How to properly tie up cucumbers in a greenhouse and open ground

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Why tie up cucumbers

Cucumber stems grow up to one and a half to two meters and without proper support spread along the ground. If you fix them on special structures, the beds will look neat and well-groomed. But this is not the main advantage. Tying has many other advantages:

• It is easier and more convenient to take care of the beds. They are easy to water, loosen and fertilize without moving the lash of the rafters. There are no problems with harvesting either. The fruits are clearly visible, you don’t have to look for them, damaging the tops.
• Tethered cucumbers take up less space, because they don’t spread out in all directions, encroaching on other beds. And there is almost no risk that the plants will fall on their neighbors, use them instead of a support and slow down their growth.
• Due to the small area of ​​contact with the soil, there is less chance that the cucumbers will be affected by fungal or other infections.
• More ovaries are formed on vines tied to supports, and the fruits are less deformed and ripen faster due to good lighting.

How to tie up cucumbers correctly

To make the procedure only beneficial for the plants, follow a few simple rules:

• Install the supports for the garter before you sow seeds in the soil or plant seedlings. This way you will definitely not damage the roots when installing the structure.
• Try to make the structure as strong as possible. Do not allow the supports to wobble or tilt easily. Otherwise, they will collapse under the weight of the stems and fruits.
• Tie up cucumbers for the first time when they are about 30 cm high. This way there is less chance of breaking or injuring the plants.
• If possible, use strips of fabric 3-4 cm wide or twine, rather than very thin ropes or fishing line. This will prevent injury to the stems.
• Do not tighten the garter too tightly so as not to damage the plantings and leave room for growth.
• Attach the fabric tape or twine directly to the stem of the plant or to small pegs driven in next to each bush.

How to tie up cucumbers horizontally

You can use this method both in a greenhouse and in open ground.

Dig in metal pipes or wooden posts on both sides of the bed. The above-ground part of the structure should be approximately 2 m high. After that, stretch the “crossbars” of twine or rope. Make the first one at a distance of approximately 25-30 cm from the ground, and then continue with the same interval to the very top.

When the cucumbers reach the first rope, secure each bush separately with fabric tape. As the stems grow, continue to secure them. If the shoots grow beyond the height of the structure, simply pinch them from above.

How to tie up cucumbers vertically

On both sides of the bed, install metal or wooden supports 2 meters high. Make a wooden crossbar or stretch twine on top. The structure should resemble the letter “P” stretched horizontally. Tie ropes or strips of fabric about 3 cm wide and as long as the ground, one for each bush to the crossbar. Tie the ends carefully to each plant at a short distance from the ground, but do not tighten the knot. Alternatively, dig small pegs into the ground near each plant. Tie the rope to them and wrap the plant around it.

The vertical method of tying cucumbers is perfect for open ground and greenhouses. In a closed space, it is even easier, since the greenhouse structures can be used to fasten the twine from above.

From below, cucumbers can also simply be tied or attached to a peg dug nearby, and then a thread coming from the ceiling can be attached to it.

How to tie cucumbers to a net

Install two supports, one at each end of the bed. Stretch the net between them and secure it firmly. If the bed is long and the structure sags, you can install a few more additional supports.

It is better to use a special net, which is sold in stores and departments with garden goods. It is not necessary to specifically attach the plants to it, it is enough to simply direct them with your hands.

You can tie cucumbers to the net both in open ground and in a greenhouse. And you can use such material for several seasons in a row, cleaning up for the winter.

How else can you tie up cucumbers?

Above, we have listed the simplest and most popular methods. But there are also original options that are also worth paying attention to.

You can tie up cucumbers in the form of a pyramid or a Christmas tree. To do this, install a high support in the center of the round bed. Secure the twine at the top. Stretch one segment to each bush and tie up the plants without pulling too hard.

A variation of this method: dig several supports at an angle on both sides of the round bed so that they meet at the top. At a distance of about 25-30 cm from the ground, stretch the twine around the circle. And so on to the very top with a distance of 30 cm. Tie the young plants to the bottom row with fabric ribbons or twine and tie them up as they grow.

And finally, a barrel is a great alternative to staking. Cucumbers grow in it, the stems of which do not stretch upwards, but hang downwards.

The design is as simple as possible: just find a container of the appropriate size, pour soil into it and plant the seedlings. After the need arises, all that remains is to direct the plants downwards.