Vertical bed for cucumbers: how to make it yourself, photo

The purpose of vertical beds

Cucumbers, like other vegetable crops, produce a good harvest if they receive enough light. In small areas it is often difficult to provide sufficient lighting. How to place a lot of plantings. The vertical method of growing cucumber seedlings can solve these problems.

The idea of the technology is to secure beds on fences and blank walls. During daylight hours, areas where crops are planned to be grown should be well lit. The boxes are placed one above the other in increments equal to the height of an adult plant. Ladder or staggered fastening is available. Using the method, up to 100 kg of vegetables are collected from 1 m².

Economy options

Vertical homemade beds for cucumbers can be used both on a personal plot and on a balcony. Simple hanging structures do not take up much space, so they are suitable for plantations of limited size. They are easy to fix on the fence or tie to the railing.

From bottles

You can plant cucumbers in plastic bottles

Plastic water containers or old buckets are quickly adapted for growing greens. We advise you to take containers with a volume of at least five liters, otherwise you will not create optimal conditions for the development of the crop. Drain holes are made in the bottom of the tanks, after which they are poured in layers in the following sequence:

drainage (expanded clay, broken bricks);
compost;
earth with sand;
fertile soil.

Cucumbers can be grown either by seedlings or by planting in the soil. Before planting, the mixture is watered, after which agricultural work begins. The containers can be easily moved to a suitable place or covered with polyethylene to protect them from frost. A stick is buried next to each bush, which is used to check the need for irrigation.

Plastic bottles have long become a universal raw material and are used in many areas of modern life. A two-liter container will provide one plant for three days. To do this, small holes are made on the sides, and the balloon itself is buried in the ground when planting seedlings. It is important that the surface of the device is in contact with the roots. Simply add moisture into the neck, and the cucumber itself will take the necessary water.

From bags

You can use thick bags for garbage or cereals to create original vertical beds for your cucumbers. The containers are twisted in several places in the form of “pockets”. Each bag is filled with a nutrient mixture of soil, compost and drainage. The planting structures are fixed on the balcony railing or chain-link mesh, after which the seedlings are planted.

To protect plants from overheating, we recommend covering the structure with foil. The material reflects the sun's rays, so you don't have to worry about vegetables on hot days. Overgrown vines entwine the fence, making harvesting convenient.

From a barrel

As a base, you need a plastic or metal container, on the surface of which holes are made for seedlings, at intervals of 15 cm. Fill with drainage, soil and compost, being careful not to compact it. Trellis made of slats or thin tubes are installed above the barrel.

As the plant develops, cucumber branches are tied to ropes, lifted above the ground. Watering is carried out both from above and from the sides. To prevent the surface from heating up, we recommend painting it white.

From tires

Planting cucumbers vertically can also be done in a structure made from old car tires. The material is stacked both on top of each other in the form of an even tower, and chaotically. The mixture is poured inside in the following sequence:

expanded clay;
compost with sand;
Earth.

Holes are made in the walls of the tires, into which seedlings are then planted. With this design, we do not recommend growing cucumbers by direct sowing into the ground. Often young bushes grow inside the rubber, which reduces the quality of the future harvest.

From flower pots

You can install a garden bed anywhere

Volumetric containers stacked in several rows are an excellent option for a homemade garden bed. The structure can be secured to a pole or dried tree. Cucumbers do not have as developed a root system as tomatoes, so they grow well in ordinary flower pots.

Seeds are planted directly in the ground or using the seedling method. The advantage of the technology is complete mobility, which allows you to install a “plantation” anywhere on the site. However, it is worth remembering that the soil dries out quickly and you need to water more often.

Advantages and disadvantages of vertical beds

In addition to saving space and achieving the required illumination, the technology helps save time on maintenance. It is more convenient to harvest from angled vines. It is easy to prepare soil for small containers yourself. This helps protect cucumbers from dangerous diseases. The beds are often made mobile so that their position can be changed.

Fact!

Vertical beds for cucumbers are inaccessible to rodents. The vegetable is protected from rotting due to excess watering.

