Mistakes To Avoid When You Grow Cucumbers On A Trellis

Incorporating a trellis in your garden for cucumber plants is a great way to keep your space tidy and visually appealing. And beyond looking neat, they often provide added benefits to climbing plants by keeping foliage off the ground — this can increase air circulation, reduce pest infestations, and decrease the odds of soil-borne diseases taking hold.

Cucumbers are considered a climbing plant, meaning they are intended to grow upward by attaching to a support structure, such as a trellis. The tendrils on cucumber plants, which look like threadlike stems, allow the plants to raise themselves towards the sunlight and scramble up structures when doing so. Some gardeners often choose to go this route to get the maximum yield possible from their plants. But there are some misconceptions about trellising cucumbers that are important to know about. First and foremost, although cucumbers are a climbing plant, they may not initially crawl up a trellis on their own. They will likely need support when starting out.

To encourage vertical growth, guide the vines by wrapping them around the trellis. When the cucumber plants are young, you can provide even more support by tying the vines to the structure. Fasten the cucumber plants with string, zip ties, or twine tied around the joints where the leaf extends from the stem. Attach them loosely, and remove the ties as they grow so they do not choke your cucumbers.

Another reason your cucumbers may not be climbing is that you have the wrong type of trellis. Because cucumbers use tendrils to climb, they grow well up wire mesh trellises or sturdy wood and twine. So while there are many trellis ideas to maximize your outdoor space, not all of them will work for cucumbers. And on a similar note, make sure you're planting vining varieties and not bush varieties — bush varieties do best in tomato cages, not trellises. 

There are mistakes everyone makes when planting cucumbers. And one of them that's applicable to growing on a trellis specifically, is not giving your plants adequate space. There's somewhat of a misconception that you can plant your seeds closer together when growing vertically, and this is simply not the case. Your seeds still need to be planted the same distance apart that's recommended for growing cucumbers on the ground. Keep in mind that the roots need the same amount of space to spread at the bottom of the trellis as they do in standard gardening practices. Spacing the seeds or starts too close together can cause plants to compete for nutrients and water. To avoid this, plant your seeds about 8 to 12 inches apart.

Further, when the vines start to spread out when growing vertically, it's recommended to trim and prune excess foliage.  Overcrowded plants can reduce air circulation and attract pests too. A particular nuisance to look out for early on in the season is the cucumber beetle. Choosing a less bitter variety like burpless can help keep them off your plants.