Cucumbers in a barrel, grown by Ganichkin

Many people have already taken a liking to cucumbers grown in barrels, using Ganichkin's method. It's true: early cucumbers can be harvested as early as the end of May, and you can enjoy the crunchy goodness you've been missing so much after winter. The method is actually simple and doesn't require much effort. Several variations have already been developed by gardeners based on this method. The basic idea is the same barrel, or even a knocked-together wooden box. Some make it without a bottom, others have a bottom but poke holes in it, and still others even raise the barrel on bricks. We'll tell you more about this method for growing early cucumbers, which take up little space, decorate the plot with their structure, and bring joy to gardeners. See also: planting cucumbers in 5-liter bottles — is also an interesting method.

How to Grow Cucumbers in a Barrel – Method 1

So, in April, place a 100-200 liter barrel in your garden. It can be iron or wooden, but some people even use plastic, and it works just fine. If the barrel doesn't have a hole in the bottom, poke holes in it to allow excess moisture to escape. Then fill it with various waste (plant-based only!). The best option is hay, manure, and leaves. Place some pebbles on the bottom for drainage, and then fill the hay and manure halfway up the bottom. Water it with hot water and cover with plastic wrap. That's it, let this whole thing sit for a week or two, warming and rotting in the sun. Then uncover it and fill it almost to the top with soil, as it will settle. Water it again with hot water, then disinfect the soil with a potassium permanganate solution, and you're ready to plant the seeds.

Some recommend 2-4 seeds, some 5-6, and some even plant 12 per 200-liter barrel and are delighted with a bountiful harvest. Plant the seeds, cover with soil, and water. Place a container of water in the center of the barrel and cover with plastic wrap. This will create a sort of greenhouse, where the evaporation of moisture from the bucket will create a greenhouse effect, where the seeds will thrive and quickly begin to sprout.

Periodically, when you visit your dacha, open the barrel on sunny days to ventilate it and prevent the seeds from rotting. Once the seedlings emerge, you can remove the film when the first leaves appear. But again, this depends on the climate. In southern regions, when frost is no longer expected, you can leave the barrel uncovered, but in cooler climates, you'll need to cover it until the seedlings have established themselves and the temperature has become consistently warm.

Next, you need to construct a frame where the cucumbers, like climbing vines, will begin to sprout their branches, twining and rising above the ground. Wire, wooden supports—whatever you can think of—will do. As the cucumbers begin to climb, they will climb up the supports, forming a beautiful tent that, in addition to providing healthy fruit, will also bring joy, beautifully decorating the garden.

If this method does not seem acceptable to you, take a look - Cucumbers in a polycarbonate greenhouse: planting and care.

The second method of growing cucumbers in a barrel

It's not far off from the first method, but it has its own nuances. Here, a barrel without a bottom or simply a knocked-together box is used, and it's placed directly on the ground, or old slate is used. This method has its advantages. With the first method, you'll need to water more frequently because the water will drain from the barrel into the soil, and cucumbers can draw moisture from deep within the soil. The bottom layer is filled with organic matter, and you can water it with EM fertilizers—both for better germination and to protect against disease. Fill half the container with leaves, straw, and manure, water it with hot water, and the process begins. In this case, it's important that when you cover the structure with plastic film, a reaction occurs within it. When you plant seedlings or seeds, the hay will rot, warming the cucumbers and then nourishing them.

In a barrel like this, cucumbers only need to be watered once a week, and that's all. A summer resident just came to his garden for the weekend, watered them, tied them up, and that was it. He just needed to feed them once or twice, watch how the cucumbers were growing—the main thing was they didn't bend over backwards, breaking their backs; all the fruit was visible, high up, easy to keep an eye on. This method is especially suitable for the elderly. And the remaining freed-up beds could be used for other vegetable gardening. Incidentally, if you have extra barrels, or can build wooden frames, you could grow tomatoes that way too—it's cost-effective, saves a lot of space, and is much easier to maintain.

You can set up drip irrigation in barrels. Place plastic bottles upside down, punch a hole in the lid, fill them with water, and let the water slowly seep in, constantly moistening the soil. It's very convenient, saving both water and time on watering.

Benefits of planting cucumbers in barrels

There are quite a few of them, for example:

• Saving space on the site.
• Saving on watering and organic fertilizers.
• Possibility of early harvest.
• Less hassle with growing vegetable gardens.
• It looks beautiful in the garden and is pleasing to the eye.
• You can install a barrel in an area that is completely unsuitable for planting a vegetable garden.
• Easy to care for – just like flowers in a pot.
• One barrel replaces a whole garden bed.
• In the fall, we get excellent compost from the barrel, which can be used to fertilize the beds.

The following cucumber varieties are excellent for this method: Rodnichok, Lastochka, Fenik, and Oktopus. Some people have positive reviews for Konkurent and Plyus, while others have taken a liking to Lesha. Experiment, and you'll have ripe, juicy, crisp, and delicious cucumbers in May. Good luck!

It would be interesting to know - How to properly plant tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse.