Staking cucumbers in pots
 

To say my yellow lemon cucs have taken off is an understatement. I swear I
can hear them growing right now. Four weeks old and they are 4 feet tall
with big yellow flowers *everywhere.* They're putting out gigantic leaves,
too. Apparently they love the hot weather in SoCal.

So I have them in a pot, staked with bamboo poles. They hate the trellis
and won't wrap their tendrils around the square wood. So my question is,
how tall will these guys get? I may have a problem here real soon. Another
foot and they'll tower above the stakes. At this rate that will be about
one week.

Do you top them? I am not sure what I can do about getting something tall
enough to support them.

Staking cucumbers in pots
 

Paul M. Cook wrote:
To say my yellow lemon cucs have taken off is an understatement. I
swear I can hear them growing right now. Four weeks old and they are
4 feet tall with big yellow flowers *everywhere.* They're putting
out gigantic leaves, too. Apparently they love the hot weather in
SoCal.

So I have them in a pot, staked with bamboo poles. They hate the
trellis and won't wrap their tendrils around the square wood. So my
question is, how tall will these guys get? I may have a problem here
real soon. Another foot and they'll tower above the stakes. At this
rate that will be about one week.

Do you top them? I am not sure what I can do about getting something
tall enough to support them.

Let them run sideways instead of upwards

David

Staking cucumbers in pots
 

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Paul M. Cook wrote:
To say my yellow lemon cucs have taken off is an understatement. I
swear I can hear them growing right now. Four weeks old and they are
4 feet tall with big yellow flowers *everywhere.* They're putting
out gigantic leaves, too. Apparently they love the hot weather in
SoCal. So I have them in a pot, staked with bamboo poles. They hate the
trellis and won't wrap their tendrils around the square wood. So my
question is, how tall will these guys get? I may have a problem here
real soon. Another foot and they'll tower above the stakes. At this
rate that will be about one week.

Do you top them? I am not sure what I can do about getting something
tall enough to support them.

Let them run sideways instead of upwards


I have nothing to tie them to unless I got a length of chain link or
something. Was hoping to do this without a lot of materials.

Paul

Staking cucumbers in pots
 

Paul M. Cook wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Paul M. Cook wrote:
To say my yellow lemon cucs have taken off is an understatement. I
swear I can hear them growing right now. Four weeks old and they
are 4 feet tall with big yellow flowers *everywhere.* They're
putting
out gigantic leaves, too. Apparently they love the hot weather in
SoCal. So I have them in a pot, staked with bamboo poles. They
hate the trellis and won't wrap their tendrils around the square
wood. So my question is, how tall will these guys get? I may have
a problem here real soon. Another foot and they'll tower above the
stakes. At this rate that will be about one week.

Do you top them? I am not sure what I can do about getting
something tall enough to support them.

Let them run sideways instead of upwards


I have nothing to tie them to unless I got a length of chain link or
something. Was hoping to do this without a lot of materials.

Paul

On the ground

David

Staking cucumbers in pots
 

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Paul M. Cook wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Paul M. Cook wrote:
To say my yellow lemon cucs have taken off is an understatement. I
swear I can hear them growing right now. Four weeks old and they
are 4 feet tall with big yellow flowers *everywhere.* They're
putting out gigantic leaves, too. Apparently they love the hot weather
in
SoCal. So I have them in a pot, staked with bamboo poles. They
hate the trellis and won't wrap their tendrils around the square
wood. So my question is, how tall will these guys get? I may have
a problem here real soon. Another foot and they'll tower above the
stakes. At this rate that will be about one week.

Do you top them? I am not sure what I can do about getting
something tall enough to support them.

Let them run sideways instead of upwards


I have nothing to tie them to unless I got a length of chain link or
something. Was hoping to do this without a lot of materials.

Paul

On the ground

Not feasible which is one reason they are in pots. I'm going to see if I
can get a length of concrete reinforement screen and stay vertical.

