Is there an ideal or preferred shape for a trellis or cage for cucumbers?
My plant is taking over my garden and I would like to get things a bit more organized. I've seen a cone type trellis where it's narrow at the base and expands toward the top. I'm just not sure if that type of trellis is ideal for cucumbers.
I've seen two styles:
The first style is an A-frame, with support legs in the back and mesh on the front. (Don't use chicken wire for the mesh -- I did this once and cukes would grow through the wire and then fatten up and get pinched!) I have used this style in the past with decent results.
The second style is vertical, with two tall posts and a crossbeam from which mesh is suspended.
I have raised beds and I always plant several hills of cukes. What really worked well for me was to plant the cukes near the outside of the raised beds and use cattle panel for the trellis. Cattle panels are quite large so I cut them in half and then bend each half into an "A" frame. I place one end of the bent panel on the side of the raised beds and the other end on the ground outside of the raised bed. As the cukes begin to grow, I weave them into the panel and they will continue to grow up and over the top of the panel (away from the bed). The fruit will hang off the vines underneath the panel making them really easy to see and pick.
I use old steel sheep nets. I find them handy, because they can support a lot of weight (cucumbers and wind). They will growth in a linear form (several meters with several plants), so it is easier to find cucumbers on both sides. On more compact forms, cucumbers can hide better.
