trellising cucumber vines

[sciencegal]

I'm planning on growing some small beds of cucumbers, which I've never grown before and want to trellis them to save space. I can't seem to find out how tall the trellis should be so I can plan how and where I am going to plant them. Do the vines stay short -- a couple of feet -- or do they get taller. Any other advice on trellising cuc's would be most welcome.

[rainbowgardener]

Depends on what kind of cucumber... there are bush varieties and short vine varieties. But I think a regular cucumber wouldn't have much trouble climbing to the top of a 6' trellis. When it gets as tall as you want it to be, you can just pinch out the growing tip, then it will put out more side shoots instead of getting taller.

[Ozark Lady]

It definitely would depend on the variety of cucumber, some get some really large, heavy fruits, and these could break or split on a trellis unless you support them.

But others would do great, and it also depends on how often, and what size you choose to harvest them.

I like to put them close to a fence, and then just train them to go up it, then I can tie them up, if I think a fruit needs more support. Most of the fencing is 4' tall, but they can twist and turn all over it, not just go straight up! Great productive privacy fence! And it is edible! Cool, huh?

[sciencegal]

This is the seed I got.

[url]https://www.territorialseed.com/product/5553/196[/url]

I opened the package a few days ago because it didn't seem like there were many seeds in it, and there weren't. Only 11. I don't know what I was thinking except they must have sounded good to eat. I figured I could save the seeds for next year if it works out. Of course, then I found out it was seedless. So, I don't want to mess this up.

It looks like from the photo that it is a vine.

[Ozark Lady]

That looks yummy!
I have got to get my cucumbers planted!
You know alot of seedless things will have a few set seeds, you might get lucky and get a few seeds.
But, most likely if seedless it is a hybrid. So, the seeds won't breed true to what you grew this year. But, who is to say that is a bad thing?

I am growing out seeds of some hybrid tomatoes that grew well for me last year. I love to experiment, and view gardening as a great adventure.

I wonder, hey guys, I bet one of you would know this one, can you root the vine and keep it growing inside all winter, and then just make more cuttings to get a good patch and do this by vegetative reproduction?

Wait till you taste test them, and if they are fantastic, you can try many different things, and perhaps get your own version of them growing for ya.

[gixxerific]

5-6 foot sounds good.

I trellised mine last year mid season because they were taking over. I used what I had which was a 4 foot tomato square tomato cage unfolded so it was straight. It was not enough. I still had to trim it up quite a bit. I did have some HUGE fruit on there, the hidden ones always get very big. But I never had one fall off. I also used my fence behind the trellis to let them sprawl. Before the trellis I actually had more cucumbers in my neighbors yard than I did in mine at one point.

My cukes are the big growth in the middle kind where the shovels in the wheelbarrow are pointing. As you can see the cage has vanished and this is after trimming at least half of the plant away.

So go big!

[img]https://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj185/gixxerific/DSC02682.jpg[/img]

[gixxerific]

This is the seed I got.

[url]https://www.territorialseed.com/product/5553/196[/url]

I opened the package a few days ago because it didn't seem like there were many seeds in it, and there weren't. Only 11. I don't know what I was thinking except they must have sounded good to eat. I figured I could save the seeds for next year if it works out. Of course, then I found out it was seedless. So, I don't want to mess this up.

It looks like from the photo that it is a vine.

The website say's 1o seeds per packet so you got a free one. And trust me 11 cucumbers is a LOT.

There are 4 plants in my pic and that was too many for me.

[Ozark Lady]

Gixx, those look fantastic! I should have so many to complain! ha ha

What did you feed them with?

[sciencegal]

This should work then. I liberated a 5 foot by 30 inch section of cattle panel that was being used as a temporary gate. I figured it would make a perfect trellis but it seemed kind of tall. It's too cool yet to plant cucumbers and beans. I'm just in the dreaming stages.

I made a very small raised bed for the cucumbers, just 3 feet by 5 feet. After digging down only about 8 or ten inches I hauled off 25 gallons of rocks. Most of my garden in containers or very small raised beds.

[tedln]

Your cattle panel should work great. It also makes an attractive trellis. If it is pretty new, the paint on it may be a little slick for the vines to grab on. If it is, hang some poultry wire or string on it for the vines to grab to.

Ted

[gixxerific]

Cattle panel would be great. It's basically a bigger version of what I used.



OL

Gixx, those look fantastic! I should have so many to complain! ha ha

What did you feed them with?

Love, sunshine and water mainly.

[Decado]

It definitely would depend on the variety of cucumber, some get some really large, heavy fruits, and these could break or split on a trellis unless you support them.

But others would do great, and it also depends on how often, and what size you choose to harvest them.

I like to put them close to a fence, and then just train them to go up it, then I can tie them up, if I think a fruit needs more support. Most of the fencing is 4' tall, but they can twist and turn all over it, not just go straight up! Great productive privacy fence! And it is edible! Cool, huh?

I don't think the cucumbers being big and heavy are a problem, I have a friend who trellises them and the big heavy ones do just fine hanging up there.

[kgall]

I used 2 tomato cages to trellis on. The second one was inverted on top of the first. I plants 3 cucumbers per setup. It worked very well.

[Ozark Lady]

You are probably right, I was probably thinking of cantaloupes.

But, those cucumbers at the grocery store would be fairly heavy too. I normally pick them much smaller than those.

[gixxerific]

You are probably right, I was probably thinking of cantaloupes.

But, those cucumbers at the grocery store would be fairly heavy too. I normally pick them much smaller than those.

Like I said I had some HUGE cukes last year that were hiding in the foliage so they got over a foot long and never fell off. Yes they were huge and yes they were hidden that's how crazy it was growing.

in the pic above to the left of the cukes are cantaloupe on the same trellis. I didn't support the fruit though I thought about it. They seemed to hang on pretty well that is until they were ripe and fell off. So it worked out pretty well. If they were on the ground they were done.

