Introduction
Vertical gardening sounds a bit confusing, but as long as you’ve got a blank wall or a bare fence that needs beautifying, you can tend edibles, annuals, and even perennials. This method of growing is quickly gaining popularity as it allows the gardeners to save space as well as to more easily facilitate the harvesting process.
The vertical method is particularly common and recommended for growing cucumbers as they take up a lot of space. Read on to learn how to grow your cucumbers vertically, ease your everyday chores, and save tons of precious real estate in your garden.
Cucumbers usually occupy up to 20 square feet if they are planted the old-fashioned way, but you can easily cut that down to a fraction of space by growing vertically in raised beds, containers, or small plots of land.
Cucumber Gardening – Getting Started
The first step is to do your research and decide what variety of cucumber you’re going to grow. If you grow a vining type it will grow tall, and if you grow a bushy variety, it will remain short. Whichever variety you choose, you’ll need to find a suitable container (approx 12 inches deep and wide) and trellis.
Find appropriate trellis size/provide support
In order for it to grow, the cucumber needs height support. You can provide this by setting up a wire mesh fence, garden netting, or trellis. If you use a trellis it should be no more than 6 feet tall and should be sturdy. Place it 6 inches above the soil level. This alleviates the weeding and cultivating process. Prepare the planting area. Dig an 8-inch hole in the solid. Mix in 1-inch layer of compost while tilling the soil with a garden rake and mound the soil along the trellis line.
Planting and propagation
- Sow the seeds either in the pot or directly in the marked spot.
- Cover seeds by using 2cm of soil.
- Allow the seeds to germinate until the seedlings begin growing leaves.
- Transfer them to a larger pot or plot of ground beginning with the healthiest looking seedlings first.
- Dependent on your climate, the ideal time to plant is spring or summer when temps average 70 F.
Factors that make the vertical cucumber growing possible:
Environment
The cucumbers have to be exposed to sunlight and shielded from wind as often as possible. If you are in a 50 F (10 C) temperature or lower, the cucumbers will not grow. The ideal temperature to do this properly is from 60 – 95 F (15 – 35 C).
Water
It is crucial that water is available at all times when growing cucumbers vertically. Your irrigation should be equal to an inch of rainfall every three to four days.
If you live in a drier area, do this more often. Just when the vines start to ripen, you have to increase the mulch to 3-4 inches deep. Also, remember to keep the foliage away from the water, so you avoid fungi from occurring.
Soil
Make sure the soil you plant the cucumbers in, is dry, deep, and loose. The soil has to also be organic with pH neutrality.
Fertilizer
When growing cucumbers vertically, you will have to slowly introduce fertilizer into the soil. The vines should be fertilized every two or three weeks.
This should be all the information you need to begin creating a beautiful garden of vertically grown cucumbers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long does it take for cucumbers to fully grow?
Depending on the variety, cucumbers take 50 to 70 days to reach harvestable size. Harvest based on size and according to use. When picked at an early stage, cucumbers have the finest flavor. As they get bigger, cucumbers grow bitter, thus they shouldn't be allowed to turn yellow.
Do cucumbers need climbing?
Instead of being spread out across the ground, cucumbers grow best when they can climb. The vines will climb the buildings by grabbing hold of fences, strings, wire trellises, or high cages with their tendrils.
Do cucumbers need full sun?
With 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day, cucumber plants will yield their optimum harvest. However, if that is not an option, they can still produce in full or even partial shade. What is this? As a general rule, plants will produce fewer fruit when they receive less sun.
How many cucumbers do you get from one plant?
A good cucumber plant can be expected to yield 10 huge cukes or 15 little ones during the course of a three-week harvest, depending on who you ask.
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