Are Cukes OK without a trellis?

[oregonkat]

I have always planted cucumbers along a fence. Even then, a box turtle(s) would eat what he could reach of the low hanging fruit which was usually the bottom halves of several.
View attachment 1373690
I moved the turtle to the far side of the yard, and it came back. I took a pic of him, and then drove him about 1.5 mi away and let him go. I told my sister about it, and she sent an article that says box turtles are territorial, and they will return to the same place or die trying. Then I felt bad. He'd have to cross a 100 acre corn field, woods, a little canyon, more woods, 2 streams, steep hills, pastures....no way could he survive. This was in June. In Sept, a box turtle was back, under the cucumber plant. I took another pic, compared to 1st, and it was the same individual! These turtles have unique markings on their shells, no two alike. It's like our fingerprints. Now he is welcome to the cucumbers he can reach and I hope I see him this year!
June:
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Sept
View attachment 1373686

Thank you so, so much for accepting the turtle back. He is a gift for you, and for not much more than the price of some cucumbers! Pretty priceless!!!

 

[ChickenLady2014]

I have always planted cucumbers along a fence. Even then, a box turtle(s) would eat what he could reach of the low hanging fruit which was usually the bottom halves of several.
View attachment 1373690
I moved the turtle to the far side of the yard, and it came back. I took a pic of him, and then drove him about 1.5 mi away and let him go. I told my sister about it, and she sent an article that says box turtles are territorial, and they will return to the same place or die trying. Then I felt bad. He'd have to cross a 100 acre corn field, woods, a little canyon, more woods, 2 streams, steep hills, pastures....no way could he survive. This was in June. In Sept, a box turtle was back, under the cucumber plant. I took another pic, compared to 1st, and it was the same individual! These turtles have unique markings on their shells, no two alike. It's like our fingerprints. Now he is welcome to the cucumbers he can reach and I hope I see him this year!
June:
View attachment 1373685
Sept
View attachment 1373686

What a great story, pretty remarkable that it managed to travel through all of that to make it home.

 

[lazy gardener]

Neat turtle story. I bet the insects he devours prevent more damage to your garden than the few cukes he manages to eat!

To OP, yes you can plant cukes without a trellis. However, they will spread to the point that little else will grow well in your garden bed. I suggest that you put up a trellis of one sort or an other. I am partial to cattle panel. It comes in 16' lengths, or you can buy it in 8' lengths. Our last panels: Hubby cut each panel into 3 sections, leaving the long tangs on the cut ends. the panels could then be stood on end, with the tangs driven into the ground. Each section about 5' tall. Perfect for vertical trellises, or 2 could be tented together, or placed at 90* angles. CP also makes a great arbor when bent into an arch.

Or a CP chicken coop, or a CP green house. One can never have too many cattle panels. Infinite uses for them, they will never rust and will outlive me.

 

[oregonkat]

Neat turtle story. I bet the insects he devours prevent more damage to your garden than the few cukes he manages to eat!

To OP, yes you can plant cukes without a trellis. However, they will spread to the point that little else will grow well in your garden bed. I suggest that you put up a trellis of one sort or an other. I am partial to cattle panel. It comes in 16' lengths, or you can buy it in 8' lengths. Our last panels: Hubby cut each panel into 3 sections, leaving the long tangs on the cut ends. the panels could then be stood on end, with the tangs driven into the ground. Each section about 5' tall. Perfect for vertical trellises, or 2 could be tented together, or placed at 90* angles. CP also makes a great arbor when bent into an arch.

Or a CP chicken coop, or a CP green house. One can never have too many cattle panels. Infinite uses for them, they will never rust and will outlive me.

x2, totally agree!!! I love the idea of driving the 'long tangs' (I never knew that's what they were called) into the ground.

 

[lazy gardener]

I made it up.

 

[oregonkat]

I made it up.

Well, now we all know what they are! I like it!

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

We grow ours alongside our fence so they will grab on but you dont need a trellis. It just keeps them from rotting more quickly because theyre off the ground. We planted 6 plants last year and got a good 15 canned pickles out of it.

 

[drewskimac]

You can certainly grow them without a trellis but it would not be very space efficient!

 

[drewskimac]

Cool turtle story! This february when I was preparing my soil, I found a nest of baby red-eared slider turtles. There were 7 of them, they were still dormant. I took them inside and keep them in a tank until last week when I released them beside our pond. They hung around for a few days and have now dispersed. I hope the mother returns this year to lay more eggs - it was a very neat thing to find.

p.s. I found it odd that there was a nest of turtles found in my garden in the winter. The shell remains were with them too, but they were fully hatched and alive.