The disadvantage of this method is that the soil dries out quickly. This problem is solved by installing drip irrigation. Gardeners can add hydrogel to the soil. The substance retains moisture, directing it to the roots.

Due to the small size of the containers, nutrients are washed out quickly. Applying fertilizers twice a week at the root and on the plant itself helps restore the balance. The concentration and type of substance are selected carefully to avoid burning the leaves.

A small volume of soil freezes faster. If frosts occur early, shelter for the crop is necessary. Vertical beds are compatible with growing cucumbers in a greenhouse.

Does vertical planting affect the growth and yield of cucumbers?

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

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 harvested crop increases due to the fact that plants are less likely to die from diseases that could appear after the leaves come into contact with the soil.

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

Types of vertical beds

To make vertical beds yourself, no technical knowledge or skills are needed. Several types of containers are known.

From tires

A frequently used method of planting cucumbers in open ground. To work you will need:

wooden block;
tires;
chisel.

Square holes are made in the tires. They are dug into the ground to a depth of 12 cm. The prepared soil mixture is poured inside. The seedlings are placed in the slot. The tires can be placed on top of each other, increasing the number of plants grown. Tall metal rods are placed along the radius for tying.

Barrels

In small areas, you can make a vertical bed for cucumbers with your own hands from 200 liter metal or wooden containers. They are placed in a row or in a checkerboard pattern in 80 cm increments for weeding and watering. Compost, dry branches and leaves without signs of disease are poured into the bottom. Next is garden soil, mixed with rotted manure. Add 1 cup of mineral fertilizers, mix and spill with warm water. Potassium permanganate is added for disinfection.

Holes up to 2 cm deep are made along the edge. Two seeds are planted in each. Cover with film. As the soil dries, water it. After germination, weak plants are removed.

Important!

In a barrel, moisture evaporates faster. This affects the frequency of watering.

Barrels can be replaced with five-liter plastic water bottles. They are cleaned of stickers and disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate. Drainage holes are made at the bottom, which are covered with expanded clay. The bottles are hung up and dug into the ground.

Pipes

An interesting option for a vertical bed for cucumbers. Two types of pipes are used for work:

PVC as for sewerage - 20x20 holes are drilled in it;
irrigation - make slits with a diameter of 1 cm.

The smaller tube is inserted into the larger one, leaving a small end outside for watering. Cover with prepared soil and plant the seeds. Wrap with film, which is removed after germination.

Bucket

As you can see in the photo, you can make a vertical bed for cucumbers with your own hands from a bucket. They can be hung on the walls, lowering the fence down. The distance from the ground is 2 m. When the plant reaches the ground, it is pinched. Pinching can also be carried out for growing in pipes. Buckets are also installed around the perimeter of the site or in another free place. A trellis crossbar is installed above them. As the cucumbers grow, they will weave around the net.

Plastic bags

Garbage bags are suitable for growing cucumbers vertically. They are filled with soil with mineral fertilizers and seeds are planted. After sowing, water with warm water and cover with film. When the seedlings appear, pegs are inserted into the middle part for tying. As the lashes grow, additional supports will be required.

You can plant cucumber seeds and seedlings in boxes made from old furniture. They are sanded and covered with a layer of paint. Fixed on a stand, as when growing cucumbers in a pipe. Drainage holes are made in the bottom.

Brick and other materials are suitable for permanent structures. The bed is shaped like steps. There must be a stand for tying. This is a reusable container option. The video also presents other ways to implement the technology.

What tools and materials will be needed

Before planting cucumbers in the ground and making a vertical bed, you need to familiarize yourself with the list of necessary building materials and tools.

Video: making a trellis with your own hands from scrap materials

Growing cucumbers on a trellis allows the plant to absorb solar energy more efficiently. Additional light radiation accelerates the development of cucumbers - stems and leaves grow faster, flowers and fruits develop. Light intensity affects the yield, which depends on the ratio of male and female flowers. In bee-pollinated varieties, when there is insufficient illumination, more male flowers are formed, and when there is high light, the number of female flowers on which fruit ovary is formed increases.

