How to Grow Cucumbers Using Hydroponics
Growing cucumbers hydroponically can be challenging and expensive. However, it also can be a good alternative for those who may want to grow cucumbers indoors or illustrate the virtues of hydroponics to a class or other group. This particular method of growing hydroponic cucumbers was devised by the Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Hawaii, and is a good method to build from. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Plastic trash container (30 to 35 gallon), with lid.
- Hydroponic fertilizer
- Forestry tube (-1⁄2 inches diameter by 8 inches long).
- Peat, perlite, vermiculite, coir
- Cucumber seeds
- Electric drill with 1⁄4-inch bit and -1⁄2-inch hole saw.
Instructions
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1
Make sure the garbage can is clean. Rinse it out several times before planting if soap was used to clean it. Do not use bleach. Place the can on a level surface such as a greenhouse, sunny room or garden space, where it will receive plenty of light.
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2
Combine about 10 gallons of water with a special hydroponic fertilizer of your choice in the can. Stir the solution until it is dissolved. Fill the can to within 1 inch of the top after the fertilizer has dissolved.
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3
Drill 6 holes into a forestry tube that are about a 1/4 of an inch in diameter to allow the roots to extrude through the bottom and sides.
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4
Fill the tube with a selected growing medium such as peat or perlite. Tap it to help it settle, but don't pack it heavily. Drill a hole about 1-1/2 inches in diameter with a hole saw into the trash can lid. Drill the hole about 3 inches from the edge.
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5
Make a space in the tube to plant the cucumber seed with the end of a pen or other blunt object. Add 1 or 2 tsp. of water if the peat is dry.
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6
Build a trellis approximately 6 feet high on the outside of the trash can. Place the trash can near a wall if possible to make this easier.
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Tips & Warnings
Hydroponic fertilizers are preferred because the provide nutrients and minerals often found in soils that water alone cannot provide.
The seed should germinate in two to five days. If it does not, consider planting a new seed. Give it a week to be certain.
A trellis can be made easily with twine and sticks, or can be purchased. The cucumber vine that emerges from the tube will need somewhere to go and a trellis is ideal for this.
Allowing the cucumber vine to drape toward the ground could place unnecessary stress on the plant and roots as well as leave it more susceptible to plant rot.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit cucumber #5 image by Adam Borkowski from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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If all you are giving as "growing advice" is a do it yourself system, you leave out 90% of what people are going to run into with cucumbers, such as; parasites on the vines, can they be grown horizontally, what kinds are better, how many cucumbers are going to be on each strand, when do you replenish the water, change it out, how many can grow out of how big of a pot, and many many more! It is quite tiring to visit these sites that simply reprint directions or cut and paste the same thing everyone else is pasting. Finding real information is getting harder and harder to find because anyone can set up a site with no more than two days of research. Some of us are actually doing this and we need to have real information about real problems that have to be actually dealt with.
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I planted cucumber seeds in a wick method - inner pot with cocopeat and outer with nuetrents - plants grew profusely (don't know how to show you the picture) - it flowered but no fruits came - now the plants are dying - where have I gone wrong? - Pl advise.
