I have always let my cucumbers grow on the ground. The problem with this is that once the plants start to get really large, they take up a lot of room.Last year I had a long row in the garden dedicated to cucumbers. I trained the vines to grow into each other and tried to keep them within their row (and not let them overtake the tomatoes).
This worked pretty well, but by the end of the summer I could barely reach some of the cucumbers or walk on that side of the garden because the row became so wide.This year I decided to experiment with the cucumbers and try growing some of them on trellises. The only thing I was worried about was that the cucumbers would become too heavy for the vine and break off. But since I love to experiment (and I had a bunch of seedlings to spare) I figured what the heck, let's see what happens!
What a great success this has been for me. I am so happy with the way the vines have taken over the trellises and I've gotten a TON of cucumbers so far with more coming all the time. There is much more room in my garden and the cucumbers haven't taken over any other plants.
Next year, I plan to grow all of my cucumbers on trellises and I am also going to try this with squash. I can't image all the room I will have!
Note: Not all cucumbers and squash are vine climbing types. You can also buy bush varieties, which will not climb a trellis. (Just in case you wanted to try this method.)
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impressive ! i agree on your note at the end of your post . some times i wonder if the vines can carry its fruit upside . well thank you for sharing your thoughts .garden accessories like wind spinner are interesting to. i found some site and i enjoy reading it
ReplyDeleteHi Tony,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your nice comment! I'm glad that you enjoy my blog. I have heard of people growing larger vines like squash on a trellis too. I may experiment with that next year!
Amy
Great post. I am glad to know that you succeeded in your experiment. I too grow my cucumber on the ground, when it grows longer it covers the entire space around it. Your experiment looks great. Now i can try growing my cucumber over trellis.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Good luck, I hope growing cucumbers on a trellis works out great for you!
DeleteThis isgreat advice! I plan on trying it is summer since i have very limited room. I have read up on doing the same with watermelons. They rake old rags or shirts and make a hammock for the watermelon when they get large so they can mature completley. I might try this as well. :)
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you're going to give it a try! Let me know how it works out for you. I grew my squash on an arch this year, and it worked great. I thought I would have to swaddle the larger ones with old t-shirts (like you mention with the melons). But they rested on the arch and didn't need the extra support. It worked out really well, here's a link to that post... Squash arch
DeleteAmy