QUESTION: Do cucumbers need to climb? I don’t know if I should plant mine near a trellis or buy a cage or if they’re ok to just plant by themselves. – Teresa A
ANSWER: No, cucumbers don’t need to climb. However, allowing cucumbers to grow up a trellis is typically done to make life easier on the gardener.
When allowing cucumbers to climb, it makes for easier picking. You won’t have to search as much to find them.
Plus, you won’t have to bend over as far to pick them. It’s also helpful to allow cucumbers to climb when protecting your harvest.
As cucumbers grow on the ground, the moisture from the soil can sometimes cause them to rot. This tends to happen less when they climb because they aren’t left sitting on a moist surface while waiting to be picked.
Finally, allowing your cucumbers to climb is great for smaller spaces or for keeping your garden tidier. Cucumbers will run all over your garden, if not trained to climb.
This can cause problems with surrounding plants or if you’re growing in a smaller area. Instead, insert a trellis and train the plant to grow vertically instead of horizontally.
Though cucumbers don’t have to climb to grow successfully, there are many reasons you might choose to use this method when growing them.
Learn More About Growing Cucumbers
https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-cucumbers
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