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Pruning cucumbers plants


Pruning Cucumbers: The Key to Healthy Vines

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Nothing says summer like home-grown, crispy cucumbers. Behind that mouthwatering fruit are months of nurturing, protecting, and, most importantly, pruning cucumbers. Without proper cucumber pruning, your vines won’t be able to grow and produce fruit. In this article, we’ll answer all your questions about how to prune cucumber plants – plus more!

Before we get started, you have to know how cucumber vines grow. One main stem has nodes, or joints, along its length. Each node grows one leaf, fruit, tendril, and a new stem. When pruning, we’ll remove the new stem. This is referred to as the growth point, shoot, or lateral runner. The flower and leaf may also be pruned, but only in certain situations.

Pruning is very important but not the only necessity for growing cucumbers. For more information on planting cucumbers and making it to harvest, check out our articles on growing cucumbers vertically and cucumber plant care. For now, though, we’ll dive into all the details of pruning cucumber vines.

Our Favorite Pruning Tools At The Epic Shop:

Is Pruning Cucumbers Necessary?

Pruning cucumbers is not a difficult task! Source: lindakowen

Whether or not you pick up the clippers depends on the type of cucumber plant you have. Bush varieties don’t grow much laterally so they require little, if any, pruning. They only need a trim if they’re getting too friendly with the neighboring plants. Pruning isn’t as important for cucumber vines that sprawl on the ground without vertical support.

Climbing vine cucumbers are the real targets here. Because they depend on vertical support, they have to be kept in line. Pruning is necessary to keep the vines growing in the right direction. 

You’ll also find that proper pruning helps the plant produce more, higher-quality fruit. When you cut off a vine, the energy that was going into its growth is redirected elsewhere. So, if your cucumber vine is putting all its energy into growing lots of stems and leaves, it will not be focusing on fruit. Reducing the attention-demanding branches gives the plant a chance to get going on those cukes.

When Should Cucumbers Be Pruned?

Prune your cucumber plants throughout the growing season. Watch for new growth points and eliminate them while they’re under 2” long. Additionally, be on the lookout for damage and disease, which should be removed immediately.

Young cucumber plants may get ahead of themselves and flower while they’re still small. Clipping off the lower flowers redirects the energy to stem and leaf growth, leading to more fruit in the future. Additionally, you’ll be cutting back wayward branches as part of training young vines.

How To Prune A Cucumber Plant

You can clearly see the tendril and flower between leaves on this cucumber plant. Source: Treetop Mom

Before getting started, clean your garden shears. Otherwise, they could easily spread plant diseases not only to your cucumbers but to other plants as well. If possible, use bypass pruners instead of stem-crushing anvils.

As we mentioned, cucumbers grow from a leader stem. This is the lifeline of the plant and won’t regrow if cut. So, we’ll only prune the shoots coming from that main leader stem. Usually, you’ll stick to pruning the base of the plant. This keeps it to one leader vine but allows the top to fill out its trellis.

Find the lowest 5-7 nodes on the base and pinch off the shoots. If they’re already more than a couple of inches long, prune them with clippers so as to not damage the main vine. Make a clean cut as close as possible to the main vine. If the shoots are so large that they’re already hooked to the trellis, leave them alone and focus on newer stems instead. Remove any flowers so the plant will bloom on top.

Next, look for and remove any leaves, vines, or fruit that are severely damaged or showing signs of disease. Prune vines that just won’t grow in the right direction as well. If the leaves are getting super bushy in one place, thin them out so there’s good air circulation. If you want to redirect energy, prune the excess fruit or leaves. 

Once you’re finished, wash any tools you used and remove fallen debris from the ground. When watering, avoid getting the cucumber vines wet so bacteria doesn’t infect the cuts. Return to your cucumber vines a few times each summer to spruce them up as needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Should I pinch off cucumber flowers?

A: This is a great strategy when your cucumber plant is young. It redirects the plant’s energy into vine and leaf growth.

Q: Can you cut cucumber tendrils?

A: Unless they’re in the way, leave the tendrils alone. The main vine needs them to hold on to the support.

Q: Should I pinch off cucumber flowers?

A: Pinch off the flowers if you want more stem and leaf growth – especially if the plant is young. You can remove flowers on the bottom so the plant will focus more on the top cucumbers (this will also keep cucumbers off the ground).

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How to prune cucumber plants

(Image credit: Denis Winkler / EyeEm / Getty Images)

Knowing how to prune cucumber plants is essential if you want to keep them in good health and maximize your home crop.

Cucumbers are attractive, versatile plants, and their fruit makes a refreshing addition to salads, sandwiches and cocktails. As climbing vines, they are also space-efficient, making them one of the best kitchen garden ideas for a small backyard.

However, when learning how to grow cucumbers, an important part of the process is pruning them properly, in order to keep the plants productive.

‘Cucumbers are one of the most active plants that can ruin your gardening system and plans really fast,’ says Emilly Barbosa Fernandes, expert small space gardener and consultant at HouseGrail . ‘If ending up with miles of vines and a few fruits does not sound appealing, then pruning is the way to go. 

