Growing cucumber plants upside down in hanging baskets
Growing fruits and vegetables upside down in hanging baskets doesn't only save on ground space, but also can be more beneficial to your plants while they grow.
The object of planting fruits and vegetables to grow upside down is that it saves on growing space, it keeps plants free from pests, and it also keeps the fruits and veggies from rotting on the topsoil. But the other two main things that I enjoy the most about it are that there's no need for bending down and there's zero need for weeding.
First, I planted my cucumber seeds in a container (as you can see from the photo below). I allowed for the plants to get big enough before transplanting them.
Later, I decided to transfer a few of my cucumber plants to an old hanging wire basket to grow upside down.
The baskets I used are wire baskets that came complete with the molded brown coconut fiber.
The steps for planting cucumber plants in hanging wire baskets upside down
You'll need a wire basket with a coconut fiber mold, two cucumber plants, and soil.
Before planting your cucumbers inside the lined basket, make sure that you soak it down with water first for about a minute. This step will help mold the fiber into the basket.
I planted two different cucumber plants, versus one for the purposes if one of them should die. This isn't a must; it's just something that I tend to always do to strengthen the odds that one plant survives.
Once the cucumber plants are big enough to transplant, poke a couple of holes through the bottom of the brown coconut fiber. The holes need to be just big enough to poke the root ends through to the inside of the basket.
From the underneath side of the planter, carefully poke the root ends through the fiber. The top of the plants should be sticking out from the bottom of the hanging basket. I prefer planting the cucumbers upside down in this manner so that I don't chance harming the plants and their leaves. Whereas when you feed the entire plant through the inside of the planter upside down, there's a big chance that the plant will snap.
When you have pulled the root ends through the fiber, fill the basket halfway with soil, then water and hang the basket. I have mine hanging from the ceiling support beams of my greenhouse.
I didn't add a plastic liner on top of the coconut fiber mold on the inside of my baskets. However, you can choose that as another option. Just make sure that you cut holes through the plastic as well as the fiber before stuffing the plant's roots through. Then fill the basket halfway with soil, water, and hang the basket in a good location.
Water regularly to make sure the soil stays moist. However, do not over water cucumber plants. Over watering won't only cause root rot, but will also make the fruit of your cucumbers taste bitter, and grow in an odd shape.
Notes:
If you can't find the type of baskets that I have used for this project, you can use clean buckets. Just drill holes in the center of the bottom of the buckets, then poke your cucumber plant roots through (in the same manner as instructed above). Fill the buckets with soil, and hang them up by the handle. Then water your plants.
This method of planting works well also for planting cherry tomatoes, squash, berry plants, and zucchini.
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