Trellis for cucumbers: an easy way to get a great harvest
Trellis for cucumbers: a simple and convenient way to get an excellent harvest
The owner of the vegetable garden will always have a place for a small bed of cucumbers. The delicate taste of fresh or lightly salted crispy vegetables grown with their own hands cannot be compared with the taste of those bought in the store. There are a lot of ways to grow cucumbers. A trellis for cucumbers will help to increase the yield and simplify the care of the plant. This publication will introduce the options for the use of supports and methods of hand-made manufacture.
Growing cucumbers on trellises contributes to an increase in yield and improves the quality of fruits
Trellis for cucumbers in the suburban area: features of use
Cucumbers are one of the most beloved and popular vegetable crops among the people. They are widely consumed both fresh and canned.
Cucumber belongs to the family of pumpkin crops and is able to grow up to 2 m high, while clinging with tendrils to everything that gets in the way. Most gardeners do not pay attention to this feature, believing that it will be easier to take care of the plant without a garter. In addition, there is an opinion that without support, the cucumber bush receives more moisture from the ground.
Cucumber belongs to climbing plants and therefore needs support for the best growth and development
But cucumbers that grow without a garter themselves are trying to find a foothold, as a result of which they break and dry. In addition, they begin to cling to neighboring plants, affecting their growth and development. Since this vegetable crop is a vine, the use of a support is a prerequisite for the proper development of the plant. Garter cucumbers allows you to give them the maximum amount of sunlight, which increases the number of ovaries and accelerates the ripening of fruits. Therefore, the question of how to make a trellis for cucumbers becomes very relevant.
Useful advice! Using a trellis for cucumbers with your own hands requires a minimum amount of space for a garden in the open ground or in a greenhouse. You can use such trellises for tomatoes, sweet peas and green, as well as for other climbing plants.
Advantages of growing cucumbers on a trellis in the open ground and in a greenhouse
The use of a trellis structure provides the plants with the maximum amount of light. Thanks to this, cucumbers will grow well and will definitely please with a plentiful harvest. In addition, under such conditions of development, vegetables have a uniform color.
Trellises are widely used both outdoors and in greenhouses
Growing cucumbers using a trellis is characterized by other advantages:
To create a trellis for cucumbers in the open ground or in a greenhouse, you will have to spend a little time and materials, but in the future such a support will simplify the care of plants.
Tapestries for cucumbers can be bought ready-made or made with your own hands
The disadvantages of supporting structures can be considered financial and time costs. But the advantages of using a trellis for cucumbers cover these disadvantages.
Useful advice! In spring, the soil under the bed with cucumbers must be treated with boiling water. Such actions make it possible to eliminate all the bacteria that did not die from the frost, and to activate the production of heat by manure and compost.
Trellises for cucumbers in the open ground: ways of garter
Tying cucumbers in open soil is especially important for the proper development of the plant, because:
- a bush tied to a trellis has longer branches, on which more flowers are formed, which means more fruits are tied;
- a plant sick with a fungus or infection lets healthy shoots up, protecting them from the disease;
- vertically tied bushes take up less space on the bed;
- it is more convenient to collect cucumbers: no need to bend to the ground;
- the fruits do not curl, do not wrinkle, therefore, have an excellent appearance and taste.
A bush that is tied to a trellis receives more sunlight and bears fruit better
There are various ways of growing cucumbers on a trellis in the open ground and in a greenhouse, nevertheless, they all give excellent results.
Horizontal trellis for cucumbers in the open ground: photo of the structure
This is the easiest option, which is great for novice gardeners. For such a garter, you will need two metal pipes or wooden columns. They should be placed on the edges of the bed. Between them you need to pull strong twine, twine, wire or rope. The optimal distance between the stretched rows should not exceed 25-30 cm.
Next, carefully pull out the shoots of a young cucumber towards the bottom support and fix them on it. This support can be improved with vertical ropes, then it will be more comfortable for the plant to grow upwards.
Useful advice! The horizontal garter of cucumbers has one single drawback: after reaching the upper bar, the stems of the plant will fall down and shade the bush itself. But this can be avoided if you make the support high enough or cut the stems too long.
