This Is Why You Should Always Trellis Cucumber Plants

Cucumber plants are natural climbers. The plants will create tendrils that latch onto nearby objects or support structures to grow vertically. If there is nothing to climb, cucumber plants will sprawl across the ground.

If you’re new to growing cucumbers, this article is for you. In it, you’ll learn why you should always trellis your cucumbers, how to make a simple cucumber trellis, and how to train your plants to grow vertically. I’ll also share the benefits of trellising cucumbers and how it leads to better harvests and healthier plants.

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Do Cucumbers Need A Trellis?

Cucumber plants technically don’t need a trellis to be grown. However, trellising cucumbers provides many benefits. It reduces disease, saves space in the garden, and makes it easier to harvest.

Benefits of trellising:

• Reduces disease
• Saves significant space in the garden
• Makes harvesting easier
• Cucumbers grow straighter
• Makes it easier to prune

While a trellis is technically optional, I highly recommend trellising if you’re planning to grow cucumbers. The benefits are significant, and after all, cucumbers are natural climbers.

What happens if you don’t trellis cucumbers?

If you opt to grow cucumbers without a trellis, the plants will sprawl along the ground, spreading out over a large area. This increases the risk of disease because the plants are near the soil and have poor airflow. These conditions are perfect for breeding fungal and bacterial disease on cucumber leaves.

Not only does trellising improve ventilation, but it also saves a lot of space in your garden. Without a trellis, each cucumber plant can easily take up a half of a raised bed or more. This means you’d need to space each cucumber plant 3-4 feet apart. Growing vertically, each plant only takes up a small amount of soil, leaving plenty of room for smaller veggies to grow nearby.

Growing cucumbers on a trellis also makes pruning cucumbers much easier. Instead of hunching over your plants, you can stand comfortably and easily identify suckers that need pruning.

Finally, when it comes time to harvest, it is easier to find your cucumbers on a vertical plant. The cucumbers dangle below the leaves, which also leads to straighter fruits.

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Types Of Cucumber Trellises

There are many ways to support your cucumbers vertically. The options range from a simple stake, to an ornamental pergola. The choice is up to you and how much you care about looks and aesthetics.

Types of trellises for cucumbers:

• A-Frame – One of the easiest trellises to set up. These can be made yourself using wood, or bought pre-built, usually made of metal.

• Lattice trellis – You can buy panels of lattice and support them vertically. Then, the cucumber vines can be woven throughout the holes in the lattice to stay upright.
• Pergola – These are great when used as an ornamental entryway into your garden. Cucumbers can be grow up the sides of a pergola.
• Stakes – Perhaps the simplest form of support is a stake. These come in various materials and sizes, but I would recommend stakes that are at least 6 feet tall and made of a sturdy material to support heavy cucumbers.

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Do It Yourself Cucumber Trellis

If you think a trellis is too difficult to make yourself, think again! A trellis doesn’t have to be complicated. In our garden, I used three 2x4s, some outdoor screws, a piece of trellis netting, and a stapler. I attached the structure to one of our raised beds on the North side (to avoid the cucumbers shading other plants in the bed).

This trellis is not only great for cucumbers, but for snap peas and pole beans, too. The netting can last for multiple seasons, and is strong enough to support multiple cucumber plants, loaded with fruits. Keep in mind that this trellis is designed to attach to a wooden raised bed. You can also dig it into the soil, but it won’t be as stable or long-lasting.

Materials:

• 2x4x8 lumber (x3)
• Outdoor deck screws (3 inch length)
• Trellis netting
• Staple gun and staples (optional)

Steps:

1. Cut the wood. Two out of the three 2x4s should be cut to the desired height of your cucumber trellis. These will be positioned vertically. The final 2×4 should be cut to the desired length of the trellis. My final dimensions were 6′ tall by 7′ long.
2. Connect the pieces of wood. Using at least 2 screws per corner, screw together the wood to make the frame of the trellis. Pre-drilling is ideal to avoid splitting the wood, or use self-drilling screws.
3. Attach the frame to a raised bed. This is best done with at least 2 people, as the frame is heavy. Hold the frame upright and screw it onto the outside of your raised bed. This way, the wood is does not have direct soil contact, which will prolong its life.
4. Staple the netting. Staple the trellis netting to one side of the trellis first. Then, pull the netting tight to the other side, stapling it in place from top to bottom.

This is what I did to create a very simple DIY trellis for growing cucumbers. Again, this can be modified in a number of ways to suit your personal preferences in the garden! Maybe you want it to be a bit shorter so you can easily reach the top of the plants. Or maybe you want to use a stronger material instead of polyester netting. The structure just needs to be stable and secure, and have points to easily attach your vines.

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How To Trellis Cucumbers Properly

Once you have a structure built, all that it left is to grow your cucumbers. Make sure to transplant your cucumbers directly below the trellis so that you can begin attaching it as soon as the plants are a few inches tall.

Note: While cucumber plants do produce tendrils, don’t rely on them to support the weight of the plants. These tendrils can easily be broken by strong winds. Use string or trellis clips to attach the plants to your trellis manually.

To train your cucumbers up a trellis, tie a piece of string or garden Velcro loosely around the vine. Attach the vine to your trellis at 12 inch intervals, keeping the plant growing directly upright. If your plants begin to veer off course, make sure to re-position them to keep them vertical.

As your plants continue to grow, you can prune them to a single main stem, removing additional side branches. This technique is popular to space plants closer together while also reducing disease.

For common cucumber growing FAQ, read more here.

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I hope this article inspires you to grow your cucumbers on a trellis this coming season! Our plants have never been healthier or more productive since we started trellising our cucumbers. I won’t ever grow a cucumber plant without a trellis again!