Instructions for growing cucumbers in bags: from preparing materials to harvesting the finished crop
Only lazy summer residents do not grow cucumbers in their gardens. This healthy and popular vegetable is easy to care for. It grows successfully both in garden beds and in greenhouses.
But few people have heard about growing cucumbers in bags. We will analyze in detail the advantages of this method, the necessary conditions and step-by-step instructions for growing with photos.
What is needed to grow cucumbers in bags
First, you need to remember that cucumbers do not like direct sunlight. Therefore, it is advisable to place them in shaded areas of the site, greenhouse, balcony or loggia.
To grow cucumbers in this way, you will need thick plastic bags or bags of sugar and flour (they are stronger) with a volume of 50 liters or more. In bags of a smaller volume, the root system of the vegetable will be cramped.
Also take care of the watering system (you will need a hollow tube or hose) and support (a simple long stick and twine or another structure convenient for you).
As for the filler, prepare clippings, straw or sawdust, humus and soil. We will use wood ash, superphosphate and potash fertilizers as additives. This set is enough to grow an excellent harvest of cucumbers in bags.
Which variety to choose
Biennial cucumber varieties are excellent for growing in bags - they form more female flowers, from which fruits are set. This way the harvest will be plentiful.
And to make fresh cucumbers delight you all summer, choose both early-ripening and late-ripening varieties, don’t stop at just one.
Step-by-step instruction
This method of planting cucumbers requires some effort during preparation, but makes it easy to care for the plants.
Seed preparation
Depending on your region, decide how you will plant the seeds - directly into the ground or through seedlings. The first option is suitable if the temperature does not fall below 15 °C, that is, for the southern regions of Russia or indoor cultivation. In other cases, seedlings must be planted in bags.
Before boarding seeds need to be prepared (they begin to do this in April). First, we warm them up: place them in a fabric bag and hang them in a warm place (preferably above the radiator) for several weeks. There is another way to heat the seeds, which increases the number of fertile flowers. Pour water at 60-65 °C into a thermos, place the seeds in it and leave to warm for 36-48 hours.
After warming up, the seeds must be calibrated. To do this, dissolve a large amount of table salt in warm water, where we place the seeds. For planting, we select only those that have sunk to the bottom. We delete the ones that pop up.
We wash the selected material and soak it in warm water for a day. After this, place the wet seeds in a napkin or cloth in the refrigerator for a day. Now the seeds are ready to plant. Additionally, you can treat them with growth stimulants. Some gardeners advise treating the seeds before planting.
For seedlings, take peat or plastic cups, pour soil into 1/3 of the cup and plant one seed in each. As the plant grows, add more soil. We plant the sprouts in bags after the third leaf appears.
Preparing the site
First, let's find a place to place the bags. On the street, choose a shaded place and dig small holes for stability. We also free up space on the balcony or loggia, protected from direct sunlight.
If you choose plastic bags for planting, for strength, use two bags at once, inserting one into the other. We make small holes in the bottom of the bag to ventilate the air and remove excess moisture. Cover the bottom with a layer of straw or sawdust.
Prepare the soil: mix 2 buckets of earth with a bucket of humus, two handfuls of wood ash, 20 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potash fertilizers. We fill the resulting soil into the bag to the middle. We drive a wooden support stick in the center, and from it we remove ropes or a net, to which our cucumber will later cling.
At a short distance from the stick, we place three hollow tubes with holes in the ground in a circle. They will be needed when watering and feeding plants. After this, pour a little more soil into the bag and wrap the edges of the bag, forming a side. We moisten the soil abundantly. Now you can plant cucumbers in the ground.
Landing
Seeds or seedlings should be sown in bags when the air temperature stops dropping below 15 °C. We plant 2-3 sprouts in each bag. If you want to increase the number of plants in each bag, you can make triangular holes in the sides of the bag and plant seeds or sprouts in them.
Important! Do not plant more than 15 cucumbers in one bag.
We plant cucumbers at a depth of 3-4 cm. When planting seeds, cover the bag with polyethylene or other covering material until the first shoots. If you are planting seedlings in bags, thoroughly moisten the soil in a cup and carefully remove the sprout along with the lump of earth. Directly with this lump, place the plant in the soil in the bag.
Rules of care
Cucumbers love water, so you need to water them generously and don’t forget to spray them. Watering is slightly reduced during flowering - to form ovaries. Once the plant begins to bear fruit, it should be watered deeply every day. The soil stays moist longer in bags, so be careful not to over-moisten it.
It is best to use hollow tubes with holes for watering, into which water comes from a hose or watering can. But especially lazy people can simply water the plants from a bucket or watering can from outside, without using straws.