‘Pruning cucumbers will forward the vital juices into the fruit development and make sure that the vines are growing in the right direction.’

It’s also important to know how to prune cucumber plants to keep them in good health. ‘It's vital to increase air flow and decrease disease, as well as prune off sick leaves,’ explains Suzy Blodgett, experienced grower and founder of the Confessions of a Growing Gardener blog.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

How to prune cucumber plants – expert tips

Pruning cucumber plants isn’t just a one-time job – you need to keep on top of the vines throughout the growing season. This can easily be done at the same time as picking cucumbers.

‘Ideally you want to start trimming your cucumber plants to remove any damaged or dead portions as you see them,’ says Jen Stark, founder of Happy DIY Home . ‘Prune outside leaves, branches, fruits, and flowers as needed throughout the entire season.'

To give your plants a helping hand, also look at the options for cucumber companion planting to minimize disease and encourage fruit production.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

When should cucumbers be pruned?

‘Cucumbers should be pruned once a week during the growing season. However, during the more active growth phases, this can be done even twice per week,’ says Barbosa Fernandes.

It’s important not to prune cucumbers too early, however. ‘If you make the mistake of pruning them too early, you can impact your vine's health and it might not develop correctly,' says Stark.

‘You should let your cucumbers grow to a decent size – as they grow one to two feet tall. This may be between three and five weeks after you plant them and they start growing.’

(Image credit: Merethe Svarstad Eeg / EyeEm / Getty Images)

What happens if you don't prune cucumber plants?

If you don’t prune cucumber plants, then not only can the vines grow out of control, but disease can set in.

‘Diseases such as powdery mildew can quickly overcome a plant if action is not taken quickly. Pruning the infected leaves can save the rest of the plant and stop the infection, ensuring that you still get your delicious cucumbers,’ says Blodgett.

‘If you have a mess of cucumber plants, not pruning can prevent proper airflow, which is the perfect breeding ground for the powdery mildew to take hold. You can also keep your garden neater by pruning your plants when they get a bit overgrown.’

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Should I top a cucumber plant?

‘Topping a cucumber plant means cutting its leader stem to redistribute the growth hormones in favor of secondary vines,’ says Barbosa Fernandes. ‘You should not top a cucumber plant because you want it to bloom on top to have a better crop.’

However, Blodgett argues that topping a cucumber plant may be useful later in the growing season. ‘If your plants are spreading out too much and the end of the season is approaching, you can top off your plants to stop the new growth and let the plant focus on finishing its current fruit,’ she says.

As editor of Period Living, Britain's best-selling period homes magazine, Melanie loves the charm of older properties. I live in a rural village just outside the Cotswolds in England, so am lucky to be surrounded by beautiful homes and countryside, where I enjoy exploring. Having worked in the industry for almost two decades, Melanie is interested in all aspects of homes and gardens. Her previous roles include working on Real Homes and Homebuilding & Renovating, and she has also contributed to Gardening Etc. She has an English degree and has also studied interior design. Melanie frequently writes for Homes & Gardens about property restoration and gardening.

How to cut cucumbers or give free rein to the green fellows - AgroXXI

Anna Medvedeva

When it comes to pruning cucumbers, most people always consider a single stem cardinal pruning to be the best option. However, there is also a directly opposite opinion

- From the very beginning, I would clearly share the principles of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse and in open ground, - says gardener Andrey Chuikov, Suzdal, Vladimir region. “In the greenhouse where I plant both cucumbers and indeterminate tomatoes, both crops behave the same way. Give them free rein and they will turn the greenhouse into a jungle with only stems and leaves. Therefore, here, when the cucumber vine goes vertically up the rope, constant pruning is really needed. nine0004

But cucumbers in the garden are a completely different story. I believe that when planting in open ground, it is quite possible to avoid dancing with tambourines and get a crop no less, if not more, than in a greenhouse. The main thing is to choose varieties or hybrids suitable for outdoor use from the very beginning. I have been taking Chinese seeds for the second year, where the seeds have already been processed. There are not many of them in a bag, but the germination and strength of growth does not cause any complaints. I plant them in raised beds and leave them free without any surgery.

How do we understand yield? This is either the yield per plant (greenhouse) or the yield per growing area (bed). nine0004

As everyone has probably read and remembered a hundred times, the main reason for pruning shoots is the consideration that a new shoot drains energy from the main stem, fruiting drops. However, this "sucker" pumps the energy of the central stem only for the first few days of growth. As soon as the shoot forms its own leaf, which begins to photosynthesize and produce sugars, that is, energy, and then more leaves appear, the shoot supports and feeds itself. So, by removing these potentially fruitful parts, we lose part of the crop: fewer flowers and fewer fruits. nine0004

Further, pruning cucumbers, which are supposed to roam on the ground, delays flowering. If this is not a problem in a greenhouse, then in a relatively cool climate with a short season, you need to get a crop earlier.

I advise you to experiment. Plant some cucumbers in a molded greenhouse, and others outdoors (on a grid or without, as you like) and compare the final harvest.

