Cucumber plants develop upward , climbing on a support structure , rather than spread out over limited ground surface .
Growing cucumbers vertically is easy , provide they have passable sun and water .
How to Grow Cucumbers Vertically (Step-by-Step)
1. Choose the Best Spot and Container
Cucumbers thrive in warmth . take a cheery smear that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per daytime .
For container - grown vertical cucumbers , prefer a container that is at least 12 in wide and 12 inches deep to give the plant enough place to take root and grow . Place the container in a sunny maculation .
2. Provide Support for Climbing
Vertically grown cucumbers grow on a vine and ask to go up up a support structure , like a treillage , so select a spot that allows space to put up a trellis .
As the flora rise , promote it to rise the treillage by threading the vine through the trellis every week .
3. Improve the Soil Conditions
cuke require soil with secure drainage and a neutral pH of between 6 and 7 . Adding compost to the dirt provides nutrient that heighten maturation .
4. Plant From Seed
Cucumis sativus raise best when plant from seed . Plant the seed in a small pot , in 1 - inch - recondite trap , 2 inches aside . Place the pot in a cheery area .
After 7–10 days , stems and leaves will egress through the soil . As before long as the seedling are big enough to manage , channelize them to the choose spot where the vertical cucumber plant can mature .
contribute some mulch around the base of the seedlings after institute them in the soil . Mulch protects the plants and prevents the filth from drying out .
5. Water
Cucumbers contain natural wet and need a great deal of water supply . For healthy plants with the unspoilt takings , piddle cucumbers every 3–4 days . In live climates , or if the temperature arise to 90 ° atomic number 9 , water system cuke every daylight .
Test if your cucumbers want tearing by inserting a finger 1 inch deep into the grime . If the soil feels dry it is time to irrigate the plant life .
6. Add Fertilizer
Fertilizer helps a erect cucumber plant to mature healthily and give a ample yield of plump , luscious yield .
Add fertilizer to the soil when establish the seedling , and again when the plant attain 12 inch in height .
Fertilizer contains three independent nutrient , namely nitrogen , phosphorus , and potassium . utilise 10 - 10 - 10 ( i.e. , 10 % each of nitrogen , P , and potassium ) or 10 - 20 - 10 plant food on cucumber plants for healthy emergence .
7. Harvesting the Cucumbers
Vertically grown cucumbers are quick for harvest 3 months after planting . harvest time cucumber vine that look full and plump , are dark light-green in color , and palpate firm to the touch .
Do n’t reserve the cucumbers to become over - ripe and soft .
Troubleshooting & Tips for Success
Position
When planting cucumbers vertically , the right locating is crucial for sizable growth . cuke need a minimum of six hour of direct sun per day , but they also droop easy if overexposed to coarse Lord’s Day .
The ideal locating is in a location where the plant receives full sun in the morning and partial ghost during the hottest part of the afternoon .
Soil
Cucumbers do n’t do well in territory that is too acidic or too alkaline . Keep the pH inert at 6.5–7 . ascertain the rough pH of the grease by doing this simple-minded home - mental test :
Place ¼ cupful of stain in a small dish and add ½ loving cup of white household vinegar . If the grunge foams , the pH is mellow and the soil is alkaline .
station ¼ cup of stain in a small looker . Add enough distilled water supply to damp the grunge , and summate ½ cup of baking soda . If the soil froth , the pH is low and the land is acidulous .
Watering
Take care not to overwater a perpendicular cucumber works . Overwatering stimulate base rot , which can kill the plant life .
quash watering the leaves of the cucumber works . Excess wet on the leaves cause fungal ontogenesis which is harmful to the plant .
Fertilizer
Water - soluble fertilizer is fertilizer that disband as you water the plant . The water solubility of this plant food amend the nutrient ingestion by the root of upright cuke plants .
Diseases
cuke are prone to fungal disease like mold . fungous outgrowth sets in when the leaves of the plant are constantly moist . quash irrigate the leaf to prevent fungous disease .
White , powdery patch on the plant ’s leafage are an meter reading of fungous disease . The fungus is n’t likely to spread to the cucumbers themselves , but , if leave untreated , the leaves will fall off , exposing the fruit to the rough Sunday and cause sunburn and eventual last .
The most in effect discourse for fungal disease in cucumber flora is to spray the leaf with a solvent of bake soda and body of water .
Pour one cubic decimeter of water system into a spray bottle and summate 2 teaspoons of bake soda . Spray the solution on the leaves and repeat the treatment after one hebdomad if the problem persists .
Trellis Types
A free - standing A - frame trellis work well to grow cucumbers vertically . Ensure that the frame is at least 6 feet tall and is unchanging and ca n’t topple over .
The most supportive system for erect cucumber plants is a treillage fix to a rampart .
Pruning
Vertical cucumber plant uprise prolifically and need pruning to foreclose the vine development from overhaul the yield output .
During the growing season , light trim the external ramification and leave every 5–6 weeks .
Benefits of Growing Cucumbers Vertically
There are many benefit to growing cucumbers vertically :
Space-Saving
Small gardens or apartment balconies are good spaces for mature cucumbers vertically because this style of garden does n’t take up much space .
Vertically grown Cucumis sativus flora put up a bountiful craw from a limited amount of place .
Avoiding Fruit Rot
Because the fruit of vertically grown cucumber plants hangs down rather than lying on the ground , more air circulates around the pay heed yield , making the fruit less likely to moulder .
Avoiding Fungal Disease
Fungal disease sets in when the plant is constantly damp . Horizontally mature plants do n’t offer much chance for wet to evaporate , leave the plant a perfect education berth for wet - adept disease .
Growing cucumbers vertically serve to prevent fungous disease by allowing the industrial plant to dry out fully as the vine climb the support structure .
Ease of Harvesting
harvest home vertically develop cucumbers is gentle because the yield is above ground spirit level , and you do n’t need to bend over and rummage through the foliage to get to the yield .
The cucumber flow on the vine and are easy to pick when ripe .
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