cucumbers too tall

QAGUY · #1

My cucumbers have reached the top of my trellis (6 ft). I have been pruning them to remove the side shoots. Can I pinch off the top without causing irreparable consequences?

worth1 · #2

I would rather prune the tops as apposed to the sides.
I have never pruned a cucumber plant.

slugworth · #3

top and clone
1/2 my plants last year were cuke clones

Clkeiper · #4

If you have been pruning out the suckers and then pinch out the top I think your plant is done producing cukes. I do think cloning it is a good idea if you pinch the top.

slugworth · #5

I clone at the beginning when the plants set out their "feelers".
I had cukes til frost then saved seeds from the huge yellow ones.

peebee · #6

I've seen YouTube videos where they unhang the long plant from the top rung/trellis, lower it to a manageable height & they loop the bottom stem on the ground. The bottom leaves had been removed when fruiting was done. I forget what they call this technique but one farmer posts about it on Nature Is Always Right.
I once trained cuke vines to go over the top onto the back & harvested quite a bit that way. But I was able to do it cuz I had plenty of open space behind the trellis.