General information and discussion about cultivating melons, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and gourds.
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July 5, 2009 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Posts: 1,821
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Bad for cukes to sprawl?
This is my first year growing cucumbers, and so far I have the vines sprawling. After reading some info on the web, it seems the advice is to allow the cucumbers to climb either on a cage or a trellis - if the garden plot is small since the vines need alot of space.
What I'm wondering is whether there are other reasons they should be allowed to climb as well. Is the production better? Are there pests that will get inside the cucumbers if they are on the ground? The only info I've seen about pests & cukes is that they will go after the leaves and vines, and can carry diseases that will kill the plants. Since I didn't see my questions answered in the info I saw on the web, thought I'd ask here. I can't imagine production would be much improved if allowed to climb, but realize I could be wrong. |
July 5, 2009 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Vaasa, Finland, latitude N 63°
Posts: 838
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The pickle type cukes are usually grown outside in gardens here and people let them sprawl. The long burbless are grown in greenhouses and they are supported to grow upwards because lack of space. I found good use for the flimsy tomato cages to grow my cukes in them when in Wisconsin. I found that the long ones grow more straight when they hang.
I think that is will not affect on productivity, but the cukes stay cleaner and slugs and snails will not eat them, if they are not on the ground.
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July 5, 2009 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Virginia Beach
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I stack two of the square tomato cages like the kind Tomato Growers sells. In each stacked square, I grow three cucumber vines and they climb up on their own, no problem. I do this to save space, as you mentioned, but I also do it to keep the plants dry. Powdery mildew is a big problem with cukes, squash and melons and when they get wet, I want them off the ground to dry off quickly. This also makes picking a lot easier. I think it's easier to see pests this way, too. You can grow a lot of cucumbers in a pretty small space this way. I've been using this method for about ten years and it works very well.
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Michele |
July 5, 2009 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
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I appreciate the responses. Truth is I should use cages anyways since I have a few cucumber plants in a small area. I'll probably take the cages off the tomato plants and use stakes for them, then use the cages for the cukes. The other day when I watered I kind of cringed when I couldn't avoid getting the flowers wet. That can't be good for the pollen inside the male flowers. I'll be visiting the garden on Monday so will take care of it then.
Today was the first time I saw a diagram of what the female and male flowers look like. When I last visited the garden I think I mistook the female flower's form as already growing a cucumber. Maybe it was, but according to the diagram the green part I saw may not have been a cuke afterall. Thanks, Jeff |
July 6, 2009 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: 8a Coastal SC
Posts: 251
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the female flowers look like they have a tiny little cucumber between the flower and the vine. Here's a site that illustrates them.
I grow mine on a trellis because it saves space, the vines stay healthier, and it's easier to keep the vines picked clean. Enjay |
July 6, 2009 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
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That picture is what I needed to see. I definitely have at least 1 cuke growing and probably a few others. Today I put some round tomato cages by the cucumber vines to let them climb. Had to take them from the tomato plants but I replaced them with bamboo sticks so they'll be fine.
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July 7, 2009 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Back in da U.P.
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sprawling may make it more difficult to see the cucumbers due to leaf cover. kinda like finding a zucchini thats been hiding and is now the size of a baseball bat. i wonder if growing vertically would delay any foliage disease due to better air circulation?
keith Last edited by rxkeith; July 7, 2009 at 01:25 AM. |
July 7, 2009 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Virginia Beach
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You are right about that, Keith. Just like tomatoes, the air circulation helps the plants dry quickly so disease is held off.
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Michele |
July 9, 2009 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
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Location: MO z6a near St. Louis
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I do a combination of trellis and sprawling. The trellis I use is a short section of cattle panel. The vines grow up it but also along the ground. I suppose I could train all of the vines, but I don't. I agree that the added air circulation can't hurt.
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