Growing cucumbers in a barrel: technology and rules

Advantages of the method

Before planting cucumbers in a barrel, let's find out what this method of growing will yield:

1. An early harvest, three weeks ahead of the standard method. The barrel allows for the creation of a mini-greenhouse, where the required temperature is maintained thanks to uniform solar heating during the day and a special soil composition that maintains heat at night. Under these conditions, seeds can be planted much earlier than in open ground.
2. It's a smart use of land, as you can install a barrel in the middle of your garden, along a fence, or anywhere else where you can't grow vegetables in any other way.
3. Its beautiful appearance turns this mini garden bed into a decorative element.
4. Saves labor and time, as this method eliminates the need for trellises, weed control, and disease control. It also significantly simplifies harvesting.

There is, of course, a drawback that will emerge with the onset of sustained warmth: such a bed quickly loses moisture and requires frequent watering.

Video: "Preparing the Barrel"

This video will show you how to properly prepare a barrel for planting cucumbers.

Preparing the barrel

And here's another nice thing: this method doesn't require purchasing a new container. A barrel without a bottom or one with multiple holes in the bottom and sides is preferable.

They are essential for the penetration of earthworms and beneficial microorganisms, as well as for the oxygen needed by aerobic microbes that digest organic matter. It doesn't matter what material the barrel is made of—plastic, wood, or metal. The main thing is that it has a sufficient capacity—from 100 to 250 liters.

Soil preparation

Before planting cucumbers in a barrel, it's important to fill it properly. The first layer, which takes up about a third of the volume, serves as drainage. It consists of shredded fruit tree branches, grapes, corn, fallen leaves, grass, and food scraps—everything commonly referred to as organic matter.

To speed up the decomposition process, you can use a special biopreparation - Baikal-M. The second third of the container is filled with manure mixed with leaves and vegetable peelings. The remaining space is filled with fertile soil or compost. Filling the container should be done in advance, as the soil will settle significantly during decomposition, requiring additional compost. The accelerated method takes two weeks. This involves pouring 3-4 buckets of hot water into the filled barrel and covering it with plastic wrap. After the barrel has settled, top it up with fertile soil, but not completely, but 15-20 cm below the top edge.

Choosing a location

Cucumbers love light, so the bed should be positioned so that nothing shades it from the south or southeast side, and the place should be protected from drafts.

Landing

First, you need to figure out which cucumber varieties are best suited for this growing method. For an early harvest, it's best to use early varieties, which will produce most of their fruit before the hot weather sets in. Mid- and late-season varieties bear fruit for much longer, making them preferable for those who plan to harvest until late autumn, despite frequent watering. It's best to plant determinate varieties, which produce a large number of relatively short shoots. Particular attention should be paid to hybrid varieties, which, in addition to the above-mentioned qualities, tolerate high temperatures and short-term droughts well.

Before planting the seeds, it's necessary to create a frame that will initially hold the film from sagging and will later serve as a support for the vines. The easiest way to create this is by making crosswise arcs with their ends buried in the ground. Flexible rods, thick wire, or scraps of plastic pipe can be used for this.

Pre-prepared seeds are sown to a depth of 2-3 cm. No more than 5 plants can be planted in a 200-liter barrel, arranged in a circle, leaving the center free. Afterwards, the barrel is covered with plastic wrap and tied with rope or a rubber band, which is much more convenient. The covering material is used until the weather becomes consistently warm and the threat of night frosts has passed.

Care

It's not at all difficult to plant cucumbers in a barrel; the step-by-step process looks like this:

1. Selecting the right container.
2. Install it in a lighted place, protected from drafts.
3. Filling with organic matter.
4. Planting seeds.
5. Care.

Caring for cucumbers planted this way is quite simple. The main task is to maintain soil moisture. Since frequent watering is required, this can significantly compact the soil, depriving the roots of the necessary air supply. Therefore, it's best to bury a plastic bottle with the bottom cut off in the center of the plant and pour water into it.

The soil around the growing cucumbers should be mulched with grass and leaves to reduce moisture evaporation. The growing cucumber vines, before they reach the outside of the barrel, should be secured to the previously constructed frame so they don't touch the ground until later. There's no need to pinch out the cucumbers; the lush, overgrown vines will create a beautiful crown and hide the unsightly surface of the barrel beneath their leaves.

On particularly hot days, cucumbers should be shaded, unless provided by nearby trees. Theoretically, cucumbers shouldn't need fertilizing, but if the plants' appearance indicates a deficiency of any nutrients, they should be applied as a liquid fertilizer or sprayed on the leaves.

Harvesting

Harvesting cucumbers grown in such a barrel bed is a pleasure. No need to bend over to pick dirt-covered cucumbers. The grown cucumbers are easy to spot and pick by walking around the vertical structure on all sides. Harvesting is done every morning or evening. The abundance of cucumbers obtained this way is comparable to the amount harvested from 2-3 square meters of horizontal beds.

Video "Growing"

From the video you will learn how to grow cucumbers.