Heat for cucumbers is an important and necessary component that guarantees good yields. Spring vagaries of weather and climatic features of some regions complicate the process of growing cucumber, despite its unpretentiousness. There are several ways of arranging the beds, providing favorable conditions for cultivation.
As an alternative to a greenhouse, you can prepare a wooden device with your own hands in open ground, and fill it with a layer with a manure component, which, when interacting with water, will form a gas of a certain acidity with heat, which will warm the soil.
Table of contents
What is a warm bed for cucumbers in the open field
Warm bed is a layered cake with organic composition (manure, compost) and wood waste (sawdust, shredded branches), equipped in a dug trench on the site or installed directly on the surface of the earth.
There is also a mobile option, involving the use of high wooden box filled with. Fertile soil is poured on top of various types of organic matter.
The process is due to the combination of manure or humus with waste management activities:
- wood sawdust, trim;
- eggshell;
- vegetable peels, etc.
And the trigger is boiling water, which pours the prepared cake. When the two components of the interlayer combine, the microorganisms oxidize the methane, which ultimately forms carbon dioxide.
With proper arrangement of the heat-accumulating layer, it will be possible to operate the bed about 10 years, nutrients are enough for the growth and development of vegetable crops.
Advantages and disadvantages of the device
Arrangement of such beds has several advantages:
- sow cucumber seeds or plant tomato seedlingsmay be earlier than usual;
- warmly stimulates young shoots for rapid development, strengthens the immune system;
- the acceleration is also facilitated by nitrogen, which in the interlayer is a large amount;
- care for the culture is facilitated, because the need for dressing disappears;
- maintain a limited area easier;
- layer of mulch interferes with intensive weed growth;
- the root system is always warm, so you can harvest until the cold.
There are no disadvantages of a warm bed, if you do not take into account the labor costs for its arrangement. The process is not really easy, it requires not only strength, but knowledge.
You can achieve the desired result only with technologytherefore, it’s worthwhile to get acquainted with it and prepare the scheme of the accumulating cake. This will eliminate errors in the performance of work.
When to prepare a warm garden bed for growing cucumber
You can start preparing warm beds in the fall, but many gardeners prefer spring. This is due to the active process of decay after the combination of all components.
During the winter period, the initiated reaction is euthanized under the influence of sub-zero temperatures, therefore, fermentation should be started in the spring, repeating the autumn stages again. In the spring to do extra work will not have to.
Under the warm ridge place is chosen on a hill with good lighting. The sun's rays will maintain the desired temperature in the soil. It is not necessary to choose a site well blown by the winds, drafts are considered enemies of cucumbers.
Work on the arrangement can begin in late March - early April. But in any case it is worth waiting for the complete descent of snow.
Kinds
Warm ridges come in several forms.
Deep bookmarks
This option involves digging a trench. 2 shovel depth, up to one and a half meters wide. The length is chosen individually.
The first layer consists of shredded wood waste. Here you can use everything that remains after trimming the garden, sawing boards and other chores.
Next, lay a layer of plant waste: straw, leaves, cut grass. The next layer is laid out manure mixed with soil. The process ends with hot water (almost boiling water).
To start the heat accumulation, cover the bed with a dark film, the edges of which need to be carefully fixed to prevent warm air from escaping. After warming up the soil, you can start planting.
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- The ridge of deep bookmarks should be 2 shovels deep
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- After pouring water the ridge is covered with a film
On the surface of the earth
Parameters of this option are limited: length - within 3-3.5 m, width - no more than 1 m. The surface of the earth is cleared of weeds and covered first with a bucket of manure, then with 2 buckets of compost.
Fertilizers are leveled at the selected area with a rake, in this case it is not necessary to dig up. To warm up and start the process of decay, the top of the bed is poured with hot water and covered with a dark film.
Above ground
The principle of arrangement is similar to the version with a trench, only the tab of the interlayers should be done in over the ground box. You can knock it out of the boards, slate and other scrap materials. After filling of the fillers, the surface is watered with hot water and covered for heating by the film.
How to do it yourself
After determining the type of warm beds, you can proceed to the preparatory work.
The composition of the layers
When using the method of deep bookmarking or arrangement of the beds above the ground surface layered soil cake. The sequence of layers is as follows:
- metal mesh laid along the edges of the trench (in the elevated version a box made of wood or other material is installed);
- the first is a layer of coarse household waste (branches, wood cuttings, knots);
- then crushed cardboard, paper, shavings are poured;
- after wood comes the turn of organics (kitchen waste);
- the next layer is laid leaves, tops of garden plants;
- on top of the lined compost;
- the top layer of the cake is formed from fertile land (25-30 cm).
The process ends with a light tamper that will seal the interlayer.
Proper preparation of the necessary soil
The top layer of the cake of warm beds is garden or garden soil. It should be poured with hot water and cover the surface with plastic film, firmly securing the edges.
To warm the soil and start the process of decay will need from several hours to 2 days.
Preparation pattern and landing width
According to the reviews of experienced gardeners to build warm beds should be as follows:
- the length is chosen at will, restrictions exist only for the ground-based method (up to 3.5 m);
- width that allows you to comfortably take care of plants, is selected within 0.8-1 m (with a deep tab, you can increase to 1.5 m);
- total cake thickness - 1.2-1.4 m (the largest thickness falls on the first layer 35-40 cm and soil 30 cm).
When using the warm beds should water it in a timely manner, not allowing it to dry. In dry soil, the process of decay is suspended.
A correctly made bed with heat accumulator is suitable for growing many vegetable crops and ornamental plants. Having spent several hours on the formation of a multilayer cake, it is possible to remove record harvests from a small area for more than 5 years.