TikTok's Clever Trick For Growing Cucumbers Vertically Is A Total Game Changer
For climbing vegetables such as peas, tomatoes, and cucumbers, everyone has their own process on how to create a vertical apparatus that can be sturdy enough to hold the plant but also light and delicate so as not to damage the vegetables and the reaching tendrils. For climbing cucumbers, many folks will create a garden trellis using bamboo, wood, or even existing metal fencing so that the plant can freely rise as it vertically grows. But all these materials cost money and could be difficult to maintain. So TikTok came up with a solution, and it's found right in your closet.
Strips of 100% cotton material from clothing or sheets are a frugal, durable, and environmentally friendly way to support the vines of vertically climbing cucumbers. Unlike ties made of plastics, metal, twine, or other string, which can be useful but may not be ideal if the material starts to wear down from sun and water exposure, cotton can stand up to the elements while also creating a gentle support system for your cucumbers.
Use cotton strips to train cucumbers to grow vertically
With an ingenious use of recycled clothing, @thecommonground shared via TikTok how they were able to use long pieces of fabric to create a climbing support for their vertically growing cucumbers. This system of incorporating thin cloth strips is a space-saver in the garden and makes it possible to plant your cucumbers a little closer together. When asked in the comments as to what the material is, @thecommonground responded, "Strips of 100% cotton from an old doona we weren't using anymore. Being 100% cotton means it'll compost and won't cause any environmental pollution."
To accomplish this project in your own vegetable patch, simply cut strips of 100% cotton about 8 ¼ feet long and around ½ inch thick. The strips will eventually be attached to a piece of REO concrete mesh — which looks like a metal wire grid — and will act as an overhead support. Once your cucumbers start to sprout to a length that'll require some climbing assistance, you can gently tie one end of the cotton strip to the base of the plant, then wrap it around the main stem. Finally, tie the other end of the strip to the concrete mesh above and pull it tight so that there's no slack in the material. As the plant grows you can easily wind it upward around the cotton for continual vertical reinforcement.