Cucumbers again.

I'm growing cucumbers for the first time. I've got them growing up canes and it's suddenly occurred to me, when the cu's get larger will these be enough to support the plant please? They're about 2ft high at the moment.

 

Good point, I've been pondering this, spos it depends on how big they grow and therefore heavy, what type of cucumber is it? mine are "Market More" n the forum crowd said pick them about 100mm, mine are on a wire (300 pound test)

but yes I was wondering if I'd have to make some little hammocks, I watch that program on "Yesterday" about the Victorian gardening and they were hanging melons in nets and cucumbers in special blown glass jars hung from the greenhouse trusses, tho I think the jars were more about "The Master" of the house wanting strate cucumbers lol

I was thinking about cutting 6" square bit of old sheet, loosly roll up and tying 2 foot of string around each end, then unroll and you have a cucumber hammock, a couple of drops of runny super glue on the knot will make it bullet proof and reuse as needed, but this may be over kill

Plant Potty.

 

Thanks John, glad its 300 pound test wire not string coz its carrying two plants now with 7 cucumbers on each and lots more developing fast:yess: a very very fun thing to grow in the livingroom window sill

Plant Potty.

 

The last two years I just put a piece of trellis behind the pots and trailed the market more along the trellis sideways. The plants had no trouble supporting the fruit. This year I am growing them in a plastic greenhouse and the plants are trailing up a string from bottom to top and are covered in cucumbers a couple of which are now quite big.

 

Yes but I always take a sledge hammer to open nuts

but joking aside I cant afford for them to crash my compooter I hope can see this link? http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx282/phil_067/SDC10977.jpg if not can someone let me know so I can look at my photobucket settings.

Plant Potty.

 

I've never had a problem with the attachment of cucumber to plant - in fact I am always surprised how strong that little stem is, as the Cue's weight quite a bit.

But you do need to support the plant itself, of course. Mine grow up a string which is tied to the a roof-tie which supports the greenhouse, but something more substantial would be good too :thumb:

 

I have a wire arrangement stretching the length of the greenhouse on the crossmenbers at door height.
My cucumber is in a pot at the left side (where the Sun rises) and is growing up a cane at 45 degrees onto the wire. It is then trained along the wire and usually reaches close to the door. The Sun is on that side of the greenhouse for most of the afternoon and into the evening - when it shines that is.
I let the cucumbers hang down and usually cut them at 10 -12" - as required.
I followed Kristens advice this year about removing the first 4 fruit that developed to see the results. My best fruit as of today is about 5" and there are loads of others at different stages. As yet the plant has not reached the wire, so there's room for development.

 

I can see my grandads greenhouse in my head reading your post I want/need/must have/over hell or high water gonna get me one like that, I'm thinking about building one myself coz I'd get the thing I want, and a system of wires, or wire holes built in is deffo in my list of must haves, what is you green house size, construction like? I'm thinking about wood coz it was good enough for my grandad, and I like wooking with it too, I'm a cnc grinder/miller/turner by trade and have spent it cutting all sort of metals and plastics, and I've got some mates with machines I could use, a mate up the road has a manual mill and a 12" clochester lathe, your post has put other ideas in my head, maybe see what grandads green house would look like in modern matrials? I already dropped his pains of glass in favour of 3mm Acrylic, I found a company that cats it to size, its about £3 per 600mm x 600mm, but I recon my other mate with his own fabricating busness could get it trade for me?

off to search ally and pastic extrusions in 4 meter lengths........

Plant Potty.

 

My greenhouse is a standard 8'x6' Aluminium type.The wire is simply 18gauge looped around the crossmembers a few times and then the final length wrapped around the wires to bring them together.
Its been like that for over 10 years.
The other side is the same and the canes for the tomatoes are strapped to it for stability.
I also have a wire strung along the apex of the roof and use it to hang a pot of tumbler toms. and to bring on hanging baskets. I just need to keep remembering not to bang my head. At my age I frequently forget and, if they have just been watered I get a wet neck.
There's no copywrite. If you think it will help, feel free to copy/improve etc.

 

Thanks all for your input. Looks like I'd best make some adjustments!

 

ive got mine in the corner of my greenhouse with a hard wire frame so the side shoot can grip it and just a bamboo cane for the centre stem which is now about 3 ft high,its a femspot seems to be ok but its my 1st one and i have no idea how big they can get this is my second cucumber my 1st 1 measured 9 inch but i think i might of harvested it a bit too soon so im leaving this one till tuesday x

 

I've not grown Cucumbers before as i've always considered it the Devils own vegetable along with Brussel Sprouts.

But Atticus L sent me some seeds so i'm giving it a go.

This thread has been usefull to me, as I hadn't a clue about cultivation