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How to train and prune cucumber?

• Message 1.Ìý

  Posted by julie new in france (U3837878) on Thursday, 17th March 2011

  I have grown these in the past but have not got the amount of fruit that I should. I have no idea if I should be pruning these to get better results. Any helpful suggestions?

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  Posted by nanpickle (U14258493) on Thursday, 17th March 2011

  Hi Julie, I have never pruned mine - I grow them in pots (Supermarket flower pot size), starting them off indoors and then potting on. When weather is better and frosts are finished I stand the pots on the shelving of a mini greenhouse (with covers removed) and let them trail down, this helps minimise attack from ground dwelling "nasties". I water frequently and feed occasionally and have such good crops I end up force-feeding them to family, friends and neighbours. Hope this helps. Nan x

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  Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Thursday, 17th March 2011

  Never heard of pruning them either. They need as much sun and warmth as possible and the soil shouldn't dry out. Otherwise pretty foolproof.

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  Posted by elderman4 (U10843761) on Thursday, 17th March 2011

  If you are growing all female cuc's they must be trained to get the best out of them - and to maximise the fruit.
  When they are up about 5-6 inches all side shoots must be pinched out. After approximately 5 leaf axils let that sideshoot grow and tie it in to support it. When these have reach 4 embryonic cuc's pinch out the growing tip of this side shoot. You must also pinch out the side shoots from this side shoot!!
  
  When the next side shoot developes tie that in and again after 4 cuc's pinch out that growing tip. And so on right up the main stem. I grow mine on a 4 inch plastic bean net and tie the side shoots in for support.
  
  If you let all the cuc's develop without this training you will get a few cuc's but very soon the plant will give up having fulfilled it's purpose in life!!
  
  You lose a few to gain a lot!!!

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  Posted by julie new in france (U3837878) on Thursday, 17th March 2011

  Thanks very much elderman that now makes sence.

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  Posted by elderman4 (U10843761) on Friday, 18th March 2011

  Hi CD. Do you not think that gardening is based on what works for you??
  
  I have been using this method for a number of years - and believe it or not it works for me!!! I agree that the pruning of most veg is unecessary - however the training of certain types of veg is, in my opinion, not only necessary but the results of this training speak for themselves. How would you treat a grape vine for instance - just let it run amok!! I can tell you that over the last 100 odd years the training of vines has become a specialist form - not hocus pocus or antiquated growing nonsense, but sound commercial sense!!!! The wine growers don't believe in hocus pocus!!
  
  How about tomatoes?? Do you let them go their own way - or do you pinch the side shoots out - another form of training!! If you leave them you get lots of growth and less toms - have a look at how commercial toms are grown, where time is money. They are all grown on a cordon form!!!! This takes time to get them to this condition and growers would not go to this trouble if it wasn't worth it.
  
  In conclusion, we all have our own way of gardening, mine works for me and you say your method works for you - 'after a bit they weave themselves no pruning no fuss' - and I bet a lot less cucs than I get!!!

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  Posted by Engineer (U3135859) on Saturday, 19th March 2011

  How about tomatoes?? Do you let them go their own way - or do you pinch the side shoots out - another form of training!! If you leave them you get lots of growth and less toms - have a look at how commercial toms are grown, where time is money. They are all grown on a cordon form!!!! This takes time to get them to this condition and growers would not go to this trouble if it wasn't worth it.
  Ìý
  Sure they would do it is it was done long enough to become dogma.
  As for the side shoots they actual on tomatoes you wrong again since those side shoot given a bit of time will produce fruit.
  
  And considering several studies have shown there is no real benefit to pruning tomatoes. Since the method has been done since 1830's. I think it needs to be rethought. I mean since women do not wear bustles and hoop skirts anymore.
  Why use old method when they hocus pocus . Some times method get set in not because they useful but convenient.
  Ìý Have you actually tried not removing the sideshoots from tomatoes? Well, I have as an experiment. It resulted in a much later crop and 1/3rd of the tomatoes never had time to ripen before the plants died of approaching winter cold.
  Conclusion: Remove sideshoots from varieties usually grown as cordons unless you have a heated greenhouse or like green tomatoes.
  Age-old gardening advice is rarely hocus-pocus and is in fact the result of many years worth of experience of thousands of growers.
  Please feel free to do your own experiments and then post your results here.
  -- Bob
  

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  Posted by ageing_hippie (U6742113) on Monday, 21st March 2011

  Let's not feed the troll, foll-de-rol...
  
  
  

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• Message 13

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  Posted by elderman4 (U10843761) on Monday, 21st March 2011

  In conclusion - in my opinion I don' think you have any right to critisize how anyone grows their plants, whatsoever.
  
  I welcome constructive critisism like anyone else, but to come on to this site and tell gardeners that in your opinion they are deliberately wrong in what they are doing, and that it is a load of hocus pocus, shows a high degree of ignorance - or stupidity.
  
  You have either not been gardening for long and therefore have no experience, or have learnt nothing from that experience that comes with growing over a long period of time.
  
  I think it must be ignorance, as I have yet to see written on a packet of tomato seeds the words -'early, mid-season or late varieties' - why would they be labelled as such!!!!! You just pick them when they are red!! But on a bag of potatoes they are clearly labelled as to what time they should be planted and this therefore determins the harvest time.
  
  We have arrived in today's world with all our varieties of vegetables, fruit etc. not to mention flowers and shrubs, because somebody realised that if you crossed, bred and trained them you would get better fruit, veg etc. This came with a great deal of experience and time - it was not hocus pocus!!
  
  May I suggest that before you critisize all of the clever and experienced gardeners on this site - you get some experience to be able to do so.

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  Posted by ageing_hippie (U6742113) on Monday, 21st March 2011

  Hear hear! Elderman. I'm afraid his main intention is to provoke with his rudeness and disrespect. He's an internet troll. Shame on him.

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