Five reasons why you should grow cucumbers up on a trellis no matter how big your garden is for the best results. Follow this simple tutorial on how to grow them vertically for your best crop yet!
Do you grow cucumbers on a trellis or let them sprawl on the ground? I’ve always grown them on a trellis because I didn’t want them taking up too much room. But over the years I’ve discovered that there are a lot of other benefits to growing cucumbers vertically even if you do have lots of room in your garden and are not trying to “Square Foot Garden” or save space.
I think you’ll agree with me, so after I share why to grow cucumbers up instead of out, I’m also explaining exactly how to do it, since you’ll need to do a few things differently. It’s worth learning a few new techniques – I promise.
Five Reasons to Grow Cucumbers on A Trellis
- The plants are easier to water at the main stem, which keeps the plant leaves drier (this is recommended to help keep fungal diseases at bay).
- The fruit is easier to harvest. They are hanging nearer to eye level and are easier to spot, plus the prickly stems and leaves are neatly confined so the risk of getting all scratched up is minimized (this is the biggest benefit in my book!).
- The fruit is cleaner when it doesn’t touch the dirt.
- The fruit is a uniform color (no light spots where they rested on the ground).
- The fruit is straighter, with less misshapen ones.
All this is in addition to the smaller footprint needed to grow a large number of cucumbers!
Are you convinced? I thought so. While cucumbers are easy to grow vertically, there are just three things you’ll need to do differently to grow cucumbers up instead of out.
How to Grow Cucumbers Vertically
1. Prepare a trellis.
I’ve found that an A-Frame trellis made out of 1″ x 2″ boards (like the one pictured above that Brian made for me this year- it folds down for easy storage!) or bamboo poles work the best.
They can be grown up a single trellis (meaning a trellis between two posts vs. the A-frame), but it will need to be secured more than normal to be ready for the full-sized plants loaded with fruit.
Update: The wood trellis pictured lasted about 4 seasons before the legs rotted out. I have since found 10-ft U-shaped rebar that we fashioned an a-frame trellis from so they won’t rot at the legs.
2. Train the plants up the string (or fencing, or whatever you use) during the growing season.
This is not difficult- it takes about five minutes as you’re working or harvesting in the garden. Just wind the plants around the string one or two times and they will take it from there.
Oh, and don’t you love the watch? It’s my super stylish dollar-store watch that helps keep me on task in the garden. I’m known for losing track of time out there. I’ll go out to do a few things at 11:00 am and before I know it, it’s 2:00 pm, and I’m thinking: “No wonder my stomach was growling⦔ Which, come to think of it, is much better than Brian coming out to ask me, “Didn’t you have a dentist appointment?” Ugh. Definitely. Need. The. Watch.
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3. Water from the bottom.
While trellising and training are really the only things you have to do, I think using a soaker hose is a really smart idea (but I think that for a an entire easy care garden, too). It waters right where you need it, doesn’t get water on the leaves (wet leaves contribute to diseases like mildew), and waters deeply.
I turn the hose on for about 2-1/2 hours once a week (every 5 days if it’s really hot) and the plants are growing great. If you live in a hotter climate, you can add some type of mulch to the soil to help keep the moisture in.
4. Easily harvest the fruit.
The very first cucumbers grown on a trellis will appear at the bottom (like the photo in #3 above), and may be a bit dirty, but once the plants have grown up the trellis a bit more, you will just be able pick just by reaching in, push the leaves aside and grab a perfect, mostly straight fully colored cucumber!
And as they grow taller (the photo above is two weeks later than the picture at the beginning of the post) you might not even have to stoop to pick the fruit!
Although it is really nice that they do take up less space, too.
You will be able to plant the cucumber seeds closer together (I plant about 2 inches apart and then thin to 5-6 inches apart) because you are training the vines up. This of course means you will have a much larger harvest in a smaller space than letting them sprawl on the ground.
But that probably goes without saying, because that’s why we like to grow vegetables vertically. And even though it’s not a part of the “official” 5 reasons to grow cucumbers on a trellis, it’s a pretty good one still, right?
Can you tell I really like growing cucumbers this way?
Do you grow cucumbers on a trellis? Why or why not?
This article has been updated – it was originally published in August of 2011.
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Mary Fedyszyn says
I really like the design of your trellis and feel that cucumbers prefer to grow at the angle of your trellis, instead of straight up, which is what I’ve been doing with my trellis. Cukes are not the same as pole beans. Next year I’m switching to your design. Will try the rebar to prolong the life of the trellis. Thank you.
Jami says
Oh, I hadn’t thought of this, Mary – for the first time in our newer garden I’m growing them up a cattle panel like I do pole beans. I just don’t have room for an a-frame trellis anymore. I will have to see if it makes a difference like it did for you.
Sandi L. says
I started to last year but I wasn’t committed with it and by mid-summer the trellis wasn’t doing a whole lot of good.
Already have this year’s trellis up in a different part of the garden so here’s hoping.
Jami says
Hoping with you, Sandi – I love growing them this way!
Jennifer says
I am pretty new to growing things vertically so this may seem like a no-brainer question. I have 6in high cucumbers to plant but how far in front of the trellis poles should i plant them. I wanted to put the trellis in first so i did not damage any roots. Great post by the way!
