How to make a warm bed for cucumbers

The growing season of cucumbers (especially early ones) is relatively short – from 35 days. But due to the high demands of the culture on the temperature regime, few people manage to get the crop of this vegetable in the open field early. A warm bed for cucumbers is one way to ensure an early and stable harvest of greens.

Warm garden for cucumbers with your own hands

The gardeners have gained rich experience do-it-yourself construction from any material at hand. It blows itself in regions with different climatic conditions.

Advantages of a warm bed

Cucumbers are a thermophilic crop. The main part of their root system is located in the upper soil layer (up to 40 cm) and is able to absorb nutrients only at a sufficiently high temperature (not less than 20 ° C). Therefore, for growing crops, it is necessary to observe the temperature regime and ensure soil fertility.

Advantages of a warm bed:

• creates the conditions for an earlier planting of seeds (or seedlings) of cucumbers in the open ground by warming the top layer of the soil due to the rotting process in the lower layers;
• allows you to harvest for a long time due to the high content of nutrients in the soil;
• it is not necessary to apply fertilizers, especially nitrogen fertilizers, their content is already sufficient;
• you can grow cucumbers for several years (up to 5-8);
• the contents after the termination of operation are used in honors fertilizers.

Once this bed has a wonderful drainage, can be used for the benefit of food waste and provides protection from pests and weeds. It is economical and easy to manufacture.

Warm beds for cucumbers can be prepared in the autumn, or can be laid in the spring.

What it consists of

What is the source of heating the warm beds? The answer must be sought in the physical and biochemical processes that occur within it. The presence of a large amount of organic matter in conditions of constant humidity leads to active decay with the release of heat. Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria are involved in the processes. The amount of heat generated is gradually increasing.

The usual compositional requirement is a combination of the green and brown component. The green part is a source of nitrogen and includes leaves, grass, fruits.The brown part is represented by branches and sawdust, which are sources of carbon. It reacts with hydrogen, resulting in the formation of methane.

Nitrogen in the green mass is involved in the reaction, accelerating it, but ammonia is released, the excess of which can lead to the death of beneficial bacteria and stop the process as a result.

The optimal combination of components for long-term functioning of the garden: 1 part green mass 3 parts brown. At the same time, a layer of leaves (up to 25% of the volume) is required, which is necessary to initiate the process, “kindling”. The brown part ensures the duration and uniformity of heating.

Place Selection

It is important to choose the right place for the bed

The location of the warm bed will depend on the climatic conditions of the region. For example, the southern slopes are desirable in regions with cool summers, but are contraindicated in the southern.The most common requirements for choosing a place:

• a well-lit area that is not blown by drafts is suitable (they reduce humidity, help seal the top layer);
• the location of groundwater should not be close to surfaces;
• it is not advisable to use the soil on which the representatives of the pumpkin family grew (in this case they are removed and replaced); cucumbers prefer such predecessors as tomatoes and cabbage.
• orientation from east to west will provide uniform lighting and warming surface.

The size of the beds will depend on the scale of the intended cucumber planting and site capabilities.

Bookmark time

The best option for bookmarking is autumn. Why in the fall:

• after harvesting, summer weed control in any area, there will be enough green and brown organic matter;
• in the autumn-winter season a lot of moisture to maintain putrefactive processes ;
• there is a time resource for heating the beds.

In addition, summer residents and gardeners have a lot of time in the autumn to make it with their own hands.

A warm garden with their own hands in the spring for cucumbers is prepared in late March – early April, but not less than a month before the alleged planting of cucumbers ov.

General requirements for the bookmark

Mandatory elements of a warm bed are not just mixed, but arranged in a certain sequence. It is recommended to arrange the layers in this way:

• first a layer of shredded branches and large twigs, which, in addition to participating in the “heating”, also play the role of drainage;
• then the green mass (you can turn on household food waste, also use rags and paper);
• a layer of manure and humus (to speed up the decomposition process, use either ready-made humus from a compost heap or pit, or rotted manure);
• ash (desirable, but not required; contains a large number of microelements, serves to enrich the mixture);
• final the layer is fertile soil.

To accelerate the processes, especially during spring laying, a greenhouse is created. To do this, “layer cake” moisturize and cover with dark polyethylene. A large amount of moisture and heat are ideal conditions for the work of putrefactive bacteria.

Arrangement models

In the trench

It is not difficult to make a bed

Ideal for areas with an arid climate, but absolutely not suitable for wet, as well as for soils with a high level of groundwater.

How to make a warm bed for cucumbers.Work sequence:

• they dig out a trench about 50 cm deep about the same width;
• lay the layers in the described sequence;
• each ingredient is shed with water;
• the fertile soil is poured on top (at least 10-15 cm thick);
• you can enclose the trench with a small fence made from improvised material;
• using hot water that is poured over trenches, the reaction starts.

After the soil has warmed up (not earlier than in a month), you can start growing cucumbers.

In the frame

Bo its time-consuming and costly model – in the frame. Its advantages are that it warms up better, has good drainage and ventilation. However, when choosing this option, you need to keep in mind that you will have to water more often, almost daily.

The box is usually made of wood, but slate, sheets of iron and other improvised material will do. Its height can be more than 1 m. You can dig it to a depth of 10 cm (dispense with deepening, leave on the surface). A fine mesh is laid at the bottom to protect against pests.

Layers are laid in the usual sequence. Sometimes sand is used for additional drainage. A prerequisite is the compaction of each layer after irrigation, so that subsidence does not occur.

A simplified version

In spring, you can make a simplified version, which is called “whip up”.To do this, dig a designated plot of land, pour out several buckets of manure and humus, level it, but do not dig it. Top with warm water, cover with a dark film and leave to warm.

To grow cucumbers using this technology, any suitable containers are used: barrels, buckets, bathtubs. The main thing is to provide conditions for the course of decay processes.

Conclusion

Described The method of growing cucumbers is not only suitable for an early harvest, but also environmentally friendly. All that is needed is a little labor and following simple rules at a minimum cost.

The technology is suitable for growing many vegetable crops: cauliflower, lettuce, zucchini and pumpkin.