"Staking" for Cucumbers

[JennieAtkinson]

I need some advice on this one. Previously I have grown my cucumbers in the polytunnel and have thrown some netting over the top bar and tucked it into the bottom of the grow bag. As the cucumbers have grown I tie them into the netting. It has sort of worked, but the plants get quite heavy for the netting and it has pulled out quite often

This year I hope to grow my cucumbers in the greenhouse, and wondered what you all used for staking them or creating a framework for them to grow up?

Any ideas gratefully received Thanks in advance..............

[jools]

I have always put up a couple of canes and then tied them onto a length of strong string running lengthways down the greenhouse at about face height. I have a new greenhouse which has a "hanging basket" bar running down its length so it should make it all a bit sturdier this year - but it worked fine with just the string.
Jools

[mandyballantyne]

I grew outdoors last year and just wound the plant losely around string strung over the fence, when it had a lot of cucs i just supported the trusses with another loop of string. Worked fine for me.

Hope this helps, Mandy

[Cutecumber]

you guys are lucky with your fences and bars and stuff!!

I had a large pot outside and ended up having to lash canes together to produce a kind of ladder - I would have made a great boy scout if I had been a boy! It was about four foot high, but wide, so I made the cucumber zig zag up it.

And it was a complete pig to untie at the end of the season

[LaurenGrows]

Ok.. stupid question coming up...Just how big do cuke plants grow?
(Should I tell them I thought they grew along the ground... Nah, they might think I'm, ignorant)
Just smile, and they will never know
...Lauren

[mandyballantyne]

Hi Lauren,

They will grow along the ground if you are not quick! Mine grow about 4-5' tall and grow outwards too, you need to support them so the cuc's don't lie on the ground and rot. At least that's my take on it

Watch out when then start growing, they mean business!

Mandy

[Cutecumber]

Absolutely, Mandy!

Basically they will grow along the ground if you don't support them - there's no strength in their stems and the fruit are too heavy. If you give them something to go up, they hang on tight with their tendrils but they need initial encouragement. Given good conditions they can grow a lot, but remember that you can take control - don't let your cucumber bully you!!

In a greenhouse, mine went over seven foot up and then fancied their chances along a bit too - the plants are not all massive in terms of their stems or leaves (compared to courgettes or squashes, say) and I got three to produce happily in a grow bag.

Outside, the plants (like burpless tasty green) were bigger, and I put only one to a large pot.

[Snadger]

I must admit I prefer the taste of outdoor ridge cucumbers which I allow to scramble at will. I must have had at least 30 cucumbers off each plant last year, more than enough for my needs!
I'm still interested in any replies to Jennies query though because this year I intend growing melons vertically and I would imagine they need similar support to cukes?

[TonyF]

I use the tomato trainers that I can buy in a local brico shed - great last year for both melons and cucumbers, pyramids/teepee style.

Excellent as they are about an inch in diameter.

[bramble]

Jennie, I use trellis made from bamboo canes. I got it in the Pound shop and have used it for the last couple of years. It works well for me.

[JennieAtkinson]

I use the tomato trainers that I can buy in a local brico shed - great last year for both melons and cucumbers, pyramids/teepee style.

Excellent as they are about an inch in diameter.

What are these Tony?

Many thanks for all your ideas Am going to measure up the greenhouse and see how I can get a trellis in.

Good luck with the melons Snadger. Let us know how you get on.

[TonyF]

All they are Jennie are pressure treated posts but not big enough to be fence posts and not small enough to be sort of thick bamboo.

I can get them in packs of 6, really sturdy and use them all over the place, supports for melons and cucs, mid and side poles for peas and beans last year (woven through square profile fencing like hard pea nets) that sort of thing.

Need to take some pics today, will try to post a pic of them in use if I remember.

[Cutecumber]

If you haven't sown your cucumbers yet this year, I have a recommendation...

try a couple of "mini-cucumbers". Smooth skinned, picked at about four inches in length. Juicy, tasty, and emminently munchable.

They've only been available to buy as fruit/ veg in the last couple of years (round here, at least) and are very expensive. In a well known high street chemist chain, three in a pack plus a dip costs £1.50.

I bought five seeds for about £2 last year - not cheap at all - but three plants in the greenhouse (growbag, climbing up string) produced about 140 cucumbers over several weeks.

Easy to start off, grow strongly, don't need stopping, very productive. The soft skinned fruits are easily digestible too, which may benefit some people. I would say they are perfect for lunchboxes.

Even if you've never really liked cucumber they're worth a go. My boyfriend is not happy with normal cucumber but was delighted at these.

Guess where my username came from????

[Matt.]

The secondhand greehouse I have came with U hooks that screw into the internal runners on all the supporting structures. If you can get some of these you can string heavy duty garden wire to make a support. The greenhouse is more than sturdy enough to take the weight.

[Alison]

OH drilled some small holes in the frame of the greenhouse which I run wires along and then use them to support the cucumbers, works a treat and very easy to maintain.