Leaf pruning is also legendary. Sometimes for open ground it is recommended to remove almost all the leaves from the very beginning, in order to supposedly improve pollination. nine0004

Very bad advice in my opinion. Why deprive plants of photosynthetic surfaces if they are healthy? A thick underlay of mulch or trellis makes more sense than cardinal pruning. And certainly mass pruning of leaves as a preventive measure will not protect against powdery mildew - you will not be able to control the level of humidity in the area: high humidity contributes to the spread of fungal spores of powdery mildew, and low humidity to their reproduction. Leave healthy leaves alone and carry out treatments - folk way with milk or professional - fungicides. Lots of good leaves - lots of sweet cucumbers. nine0004

I think that when growing cucumbers in the garden in the traditional way, pruning does not give any advantages, except that pests will eat the remaining leaves and the vine will completely die.

But back to the greenhouse. Here, cucumber plants are planted at a shorter distance than in the garden, therefore, spreading shoots are not welcome. It is necessary that the leader stem goes straight up, and when pruning, we will remove new shoots, and in some cases, flowers and leaves. The very point of growth of the main stem can be pinched as it reaches the roof of the greenhouse. Shoots depart from the leader stem and end with a flower-like green leaf. nine0004

First, find the 5-7 lowest shoots on the base of the plant and pinch them off, cut them longer with clean pruning shears as close to the main stem as possible.

If the shoots are already too big, make a separate support rope for them and focus on finding and pinching new shoots about once a week.

Remove the lower flowers so that the plant blooms from above.

Thin out to one to two per day per plant if leaves are thick. And no more. Excessive leaf pruning will only weaken cucumbers and increase the chance of infection. It is better to time moderate thinning in the greenhouse for the heat - at this time all greenhouse crops need more free space and, of course, ventilation. nine0004

Divide the total floor area by five to calculate how many vents you need for a cucumber and tomato greenhouse in hot weather. This number is 20% of your total floor area and is the minimum area that should open as windows, vents or a removable wall in hot weather.

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How to prune cucumbers and is it advisable to do it?

Recently, many people who have dachas have been wondering how to prune cucumbers and whether it is advisable to prune if the plant already bears good benefits and bears fruit. Professionals in this case are advised to carry out this process. This is justified by the fact that the nutrients must go specifically to the fruit, and so these substances from the soil are distributed between the tops and the fruit.

Contents

  1. Cucumber Care Steps
  2. Why You Should Prune Cucumbers
  3. Cucumber Pruning Rules

Cucumber Care Steps

All cucumbers need to be happy is warmth, light and moisture. A cucumber bush is not a plant that can be planted and forgotten. It is necessary to carry out certain work:

  1. bush formation;
  2. pinching;
  3. garters;
  4. timely watering;
  5. top dressing;
  6. loosening;
  7. weeders;
  8. harvest.

The first thing to take care of these delicate plants is the choice of location. Cucumbers are tolerant of different types of soil, but grow best in lungs with good drainage. When compiling a crop rotation for a garden plot, it should be borne in mind that cucumbers can return to the same place no more than once every 5 years. Seeds can be planted directly into the soil, but with seedlings, harvest is available up to two weeks before. nine0004 In an adult cucumber bush, the growing point should be constantly illuminated.

Between rows of cucumbers should be 50-60 cm, and between plants - 10-15 cm for varieties with short lashes and 20-25 for long ones. Along with the equipment of the bed, it is necessary to ensure the location of vertical supports, since growing on trellises facilitates care, saves space, improves ventilation of the leaves, the fruits do not lie on the ground, and therefore they are not damaged by pests. As a support, sunflower or corn can be planted along the rows of cucumbers - you do not need to equip a lattice for lashes. nine0004

Why do you need to cut cucumbers

Many summer residents do not understand whether pruning is necessary if the harvest is already large enough. But professional gardeners advise nevertheless to use this procedure. After all, all the nutrients that normally go to feed the leaves will be channeled specifically to the fruit, accelerating their growth.

Rules for pruning cucumbers

Pruning chart for cucumbers

If you see the appearance of side shoots on the plant, they must be cut first and as soon as possible. In this case, it is important to remove exactly the growth point. For this procedure, ordinary scissors or a knife are suitable for you. nine0004

In case of a large number of shoots on the plant, do not rush to eliminate them. It is better to remove the growing point, reduce the amount of top dressing.

Please note: It is important to discard those sheets that begin to dry. Especially if they are below the so-called fruiting zone.

Remove flower buds from the bottom
  1. Remove flower buds and side shoots. They are usually located from the second to the fourth sheet. nine0064
  2. Next we go to the second zone. It contains four nodes. At each node, you should try to leave only one cucumber and two leaves. And at the same time, the growth point should be removed.
  3. Then comes the third zone. Such a zone is located at a height of about one and a half meters along the stem. There are three immediate nodes here. On them you need to leave two cucumbers and two leaves.
  4. The fourth zone, in turn, is located at the very top, and requires even more leaf fruits to be left. nine0064

When the main stem reaches the wire, it can be wrapped several times. Then, it is worth eliminating the growth point, which you can find in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe fourth leaf. The first shoot that appears in the sinus area must be eliminated.

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