Make A DIY Trellis For Cucumbers With Grow Bags

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Building a DIY trellis is a great idea for growing big, healthy cucumbers in your garden. A trellis offers many benefits for vine plants like cucumbers — the main one being that it helps keep your crops off the ground, where they can develop belly rot. A trellis will also encourage upward growth and make it easier to water and harvest your cucumbers. Another great thing you may not know about using a trellis to give your plants support is that it's easy to DIY one using only a grow bag and some PVC-coated rolled wire fencing.

This DIY works well for a few reasons. First, the materials needed are inexpensive. A five-pack of 3-gallon grow bags, such as these Simple Delux Planter Pots, can be purchased for as low as $8. Meanwhile, you can get this Fencer Wire Vinyl-Coated Fence Wire for about 25-45 cents per square foot. In addition to the low costs, this project is easy to assemble and makes a durable trellis that you can rely on without needing tons of materials.

Constructing the cucumber trellis is easy. Start by cutting the wire fencing to size. For a 3-gallon grow bag, you will want the wire to stand about 2½ feet tall. Then use the squares in the wire to count the width — roughly 12 squares across should be the right size. If you're working with differently sized bags, just make sure the wire covers half of their circumference and leaves an opening for you to access the plants.

Next, fill your grow bag halfway with soil, ensuring you select a mix that's appropriate for cucumbers. All potting mixes are different, so the best soil for growing herbs, for example, might not be the best for cucumbers. If you're unsure, ask your local garden center for tips. Now, carefully place the cut wire fencing upright into the bag, along with your cucumber plant. When both are in position, fill the grow bag the rest of the way with the potting mix. Your DIY is now complete — it's that simple. 

Generally speaking, this DIY is easiest to put together if your cucumber plant isn't already fully grown. However, if you're working with a large, mature plant that's already happily growing and thriving in its bag or container, don't worry — this wire mesh DIY will still work. The steps remain largely the same; however, instead of burying the wire inside your grow bag, you simply cut it to size and wrap it around the outside of the bag. Then, use zip ties (instead of dirt) to secure it in place.

You can also play around with different shapes, configurations, and other trellis ideas to help maximize space in your garden. For example, instead of adding wire fencing to a single grow bag at a time, you can wrap and weave the mesh around multiple grow bags for efficiency. Alternatively, play around with different shapes, including arches and teepees to see what type of support works best for your plants.