Features of planting and cultivation of cucumbers in 5-liter bottles
The presence of infield is not always a prerequisite for the cultivation of cucumbers.Some cultures grow beautifully on the balcony in five-liter bottles, if properly care for the bushes and produce timely watering and fertilizing fertilizer.
Tare features
Growing cucumbers in 5-liter plastic bottles is a way that you just learn, they are convenient to keep on the balcony. It is convenient to produce watering, move the bushes, if necessary, while you economically save space. To grow cucumbers using this method can even be a gardener amateur, and the design can have both the appearance of a boat and a keg with a cropped neck.
Five-liter bottles are filled with substrate with the addition of water. They can be placed as germinated seeds, and small seedlings. It is desirable to fix the bottle, placing the lid down. It is removed, thus providing an outflow of excess moisture during watering.
In regions with a harsh climate, it is possible to plant cucumber varieties that do not require pollination, regularly producing high-quality cucumbers in an apartment. There is no need to use a greenhouse, respectively, there is a great saving of time and labor.
Inside the tank is placed a mixture of:
- soil;
- ash;
- peat
Ash will be a good source of nitrogen, which is vital for cucumbers. When the first shoots appear, they need to provide the necessary amount of light. As soon as the seedling reaches 15 centimeters in length, it’s time to make a trellis so that the lash can catch on and grow along a predetermined path. In the southern regions, bottles are left in a greenhouse or even in an open garden, the main task is to find a place where there is enough sun.
You can act differently. A five-liter bottle is inserted into the ground, and its upper part is cut off. Thus, each bush is protected from wind and cold. This displacement is enough for the normal development of the root system of cucumber. There are varieties in which it does not develop much, so they are ideal for growing in an apartment or on a balcony. Such a miniature greenhouse is cheap, and will last more than one year.
pros
The volume of the container allows you to easily replace the soil if necessary. Among other benefits:
- savings when watering;
- maximum free space;
- lack of weeds;
- in the garden is a good barrier from the cabbage.
Minuses
This method has its drawbacks. Shrubs develop slowly, so get a quick harvest will not work, but you can support the plant with additional feeding. The second minus is that you cannot get this way on a large scale.
Substrate and Capacity Preparation
Before planting cucumber seeds in a plastic bottle, it is necessary to cut and prepare the substrate. The plant growth rate, disease resistance and much more depend on its quality.
To the ground, which is used for planting, special requirements are imposed, it must be:
- loose;
- air;
- porous.
The soil should not only absorb moisture, but also pass air through it, which is also necessary for the plant's root system. The mixture can be prepared by yourself or buy at the store. The second method is chosen by beginners who do not know in what proportion to mix peat, ash and soil.
In fact, there is nothing complicated, all the components are combined in the same doses, a drainage mixture and rotted foliage are surely brought into the bottle. As a drainage can act:
- eggshell;
- sphagnum;
- sunflower husks.
Do not use the leaves of oak and willow, because it does not bring any useful minerals to the soil. Abundant harvest is provided from the use of birch ash.
Capacity before planting is allowed to cut both along and across. The second option is used more often because it is more convenient. Drainage holes are easy to create with a soldering iron or a hot knife. Before planting, the container is disinfected, this will reduce the possibility of infection of the bushes.
Sowing seeds
Planting cucumbers is a process that anyone can master. The container is not completely filled with soil, there should be a few free centimeters on top. As for seeds, they need to be sanitized before planting, because much depends on the quality of planting material. It is allowed to close the container in order to achieve the greenhouse effect.
You can plant immediately, but then the seed will germinate longer. Experienced gardeners are advised to soak the seeds so that small sprouts appear, then on the surface of the soil the first leaves will appear in a couple of days. Five liters should not be planted more than 5 bushes, if all germinate, will have to remove the excess to provide enough space for the development of one or two plants.
Strong seedlings grown from high-quality seed, is a guarantee of a large number of ovaries, and, accordingly, vegetables. Making the selection is also necessary correctly:
- immerse the seeds in water;
- delete popups as they are empty;
- sprout selected using wet gauze.
Planting on seedlings is necessary in early April, using self-pollinated hybrids. This amount is enough for food, and to plant seedlings for subsequent planting in a greenhouse or open ground, work begins in mid-April.
Some gardeners plant in May. These are the vegetables that will later be used for canning. After seed germination, it is important to pay attention to subsequent care, to ensure proper watering and nutrition of fertilizers. About 20 days it is necessary that each bush reaches a size that allows it to move to open beds.
Care
Ensure proper care on the balcony is easier than in the open field. To grow cucumber bushes on a loggia is the same as on the windowsill of a room. After they have risen, it is necessary to water properly, but not to fill, otherwise the root mold and other diseases begin to develop. Even at home, you can provide an automatic irrigation system, for this the lower part must always be in the water, that is, the neck of the bottle. Thus, the roots reach to moisture, but on the surface there is no negative environment for the development of mold.
Today, many gardeners have become interested in the question of how to easily grow cucumbers on your balcony, and what you need to do. It is important to produce additional feeding in time, at each stage of growth to introduce the required elements. Growing only at first glance may seem simple, in fact, a lot of nuances.
Be sure to produce:
- garter lashes;
- the formation of one stem;
- removal of lateral shoots.
It is very important to monitor the temperature, since cucumbers negatively perceive a decrease in degrees in the room. Plants will begin to hurt if they are faced with constant changes, and the air temperature already at 10 degrees is destructive for them.
The soil must be not only perfectly lit, but also warm, as well as the water that is used for irrigation. This is one of the most important requirements.
Agrotechnics growing vegetables on the balcony is no different from those technologies that are used in the cultivation of cucumbers in the open field. Try to do so that the soil does not dry out, and the sun does not become disastrous for the foliage. Cold water - the root cause of the appearance on the foliage of powdery mildew and black leg, from which it is not so easy to get rid of.
Within a few weeks after the seeds were planted in plastic bottles, you can make the first feeding. Excellent for this tool, such as:
- saltpeter;
- magnesium sulphate;
- superphosphate.
Cocktail must be poured under the root, not falling on the leaves, because it can burn them. After ten days, a solution with manure is used, providing the necessary amount of nitrogen for the development of bushes.
It is not enough to plant the seeds, a good harvest is guaranteed only with proper care for the crop.As soon as they noticed that yellowness appeared on the foliage, it is quite possible that this is the first sign of the appearance of the spider mite. Garlic tincture perfectly saves it. Five slices and boiling water is enough to get a home remedy for treatment. Garlic infused six hours.
There are many fertilizers that are great for cucumbers. Some gardeners use plain bread. The infusion is prepared using baked crusts, which are placed in a bucket by 2/3 and filled with water. The mixture will be ready only after 10 days, keep the bucket in a warm room to achieve the required level of fermentation.
500 ml of infusion from bread is enough for one five-liter bottle to make cucumber bushes feel better. To achieve a good harvest, you need to properly care for the plants, and not be lazy. If you forget to water the land, do not process leaves from pests, or put cucumbers in the cold, the plants will die or will slowly grow, as a result of the gardener waiting for the curves of unsightly fruits and unpleasant bitter taste in the mouth.
Experience shows that you can get a quality crop on the balcony or windowsill, but you must strictly follow the rules for the care of vegetables.
In the video below, you will see several ways to plant cucumbers.