Growing cucumbers upside down requires little maintenance. Planting in a container eliminates the need to till the soil and pull weeds. Watering is easier since you just pour water into the top of the container and let it run down toward the roots. The hanging fruit does not rot as often since no contact occurs with the wet ground. Ground-crawling garden pests cannot attack the hanging cucumber vines unless they reach the soil. Upside down gardening is a good method to grow cucumbers when ground space is limited.
Punch a 2-inch hole in the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket with an electric drill. If the bucket does not have a handle to hang the container by, drill four sets of holes that are in pairs spaced 1 inch apart along the rim. Thread a 36-inch piece of rope through each pair of holes, and knot at the top. Install a metal hook in a wooden support beam in a sunny location.
Cut a piece of landscape fabric to fit the bottom of the bucket with scissors. Create a small slit in the center of the fabric. This is used to hold the roots in place and keeps the soil from leaking out the hole in the bottom of the bucket. Place the fabric in the bottom of the bucket and set the bucket on two sawhorses or chairs so that empty space is below the hole.
Mix 5 gallons of potting soil with the recommended amount of 5-10-10 fertilizer. Refer to the package directions for the amount.
Remove the cucumber seedling from its nursery container. Hold it upside down by its root ball, and slide the stem and leaves through the fabric slit and hole in the bottom of the bucket. The roots are in the bucket, while the plant hangs upside down outside the bucket.
Hold the roots in place as you fill the bucket with the amended soil. Gently firm the soil down as you fill the container. Leave an inch of space between the soil and the rim of the bucket.
Hang the bucket from its handle. Pour water into the top of the bucket until it runs out the bottom hole. The cucumber plant might need watering every other day during hot, dry weather.
Things You Will Need
- Electric drill
- 5-gallon bucket
- Metal hook
- Landscape fabric
- Potting soil
- Utilize the space on top of the bucket by planting low-growing crops that have the same water and light requirements as cucumbers. Herbs or lettuce are two options to increase your gardening.
- The stems of the cucumber plant may lean upwards toward the sun when young. This is natural. As the plant grows, the weight of the fruit and vines will pull the stems down.
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