Can You Tie Cucumbers Up Like Tomatoes?

Supports

• Cucumbers, like tomatoes, produce bulky fruit. Reduce vine strain by tying up or training cucumber plants on supports. Tomato cages work well for bush cucumbers, as the short vines and branches rest across the cage rings to relieve weight and keep the plant off the ground. Turn tomato cages upside down to make inverted cages that support tied vines. Use trellises or fences to tie up vines with garden straps or flexible vegetable tape. A teepee shape of three or more stakes allows vines to grow upward and keeps leaves off the ground. Anchor cages in place before plants start growing. Plan your garden so that staked vegetables such as cucumbers do not overshadow low-growing veggies.

Healthy Plants

• Cucumbers, like tomatoes, are vulnerable to fungus diseases such as leaf spot and mildew. Tie up the plants on supports to keep the foliage and fruit off damp ground. When the plant is trained or tied vertically, foliage dries more quickly and air circulates to reduce disease. When cucumber vines are trained, the fruit hangs freely and grows straight instead of deforming where it rests on the ground. The fruit ripens more evenly as it is exposed to sun and air. Because plant vines and leaves are not resting on soil, the plant is not as exposed to crawling insects that feed on foliage.

Routine Care

• Cucumber vines, prone to insect pests such as cucumber beetles, whiteflies and leafhoppers, are easy to inspect when staked or tied up. Turn over leaves and check for small clouds or clusters of insects. Apply insecticidal soap or other pesticides to all surfaces of the plant. You'll need less pesticide on trained plants because insects have fewer places to hide. Also, weeds are exposed and are easier to see and remove when they are small.

Access

• Staked or tied cucumber vines reduce strain on older or mobility-limited gardeners. People in wheelchairs or with back problems can care for and harvest trained cucumbers without kneeling. A gardener does not need to bend over for inspecting or removing dead foliage or ripe fruit. Watering will require less time, as you can run a hose or drip irrigation system along the staked or supported cucumber plants without getting into trailing vines.