# How To Build a Simple Cucumber Trellis



## karen1

This is awesome!! Can/should I trellis squash too?
.-= karen´s last blog ..Sweet Escape =-.


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## Tee

Hi Karen! What type of squash are you growing? If it's summer squash, like yellow squash or zucchini, they shouldn't need a trellis. Although the plants can get large, they are really more of a bush than a vine.

Let me know what type of squash you are growing 

Tee


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## Toni_Brock

Thank you Tee for the super informative, pictures and step by step instructions for building a cucumber trellis. I really appreciate you taking the time to post this. I am so excited to get started. I am trying to build a trellis for my new Goji berry vine also. Maybe I will use a version of the cucumber trellis. Thank you so so much. 

Toni


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## Tee

Hi Toni - Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope you found the post useful in your garden. 

This trellis isn't the prettiest thing you've ever seen, but it works great, costs very little to make, and has lasted me for almost four seasons now. I should be able to get another four or five seasons from it


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## Sky

Tee, yours is a great trellis idea. I am using thin wire fencing (like chicken wire only it has larger rectangle openings) and conduit for my trellis.


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## Tee

Hi Sky - I'm still using this trellis and it's going strong. It was originally built in 2009. 

The wire fencing and conduit sounds like a terrific idea. It should work really well and last several years. The larger rectangular holes are perfect for being able to reach in to harvest the cucumbers!


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## Andrea1

Thanks so much for posting this! I made a modified version of this entirely out of stuff that I had lying around the house/yard. It's 12 feet wide with one support in the center. Instead of stringing the clothesline I stapled a plastic mesh to it. It's wonderfully sturdy and I can't wait to have my cucumbers, pole beans and peas growing up it!


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## kim2

What a brilliantly simple idea. I think even I can build this. Thank you.


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## Tee

Hi Kim - thanks! It is pretty easy to put together. You don't even have to use wood. You can use PVC piping or whatever you have around the house. 

The one I built is not the prettiest thing in the world (And may re-do it next season) but it works really well.


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## Muriel_Hayden

Hi there, I struggled with my cucumbers trailing all over the place and taking up so much space in my polytunnel last year. I have just made your cucumber trellis. Looks good. Will put it in place tomorrow. Thanks.


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## Tee

Hi Muriel! I'm glad you were able to use the instruction here to build your own cucumbers trellis. I think you and your cucumbers will enjoy it. It has worked well for me the past couple of seasons.

Here's to an awesome crop of delicious cucumbers!


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## Shanelle

Hi All, 

I am BRAND NEW to gardening. I recently got a garden in the community garden in my neighborhood. I planted my cucumbers a while ago. I did not realize they needed a trellis to grow. Now, I am freaking out. What do I do? Right now my cucumbers are planted next to my peas. Can the cucumbers and peas share a trellis. I am thinking of a trellis that looks like a tee-pee. Cucumbers on one side and peas on the other. It looks like I am going to have to re-plant my peas. I put a trellis about 2-3 inches away from the peas so it looks like my peas are dying off now. If, they can share a trellis, this would be a great time to move them (the cucumbers that are planted in the other box...all the other plants died off). All you gardening experts let me know your opinions. I am open to suggestions. Right now, I am winging it.


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## Tee

Hi Shanelle - Sure, you can grow cucumbers and peas on the same trellis. Cucumbers and peas are great companions. Just make sure one plant doesn't grow over top the other. You can easily train them to go where you want on the trellis.

A tee-pee trellis may work for the cucumbers, but it will take a bit more coercing to get the peas to grow up it, because the peas have smaller tendrils. The smaller tendrils (those little vine-like things that the plant uses to attach to things) make it difficult for the pea plant to attach to something with a larger diameter.

The peas will still grow up it, you will just need to help guide it along as it grows.


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## Ashley1

Hi Tee. I built a trellis similar to this for my peas and they have done well on it. Now that they are finishing up bearing, I'd love for it to do double duty for my cucumbers (which are just sprouting in peat cups). I've read that larger fruit, like cantaloupe, require a "sling/hammock" to hold the fruit as it matures due to the weight. Is that not the case with cucumbers? Thanks so much for posting .....we newbies really need it! Ashley


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## Tee

Hi Ashley - I'm glad you found the trellis useful! Yes, fruit like cantaloupe and watermelon need a different type of trellis, like the sling you mentioned. With these plants the fruit itself needs support because they get very heavy. Cucumbers do not get near as big and heavy so just supporting the vine works well.

Even if you are growing the very large Armenian cucumbers a trellis like this one will support it just fine.


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## Scott1

I have a deep raised box (16'x8'), but I stacked 2 boxes so its about 18" deep.

I have two 8 ft long rows of cukes. The mounds are 2 ft apart, and each row has 5 plants for a total of 10 in 2 rows.

I want to use your idea, widened to 8' I will bury the legs and bolt them to the raised garden box and do a mesh on BOTH sides of the 2x4's so both rows will have a side of the mesh to grow on.. 

do you see any issues with this ?
THX!


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## Tee

Hi Scott - Your plan sounds very good to me. Lengthening the trellis to 8 feet should work out perfectly. Have fun growing your cucumbers!


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## Karen2

Hi Tee, I just came across your site. There's so much info here that I need to learn, I'll be reading for hours, so thanks for putting together a great site! I was wondering if you could help out with advice for my tomato plants. We recently moved to the coast of North Carolina, where the soil is very sandy. My tomato plants have a few small tomatoes, but the plants themselves have not really grown much in the 2 mos since I planted them (not from seed). They're not even a foot tall yet. Can it be the soil? What can I do to boost the growth of these things? Thanks very much!


