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Trellising Cucumbers Saves Space and Increases Yield

Picture
Trellised Pickling Cucumber
Trellising cucumbers provides an abundant supply of crisp, tender fruits in a small space. Not only are the vines grown vertically to save space in the garden, according to Douglas C. Sanders and Jeanine M. Davis horticulturists from North Carolina State University Extension, the fruit quality is improved, harvest is extended, and yield is greater. But, those aren't the  only reasons to grow cucumbers on a trellis.

Advantages of Trellising Cucumbers

  • Controls insect pests and disease by allowing good air circulation.
  • May increase pollination.
  • Harvesting is quick and easy as the fruits are held above the ground and are easier to find.
  • Less damage to vines when harvesting.
  • Saves space.
  • Improves yield.
  • Produces straight, uniform cucumbers.

Trellises for Cucumbers

Make simple trellises for cucumbers grown in rows in the garden by erecting poles spaced eight to 15 feet apart in the garden and securing vegetable netting or chicken wire to the poles. Secure the poles in the ground to prevent toppling with the weight of the cucumbers. Trellises should be at least six feet tall.

For smaller areas or pots, wire cages, fences or simple trellises for flowers can be used with some success. Stringing wires or twine up the side of a garden wall also works. The key here is to provide a trellis or fence large enough to support the weight of growing cucumber plants.

Training Cucumbers on a Trellis

Cucumber vines produce tendrils that grasp objects for support. These tendrils hold your cucumber vines securely to the trellis, but they may need a little guidance to get them started.

As soon as the cucumbers begin to vine and the first tendrils appear, gently guide the ends of the vines to the trellis. Some may resist your efforts, particularly if the trellis is on the western or southern side of your cucumber bed. Cucumbers naturally grow toward the east in search of the morning sun.

​Resistant vines can be tied loosely to the trellis with plant ties to get them started up the trellis.

Pruning Cucumbers on a Trellis

According to the North Carolina State University Extension, the first four to six lateral vines that appear off the primary vine should be pruned back to the main vine to increase overall yield. Allow any lateral vines that grow after this point to grow naturally.

Copyright © 2014 Nannette Richford



  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • About Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • How to Grow a Pomato Plant
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
        • Turnips vs Rutabagas
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
  • Garden Pests
    • How to Control Japanese Beetles
    • How to Control Blister Beetles
    • How to Get Rid of Colorado Potato Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables