Cucumbers planting and care in the open field on a trellis

Competent care of cucumbers is the key to a rich harvest. Along with regular watering and feeding, you need to create favorable conditions for the development and growth of cucumber liana. The most practical solution is the trellis growing method. The use of special structures to keep the plants upright gives the maximum yield in a minimum period of time. This article will talk about growing cucumbers on trellises, explaining the stages and advantages of this method.

Advantages of the trellis method for growing cucumbers

The main enemy of spreading cucumbers is powdery mildew. When the tops are lying directly on the ground, the pathogen easily gets from the soil to the leaves and fruits. The increased humidity inside the thickets creates conditions for the progression of the disease. In a rainy summer, the risk of being left without a crop increases. On the trellis, the plantings are ventilated and warmed up by the sun's rays, so it is possible to avoid fungal and putrefactive diseases of cucumbers without chemical treatment.

Trellis are used for growing cucumbers both in greenhouses and in the open field. The construction of supports, of course, requires some effort, but this only inconvenience is compensated for by clear advantages:

• rational use of the land area;
• creating a microclimate without the consequences of a daily temperature drop;
• optimal illumination;
• accelerated ripening of fruits due to the activation of photosynthesis;
• convenience in caring for plants, pest control and harvesting: cucumber lashes and fruits are not injured;
• reduction of losses from spoilage of fruits lying on the ground;
• prolonged fruiting period;
• increase in yield by at least 2 times.

Harvesting from trellises is convenient: greens are in sight, clean and healthy

🎧 How to achieve a good harvest of cucumbers in the country?

A practical and interesting interview with an expert summer resident Andrey Tumanov: "How to achieve a good harvest of cucumbers in the country?" For 20 years, the author has hosted a number of programs on TV dedicated to amateur gardening and horticulture - "Fazenda", "Gryadka", "Our Garden", "Village Hour", "Field Work".

Installation of trellises for growing cucumbers

The trellis structure is based on supporting pillars on which a metal wire, wooden crate or trellis net is attached. The trellis is built on flat areas or on gentle southern slopes, sheltered from drafts. The supporting structure is erected from:

• wooden posts;
• metal pipes;
• reinforced concrete racks.

Vertical twine guides are pulled onto the U-shaped frame.

The height of the pillars depends on the growth characteristics of the selected variety. As a rule, the support rises 2 m above the ground, with a depth of up to 50 cm. The pillars are dug in at a distance of 3-4 m from each other, horizontal rows of wire are pulled between them, to which a plastic mesh is attached. Instead of wire, it is advisable to use a wooden beam that will not bend under the weight of the plants.

Another popular version of the trellis is a frame made of wooden slats with cells of 15–20 cm. The method is less laborious in terms of a garter. Cucumber lashes are directed along the trellis, the stems themselves stretch upward, clinging to the support with antennae as they grow. Slats 2.5–3 cm wide are hammered together in the form of a square lattice using nails or self-tapping screws. In specialized stores, ready-made tapestries of various types and different price ranges are sold.

To erect ready-made trellises, only the installation of intermediate vertical supports is required.

Council number 1. Tapestries are easy to build without additional material investments, using the available vertical surfaces and supports: fences, walls, pillars, trees.

Planting and caring for cucumbers on trellises

For trellis cultivation, it is advisable to arrange cucumbers in one row in the center of the garden bed. The distance between the rows is up to 1.5 m, the gap between plants is 15–20 cm. For highly branching varieties, the distance is increased to 50–70 cm. See also the article: → "What cucumbers are recommended to be planted in open ground in the country?"

Sowing begins after the soil warms up to 12-15 ° C. Seeds are placed in holes to a depth of 5 cm. Young plants need to be protected from the cold with a covering material for the first time (before the appearance of 5–6 true leaves). To accelerate the onset of fruit ripening, use the seedling method. By the time of planting in the ground, the seedlings should have 2-3 developed true leaves.

Irrigation is an important element of the technology for vertical cultivation of cucumbers. Open field cucumbers are watered in the evening, greenhouse cucumbers - in the morning. In order not to injure the roots and not disturb the structure of the soil, use a watering can with a spray. Watered at the root, without moisturizing the green part of the plant. The water should not be colder than + 25 ° С. When watering, it is recommended to adhere to the indicators given in the table:

Vegetation period	Watering	Water volume, in l per 1 m²	Watering frequency
Before the flowers appear	Moderate	3–6	Every 5-7 days
Flowering, ovary formation and fruiting	Abundant	6–12	Every 2-3 days

In cold weather and closer to autumn, the volume and frequency of watering is reduced, because excess moisture in the cold soil provokes the development of root rot.The tapestry technology does not negate regular feeding. Fertilizers are applied at the same frequency as when growing cucumbers in the spread: first - at the beginning of flowering; subsequent - every 2 weeks. During the season, cucumbers are fed 5-6 times.