Publication date: Cultivation

The most optimal design

When we grow cucumbers on a trellis, we want to choose the most successful equipment option. They will be removable, because after some time the plants will have to be “relocated” to new soils that are not depleted by them. The trellises are located 5 meters from each other and consist of vertical bases with wire stretched between them - at the top, in the middle and at the bottom. Some gardeners recommend making double bases, with a distance of half a meter between the posts. The racks are placed half a meter apart from each other, at a slight angle, resting one against the other with their upper edges. This way you can place cucumbers on trellises in much larger quantities in the same space. A mesh with cells 15x18 cm is attached to the wire; the height of the entire structure should be 180 centimeters: less - unprofitable, more - it will be difficult to care for the plants. The ground under planting is usually covered with polyethylene - it will act as mulch, protecting the soil from weeds and unplanned evaporation of moisture. The film is stretched along the entire bed, and the edges are fixed with small stones or just earth.

Pros and cons of the trellis method

Growing cucumbers on a trellis has its advantages:

plants are evenly illuminated by the sun;
you can effectively use a small plot of land;
when watering and fertilizing, moisture does not linger on the leaves, so the plants do not get sunburn;
the work of caring for and harvesting is facilitated;
When collecting fruits, the lashes are not damaged.

When using a trellis growing method, it should be taken into account that vertically located plants require more fertilizers - the need for phosphorus increases by 20–30%. They are also susceptible to the drying effects of wind and sun, so they need additional watering.

For seedlings

For sowing cucumbers, plugs made of mineral wool are chosen. They are taken out from cubes made of the same material. The corks are placed in a plastic container, saturated with water, and checked for pH. The acid-base balance should be neutral.

It is recommended to pre-prepare the seeds and soak them in a 5% solution of hydrogen peroxide or in a thick solution of potassium permanganate. To stimulate metabolic processes in the core of the seed, they resort to bubbling.

The seed is placed in a container with water; carry out aeration. To do this, place a spray stone at the bottom of the container, which is connected to an aquarium compressor. Processing continues for up to 12 hours.

Seeds are placed in corks. They can be sprinkled with a 1 cm layer of vermiculite. The container is covered with film and placed in a growbox, in which temperatures are maintained at up to 30 0C. Seedlings are ventilated daily. This regime is maintained until sprouts appear. Watering is not carried out.

In the future, a vertical farm is used. The cubes are saturated with a nutrient solution and checked for pH.

The substrate is placed on trays or placed in planting cups and placed in cells on the lid of the tray. The plugs with young sprouts are transferred into cubes. Connect the hydroponic system.

The solution for seedlings is made in low concentration. Take hydroponics products from the Hydroponics Kit series. 0.2 ml of Grow, Micro, Bloom are diluted in 1 liter of water. Use the solution for 2 weeks. During this time, the seedlings develop a root system, and the shoots become stronger in the substrate.
The temperature is set at 18-20 0C during the day, 15-18 0C at night.
Daylight hours 16-18 hours.
After 2-3 weeks, the composition of the nutrient medium is changed. Grow take 2.5 ml/l, Micro 1.9 ml, Bloom 0.95. The plant begins to develop leaves and stems, and the first tendrils appear.
The temperature in hydroponics is set at 20-22 0C during the daytime.
Daylight hours are reduced to 14 hours.

When the bush begins to take shape, 4 full leaves appear on it, the seedlings are transplanted. Industrial greenhouses use soil or horizontal hydroponic systems. At home, growers install some vertical models.

We recommend: Growing potatoes vertically

Growing cucumbers in the garden

Planting cucumbers in a simple bed around stakes, previously dug into the ground and surrounded by twigs in the form of a hut, makes it possible to grow cucumbers in the form of Christmas trees.

There are a lot of ways to grow cucumbers in beds and greenhouses. The beauty and practicality of such structures depend on the gardener’s imagination, and such structures can be made from scrap materials that do not require expensive investments.

This way, Christmas trees, posts and even fences grown from cucumbers will appear on the site.