Is this enough trellis for 1 or 2 cucumbers?

[ThatsMyPurseIDontKnowYou]

My neighbor gave me a whole roll of fencing he was going to scrap.

I built a 4x8 lean-to trellis.

I'm growing beit alpha, Diva and lemon cucumbers this year.

Curious on opinions. Should I plant one plant at the base, or one on each corner at the base?

 

[Anniekay]

I've never heard of those varieties so, no idea how tall they get. Dependent on the variety you space them 12-24" apart. For the Marketmore that I grow, I'd turn that on it's side and get about 6 plants along it. The vine can go up and over without touching the ground since they only grow to about 6 ' tall. Check on your seed pack to see spacing and mature height of your plants, then decide from that info, how many will fit on your trellis.

 

[Meadowlark]

...Curious on opinions. Should I plant one plant at the base, or one on each corner at the base?

If mine I would make three mini-hills (each rich in well composted animal manure) on each corner of the base and one in middle. Then plant three or four seeds in each "hill" and eventually thin to two strongest plants in each of the three hills to climb the trellis.

I like those beit alpha cukes and consider them second only to the old reliable straight 8. They are very common around here and have their fans. They have a very nice thin skin that has an excellent mild taste.

Diva also produces a thin skinned cuke with good taste. I tried the lemon cuke a couple years back and they were ok, but not nearly as productive as I prefer. It gets really hot, really fast here and the Lemon cuke didn't respond to the heat as well as I would like.

That trellis is perfect for the beit alpha cukes and should result in a lot of great tasting cucumbers.

 

[ThatsMyPurseIDontKnowYou]

If mine I would make three mini-hills (each rich in well composted animal manure) on each corner of the base and one in middle. Then plant three or four seeds in each "hill" and eventually thin to two strongest plants in each of the three hills to climb the trellis.

I like those beit alpha cukes and consider them second only to the old reliable straight 8. They are very common around here and have their fans. They have a very nice thin skin that has an excellent mild taste.

Diva also produces a thin skinned cuke with good taste. I tried the lemon cuke a couple years back and they were ok, but not nearly as productive as I prefer. It gets really hot, really fast here and the Lemon cuke didn't respond to the heat as well as I would like.

That trellis is perfect for the beit alpha cukes and should result in a lot of great tasting cucumbers.

So I started all my cukes inside. So they will be 2 foot by the time I take them out there in May. But sounds like you agree on 2 per trellis.

I tried to grow Diva in a raised bed last year, but it got infested with fire ants and they absolutely destroyed the root system.

I was unsure on the lemon cukes, but honestly, if I don't like them they'll just get fed to my chickens.


I've used this style trellis before but its been about 5 years, and I liked that it was easy to pick the cukes out from underneath and you could easily mow under it.

 

[ThatsMyPurseIDontKnowYou]

(each rich in well composted animal manure)

The nursery near me sells a yard of compost for $30. Its half rotten mulch and half year+ old cow manure.

 

[Meadowlark]

You can do more than two per trellis IMO. I would go with as many as six per when planted in hills enriched with compost.

The nursery near me sells a yard of compost for $30. Its half rotten mulch and half year+ old cow manure.

That should be really excellent for mixing in base hills for your cukes. Probably all they will need for the entire growing season.

 

[Ruderunner]

I put my trellis vertical vs angled and they're 4hx8w I'll put 2 or 3 plants at the base. Picking is still easy and even if the plants grow over the top, you can train them back down.

More than 3 plants crowds the roots and the trellis. I made the mistake once of 5 each. It was productive but very difficult to find the pickles.

 

[ThatsMyPurseIDontKnowYou]

I put my trellis vertical vs angled and they're 4hx8w I'll put 2 or 3 plants at the base. Picking is still easy and even if the plants grow over the top, you can train them back down.

More than 3 plants crowds the roots and the trellis. I made the mistake once of 5 each. It was productive but very difficult to find the pickles.

I have a 100+ year old maple tree in my backyard and it blocks sun after about 2pm, so I thought it would be good to angle them towards the morning sun.

 

[Ruderunner]

I'm surrounded by woods, mostly 50 foot maples and get the afternoon shade as well.

I face my trellis south but I'm in Ohio.

 

[ThatsMyPurseIDontKnowYou]

I'm surrounded by woods, mostly 50 foot maples and get the afternoon shade as well.

I face my trellis south but I'm in Ohio.

 

[ThatsMyPurseIDontKnowYou]

You can do more than two per trellis IMO. I would go with as many as six per when planted in hills enriched with compost.

That should be really excellent for mixing in base hills for your cukes. Probably all they will need for the entire growing season.

Well thanks for that, now I've gone and started even MORE seeds.

I had 3 Beit Alphas started. But was planning to give one to a friend.

I tossed a few more seeds in a cup of soil.

We really like greek salad, so the extra cucumbers definitely get used, and what won't get used will go to the neighbors or the chickens.