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nes
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Protecting Cucumbers

I didn't trellis my cucumbers so they are running along the ground & I need a way to protect them.

No not from bugs, not from rodents, but from the two-legged, short-pants, tomato destroyer!!! :lol: (also known as DS)

I'm really worried he's going to squish my lovely new cucumber babies by stepping on them while chasing the cat around. Any suggestions?

I did use glass jars to protect the seedlings from rain at the beginning of the season (worked like a dream BTW!) could I place the new cukes in a glass jar as well?

FYI there is a plan to put in a proper garden fence next year!! :D

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rainbowgardener
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(as in Dennis the Menace :) ) It's probably still not too late to trellis them, which would get them up out of stepping on range. Otherwise some kind of little make shift fence, like put up some sections of chicken wire or something. It wouldn't have to be much fence, just to mark the area off as a no-no...

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gixxerific
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I put mine on trellis after they were already huge with extreme pruning to boot and I still can't control them. I am going to build a trellis or 2 this winter for next year.

All I did was get a tomato cage from Lowe's, the foldable cage kind, than weaved them on that. Though I would put a stake or two to keep the cage up if that is the rout you take. The cuc's weight were toppling the cage they even broke my stake the next day which was replaced by a piece of copper pipe I had laying around. They are going strong give it a try or a derivative of that idea.

I know what you mean, didn't your dog squash your blueberries as well? :cry: I also put up those little cheap garden fences, also at Lowe's as a border. They seem to keep my pitbull out unless she sees a rabbit or something then it's on. Without the fence she likes to use the plants as stepping stones, no kidding she will walk from one plant to next not on purpose she's just stupid like that. :P :D

Good luck let us know what you do, so we can all learn.

Dono

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Diane
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I know what you mean, didn't your dog squash your blueberries as well? :cry: I also put up those little cheap garden fences, also at Lowe's as a border. They seem to keep my pitbull out unless she sees a rabbit or something then it's on. Without the fence she likes to use the plants as stepping stones, no kidding she will walk from one plant to next not on purpose she's just stupid like that. :P :D

Good luck let us know what you do, so we can all learn.

Dono[/quote]

I put up those small fences too. My dog was a puppy and couldn't get over it. The next year he could but wouldn't for the most part. Chasing birds makes him forget about them. :)

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nes
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They squished the pumpkins I started indoors before the garden fence went up :D Thankfully the ones I started outdoors to replace them are doing FANTASTIC.

I totally forgot, but something between your suggestion about the lowe's tomato cages & the puppy question I remember I have an old puppy pen in the basement!!! That's perfect for at least getting them off the ground for this year :D

Although we were gone for the long weekend & my cukes EXPLODED! :shock: I'm going to have to untangle them from my carrots :lol:.

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gixxerific
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I'm sure your puppy cage will work, hell anything will work in a pinch and give you time to plan something better for next year. That is what I have done a cheap temporary fix.

About untangling them if they are healthy I wouldn't sweat it. Like I said I had four plants, well 8 the four doubled. I removed all the doubles and replanted them with a minor success. But after removing the extras I trimmed the piss out if while weaving and untangling it from everything including about 2 separate 5 foot vines outside my fence. All together I probably trimmed roughly half of the remaining plants, then trimmed heavily for weeks after until I realized I was losing the battle, they refused to go down. They are doing amazingly well and producing far beyond my usage level. Water them and maybe fertilize afterward to reduce the shock of moving. Oh just in case you don't know never mess with cucumbers when they are wet they become very brittle plus it helps spread disease.

Good luck, Dono

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nes
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Well we had a big toddler-fight over the fence going up! But mommy won. So we went from:

[img]https://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu269/knitness/DSC00960.jpg[/img]

to

[img]https://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu269/knitness/DSC00961.jpg[/img]

It's definitely going to need some re-enforcing to keep a certain short-pants-tomato-destroying-cat-chaser from knocking the whole thing over :D but other then shading the carrots (which are done anyway) I think this is going to work out quite well! :)



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