Never buy a cucumber again. Just follow these 6 tips for growing a plentiful cucumber crop

Take into consideration the materials your trellis is or will be built from. To keep it from buckling or even possibly breaking under the weight of fully formed cucumbers, you need a trellis capable of withstanding the weight — perhaps something made with a solid wood frame. Use metal cattle fencing or PVC pipe if you are constructing it yourself.

If you are building an A-frame or arched trellis — or even purchasing one — keep in mind how high the final trellis will be. You don’t want it to be so short that you have to stoop down to harvest mature cucumbers, nor do you want it so tall that you need to get out a step ladder to reach the fruit!

One benefit to vertical gardening is you can plant cucumber plants a little closer together than the recommended spacing if you are using a trellis. Because trellised plants aren’t competing as hard for resources such as light and surface area of the ground to spread their vines, they can be put a little closer than normal — but remember that they will still be competing for nutrients and water within the soil. You can even put plants on both sides of the trellis!

After plants start growing, they may need a little help to train them to grow up the trellis. When the vines get to be long enough, begin wrapping them gently around the trellis supports. If necessary, gently tie the vines to the trellis or use plastic garden clips to prevent damaging the plant stems or restricting growth.