Cucumbers on a trellis are better ventilated and less susceptible to mold and fungal diseases
Vertical tying of cucumbers to the support: description of the method
In this case, two supports must be placed on opposite edges of the bed, and a rope must be stretched between them at the very top. Along the entire length of the stretched cable, we tie fabric strips 2-3 cm wide and lower them down. Their number should be equal to the number of bushes that need support. The lower end of the fabric is tied around the base of the cucumber.
As a result, the plant will independently cling to the support and pull up along it. This method makes it possible to place a large number of cucumber bushes on a small plot. Instead of fabric strips, sticks are often used, installed near each plant. You can also make a triangle of three supports, and pull ropes between them and hang support strips.
Trellis netting for cucumbers: features of the garter plant
Nets for such a trellis for cucumbers can be bought in any store. They quietly replace both the vertical and horizontal garter. Nets for climbing plants allow cucumbers to weave freely in the cells. In addition, trellises made of mesh can be decorated by any method: stretch between two pillars, frame in the form of a triangle, rectangle or arrange the beds on the plot in another convenient way.
Trellis netting for cucumbers is a popular and inexpensive option available to every gardener
The trellis structure consists of support posts and a grid. Racks can be made of metal pipes, wooden bars or concrete columns. To form a mesh weave, you can use rope, hemp twine or wire. Currently, a special plastic mesh for trellis is particularly popular. This recognition is explained by the ease of installation and availability of the material.
To install the structure, it is enough to buy a trellis for cucumbers in an online store and fix it with wire on the top of the pillars. The lower edge of the support should be deepened into the ground and secured with special wire hooks.
Such a trellis is made and installed fairly quickly and looks attractive. In addition, it is not difficult to make a trellis for tomatoes and cucumbers with your own hands.
Convenient supporting mesh for cucumbers: material characteristics
Since cucumber is an unpretentious culture, even the cheapest plastic mesh is suitable for creating a trellis. The material looks like a fishing line made of a durable polymer, which is difficult to break.
Fruits grown on a trellis always have a more beautiful shape and even color
Polypropylene, used for the production of trellis nets, is resistant to mechanical deformations and external influences. The material does not rot, and its service life under the influence of the sun is about seven years. Grilles for supports are made in standard green color.
The mesh cell is large enough, it is 150-170 mm, and the edge is so thin that it is almost invisible visually. At the same time, the material is able to qualitatively support cucumber stems with fruits. This grid is suitable for growing not only cucumbers, but also other annual crops: tomatoes, zucchini, green and sweet peas, beans.
How to install a grid for cucumbers: photo designs
The technique of using a grid for cucumber trellis is simple:
Layout of trellises for cucumbers with dimensions
When cucumbers grow up to the fruiting period, they will be securely fixed on the trellis. With sufficient watering, the bushes will yield a bountiful harvest.
Trellises for cucumbers in a greenhouse with your own hands: options for tying plants
It is necessary to tie up cucumbers in a greenhouse, although many believe that the plants are reliably protected by the greenhouse material. Thanks to the garter, cucumbers get more sunlight, which is especially important in greenhouse conditions.
In addition, with the help of tendrils, plants cling to each other and form glomeruli. Mold starts in these weaves, and the bushes begin to rot. This can be avoided by disconnecting the plants. The garter allows the lateral branches to develop better, on which female flowers are placed. This arrangement allows you to increase the yield of bushes.
For garters in the greenhouse, the same methods are suitable as for plants on the street: horizontal, vertical and using a grid. No less effective is the formation of plants in a combined way.
Tying cucumbers makes it possible to grow more plants on a small area
The method of blinding cucumbers. Experienced gardeners believe that the plant should not grow uncontrollably in height and width. To do this, the main stem must be tied to a vertical support, and then remove all lateral shoots and tendrils that are above 50 cm from the soil. Thanks to this, the cucumber will direct all its forces to tying the fruits on the main stem. The bush itself will hurt less and will not be able to block neighboring sprouts. You need to tie up the plant under the second leaf.
Related article:
Raspberry trellis: the optimal device for plant care
Features of growing a plant using a support. Design options, material selection. Step-by-step instructions for making with your own hand.
