When growing cucumbers, the problem arises of their large growth if they are not provided with support. When plants are scattered across the beds without a garter, collecting greens becomes inconvenient, since it is very likely to scratch your hands. And if you plant cucumbers in long beds and tie them up, then you need to build large trellises. However, there is a growing method known as herringbone that requires just one support.

I usually plant cucumbers in early May, when the warm weather outside has settled down. To do this, I make a round hole with a diameter of at least 1 meter. You can use larger sizes to get a fuller herringbone. Then I loosen the soil well, add compost (1 bucket) and 2 cups of ash, and mix it all well.

In the middle of the hole I dig a metal pipe with a diameter of 30 mm and a length of about 2-3 meters, which I had left after the change of the heating season. It is important that a meter of pipe goes underground so that the structure is strong.

Then I spread the seeds along the edge of the prepared hole. One such “Christmas tree” takes about 9-10 seeds. I leave about 30 cm between the seeds and sprinkle them with soil, water them well and wait for the shoots to appear.

At the top of the pipe I have hooks welded from metal wire, thanks to the help of my husband, who is a welder. I then tie ropes to these hooks that go to the pegs in the ground. Each sprout has its own peg.

The basic rule is to first tie up the cucumber vines and direct them upward, then they themselves will continue this growth. As a result, a green “herringbone” is formed from cucumber lashes. Harvesting from such a structure is a real pleasure.

It is important to note that you can use a wooden stake instead of a metal pipe. The type of support does not play a special role, it’s just that a metal pipe will last you longer. The height of the support can be adjusted at your discretion, although a height of 2 meters is enough for me.