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## Tee

Hi Karen - I'm glad you found the site! I hope you find the information to be useful. 

You may need to add a bit of compost to the soil around the tomato plants. You can also sprinkle a handful of organic tomato fertilizer around each plant and water well.

Next year, I would recommend adding as much compost to your soil as possible. That is the best way to convert your sandy soil to a rich loamy soil.

Good luck with your tomatoes. I hope they take off and start growing soon!


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## Zac

Great design. I just built something similar to this, but use lattice in the middle. My only comment is that one might want to leave a little space between the bottom cross beam and the ground. Even with treated lumber, keeping that board from being wet all the time isn't a bad idea.

Good work!


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## Lynn1

Hello Tee. I am growing vegetables in a small container garden on my deck for the very first time so your site has been very helpful, thank you for all the wonderful information. I have tons of questions but I'll start with this: my cucumber vines have already grown to between 2 & 4 ft long and I have a few cucs already. Is it too late to add a trellis and train them to grow up? Some of my cucs are laying on the deck floor, which I doubt can be good for them, plus I want to control the space they take up. Thank you!


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## Tee

Hi Lynn - Yes, you can add a trellis for them to grow up. Just be very careful when moving or lifting the vines. The easiest thing to do is perhaps get a large sheet of stiff cardboard. Gently slide the cardboard under the cucumber vines. You may need someone to help you gently lift the vines as the other person slides the cardboard underneath. Do it inch by inch if you need to.

With the cardboard underneath the vines, you can gently lift the cardboard up on one end and prop it up with something to get the vines out of the way while you install the trellis. Once the trellis is in place, slide the cardboard out so that the vines come to rest on the new trellis. 

Now you will need to take some time to "introduce" your cucumber vines to the trellis. You do this by carefully intertwine the ends of the vines into the trellis. Within a few days the vines should start latching onto the trellis.


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## Thomas2

Thanks for taking the time to make this website. I found it a few weeks ago and have been on it every day since. 

I just started this year when it comes to a serious veggy garden as I have never had the room before. 

I did do some pole beans on the side of my gragae with some twine for the trellis as I thought I can always compost the twine as it starts to break down and just add on more. 

I was wondering if you think twine would support the weight of cucmbers on your trellis? 

Thank you


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## karen6

I really enjoy your website! I'm going to try to build this trellis for my cucumbers this summer, but I have what is probably an ignorant question - what are "broad head screws"? I looked at the store and couldn't find any with this label!  Thanks.


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## Tee

Hi Karen - thank you for your kind words!

I call them broad head screws but Home Depot refers to them as Pan head screws. Here's an example from the Home Depot website - https://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-25ecodZ5yc1v/R-202249757/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1

You don't have to necessarily use that exact kind, but something similar will work. What I meant by broad head screws was screws that had a larger head than typical screws. The larger headed screws make it a bit easier to tie and hold the clothes line to.

Hope that helps answer your question.

Thanks for stopping by!


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## Henderson

Thank you Tee: I am from Barbadois and I find this trellis to be exciting. Thanks for the idea.


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## James_Mann

Well Tee, I'm sure glad I found your article about how to build a trellis because what I had in mind would probably have fallen over once it had any weight on it or if it gets hit by a strong wind. I will definitely have to secure it in the ground deeper than I had tought. thanks for the tips.

I have a huge trellis that's secured to our garage. It's about 10 foot in length and 7 or 8 feet tall. It's on the south side of the garage. I thought it would be great for growing cucumbers and won't be casting a shadow over part of my garden.


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## ltow3810

Hey tee,
Thanks for this unreal article! 
I am a novice and have just planted my a load of vege seedlings including cuckes. 
I'm kicking my self now though because I have put the cuckes in te front corner of my raised bed. I'm worried that if I trellis them (using your wonderful design ) they might block the sun from my leeks, zucchini sand corn. Do you think I should go ahead with the trellis anyway?
Can't wait to get into the rest of your site!
Lucy


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## Katie1

Thank you for your post. I built and installed my trellis today, using your directions. It looks great and is quite sturdy.


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## Midwest_Gardner

Hi I have already started growing my cucumber and they are really taking over. My question to you is whether or not it is too late to train my vine along a trellis if they are already 5-6ft long? At this point there aren't any huge cumber on them because of my recent harvest. I have left my photoblog website so that you can see what I am talking about.


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## JayJay

I already have the 2 X 4s on all 4 corners of my raised bed 4' high.
Next year--clothesline for cucumber runners in that bed.

And I have been wondering why I made those corners!!


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## Edward_Peters

Tee:
I plan to use 2 x 2 treated lumber for the trellis, but I have a question.
What are the 24 deck screws for?? The box of Phillips head screws should be sufficient. Also , your material listed 4 8 foot 2x4s. I only plan to make 1 trellis so I will need 1 extra 8 footer for the side pieces and the 45 degree angle supports; a total of 3 8 footers.

I live in a townhouse and just have enough room to lean the trellis against my outside siding wall.
Thjank you .


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## Ben_Hunter

I just planted my garden about 2 weeks ago. My cukes and cowpeas are just breaking ground. How soon do I need to make and install a trellis?


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## Jordan

Don't know about using pressure treated wood for this. Might be totally fine but that stuff has some nasty chemicals in it. I would be worried about those leeching into the soil.


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