Method for polycarbonate greenhouses. A garter is applied to a vertical trellis with a height of about 2 m. The structure is attached to the side of the metal frame of the greenhouse. To make a support, you can use unnecessary fabric by cutting it into strips 2-4 cm wide. If the strips are not long enough, then this defect can be corrected by stitching individual parts or simply tying them. Such a trellis is short-lived. Instead of fabric, you can take thin twigs. Cucumber bushes cling to them perfectly, but you will need to clear the support from the knots, leaving only the main stem.
V-shaped garter. This option allows you to split the bush in two. From above, you should lower two twines and tie up the cucumber at the base. After that, you need to direct the main and one large lateral shoot along the lowered twine and allow the plant to cling to them. This method prevents overgrowth of the base of the plant, so that it gets less sick and receives the necessary amount of sunlight.
Scheme of garter and stem formation in cucumber
Ways to create a trellis for cucumbers with your own hands: options for supports
There are several options for making supporting structures with your own hands, used for growing cucumbers on a trellis in the ground or in a greenhouse.
Before proceeding directly to the process of installing the trellis with your own hands, you should decide on the appearance of the structure. Now it is possible to create such trellises for cucumbers (the photos clearly demonstrate this), which will look like a tent, a pedestal, have a rectangular, square or mesh shape.
It is necessary to decide on the choice of materials from which the trellis will be created in the future. You can make a support from natural wood, mesh or metal tubes.
Metal trellises for cucumbers with your own hands: photo of supports
To create a metal support, you will need certain tools and materials that need to be prepared in advance:
- two metal pipes or poles, the length of which should be 2 m;
- one metal tube, necessary for the crossbar, with a length equal to the length of cucumber beds;
Often a fence made of metal mesh is used as a support for cucumbers
- metal stakes, their number depends on the size of the bed;
- roulette;
- twine or twine;
- knife;
- electric welding;
- electrodes;
- a hammer;
- shovel;
- steel wire.
The creation of a metal support for growing cucumbers consists of several main stages.
First of all, it is necessary to dig two pillars into the ground along the edges of the cucumber bed. The depth of instillation of the support should be approximately 40 cm. This value makes it possible to guarantee the reliability and stability of the trellis. Gardeners recommend hitting the post with a hammer several times to drive it securely into the soil. Next, fill the hole and carefully tamper the soil around it. After that, it is required to fix the crossbar by applying electric welding.
Then you need to install a paired number of pegs at a distance of 15-20 cm on both sides of the bed. After that, we pull the twine or twine – they will be the reliable support along which the sprouts of bushes will curl. We tie the end of the coil of rope to the first peg. Next, we pull the twine vertically up to the crossbar, wrap it around and lower it vertically down, tie it to the stake on the other side of the bed.
Craftsmen have created many variants of designs of trellises for cucumbers
Repeat the procedure until we tie all the installed pegs. As a result, we will get a trellis for cucumbers in the shape of the letter “L”.
A metal support made with your own hands has a significant drawback: it is susceptible to rust. You can fix this if you cover the product in several layers with a high-quality primer or other anticorrosive agent.
In addition, the disadvantages of this type of trellis include the inability to disassemble the structure at the end of the season. To move it to another part of the garden, you will have to dig out metal pipes, and after that you will need to re-dig the supports or columns into the ground.
Useful advice! Instead of twine or twine, you can use steel wire. You need to fix it to the pegs and the crossbar. After the cucumber shoots completely detach around the trellis, it will look like a green tent or a hut.
Trellises for growing cucumbers: wooden support
Creating a structure made of wood is considered the easiest way and is great even for novice gardeners who decided for the first time to grow cucumbers using a support.
To create such a trellis, you will need:
- three bars about 2.7 m long;
- the bar is 5 m in size;
- steel wire;
Wooden trellises are quite popular among the owners of vegetable gardens
- three wooden crossbars 0.8 m long;
- twine;
- hammer;
- nails;
- shovel.
To make a wooden trellis with your own hands, you need to do the following:
The reliability and durability of the trellis design depends on the material and installation method — there are both temporary and permanent options
The technique of growing fruit crops using trellises is very convenient and effective. Plants placed and fixed vertically take up significantly less space on the garden plot and rarely break.
Translated from French, the word “trellis” means “shoulder” or “support”. At first, such support structures were used exclusively for decorative purposes for flowering crops. Over time, trellises began to be used in agriculture. Photos of trellises with your own hands for peas, cucumbers, tomatoes and other crops can be found on the Internet with a detailed description of their creation.