[garden5]

I've actually seen a person use a step ladder as a cucumber trellis and had the vines grow all the way over the top and down the other side.

[sciencegal]

In garden supply catalogs you often see cucumber trellises advertised. They are all 4 feet X 4 feet or less. This is why I expected cucumber vines don't get all that long.

[engineeredgarden]

gixxerific - I have 48 running feet of very strong trellis, and even grow pumpkins on them. However, I've always been afraid to let the cantaloupe grow with no support slings. Knee highs work great for them, so that's what I use. I'd love to see your various trellises....

EG

[gixxerific]

gixxerific - I have 48 running feet of very strong trellis, and even grow pumpkins on them. However, I've always been afraid to let the cantaloupe grow with no support slings. Knee highs work great for them, so that's what I use. I'd love to see your various trellises....

EG

That was it. I didn't have any trellises at the time I just used what I had. I did build a trellis this year for cukes after seeing what they could do last year. That was my first time with cukes. When I first put up the tom cage for the cukes I used a short leftover piece of a tomato stake for an end support. I had to replace it with a piece of copper pipe mid season cause the weight of the cukes snapped the stake.

Since you asked here is my new (completely thrown together in about 30 min) trellis.
[img]https://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj185/gixxerific/Gardening/DSC03638.jpg[/img]

This is a work in progress.

[sjohnson9206]

This is the first time we've trellised cukes, but I have arched a cattle panel, 50" wide and 16' long, to grow the cukes over. I have 4 plants at each end of the panel and will train them up. The plan is to do the same with my melons.

[gixxerific]

This is the first time we've trellised cukes, but I have arched a cattle panel, 50" wide and 16' long, to grow the cukes over. I have 4 plants at each end of the panel and will train them up. The plan is to do the same with my melons.

That should work very well.

I think the trellis idea, any kind of trellis is great for cukes. They get more air, more light, the fruit grows straighter while hanging. All round best way in my opinion.

Don't forget you can plant cool weather or shade crops under the trellis like lettuce etc.

[engineeredgarden]

gixxerific - Oh yeah - I can see where that trellis will work really well for ya.

Here's a pic of my cantaloupe trellis from 2 years ago...

[img]https://i40.tinypic.com/2zi30vd.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i42.tinypic.com/16c45j7.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i43.tinypic.com/2uhx3ih.jpg[/img]

and here's a cucumber.....

[img]https://i41.tinypic.com/25rzaxy.jpg[/img]

and lastly a pumpkin...

[img]https://i44.tinypic.com/2nscd2v.jpg[/img]

EG

[gixxerific]

EGarden love the trellis dude. I might have to do some modding to mine before it is all said and done. I might need some wire like you have, I know I probably will but I'm too broke to be buying wire right now. So I will work with what I have.

[Joyfirst]

Nice strong trellisses!

I just use regular plant trellis, because I found them in the alley - so they were free.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3414/3595637664_c1a468ee4b.jpg[/img]

They are too short, but I just let them go up and down on the other side. This year I put two together at an angle and planted greens underneath.

[rootsy]

This should work then. I liberated a 5 foot by 30 inch section of cattle panel that was being used as a temporary gate. I figured it would make a perfect trellis but it seemed kind of tall. It's too cool yet to plant cucumbers and beans. I'm just in the dreaming stages.

I made a very small raised bed for the cucumbers, just 3 feet by 5 feet. After digging down only about 8 or ten inches I hauled off 25 gallons of rocks. Most of my garden in containers or very small raised beds.

I use a cattle panel for climbing plant support... At least for cukes and pole beans... 5' x 15' panels. Drive 3 or 4 steel fence posts into the ground, slap that panel up there and zip tie it in place... Nice and neat... The panels aren't all that expensive at your local farm supply (as long as you have a way to transport them) and over a number of years will pay for themselves. I like straight cukes and so do my customers... Nice for space saving also.

If you can get longer panels they easily will bend into a U shape and you can set em upright and form an arch... Plants will climb right up em...

[engineeredgarden]

gixxerific and joyfirst - thanks!

EG

[sjohnson9206]

I took a picture this morning of the cuke arch..

[img]https://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/sjohnson9206/Garden/2010-05-18/0518000735.jpg[/img]

I'll be doing the same thing for melons. I'm also starting some spinach inside and once that gets going I'll transplant under the arches through the cloth.

[tedln]

I took a picture this morning of the cuke arch..
I'll be doing the same thing for melons. I'm also starting some spinach inside and once that gets going I'll transplant under the arches through the cloth.

Very nice Samantha!

I've seen people arch the panels over the path into the garden with both ends attached to planter boxes. It is very pretty with the cucumbers hanging down over the path and either flowers or veggies in the planter boxes. Maybe grow some tall tomato plants on the arch and pick tomatoes as you walk under the arch.

If you have a fence around your garden, you can build your gate into the arch.
Ted

[Decado]

So for my cucumber trellis the biggest fencing I could find at Home Depot was 1 inch square plastic fencing. Is this big enough for cucumbers?

[engineeredgarden]

Samantha, that's gonna do very well for cucumbers.

EG

[somegeek]

I had good luck with this setup - we're doing this again this year...

[img]https://somegeek.home.comcast.net/~somegeek/somegeek_seedling_165.jpg[/img]

[jmoore]

I put up an 8' section of cattle panel along the fence. The fence is 6.5' tall so the cuke should go right up that.

I've got two varieties going in this year. And they are both going to be planted in the next week or so. They are taking the place of my peas which are about to get smacked by the heat. Cukes will do perfectly in that spot. I'll plant some black eyed peas in front and it should be good to go.