Growing cucumbers on a trellis in open ground: rules and features

In open ground and greenhouses, growing cucumbers on trellises saves space, makes maintenance easier, and yields a bountiful harvest. However, this method requires preliminary organizational and management measures, which are essential for vertical cultivation. The trellis method of growing cucumber plants has its own peculiarities of planting, care, and harvesting.

What is this method?

With traditional (horizontal) cultivation, the vines spread extensively along the ground, forcing the grower to step on the shoots during harvest. Since cucumbers are picked every 2-3 days to prolong fruiting, trampled plant parts appear in the beds, which could otherwise produce cucumbers. Thanks to their climbing vines and tendrils, cucumbers thrive on vertical structures such as trellises. This cultivation method solves this problem and prevents damage to the vines, increasing yields.

During the growing season, the cucumber vine "climbs" the net, spreading evenly across the entire area and providing easy access to its shoots. The trellis method looks like this:

1. Metal pipes or wooden beams are installed along the bed, driven into the ground to a depth of half a meter for stability. The height depends on the variety, but should not exceed 2 meters.
2. A mesh is stretched between the pipes, and a wire is passed through the upper edge for fixation.
3. When there are several beds, the distance between rows is kept at 1.5 m.
4. Cucumbers are grown along the trellis, tying them with twine or string.

Pros and cons of the method

If you grow cucumbers outdoors on a trellis, you can experience the advantages of this method, as highlighted by experienced vegetable growers. However, it does have one drawback.

Table: Pros and cons of vertical farming

What varieties of cucumbers are grown on trellises?

Since cucumbers naturally grow vertically, this method of cultivation in open ground is suitable for almost all cucumbers. However, some cucumbers produce significantly higher yields when grown on trellises. Vegetable growers most often select the following varieties:

• ‘Focus F1’ is a vigorous parthenocarpic hybrid with early ripening and medium branching, suitable for greenhouses;
• "Regal F1" is a bee-pollinated cucumber with a short growing season and good adaptability to various climatic conditions, gherkin-type fruits;
• Asterix F1 is a high-yielding, drought-resistant hybrid with a mid-season ripening period, the result of the work of a Dutch breeding agricultural company.

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Types of trellises

The simplest is a wooden one, which consists of frames shaped like the letters "A" (with a spacer bar in the middle), "L" (without a spacer bar), "T," or "U." Since the supporting elements will bear the brunt of the load, they must be tall (to allow for deeper installation) and sturdy. Intermediate slats are installed every 2 meters for long beds. This is done to strengthen the structure due to the increasing weight as the cucumbers grow.

The upper surfaces of the support slats are connected by crossbars. Nails are driven into the crossbars, which will later allow the twine or cord used for tying the slats to be secured. cucumbers on a trellisIn addition, there are two other varieties that you can build yourself by watching a video of the construction process and photos of the final result:

• round - "tent" or "herringbone";
• wall-mounted - a fence or wall acts as a support.

Conditions for growing crops in open ground

To ensure a bountiful harvest, preparations for growing vegetables begin well in advance. For cucumbers grown outdoors, select sunny sites with some shade during the midday heat (this last point applies only to southern regions). Groundwater levels should be deep. Stagnant water in the roots weakens plant immunity and leads to the development of fungal diseases.

Predecessors

Cucumbers are planted in areas previously occupied by cabbage, tomatoes, and radishes. Peas are an excellent predecessor: legumes can concentrate nitrogen in their roots, increasing soil fertility. Cucumbers can be planted after early potatoes and radishes. Pumpkins, zucchini, and cucumbers themselves are poor predecessors.

Rules for soil preparation

The soil is prepared in the fall. In the spring, the moisture is simply sealed and the trellis is installed. The sequence of steps for fall preparation is:

1. 5-6 kg of manure, 30 g of superphosphate, 200 g of wood ash are distributed over the selected area at the rate of 1 m2 (if the soil is more acidic, the latter agent is replaced with dolomite flour);
2. They dig up the depth of a shovel blade.
3. The ground is leveled with a rake so that water does not accumulate in one place.

Pre-sowing seed treatment

This preparatory step isn't always necessary. If a vegetable grower buys seeds from large producers, they're usually coated—disinfected. They're covered with a special coating. If the seeds don't have this coating, or if they're home-grown seeds, they're first soaked to sort out any substandard ones (they'll float). Viable seeds are further treated with a potassium permanganate solution to kill pathogens. Next, the seeds are wrapped in damp gauze and left until they sprout, wetting the cloth regularly.