Cucumber lash tying technique

Cucumbers are tied to the top of the trellis with long bundles or cords. Every 3-4 days, the grown stem is carefully wrapped around the garter, taking care not to damage the fragile lashes. A popular material for tying cucumbers is synthetic twine. In the absence of twine, other available material is used, which should be:

• durable;
• non-absorbent;
• elastic;
• soft, not injuring the stem.

The garter material is fixed on the trellis so that it reliably holds the fruit-bearing plants until the end of the growing season, and can be easily removed at the end of the season. The generally accepted methods of attaching the cord to the frame are "slip knot" and "bow".The first option is more complicated, but it allows, if necessary, to adjust the length of the twine.

First, the cord is fixed on the trellis, then the plant stem is tied up.

Council number 2. Do not fasten the cord to the trellis tightly. It will have to be periodically tightened as the plant grows. The knot should be easy to untie if necessary.

Formation of a bush on a trellis

In order for the cucumber lashes to grow and form a leaf apparatus by the time of fruiting, the plant is formed in a special way. To do this, stepchildren, flowers, ovaries are removed on the lower tier of the stem at the base of each leaf. As the plants grow, they leave side shoots, which are also pinched when they reach a certain length. The order of forming a bush is shown in the table:

Plant growth zone	What to delete	What to leave
Up to 5th leaf (excluding cotyledonous leaves)	All stepchildren, flowers and ovaries	_
Sheet 6 to 9	All stepchildren	1 ovary
10 to 15 sheet	All stepchildren except the first	1 stepchild with 2 leaves and all ovaries
From the 16th sheet	All stepchildren except the first	1 stepchild with 3 leaves and all ovaries

Shading of the plantings with a leaf tent formed above the frame should not be allowed. When the main whip of the cucumber reaches the very top, the stem is neatly wrapped around the trellis and directed downward. At a distance of 80 - 90 cm from the surface of the bed, the top is truncated. A clear diagram of the formation of a cucumber liana is shown in the figure below:

The first 5 leaves are counted without taking into account the cotyledonous leaves.

Tips for growing cucumbers on a trellis in infographics

Answers to topical questions of gardeners on the topic "Growing cucumbers on trellises"

Question number 1: How to reduce the number of barren flowers?

Trellis placement of cucumbers allows you to control the formation of barren flowers, and take timely measures. Pinch the top of the lash with a barren flower. This provokes the intensive growth of stepchildren. If there are no female flowers on these lashes, the procedure is repeated. Lateral shoots obtained as a result of "execution" give a lot of ovaries. If the top is left, only barren flowers will form until the end of the lash. Read also the article: → “How to pinch cucumbers. Do I need to pinch the cucumbers. "

Question number 2: Which varieties are suitable for growing on a trellis outdoors?

For open beds, cold-resistant varieties are chosen. Self-pollinating hybrids with enhanced branching have shown themselves well: Maryina Roshcha, Anyuta, Petrel. Of the varieties with moderate branching, Ant, Okhotny Ryad, Cheetah are recommended. For trellises, varieties with limited branching of the Zozulya class (Marta, Melnitsa, Emelya) are good.

Question number 3: Why did the planted seedlings die, despite the fact that the average daily temperature did not drop below + 12 ° C?

This means that the bed is not warmed up enough. For young cucumbers, soil temperature is more important than air temperature. For "open" cucumbers, it is recommended to prepare a warm bed, and in cold weather to protect the sprouts with a covering material.

Question number 4: How to protect trellis culture from drought?

To save moisture, it is recommended to close the open space between the trellises with spunbond or mulch with sawdust, straw, cut grass.

Question number 5: Why did the tied up whips wilted and stopped bearing fruit?

The time of the beginning of the formation of the bush must not be missed. The cucumbers are guided along the trellis after the appearance of the 5th leaf, and adjust the location of the lashes on the support as they grow. If you tie a long lash already lying on the ground, then fruiting is likely to stop.

Gardeners' mistakes when growing cucumbers on trellises

1. In order not to erect and disassemble the trellises every year, gardeners have been planting cucumbers in one place for several years in a row. It is absolutely impossible to do this. The earth should rest after cucumbers for at least 2 years. Cucumbers feel good in the beds where root crops, tomatoes, eggplants, cabbage, garlic, onions, legumes, greens grew in the previous season.
2. Do not install trellises in a draft or in the shade. The site should be well lit, but at the same time protected from the wind.
3. It is not recommended to attach the trellis net to a metal fence. At first glance, such an arrangement is beneficial from the point of view of saving the support material, rational use of the land area, and protection from the wind. But the fact is that the metal profile under the sun's rays heats up to 50-60 ° C. The cucumber vine feels like a frying pan on a hot surface. The situation is aggravated by daily temperature fluctuations. With such an extreme, a rich harvest cannot be obtained.

Practical advice for gardeners

1. During mass fruiting, a wire or rope trellis sags under the weight of cucumbers, which can provoke the collapse of the structure. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to give her additional support.

   For stability across the trellis, a horizontal lintel is erected on the posts, which additionally supports them.

2. To prevent the wooden supports from rotting, the ends of the stakes, which are buried in the ground, are pre-etched with a solution of sodium chloride in gasoline (200 g of salt per 1 liter of gasoline). The above-ground parts of the structure are treated with copper sulfate (5% solution).
3. Cucumbers do not tolerate dampness, they are sensitive to moisture on the leaves. To protect plants from the harmful effects of heavy rainfall, it is recommended to stretch a plastic wrap over the trellis. The awning will protect the cucumber plantings from prolonged rains. Will save such a shelter from the scorching heat.
4. For a garter of cucumbers, a flexible insulated wire, and two-core, is the best fit. It justifies itself 100% - it does not damage plants, does not sag under their weight, does not rot.
5. On the illuminated and heated areas, they practice "living tapestries". Along the prepared bed in the middle, sunflower or corn is sown in a row. After the plants grow, cucumbers are planted around the edges. Strong corn and sunflower stalks become for cucumber lashes:

• natural support;
• natural wind protection;
• accumulator of moisture from the ambient air;
• insect bait for pollination.

6. Closer to autumn, on cold nights, it is advisable to cover the trellis with a light nonwoven material.
7. When growing cucumbers on trellises, the need for thorough weeding disappears, and loosening of the soil is replaced by mulching.

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Growing cucumbers is a must for any gardener. Without this vegetable, it is already impossible to imagine summer in the country. But the season for fresh cucumbers in our latitudes is very short, so you need to try to get the maximum harvest in the shortest time. It's not easy, but there are ways that make the job much easier. Today we will talk about how to grow cucumbers on a trellis in the open field.

Benefits of growing cucumbers on a trellis

We are used to planting cucumbers in open ground using the spreading method. As a rule, the size of the garden allows you to create beds of the desired size without harming other garden crops. But at the same time, gardeners often complain about a low yield and damage to plantings, up to diseases. What is the reason for this?

The main enemy of the cucumber culture is powdery mildew. It is this disease that causes the greatest damage to plants. It should be noted that in recent years there has been a tendency towards the active spread and development of powdery mildew. But there are practically no reliable and harmless ways to combat it, as well as varieties resistant to it. The disease spreads easily in high humidity conditions, making its way from the soil to leaves, flowers and fruits. Cucumbers grown in an open bed are just at risk.

Trellis cultivation used to be used mainly in greenhouses and hotbeds, where a strict economy of space is a prerequisite for the cultivation of vegetable crops.But the time has come to apply this method outdoors as well. And there is nothing new in this. The cucumber, by its nature, was initially accustomed to reaching for the sun with its grassy vine, clinging to any supports with the help of antennae. In his homeland, in the tropical forests of India, he did so from time immemorial, crawling into the world along the trunks of trees.

Well, in our conditions, we must help the stem and leaves of the cucumber "break away" from the ground, which is simply teeming with pathogenic bacteria and pests, and stretch out to its full height towards the sun. This is the main condition for the plant to receive the required amount of light and oxygen saturation. The tapestry is the best assistant in this matter.

Trellis for cucumbers made of wooden posts, wire and twine

The design is very easy to manufacture. Most often, the trellis looks like a frame with nets of wire or strong threads stretched inside it, along which a cucumber vine will curl. Among other things, the trellis greatly simplifies harvesting: all the fruits are in plain sight, you do not have to spend a lot of time in a bent state, looking for cucumbers in the thickets. And as experience shows, the yield increases significantly with this method of cultivation.

But this method also has its own characteristics that must be taken into account if you want to achieve growing efficiency. We will talk about them below.

Preparatory stage

The biological characteristics of cucumbers determine the principle of growing this crop in the open field. There are many criteria that can either help you get a decent harvest, or ruin the whole venture in the bud. Therefore, prepare well before starting the lesson.

Conditions for growing crops in the open field

Cucumber belongs to the pumpkin family, which means that it is very demanding on the air temperature. The optimal indicator for good development and growth of the vegetable is 22-27 ° C during the day and from 18 ° C at night. If the temperature drops sharply to 10 ° C, the cucumbers stop growing, and if the temperature is kept at this level for a long time, the plant may die.

Try to protect cucumber shoots from rain and cold

When choosing a planting date, make sure that during the emergence of shoots, the temperature will already be constantly kept at the desired level, excluding the occurrence of recurrent frosts. In our latitudes, planting of cucumbers in open ground is carried out in late April-early May, when the soil is well warmed up. At the end of the month, you will have strong shoots, and they will no longer be afraid of temperature changes.

Note! Drafts are the enemies of the cucumber vine. When choosing a place for a garden, stop in an area protected from the winds and well-lit by the sun.

Cucumber precursors

It is highly discouraged to grow cucumbers annually in the same area: the soil quickly gives up all the substances useful to this particular plant. Therefore, the land should be given a rest for at least 2 years. The cucumber will feel great in the place where it grew last season:

• roots;
• cabbage;
• tomatoes;
• onion;
• eggplant;
• garlic;
• potato;
• greens;
• legumes.

But the soil where melons grew - pumpkins, zucchini, watermelons, squash and melons - is not the most suitable place for growing cucumbers.

Fertilization and soil preparation rules

Growing cucumbers in the open field, including on a trellis, involves preliminary soil preparation. You will have to start working in the fall. Until frequent rains have charged and frosts have not come, carefully dig up the ground in the selected bed so that it is saturated with oxygen. If the soil is heavy, add sawdust, peat or sand to it for easy loosening.

The beds for planting cucumbers must be prepared in advance, from the previous fall

In addition, you will need to make organic fertilizers. Enough 6 kilograms of manure per 1 square meter of the garden. You can add 1 tablespoon of superphosphate, a glass of ash or dolomite flour.

In the spring, disinfect the soil by watering it with a hot, strong solution of potassium permanganate. Immediately before planting the seeds, locally apply a small amount of manure or chicken droppings to the holes, sprinkling with earth. When decomposing, organic matter will release the heat necessary for seedlings and serve as top dressing for them during the period of growth and development.

Seed preparation for sowing

Cucumber seeds have a stable germination capacity, it can last up to 8 years. But the best yields are those that are not more than 3 years old. Seeds harvested from last harvest usually produce too high a percentage of barren flowers, so let them rest for at least another year.

Experts recommend that when buying, pay attention to the so-called pelleted seeds, covered with a colored shell from a solution of fertilizers and nutrients - they are already completely ready for planting in the ground.

Correct selection of seeds is a guarantee of a cucumber harvest

If you are independently breeding seeds or purchasing them at the bazaar, then prepare them in advance. Soak them for 12 hours in a solution of such trace elements per 1 liter of water:

• 0.2 g of boric acid;
• 0.5 g of potassium permanganate;
• 0.4 g of ammonium molybdenum acid;
• 0.01 g of copper sulfate.

A solution of 10 ml of liquid humate in 0.5 liters of water is well suited for soaking. You can also buy ready-to-use mix from a hardware store.

After soaking, dry the seeds until flowing or leave to germinate in peat cups for seedlings: this will help you achieve earlier yields.

Trellis making

As we said above, making tapestries is quite simple. Thick strong branches (preferably straight), pine round timber and even metal or reinforced concrete posts of the required length can serve as supports.

Wooden trellises are easier to manufacture, moreover, they will cost less, if not completely free. If you prefer this design, consider the following rules. The length of the outer support pillars should be about 2.8 meters, the diameter of the upper cut should be from 50 mm or more. Since it is on them that the main load of the entire row will fall on the trellis, the extreme pillars should be much stronger than the intermediate ones.

Wooden trellises are simple and cheap to design, great for small spaces

Auxiliary (intermediate) supports can be up to 2.4 meters in length, cut diameter - from 35 to 40 mm. The need to install them is determined by the length of the cucumber beds. For example, with a length of up to 2 meters, additional supports may not be needed.

We will consider the options for the most simple, and at the same time reliable designs of trellises, which you can easily make yourself from improvised means.

The simplest wooden trellis

To build such a trellis, install support posts on the garden bed at a distance of 2.5 meters from each other. On each post, nail a 70–80 cm long bar from above (this can be a board or a bar). Connect the entire structure with a spacer the size of the bed length.

Installation scheme for trellis and planting cucumbers

Drive in nails every 50 cm from the top of the crossbars - the wire will be fixed to them. This completes the creation of the trellis structure, as a whole. It remains only to cut the twine into pieces of 2.5 meters. At one end, such a piece is tied to the stem of a cucumber, the second must be thrown over the wire, slightly pulled and secured.

Tapestry from improvised means

On a small bed, a trellis can be made of two wooden posts and a net stretched between them. There is a slight difficulty: when the cucumbers are ripe, the net begins to sag under their weight and can not only tear, but also bring down the entire structure. To prevent this from happening, it is not enough just to pull the net between the posts, you also need to pull it up from above.

