Building Two 50-Foot Cucumber Trellis Fences from One 100-Foot Roll of 4-Foot 12-Gauge Welded Wire: 8-Foot T-Posts at 12-1/2 Feet, Fabric 6 Inches Off the Soil, and 40 Clips

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Cut the 100-foot roll in half, drive five 8-foot T-posts 2 feet deep down each 50-foot row, and clip the 48-inch fabric with its bottom edge 6 inches above the soil. Each row takes 4 spans of 12-1/2 feet and 20 clips.

How tall and how far apart should posts be for a wire cucumber trellis?

Set sturdy posts about 2 feet into the ground and 12 to 20 feet apart, with their tops about 6 feet above the soil. Attach wire mesh to the posts and train the vines onto it, checking that growing fruit does not wedge into the openings.

University of Wisconsin Extension's trellising, staking, and caging guide builds a vertical trellis with posts about 2 feet into the ground, 12 to 20 feet apart, and tops about 6 feet above the soil. It attaches hog wire with a 4-inch grid to the posts and warns to check that fruit does not imbed itself in the wire.

West Virginia University Extension's trellising article says cucumbers are trellised using wire fencing and netting. It adds that the lower 18 inches of leaves can be removed as the plant climbs to improve disease control.

Layout for Two Rows from One Roll

Item Per row Two rows
Fabric length 50 ft. 100 ft.
Spans at 12-1/2 ft. 4 8
8-ft. T-posts 5 10
Post above ground 72 in. 72 in.
Fabric height on post 6 to 54 in. 6 to 54 in.
Clips, 4 per post 20 40

An 8-foot post driven 24 inches stands 72 inches tall, which leaves 18 inches of bare post above the fabric for a twine extension if the vines outgrow it.

Materials and Tools

  • 12-gauge 4-foot by 100-foot welded wire roll; check the mesh size on the roll before buying
  • Ten 8-foot studded T-posts and a post driver
  • About 44 galvanized T-post clips, which is 40 plus spares
  • Bolt cutters or heavy fence pliers to cut the roll in half
  • A tape measure, string line, gloves, and safety glasses

Build Steps

  1. Run the rows north-south. That way neither trellis shades the other for most of the day.
  2. Space the rows. Leave at least 5 feet between trellises so you can pick from both sides.
  3. Drive the posts. Set posts at 0, 12-1/2, 25, 37-1/2, and 50 feet, each 24 inches deep with the studs facing the same way.
  4. Cut the roll. Unroll 50 feet and cut each horizontal wire beside a vertical wire.
  5. Lift the fabric. Prop the bottom edge on 6-inch blocks along the row.
  6. Clip the ends first. Clip the fabric to each end post at the top, bottom, and two middle wires.
  7. Clip the line posts. Pull the sag out by hand and clip the line posts the same way.
  8. Plant both sides. Sow or set cucumbers along both faces of the fabric.
  9. Train weekly. Guide new vines onto the wire until the tendrils take hold.

Pick fruit while it is small enough to slide back out through the mesh.

Trellis Problems

  • Fabric resting on the soil rusts at the bottom and traps rotting leaves
  • Posts closer than 12 feet waste the roll; past 20 feet the top sags under fruit
  • Large cucumbers left on the vine wedge into small openings
  • Rows running east-west shade the north side all season

Panels bent over a walkway are covered in building a T-post and cattle-panel arch trellis over a raised-bed path. Beds with a pest problem get covers like building a 4-by-8 strawberry bed cage with two hinged lids.

The hardware cloth mesh size and gauge guide explains how gauge numbers relate to wire stiffness.

Rocky beds slow the posts, so read driving 6-foot and 8-foot T-posts in clay and rocky soil before you start.

FAQ

Can peas use the same trellis?

Yes. Short pea varieties climb the lower half of the fabric.

Should I take it down in winter?

Unclip and roll the fabric, and it will last many more seasons.

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