the realization of creative potential vertical beds provide summer residents. Planting cucumbers in vertical beds, although it has its own characteristics, but does not present any difficulties. Receiving pleasure from the results of their work, a summer resident or an amateur vegetable grower has to solve many problems, apply improvised materials. The aesthetics of the site is not alien to him. In addition, his services experience and knowledge of neighbors.

Undoubtedly, everything said in this article about such a concept as a vertical bed for cucumbers, made by hand, acquires particular relevance for small-sized greenhouses, where the problem of deficiency of useful space is very acute.

It is remarkable that some of the methods described here are also suitable for cultivating cucumbers on the balcony of a city apartment!