How to Make a Cucumber Trellis: Step-by-Step Instructions

To increase cucumber yields and make them easier to care for and harvest, various tools are used. A cucumber trellis is a structure that positively impacts harvest yields and significantly saves space. Step-by-step instructions will help you understand how to make one yourself.

Purpose of trellis for cucumbers

Cucumber stems can reach a height of 2 meters. They easily twine and climb, clinging with tendrils to nearby fences and other plants. Trellis help organize the plantings. But the main purpose of the structure is as follows:

• increase in yield by 50-80%;
• facilitating plant processing;
• protection of plants from pests and fungal diseases.

Raising the garden bed allows you to significantly save space for cucumbers. Trellis can also serve as a hedge or divider for the plot.

Design options

According to their shape, cucumber trellises are divided into the following types:

• rectangle;
• circle;
• arch;
• horizontal;
• hut.

Depending on the materials used, structures can be wood or metal. Installation methods can be permanent or portable. Trellis are also made from a special mesh.

Advantages and features of the trellis method

Using cucumber supports allows for more light exposure than with traditional cultivation methods. This results in faster growth, more fruit sets, and, consequently, higher yields.

Other benefits include:

1. All fruits are evenly exposed to light and air. The roots also receive more air.
2. Keeping the stems away from the soil reduces the risk of diseases and infestations by soil-dwelling pests. Treating cucumbers on trellises in case of infestation is significantly easier.
3. Nutrient compounds are supplied directly to the roots, preventing them from reaching the green parts.
4. Convenience of harvesting.

At the same time, the method also has some features:

1. The construction is expensive. This can easily be solved by making trellises from readily available materials.
2. It is important to tie up growing stems in time so that they do not break.
3. Watering and feeding are necessary much more frequently.

In hot regions, mulching the beds is recommended. This will slow down moisture evaporation and also prevent weed growth.

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If the plants will be growing vertically in the bed, it's best to use galvanized wire with a diameter of 2.5 to 3 mm. It should be stretched 15-20 cm high at the bottom, 80 cm high at the top, and 80 cm high in the middle. To tie up the cucumber stems, use fabric straps that can be easily attached to hemp or synthetic twine.

Sowing time depends on soil moisture and temperature. When the soil has warmed to 12-15°C at a depth of 5 cm, you can begin planting. Ideally, these should be seedlings. Stake the plants every 2-4 days.

How to make a support

Making a cucumber trellis yourself begins with determining the desired shape and available materials. A drawing of the future structure is also essential.

Made of wood

With high-quality lumber, it's easy to build a visually appealing structure. Here are the steps:

1. Corner beams are dug in. They are 50 mm thick and buried 70 to 80 cm deep. Wire anchors are used for reinforcement.
2. Set back 2 meters from the supports, or 1 meter if the bed is small, and install additional posts. Their diameter can be smaller than the corner posts.
3. A crossbar is placed between the corner beams and secured quite firmly - this is the future fastening of the lattice.
4. Hang a net with a cell size of 15 cm.

Made of metal profile

Durable metal structures can be used for the frame. Reinforcing bars, 2 meters long, serve as the base. This is the height the trellis should be to ensure the cucumbers grow to their full potential.

Work begins by driving the posts into the ground. Then, a crossbeam is welded to them. If equipment for this job is unavailable, the joints are secured with cable or wire, but tightened firmly. However, welding is considered the most reliable method. Next, as with a wooden structure, additional stakes are driven in between the corner posts at equal distances, spaced 15 cm apart. A grid is then made from wire, with mesh sizes ranging from 15 to 20 cm. All metal is treated with a corrosion protection compound before use.

From the tire

This is a DIY portable cucumber trellis. It's compact. You'll need two bicycle rims (remove the spokes first), an iron rod, wire, and twine. Installation of the cucumber trellis begins with driving in the central base. Then, the rim is placed on it. The soil around it is compacted. A second rim is attached to the top of the rod using wire. The twine is pulled through the existing spoke holes.

From the grid

Made of polypropylene, which is resistant to mechanical damage. The material is resistant to rot and UV exposure. The cells are large—from 150 to 170 mm. The rib, despite its thin thickness, provides excellent stem support.

Making a cucumber trellis from mesh is easy. The material is folded into 2-3 layers (depending on the length of the bed) and laid on the ground. Posts are installed along the edges to secure the mesh, as shown in the photo. Seedlings are planted directly into the cells. There's no need to tie the growing plants down, as the tendrils will naturally cling to the ribs of the material.

A metal version of a mesh trellis can also be used. In this case, the structure is shaped like an arch. The base consists of wooden boxes filled with soil, into which cucumbers are planted. Such arched trellises can be used to create a unique canopy. Several boxes can be installed lengthwise, creating a corridor for decorating and zoning a garden plot. A wooden lattice is often used in place of a metal mesh.

Peculiarities of planting and growing cucumbers

Growing cucumbers using trellises involves a series of agricultural practices. Their maintenance varies under different conditions.

In open ground

Proper placement of the beds is also crucial for high yields. It's recommended to choose a west-east orientation, which ensures even daylight. For less experienced gardeners, it's best to build a trellis out of bamboo poles. They should be 3 to 4 cm in diameter and 1.5 m long. The soil should be dug first, the bed should be broken up, and fertilized with compost. Only then should the structure be erected.

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The sticks are buried to a depth of no more than 60 cm, opposite each other at 50 cm intervals. They are level on one side and at a 60° angle on the other. At the top, all parts of the structure are connected with wire. Supporting beams, placed parallel to each other, provide additional strength.

The seedling planting pattern is determined by the type of bush you plan to grow in your garden. If the stems are heavily branched, the optimal distance is 30 to 40 cm. For less branched stems, 25 to 30 cm is sufficient. Trellis are spaced 1 meter apart. It is not recommended to reduce this distance, but it all depends on how much space is available in your garden.

In some regions, climate conditions require insulation for seedlings. The best cover is plastic film, which creates greenhouse-like conditions. Once the young plants have established themselves and a constant temperature has been established, the covering is removed and the stems are secured.

In the greenhouse

You can also install a cucumber trellis in a greenhouse. However, certain rules must be followed:

• The choice of the time to start planting depends on the ability to maintain the temperature recommended for the crop;
• In a greenhouse, it is easier to maintain humidity, but there must be a mechanism that opens and closes the windows, providing ventilation and temperature regulation;
• The plantings should not be too dense to allow air to circulate freely.

A trellis for cucumbers grown in a polycarbonate greenhouse (or any other material) is no different from a structure for open ground. Depending on the type, one of two trellis options is selected:

• vertical;
• horizontal.

In the first case, a simple U-shaped support is required. It can be up to 2 meters high. A horizontal bar, which can be replaced with wire, is installed to secure the twine along which the stems will twine. Each plant should have its own support.

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If using horizontal staking, several metal supports are placed at opposite ends of the greenhouse. The recommended height is 2 meters. Several strands of thick, strong rope are attached to them. This creates a trellis-like structure for the plants to cling to.

To make caring for cucumbers in a greenhouse easier, you can plant them in wooden boxes. The stands provide additional ventilation. Avoid bending down when watering.

Using trellises helps solve several problems simultaneously. These structures are used to save space. When properly assembled, they can significantly increase yields.