Methods of planting cucumbers on a trellis, shaping bushes

The vegetable is grown using two methods: seedlings and direct sowing of seeds into the ground. In the first case, peat pots are used to plant cucumber seedlings in the garden bed without damaging the root system. Seedlings should be planted in open ground after the weather has become consistently warm and two true leaves have emerged (soil temperature at a depth of 10 cm is 12°C).

In mild climates where spring arrives earlier, seeds are sown directly into the ground. Soil temperature signals the start of sowing. The seeding depth is 3 cm. If there is still a risk of frost, cucumbers are covered with plastic. Planting pattern for cucumber seedlings and seeds on a trellis, in cm:

• between plants in a row - 15–20;
• parallel supports - 80-100.

Garter

To tie up cucumber plants, use soft twine or string to prevent damage to the vines while supporting their weight. This is done for the first time after the third leaf has formed, with one end of the string secured to a support and the other to the top of the plant. Then, every four days, tighten the string as the vines develop.

Pinching

To ensure a strong plant that will produce a bountiful harvest, cucumber vines need to be trained regularly. Pinch out side shoots every 10 days throughout the growing season.

• the first four lower leaf axils are "blinding";
• in the next three nodes, only the ovary is left;
• after the seventh axil, the lateral shoots are pinched after the second leaf;
• after the ninth node, the shoots and ovary are not touched;
• When the whip reaches the top, it is thrown over the crossbar several times and pinched.

Features of cucumber care

To thrive, a planted crop requires moisture, nutrition, and free air flow to its roots. To ensure all of this, it requires regular care, including watering, fertilizing with appropriate fertilizers, loosening the soil, and preventative or protective treatments against diseases and pests.

Watering

Cucumbers are a moisture-loving crop with a shallow root system. This root system can't reach reserves in the meter-deep layer. To prevent drought, water the plants weekly with warm water at the roots, avoiding the shoots. During the fruiting period, it's best to double the watering intensity. Drip irrigation is the optimal method.

Soil treatment

Moistened soil is loosened to a depth of no more than 3 cm using a hoe. Digging too deep can damage the root system and even kill the plants. Weeding is combined with loosening to save time and avoid unnecessarily disturbing the roots. Experienced vegetable growers mulch the tree trunks, preserving moisture and maintaining a loose soil structure for longer.

Top dressing

Cucumbers respond well to a balanced diet. After emergence or planting of seedlings vegetables are fed A 1:10 solution of urea or bird droppings is used. During the flowering phase, phosphorus-potassium complexes (wood ash, superphosphate combined with potassium sulfate) are added. After fruit set and mid-fruiting, repeat the application to prolong the life of the cucumbers and improve their quality.

Protection from diseases and pests

Different varieties have different immunity. The most common ones are diseases in the culture Common pests include powdery mildew, downy mildew, and gray mold. To prevent their development, it's best to treat crops with a copper-containing fungicide as a preventative measure before flowering. Melon aphids are particularly common pests, and insecticides can easily control them. If insects have infested crops when pesticides are prohibited, use an infusion of garlic, onion peels, or tobacco.

Harvesting and end-of-season work

The grown cucumbers are harvested every two days, and some varieties have an even more intense fruiting phase. This process is carried out in the morning or evening. To ensure the cucumbers continue to set fruit, harvesting should be done promptly. At this time, not only healthy cucumbers but also diseased ones are removed. This will preserve the plant's vital reserves, preventing it from wasting them on damaged cucumbers. When removing the cucumbers from the trellis, hold the vines by hand to avoid damaging the shoots. Otherwise, fruiting may cease.

When the crop stops bearing fruit, remove all green matter from the trellis, including tendrils. Remove all twine and ties, then wash with a concentrated solution of laundry soap and dry thoroughly in the sun. This procedure prepares the trellis for the next season. Any remaining plant debris is burned, the area is dug over, weed roots are removed, and the soil is fertilized with compost or other fertilizers, taking into account crop rotation, depending on the crop planned for cultivation in the following season.

Possible mistakes when growing

Difficulties with growing cucumbers on trellises aren't limited to beginners. Experienced gardeners who previously cultivated vegetables horizontally sometimes find themselves in a similar situation. Cucumbers are often planted in areas prone to light winds. As a result, the plants fail to produce fruit, as the wind is too strong in vertical cultivation, weakening the crop.

Due to a lack of space and improper crop rotation, cucumbers are planted in the same spot for several years in a row (or after other melons). The crops are susceptible to pests, the development of which, without regular treatment, leads to significant yield losses. And with constant protective measures, production costs increase.

Growing cucumbers vertically helps increase yields without taking up too much space. This is crucial when choosing a cultivation method for small gardens or summer cottages.