To do this, securely fasten a horizontal lintel to the posts so that a U-shaped structure with a mesh inside is formed. So the trellis will be stronger and more stable, it will not be damaged under the weight of the cucumbers.

A well-fortified U-shaped trellis will withstand a large number of cucumbers

In addition, a cucumber trellis can even be made from an old bed frame with a net. It can be deepened into the ground up to 60 cm in an upright position. If necessary, secure the structure by tying it with ropes to any support nearby - a tree, a fence.

Hut constructions

For stability, secure the stakes with boards or slate

For such a trellis, you will need several strong, even branches of any tree.

Insert the branches into the garden bed, deepening them properly. For additional fixation, you can use boards or slate pieces, as in the picture.

From above, tie the tops of the cuttings at the same level and lay another peg. You will get a design similar to a wigwam. When the cucumbers grow up, they will climb up without any problems, clinging to the supports with their antennae. Over time, the vines can be tied with twine.

Video: making a trellis for cucumbers

Planting methods and options for the formation of cucumbers

So, all the preparatory measures have been taken, warm weather has set in the street, the earth has warmed up and you have armed yourself with everything you need. It's time to get down to business.

Distribution of land, preparation of rows

If you decide to grow different varieties of cucumbers on a trellis, then prepare rows for planting right away. There are three planting methods.

1. A comb-bed is a familiar and common option for us. On such a bed, it is easy to loosen the soil, weed and fertilize. But there are two serious drawbacks: when watering, the water will drain, and during rain, splashes of dirt fall on the lower leaves, which significantly increases the risk of disease for cucumbers.

   Planting cucumbers using the "bed-comb" method

2. Tunnel cultivation. The beds are sunk below the path and then, by mulching, are brought to the desired level. Watering such an area is easy, the soil requires a minimum of maintenance and processing. In addition, you can install a film covering on such a bed in order to accelerate the growth of cucumbers and protect them from possible return frosts. But the preparatory work is quite complicated: you will need a trench and preliminary soil cultivation to a great depth. This method is not suitable for areas with high groundwater and clayey soil.

   Tunnel planting of cucumbers

3. A very convenient way that has been gaining popularity lately is high beds. The peculiarity of the trellis method is that the height of the sides of the beds is 10–20 cm above the soil level.

   Growing cucumbers in "high beds" with trellises

With either method, cucumbers are planted as seeds or seedlings in one line. Observe the distance between the lines of 1.5 m, and between the plants in each line - up to 25 cm. You need to deepen the seed into the soil 2-3 cm, then mulch the bed about 3 centimeters with sawdust, peat or straw. Then cover the bed with plastic wrap.

An approximate scheme for planting cucumbers on a trellis in the open field

Option for installing a single-plane trellis

You can set the trellis before planting the cucumbers, or later, when the sprouts are well established in the soil. In the second case, it will be more convenient for you to see where it is much easier to fix the supports.

Diagram of a one-plane inclined trellis

Take the prepared stakes and drive them into the soil, keeping a distance of 2–2.5 meters between them. Pull the mesh between them, fastening it with nails. Instead of a net, you can stretch wire or synthetic twine in several rows. Tie the grown grown sprouts to a net or wire to set the direction of growth. Over time, the cucumber vine will master the trellis on its own.

Another simple sloped trellis for growing cucumbers outdoors

Video: installation of the structure

Further care for cucumbers

After planting in open ground on a trellis, cucumbers require routine maintenance. Common varieties of this vegetable will require the formation of a bush, since their female flower stalks are formed on the side shoots. When the bush grows, pinch it above the 6th leaf. Thus, you stimulate the formation of side shoots, and on them, in turn, the main part of the crop will be formed.

In hybrid varieties, female flowers are formed on the main stem. You need to limit the growth of the side shoots of the plant, otherwise they will take away nutrients in vain. Pinch them after the first or second leaf so that the main stem grows more intensively.

Keep in mind that cucumbers love moisture, so they need to be regularly watered. Do not allow the earthen coma to dry out, especially during the period of active growth! This leads to a slowdown in development, and ripe fruits that have received less moisture will become bitter.

Water and fertilize cucumbers in good time during the growing season to achieve good results

Water your cucumber garden every 2-3 days, depending on the weather. This must be done carefully, under the root, avoiding drops on the leaves. Use water that has settled in the sun for irrigation.

Mulch using fallen leaves or grass clippings. This way you can protect the soil from drying out, and weeding and loosening is not needed.

In addition, regular feeding from organic and mineral fertilizers will be required. Do them every 10-15 days, alternating with each other, bringing the solutions under the root and keeping them out of the leaves. Spraying with a urea solution has a good effect on cucumbers, but the procedure must be carried out in the evening to avoid the formation of burns on the greens.

