Adding trellises to support your cucumbers’ growth is necessary when growing these veggies – they will keep your garden nice and tidy while still keeping your climbing plants off the ground, thus reducing soil-borne diseases and pest infestation.
However, some silly mistakes can happen even if you added trellises and did everything right. For instance, cucumbers might not climb a trellis all by themselves. When they first start, they will probably need some assistance!
So, in this article, we are going to help you avoid these mistakes and have a bountiful cucumber harvest.
Let’s get started!
Support Your Cucumbers With The Right Trellis
Cucumber vines typically need to be trained to grow vertically from the beginning, even though they will naturally climb as they grow and mature.
For starters, you can try wrapping the vines around the trellis in the direction you want them to grow – simply tie the vines to the trellis until the tendrils begin to hang on their own. This will provide the young cucumber plants even more support
Use zip ties, strings, or even twines to tie the tendrils; afterwards, cut the knots off as the plant develops to prevent suffocating your cucumbers.
Another expert tip when growing cucumbers is to find the right trellis (the wrong type of trellis might be another reason why your cucumbers aren’t climbing).
Cucumbers grow well up wire mesh trellises or robust wood and twine because they use tendrils to climb. Thus, not every trellis design you come up with works well for cucumbers.
Plus, you should ensure that you are growing climbing varieties and not bush varieties because these grow well in tomato cages.
Also read: An Amazing Storage Hack That Will Keep Your Cucumbers Fresh
Make Sure They Have Enough Space To Grow
Don’t worry, these are mistakes that most gardeners make when growing cucumbers for the first time; you learn and try again the next time!
The most common mistake that is relevant to growing plants on a trellis is not providing them with enough room. There’s a myth that you can develop them vertically by planting your seeds closer together, but don’t believe everything you read.
The recommended spacing between your seeds is still the same as when growing cucumbers in the ground – the roots at the base of the trellis require the same amount of space to grow and spread as they normally would.
When seeds or sprouts are planted too closely together, they may compete with one another for water and nutrients. This is why you should aim to plant the seeds about 8 to 12 inches from each other.
It is also recommended to prune cucumbers and remove extra foliage when the vines begin to spread out. Overcrowded plants prevent normal air circulation, which can ultimately attract pests and fungi.
You should keep an eye on cucumber beetles as they are the pest that commonly attack young cucumber plants. To keep these away, you might consider growing less bitter cucumbers such as burpless varieties.