A trellis net for cucumbers is a fairly practical invention with which you can form bushes and control the direction of their growth. It is no secret that this vegetable grows very quickly and over time, the beds turn into dense thickets. To get rid of the problem of dense thickets, growing cucumbers on a grid is used.
Types of products
Before tying cucumbers in open ground, you need to familiarize yourself with the main varieties of such structures. There are several types of nets for gartering cucumbers in the greenhouse and outdoors.
Plastic
Plastic cucumber mesh is quite often used when growing cucumbers. You can buy it in a store or try to make it from plastic bottles with your own hands.
Structures made from such material have their own advantages that distinguish them from other meshes. Such products can handle heavy loads without any problems. They also have a high level of wear. Therefore, you should not worry that when attaching cucumbers to such a product, it will quickly break.
To tie cucumbers in open ground or greenhouses, it is better to use models with cell widths greater than 10-15 cm.
Trellis
Trellis mesh is used much more often than plastic mesh. A trellis is better suited for growing cucumber bushes. This product is more reliable and functional, since it is attached to several additional supports. They are installed so that with the help of a trellis net for cucumbers it is possible to grow bushes even with very large fruits. When growing cucumbers, various trellises can be used. Most often the following types are used for this:
- Vertical. When using such meshes, the frame can be made of wood, pipes or metal profiles. This design is very simple, since it consists of only two pillars and a mesh between them.
- Inclined. This trellis has a more complex design. Its frame is installed on the site not at a right angle, but at a slight slope. A small pole is attached to it, which makes the entire structure more reliable. The angle of inclination of such grid models can be different. For example, if low-growing cucumbers are grown in a garden bed, then the frame should be tilted by about 35-40 degrees.
- A-shaped. This net for cucumbers in a greenhouse is used by many vegetable growers.It got its name because its frame closely resembles the letter “A”. Two posts are installed on both sides of the beds and rest on each other.
- Arched. Such a trellis is rarely used, since installing a mesh in the form of an arch is quite difficult.
Basic recommendations for making mesh
Before growing cucumbers on a net, you need to understand the basic recommendations for making nets for outdoor or greenhouse growing of vegetables.
Making such gratings yourself is quite labor-intensive work. The duration of work depends on many different factors. This may be affected by the materials that will be used in the work process and the size of the area for growing bushes. When making supports to which cucumbers can be attached, the following recommendations should be taken into account:
- If you create a mesh for cucumbers with your own hands and stretch it over beds less than ten meters long, then for a good and more reliable fastening it is better to use three metal or wooden posts. When installing in a greenhouse, supports no more than 2-3 meters are used.
- To secure the mesh fabric, you will have to install several slats about five meters long.
- To create a garden net, you must use very strong wire.
Build process
To understand how to make a mount and how to install it on the site, you need to familiarize yourself with the assembly features of the structure. At first, assembly and installation may seem like quite a difficult job. However, if you understand the basic installation recommendations, then everything becomes much simpler.
To begin with, you need to install 3-4 strong pillars at least two meters high in the ground.
The distance between the supports made should be about 5-6 meters. Their base is attached very securely so that the supports do not wobble during cultivation. Therefore, all supports are planted in the ground to a depth of about 50-85 cm. In the upper half of the pillars, slats are mounted using nails, to which tied bushes with a net will be attached.
Lastly, tighten the fastening mesh. At the same time, it must be pulled and secured very securely so that in the future it does not become detached from the supports with slats.
Garter
To grow cucumbers on a net, you need to attach them to it. Cucumber lashes cannot attach themselves to a support and therefore you need to figure out how to properly tie and weave cucumbers on a net in a greenhouse for their further weaving.
Gartering of cucumbers in the greenhouse and outdoors is carried out after the young bushes reach 15-20 cm in height. At this time, the planted bushes should be tied to the very first row on the grid.
During the formation of bushes and after the appearance of new side shoots, the plant will have to be fixed again.
During the growth process, we tie the bush and tie it up in a checkerboard pattern to more securely fix the cucumbers. Also, the checkerboard garter method allows you to slightly slow down the vertical growth of bushes and accelerates their growth to the sides.
Caring for tied cucumbers
To get a good harvest of cucumbers, it is not enough to simply plant them and tie them to a support. They also need proper care, which consists of several stages.
Watering
It is no secret that cucumbers love moisture very much and therefore it is necessary to water them regularly. When moistening the soil, you should use only warm and well-heated liquid. If you use cold water for this, then in the future the roots of the bushes may begin to rot.
It is recommended to water in the evening or during the day in cloudy weather. The amount of liquid used directly depends on the weather. On hot summer days, about 2-3 liters of water are spent on each bush.
After each moistening of the soil, a small layer of crust appears on the ground. It is better to get rid of the crust immediately so that in the future the liquid will flow into the soil faster. Also, loose soil is much better enriched with oxygen.
Topping
It is recommended to do pinching so that the fruits ripen faster in the future. To do this, you will have to pinch the main stem of each bush above the fourth leaf. After this procedure, the plant will begin to quickly grow to the sides, and quite a lot of fruits will form on them.
Early varieties cannot be pinched, as their female flowers appear on the main stem.
Fruit collection
During the period of active ripening of fruits, you will have to collect them every 2-3 days. In this case, it is necessary to pick not only healthy cucumbers from the bushes, but also sick ones. It is recommended to collect them early in the morning, when the cucumbers contain the most moisture.
Conclusion
A considerable number of gardeners are engaged in growing cucumbers on a net in a greenhouse. To figure out how to grow them on a cucumber net, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the features of creating a structure and gartering plants to it. You can also ask people who grow cucumbers this way to help.