Harvesting and end-of-season work

Cucumbers begin to bear fruit about 40 days or a little later after the shoots appear. The crop is harvested in this way:

• greens (8-12 day old ovaries) up to 14 cm long for fresh consumption;
• pickles (2-3-day-old ovaries) 3 to 5 cm long for canning;
• gherkins (4-5 day old ovaries) 5 to 9 cm long for canning.

Harvest ripe cucumbers every 2 days, pickles and gherkins daily. At the same time, immediately discard and remove damaged, rotten, diseased fruits and overgrowths so that they do not deplete the bush and do not interfere with the formation of new ovaries. Morning and evening are the best times for fruit picking.

Harvest cucumbers on time so they don't overripe

When the cucumbers stop bearing fruit and the crop is fully harvested, remove all the stems and leaves of the plants from the trellis. They can be piled up in a compost heap or burned if you notice signs of disease on the surface. Remove the net from the pegs, make sure that there are no plant debris on it. The same goes for wire or twine if you've used them to support and grow the vines.

Remove the pegs from the soil, wipe and dry in an open area. After that, put them in the shed until next year, covered with a thick cloth.

Dig up the area where the cucumbers grew, fluff the ground with a rake and remove the roots. At the same time, prepare the garden for next spring as we advised above: dig up, mulch and fertilize with manure.

We hope our tips will help you to significantly reduce gardening worries and get a large harvest of cucumbers on the ground using such a convenient design as a trellis. If you have such experience in growing vegetables, tell us about it in the comments, or ask your questions. Good luck!

Good afternoon! My name is Svetlana. This site has become for me not only an additional source of income, but also an opportunity to share with you my knowledge of housekeeping.

Experienced summer residents have been practicing growing cucumbers on a trellis for several years. The innovative method has proven effective not only in the greenhouse, but also in the open field.With its help, it is possible to significantly increase the yield and accelerate the ripening of cucumbers.

Benefits of the new way

Cucumber planters know they need attention and care. Without this, the flowers often fall off, and the set fruits turn out to be gnarled and bitter. Vertical cultivation allows you to minimize leaving.

When plants are planted in the open field, they are often attacked by powdery mildew. This is due to the fact that cucumbers need to be constantly watered, and the disease develops precisely in conditions of high humidity. The disease leads to the fact that the plants wither, bear little fruit and quickly die. Trellis growing several times reduces the risk of powdery mildew infection. This is the main plus noted by summer residents using this technology.

The second positive aspect is considered to be significant space savings. Rational use of the land allows you to plant more vegetables in your summer cottage.

Cucumber is a climbing plant. He is used to reaching for sunlight, clinging to any support with his green antennae, so growing on a trellis is the best option for him:

• it fully provides the light necessary for the rapid ripening of fruits;
• eliminates contact with moist soil teeming with harmful bacteria;
• promotes better pollination.

The upright cucumbers are easy to care for. Weeding, soil fertilization, harvesting.

Cucumber trellis

There are many options for making trellises for outdoor installation. Novice summer residents can make a simple and convenient construction of bamboo sticks. You will need to stock up on bamboo chopsticks. They should be 3-4 cm in diameter and about one and a half meters long.

1. Before installing the trellis, the ground should be carefully dug up, the garden bed should be broken up and fertilized with humus. It must be brought in at the rate of 10 kg per 1 hundred square meters of land.
2. Then the sticks need to be dug to a depth of 60 cm opposite each other, maintaining a distance of 50 cm between the slats. On the one side of the bed, they need to be dug in exactly, and on the other - at an angle of 60 degrees.
3. The top of the stick should be connected and tied tightly with wire.
4. To make the trellis more durable and comfortable, four parallel crossbars must be screwed to the supports dug in at an angle.

The trellis made in this way holds well the weaving branches of the cucumbers. Lightweight rungs are durable, do not rot in the open field. The structure can be easily dug out of the ground with the onset of cold weather, and reinstalled in the spring.

Seedlings or prepared cucumber seeds need to be deepened into the soil near a support installed at an angle.

How best to plant cucumbers

Most varieties of cucumbers can be used for growing on a trellis, but it is better to purchase:

• Opera F1;
• Regal F1;
• "Focus";
• "Asterix F1"

You can plant a crop when the slightest threat of night frost disappears. Cucumbers love warmth, so wait until good weather is firmly established and the soil at a depth of 15 cm warms up to 14 degrees.

To get a large harvest of vegetables, you need to think about where to install the trellis. It is recommended to use the land on which tomatoes, potatoes or cabbage were grown last season.

Plants can be planted with seeds and seedlings.

