How to Grow Cucumbers Vertically

Cucumbers are light, crisp and refreshing.

Cucumbers are oblong, dark green vegetables growing on creeping vines. Although their nutritional value is minimal, containing beta-carotene within the outer peel, cucumbers are added to the home garden for their taste and ease of growth. When left to grow naturally, these vines sprawl over the ground, creating a need for more garden space. Growing cucumbers vertically can greatly reduce the risk of the cucumbers developing diseases from growing on the ground. A cucumber plant grown vertically on a trellis also saves garden space since the vines grow up instead of spreading outward.

Things You'll Need

• Rotary tiller
• Peat moss
• Aged manure
• Garden fork
• Garden rake
• Slow-release fertilizer
• Watering can
• Cucumber seeds
• Trellis, 6 feet in height
• Scissors
• String or flexible ties

Instructions

1. Prepare the soil for growing cucumbers with organic material. Select an area in full sun for best cucumber production. Cultivate an area 12 inches wide by 24 inches deep for each cucumber plant, using a rotary tiller.

2. Amend the soil with 4 inches of peat moss and 2 inches of aged manure. Blend the compost with a garden fork to incorporate equally into the existing soil. Level the soil with a garden rake.

3. Sprinkle slow-release fertilizer granules over the top of the planting area, using the suggested amount on the product's label. A common application amount is 1 to 2 tbsp. Always read instructions first, as many brands of fertilizer will have a different amount to use suitable for your particular plant.

4. Water the granules into the soil with a watering can and allow nightly outdoor temperatures to rise to at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit before planting the cucumber seeds.

5. Push three cucumber seeds ½ inch deep into the amended soil and cover with more dirt. Water the seeds with a watering can until the soil is moist and continue to water them weekly, two or three times.

6. Insert one trellis at least 6 feet in height into the soil 6 inches behind the cucumber seeds. Push the trellis down into the soil until sturdy.

7. Remove the two weakest cucumber seedlings with scissors when the plants are 3 inches tall. One strong cucumber plant is adequate for every 12 inches of space.

8. Tie the central leader stem of the cucumber plant to the trellis when it grows 12 inches. Use string, tied loosely, or flexible ties made specifically for securing plants to train the cucumber plant upwards. Continue to tie the cucumber plant to the trellis until it reaches the top.

Tips & Warnings

• Garden centers and online nurseries sell a variety of cucumber seeds with a resistance built-in for common cucumber diseases. These cucumber plants will have a reduced chance of developing these diseases, lessening the gardener's use for chemical fungicides.

• Enjoy creating your own pickles by growing a pickling cucumber variety like the Bush Pickle Hybrid. These cucumbers are smaller, making them suitable for trellising.

• Plant bee-loving flowers, such as catmint, salvia and toadflax, near your cucumber plants to aid in pollination, which can result in a larger cucumber crop.

References

• University of Illinois Extension Watch Your Garden Grow: Cucumbers
• North Carolina State University; Home Trellised Cucumbers; Douglas C. Sanders and Larry Bass; January 2001
• Sunset; Attract Native Bees to Your Garden; Sharon Cohoon; September 2007