In addition to watering, plants require timely feeding. Fertilizing can be done through the same hollow tubes for even distribution throughout the soil. Cucumbers are fed with both organic (chicken droppings, herbal infusion) and chemical fertilizers (superphosphate, potassium, nitrophoska).
Feed the plants 2-3 times during the summer after watering. Cucumbers planted in this way practically do not need weeding, but if grass or weeds do grow in the soil, it is better to remove them.
Possible problems and illnesses
When growing cucumbers in bags, gardeners face a number of problems. Firstly, it is uniform watering. Since moisture is retained in the bag longer, it is important not to ruin the plant with excessive watering. It is dangerous to dry out the plant without giving it enough water.
Secondly, direct sunlight is dangerous for cucumbers. If you do not want to burn your plant, provide it with a shaded area with diffuse access to sunlight.
Third, don't plant too many plants in one bag. They simply do not have enough nutrients and moisture, they will grow weak and bear little fruit.
This method of growing saves cucumbers from many diseases and protects them from hypothermia and waterlogging of the soil.
But still, although with less probability, the plant can get powdery mildew, downy mildew, brown spot, white, gray and root rot. To combat these diseases, gardeners use various fungicides (Novosil, Topaz, Privent, etc.).
Harvesting
The time of appearance of the first fruits depends on the selected variety. As soon as you see the first cucumbers on the bushes, you can start harvesting.
The main rule for gardeners is timely, and in the case of cucumbers, daily harvesting. This way you will help the plant form new ovaries and maximize the possible yield.
If you have chosen a variety with predominantly female flowers, for greater yield, plant a cucumber with a large number of male flowers next to it - this will speed up the pollination process.
Advantages and disadvantages of the method
Cucumbers in bags, rather than in the garden, take up less space, which is especially important for summer residents with a small plot or those who decide to grow vegetables on the balcony. With this method, much less time and effort is spent on care.
Such a bed does not need weeding, is protected from pests and is ventilated more often. Cucumbers grown in bags are always clean and bear fruit longer.
The only disadvantage of this is the need to maintain a stable temperature and humidity in the soil placed in the bag.
Tips and reviews from experienced gardeners
To get an excellent harvest of cucumbers, use the advice of experienced gardeners:
- plant cucumbers in tight bags;
- for stability, make indentations under the bags;
- do not over-moisten the soil;
- To harvest as long as possible, plant different varieties;
- For faster pollination, plant male plants next to female plants.
Several reviews from those who have successfully grown cucumbers in bags.
L. Maksimova, Votkinsk: “The cucumbers in the bags grew well, I watered them often, and then I saw that they started to hurt. I walked around them and couldn’t understand what they were missing? But it turned out there was a lot of moisture! I made holes with a knife, a little time passed and the cucumbers began to recover. In the summer, I soaked the grass to feed vegetables, watered it, and put the unrotted grass in bags with cucumbers. It’s warm in the bag of rotting grass, my cucumbers will have freedom. This is such a beautiful hedge! As a result of the experiment, there were a lot of cucumbers in the bags. This year I also want to plant zucchini in bags. I really enjoyed the experience.”
Anna Kolomiets, Moscow: “I place a layer of freshly picked dandelions at the bottom of the bag under the straw and sawdust. Cucumbers in bags grow and bear fruit well. No trellises or stakes are needed to tie up the stem and side shoots, because there is a mesh fence nearby! I water the plants 2-3 times a week and feed them occasionally. To prevent moisture from evaporating too much, I mulch the soil on top with mowed grass. This prevents crust formation and eliminates constant loosening. The plants are located high from the ground, well ventilated and therefore rarely suffer from root rot or other fungal diseases. Cucumbers bear fruit until mid-September.During this time, the dandelions in the bags almost completely decompose, the soil turns into humus, which is excellent for growing tomato, pepper, and eggplant seedlings. Film bags last about 5 years.”
Read also:
The best ways to pickle cucumbers for the winter with lemon.
Why do you need to treat cucumbers with brilliant green and how to do it correctly.
Conclusion
Growing cucumbers in bags is a real find for those who do not want to create beds in their garden, but want to be content with their own harvest. Follow all the rules for planting and caring for plants, and you won’t have to wait long for fresh cucumbers.
If you don't want to place the bag vertically, just lay it on the ground and make cross-shaped slits. You will not find any weeds or pests in such a bed. The main thing is not to forget about support; cucumbers need it for proper growth. And if you want to make lightly salted cucumbers, choose smaller varieties.
Bon appetit and a rich harvest!