1. Two days before sowing, it is advisable to wrap the seeds in a damp material, place them in polyethylene and put in a warm place. Tiny roots will quickly hatch from them.
2. In the garden, you need to dig small holes, observing a distance of 25 cm, put 2 seeds there, pour water and sprinkle with earth.

To get young cucumbers a few weeks earlier, it is better to plant vegetables with seedlings. Germinate your seeds in plastic cups ahead of time, or purchase ready-made sprouts from the store. Seedlings should be rooted, on which there are three healthy powerful leaves. They plant it at the same distance as the seeds.

Advice

To protect delicate seedlings from temperature changes and speed up rooting in the open field, build a polyethylene shelter under the trellis. When the cucumbers have new leaves and whiskers, the film can be removed.

Garter

The size of the harvest of cucumbers largely depends on the correct formation of the bushes. When the seedlings are growing, remove the lower shoots and flowers up to the 6th leaf. Otherwise, the plant will direct all its forces to the early ovary and will quickly deplete. By removing premature flowers and excess shoots, you will provide yourself with a rich harvest throughout the season.

Wait until the plant stretches up to half a meter, and pinch the side branches, leaving 2 leaves on them. When the shoots reach the side of the trellis, they must be carefully twisted around, pointing up. Subsequently, the cucumbers will cling to the support with their whiskers on their own. So that the branches of cucumbers do not suffer with abundant fruiting, it is recommended to pass them through the side slats. This will prevent the shoots from breaking off under the weight of the fruit.

Care

Cucumbers require regular, abundant watering. The trellis growing method allows the use of a drip irrigation system, which significantly saves water, fully providing vegetables with moisture.

Advice

Remember to mulch the soil after watering. This will prevent the soil from drying out and eliminate weeding.

Dried yellow leaves must be systematically torn off and removed from the site. If you do not adhere to this rule, healthy shoots can start to deteriorate and rot.

The cucumber bed should be fed 5-6 times throughout the season.

1. The first fertilizer should be applied when a young sprout has 3 leaves. At this time, he needs nitrogen to build up green mass. Measure out 1 tbsp. l. urea, stir in 10 liters of cool water and add a liter can of liquid under the root of each bush.
2. Fertilize the cucumbers a second time half a month after the first feeding. To do this, use a mullein. Dissolve a half-liter jar of fertilizer in 10 liters of water and pour over the cucumbers.
3. It is recommended to feed vegetables for the third time during flowering. To provide them with potassium, stir 10 tbsp. l. wood ash in 10 liters of liquid and pour over each well.

Subsequent dressings are applied when the plants are actively bearing fruit. Liquid chicken droppings are good for cucumbers. Dilute it in water at the rate of 0.5 liters of droppings per 10 liters of liquid. Add a couple of glasses of wood ash to the solution before use.

Picking cucumbers

35-40 days after planting in open ground, the first crop can be harvested from the bushes. So that ripe fruits do not deplete the plant and prevent the emergence of a new ovary, they must be harvested daily or every other day. The best time for this is evening or early morning. For canning, the ideal fruit size is 5-9 cm, for fresh consumption - 10-14 cm.

The whips tied to the trellis will bear fruit until mid-September. Then the plants must be removed from the garden, the trellis must be dismantled, the plot of land must be carefully dug up and fertilized with manure, preparing for the next season.

As you can see, growing cucumbers on a trellis is not difficult. Be sure to try this method of planting plants in your summer cottage. It helps to increase yields and makes the daily care of cucumbers much easier.

Traditionally, cucumbers were grown and grown in the open field in the spread, but now gardeners are increasingly growing cucumbers on a trellis. After all, the yield obtained in this way turns out to be much higher.

What is a trellis

Trellis is a vertical structure for growing vegetables. These can be wooden or metal posts dug into the ground. A wire or mesh is pulled between them, and sometimes slats are attached.

Such a bed looks neat, it is convenient to harvest on it, since all vegetables are clearly visible.

However, not all types of cucumbers need a trellis.So, bush cucumbers, due to their compactness, grow well without trellises, but their yield, in comparison with woven cucumbers, is much lower. Therefore, if it is important for you to harvest a large harvest, then you will have to purchase or build a support for your cucumber vine.

Types of trellis for growing in the open field

If earlier vegetables were grown on a trellis mainly in a greenhouse, now they are increasingly used in the open field. Tapestries come in various shapes - in the form of a wall, rectangle, square, tent, circle. They are made from almost any material - wooden slats, beams, bicycle wheels, metal tubes, metal or plastic nets with different mesh sizes. Consider the most convenient and easy-to-manufacture designs:

• Tapestry in the form of a wall. To install such a structure, it is enough to drive in pillars on both sides of the bed, and pull the net between them. You can set 3-4 pillars along the bed and pull a net or wire on them, on which a rope or twine is attached.