Paul

Staking cucumbers in pots
 

"Balvenieman" wrote in message
m...
"Paul M. Cook" wrote:

Do you top them? I am not sure what I can do about getting something tall
enough to support them.
What works for me:
1) An appropriate length of wide-mesh wire fabric such as field fencing
or concrete reinforcing wire bent into a cylindrical tower or "cage"
around the plant. You can gain additional height by cutting the wire so
that it will sit atop the container or;

2) Arrange stakes around the perimeter of the container and join the
stakes with any kind of "small stuff" (twine) such as cotton "kitchen"
twine, jute, seine twine etc. Although, labor intensive, with a little
planning and care this device is reusable.

Although, cucurbits detest being manhandled, if addressed daily and
fairly early in the day before new growth has a good grip, the vine may
be guided around the circumference/perimeter, greatly increasing growing
space. Although this may make fruit hard to spot it may easily be
harvested provided that the wire fabric is coarse enough (most fencing
and reinforcing wire is 5"-6" mesh) or the twine is adequately spaced.
If your vines are rejecting your bamboo stakes I suspect that they
are objecting to some sort of chemical coating or preservative product
used in/on them. I use bamboo harvested from my yard as trellis stakes
AWA for dragonfly perches with no sign of rejection by cucurbits,
"English" garden peas, cowpeas, or lima beans.
FWIW: The above-described cages work very well with sprawling
indeterminate tomatoes whether container or bed grown. Makes harvesting,
bottom pruning, and re-dressing the vines snap-bean easy and a big plus
is that the wire discourages marauding birds. If you use seine twine,
typically Dacron, try to find the "bonded" product; it is treated so as
not to untwist when cut.


I'm looking at getting a dozen feet of the concete screen. The vines are 3
inches taller today. Amazing gowth rate. Looks like I will have a bumper
crop of cucs.

Paul

Staking cucumbers in pots
 

Paul M. Cook wrote:
"Balvenieman" wrote in message
m...
"Paul M. Cook" wrote:

Do you top them? I am not sure what I can do about getting something tall
enough to support them.
What works for me:
1) An appropriate length of wide-mesh wire fabric such as field fencing
or concrete reinforcing wire bent into a cylindrical tower or "cage"
around the plant. You can gain additional height by cutting the wire so
that it will sit atop the container or;

2) Arrange stakes around the perimeter of the container and join the
stakes with any kind of "small stuff" (twine) such as cotton "kitchen"
twine, jute, seine twine etc. Although, labor intensive, with a little
planning and care this device is reusable.

Although, cucurbits detest being manhandled, if addressed daily and
fairly early in the day before new growth has a good grip, the vine may
be guided around the circumference/perimeter, greatly increasing growing
space. Although this may make fruit hard to spot it may easily be
harvested provided that the wire fabric is coarse enough (most fencing
and reinforcing wire is 5"-6" mesh) or the twine is adequately spaced.
If your vines are rejecting your bamboo stakes I suspect that they
are objecting to some sort of chemical coating or preservative product
used in/on them. I use bamboo harvested from my yard as trellis stakes
AWA for dragonfly perches with no sign of rejection by cucurbits,
"English" garden peas, cowpeas, or lima beans.
FWIW: The above-described cages work very well with sprawling
indeterminate tomatoes whether container or bed grown. Makes harvesting,
bottom pruning, and re-dressing the vines snap-bean easy and a big plus
is that the wire discourages marauding birds. If you use seine twine,
typically Dacron, try to find the "bonded" product; it is treated so as
not to untwist when cut.


I'm looking at getting a dozen feet of the concete screen. The vines are 3
inches taller today. Amazing gowth rate. Looks like I will have a bumper
crop of cucs.

Paul


Mine are in a pot and I have them growing up deer netting around my
patio under my deck. I've reinforced the netting with a little cord.
They're growing well.