Jami says
I usually started with seeds and planted them right under the first rung of the trellis, so I’d say as close as you can! Maybe an inch? You want them to not really bend as you help them climb in the first month. Does that make sense?
Hassza Γva says
Szeretek tanulni ΓΊjdonsΓ‘gokat!!
(Google Translate: I love learning new things!!)
Dawn B says
We decided to use old chain link fence and framed it out with bamboo and leaned it against a wooden fence, almost like a ramp. Hoping for a better result than growing on the ground last year.
Jami says
That sounds like a great solution – and way to use something up!
Gabrielle Alteri says
great idea! i never thought you could grow cucumbers on a trellis. im going to give it a try. thankyou, gabrielle,an avid gardener in california
Jami says
Good! I think you’ll really like it. π
marsha keegan says
Thank you so much for writing this, How close can I plant the cucumbers and zucchini using this method
Jami says
I plant cucumbers about 2-3 inches apart. I haven’t tried this with zucchini.
Brian S says
Zucchini is not a vining plant and there would be no benefit from planting it undetr a trellis.
Gary says
I am thinking of making my frame trellis out of PVC tubing? Your thoughts?
Jami says
Yes, that should work perfectly and not rot like ours did. π Wood is prettier, but only lasted about 4 years for us.
Darcy says
this might seem like a ridiculous question, but I am new to gardening this year and am using an a frame trellis with a distance of 2 feet between the front and back….do i plant the seeds in the front, back, or under the trellis?
Jami says
All questions allowed here, Darcy. π
I’d always plant these in front of the trellis (though I can’t really picture yours – are you planting both sides or is one side the legs?). Then you can reach them easily to help them grow up it – and also for easier harvesting.
Sometimes I’ve grown lettuce that likes shade in the summer under/inside the trellis, but it’s not easy to harvest, so just sometimes.
Darcy says
Thank you!
darby says
Hello Jami,
Thank you for some sound direction. Last year I was a first time gardener. I used store-bought, metal, A-frame trellis’, and planted my cucumbers one foot closer than the recommended two feet listed on the seed packets and gardening books (I have limited space, and thought two feet just seemed too big of a distance). I had a great harvest, yet one foot distance still seemed too far apart. It didn’t even occur to me that cucumbers could/should grow on the ground, and that the suggested distance was based on a ground-growing method. Finally, you have made sense of my confusion, and I am glad Google led me to your article. Thank you!!
Jami says
I’m glad you found this, too, Darby! Here’s to an even better harvest this year. π
Rachel says
Hi Jami!
I was wondering where you found your 10-ft U-shaped rebar for the trellis? A local welding store maybe? Thanks!
Jami says
We actually were given them from a neighbor, and I have no idea where you’d find them! But your idea sounds like a good one – let me know if that’s the case. I’d love to tell others, since it’s a great option for a non-rotting trellis system.
Nancy says
Do you think a trellis will work for cantaloupes?
Jami says
I have read that you can trellis melons, Nancy. You do have to have a really strong and sturdy structure, though. And I’ve see some people even make little slings out of nylons or some lightweight fabric to hold the melons as they grow.
Nancy H. Halgren says
thanks, yes Jami, I can see where the need for slings would be necessary. Guess I’ll just let them on the ground, so much easier, but I would like to try with the cucumbers next summer.
Jenifer says
Iβm new to gardening, well itβs my second attempt. I read about growing cucumbers & zucchiniβs on trellises, & decided to give it a try. I planted my cucumber starts pretty close-Iβd say 4-5β apart, & am using an old metal trundle bed frame as a trellis. A local organic gardener in my neighborhood gave it to me saying he knew it would work. Any thoughts? I also bought a roll of metal fencing stuff from the local garden center that I bent into a circle & planted my zucchini starts inside of. Iβm just hoping, & praying this works! Thanks for the fantastic article!
Jami says
That sounds great Jenifer – both of those should work. Of course much of gardening is trial and error. π
Tara says
Hi Jami,
Great post! My cucumbers plants always end up taking over my garden and winding around and into my row of beans. I really want to try building the A-frame trellis that you’re husband built for you. Do you recall how tall it was? And were the strings just tied around the piece of wood at the top or were there holes drilled for the string to feed through and tie on? Thanks in advance! π
Jami says
Oh, it’s SO much better on a trellis, Tara – you’ll love it. As for the frame, it was probably 7 feet tall, with 8 to 10 inches of the legs in the ground. The string was just wrapped around the top pieces, no drilling necessary.
Just be prepared – this frame only lasted us about 3 years before it started rotting – at both the legs and the side pieces that held most of the cucumber weight. I’ve since moved to a metal A-frame trellis made of rebar. π
Kerubo says
I wanna start growing cucumbers
Jami says
Great!
Charita says
Hi Jami,
I am an amateur . I love your “A” trellis idea. However I am trying to grow it vertically on bamboo stakes. What do you recommend when the vine reaches the top?
Jami says
I just let the vines fold over and hang down – it happens on the A-frame trellis, too.
David Agnolucci says
How long does it take from time u plant to having actual cucumbers on the vine ???
Jami says
It depends on the cucumber variety you’re growing. I typically grow small pickling cucumbers which usually take 50-60 days to maturity.