What Type of Cucumbers Need to Be Trellised?

Bush Varieties

• Bush cucumber varieties such as "Spacemaster 80," "Bush Pickle" and "Salad Bush" are compact plants appropriate for small spaces, containers and areas where trellising isn't an option. These bush varieties produce a lot of food considering the amount of space they need. Another benefit of bush cucumber varieties is that they tend to take less time to mature. Some bush varieties take as little as 48 days to reach maturity compared to about 60 days for pole varieties.

Vine Varieties

• Vine cucumber varieties can be grown without a trellis. Allow the vines to grow along the ground in a mulched area where all weeds have been removed. Vining cucumbers also can be grown in containers and allowed to vine on the ground, but they may take up a significant amount of space.

  Trellis vining cucumbers, however, to provide the healthiest growing environment for the plants. Vertical growing allows for better airflow and sunlight for this crop, and getting the plants' fruits off the ground ensures they do not rot due to contact with moist soil.

Trellis Options

• Have a trellis in place before cucumber seedlings emerge from the soil. Adding a trellis when the plants are too big causes considerable damage to the plants. Each cucumber plant must be trained to climb by gently tying its main stem to the trellis structure when the main stem is about 8 inches tall. A trellis can be made of wood or wire, should about 6 feet tall and must have something for cucumber vine tendrils to cling to as the plants grow; fishing line, jute string or fencing can be used. Add an inverted tomato cage to a container to trellis vining cucumbers and create a cucumber topiary.

Maintenance

• Before planting, mixing about a 2-inch layer of compost with the garden's soil to depth of about 6 inches prepares the soil. Top-dress with compost once or twice throughout the growing season to build healthy soil and to ensure plenty of nutrients are available to each plant. Starting 1 inch from each cucumber plant's stem, spread compost 2 inches deep and 12 inches in diameter around the plant's base. Do not work compost into the soil because doing so could damage the cucumbers' shallow roots. Cucumber plants need consistent moisture or their fruits may become disfigured. Water their soil deeply when the soil is dry 1 inch below its surface.