  Tapestry in the form of a wall - a design common due to its simplicity

• Round trellis. As a rule, it is constructed from bicycle wheels and a stick or metal tube. Wheels are strung on it from different sides through the hub and fixed with screws and washers twisted into the end of the stick. The ropes are tied to the spokes of the wheels or to the rim of the wheel. Then the structure is installed in a place suitable for cucumbers.

  Bicycle wheel trellis - compact and convenient

• Sunflower and corn can also act as a support, which at the same time attracts beneficial insects, shelters from the sun. As a result, you have cucumbers, seeds or corn. To use this method, cucumbers are sown in two rows, and auxiliary crops are sown between them. The central row is sown earlier so that the young shoots have time to grow up.

  A corn support is an interesting solution that allows you to grow a good harvest of cucumbers

• Trellis made of branches. To make it, you will need at least 20 branches with a diameter of 1 cm, the number of branches and their length depends on the desired size. Arrange the branches according to size, stick the first of them into the ground to a depth of 10–12 cm. Next, after about 15 cm, at an angle of 60 ° to the first, insert the next branch. Tie them together at the point of intersection with a wire. Repeat these steps until you get the desired size of the trellis. When the support is ready, cut the ends of the branches so that you get a rectangular trellis.

  

  Difficult to make, but very practical trellis made of branches will help you get an excellent harvest.

• Tapestry in the form of a rectangle. First, a frame is made of bars, two of which are about 2 meters long, two equal to the length of the bed. Fasten the bars in a convenient way for you. You can fix them with metal corners or connect them "in a thorn", and also when chamfering, it is easy to glue the bars along the edge.

  

  Methods for joining bars used to make trellises

  Whichever method you choose, you need to complete the fastening by tightening the screws. Then a mesh is attached to the frame. A square trellis is made in a similar way, only all the bars are taken of equal length.

Such a rectangular trellis not only helps to grow cucumbers, but also serves as a decoration of the site.

Methods for planting cucumbers on a trellis

You can grow tasty and healthy cucumbers in various ways. Let's consider the most convenient ones.

In the open field

Seeds or seedlings of cucumbers are planted in one or two rows. When planting in one row, the distance between rows should be 1.0–1.3 m, between plants in a row - about 25 cm. When planting in two rows, the distance between rows is 50–70 cm. The distance between plants in a row is 25– 30 cm. If you plant cucumbers too close to each other, they will interfere with each other's development, which means that the harvest will be weak.

A rail is attached above each row or a trellis wire is pulled at a height of about 2 m from the ground. The gap between the pillars is 1.5–2.0 m. Between the pillars under the upper wire or rail, 2 more wires are pulled (at a height of about 15 cm, 100 cm from the ground level), for which a mesh with 15–20 cm cells is attached. Instead of a net, a rope can be tied to the upper bar for each shoot, around which the stem is wrapped around as it grows.

In order for cucumbers to harvest faster, they are planted in seedlings. And if you decide to plant with seeds, then prepare a temporary film shelter for young shoots.

At 3-4 weeks of growth, when the length of the stem reaches 31-35 cm and 5-6 leaves have formed, you can start the garter. It is more convenient to tie up young shoots of cucumbers, because they are more elastic than the stems of a mature cucumber. The trellis is installed before disembarking the seedlings. You need to tie the plants under the first leaves not tightly, but freely, without interfering with their development and growth.

The next stage is pinching, that is, removing the top of the main stem (the carrier of male flowers that produces barren flowers) over 5-6 leaves, in order to activate the growth of lateral shoots, on which female flowers will appear, from which fruits are formed. Thanks to this procedure, the yield will be high, the cucumbers will not taste bitter. Pinching is done both in greenhouse cucumbers and in plants in the open field.

When growing cucumbers on a cellular support, do not break off the antennae, with them the plant clings to the cells. To prevent the main stem from falling, pass it 3-4 times through the cells.

During cold snaps, throw a non-woven covering material over the trellis. Try to position the supports so that they are closed from the wind, because of the swaying in the wind, the yield can be significantly reduced. Place it next to your house or shed.

It is easy to distinguish a male flower from a female one: the female has an ovary in the form of a small cucumber, and the male grows on a leg

In the greenhouse

Planting cucumbers on a trellis in a greenhouse is carried out in the same way as in open ground, only the distance between rows is 50-60 cm, between plants in a row is about 40 cm.

Table: advantages and disadvantages of growing cucumbers on a trellis and in spread

Video: vertical cultivation of cucumbers in a greenhouse

Growing cucumbers on a trellis can significantly save time and garden area. and also to reap a high yield.