Yes. Using a tomato cage to train cucumbers to grow vertically gives the plants plenty of room to breathe, helps form perfectly straight fruits, and helps prevent pests and soil diseases. When garden space is at a premium, vertical cultivation is ideal.
The end of the growing season is a good time to pick up supplies for next year. One of my favorite items to get on sale are “tomato cages,” something I use for a variety of crops. This year, my tomato cages easily turned into cucumber cages.
There are other vegetables in the garden that can benefit from flimsier support and grow on cages. Any type of shorter plant that likes to vine or that has tendrils will love to climb up those tomato cages. You can use tomato cages for cucumbers, pole beans, peas, or sweet potato vines.
Planting cucumbers and tomatoes together? Planting cucumbers and tomatoes right next to each other is often not recommended. These two plants often have similar requirements for nutrients, water and light, which can lead to competition. Both plants are heavy feeders and require a lot of nitrogen for healthy growth.
Theoretically, you can train your cucumber vines onto the same supports you use for your tomatoes. This mingling of plants is called diversified planting, which can help with pest prevention. The biggest concern here is airflow and sun exposure.
A trellis is a great way to get cucumbers off the soil and promote airflow," says Kaitlin Mitchell, Fonder of Rutabaga Gardening Tools. "The structure gives the leaves plenty of opportunity to stretch out and get full sun.
Aromatic Herbs: Herbs like sage and rosemary, while useful in cooking, can inhibit the growth of cucumbers. They contain natural oils that can slow down the growth of cucumber plants. Brassicas: Plants like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower can compete with cucumbers for the same nutrients in the soil.
Quick Guide to Growing Cucumbers
Plant cucumbers when average daily temperatures reach the mid-70s° F. Space cucumbers 36 to 60 inches apart (12 inches apart for trellised plants) in an area with abundant sun and fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8.
However, cucumber too has a property that interferes with the absorption of Vitamin C. Thus, most of the times, the combination of cucumber and tomato is advised to be avoided.
Tomato Cage Cons
Airflow and sunlight are your plant's best friend when it comes to staying healthy and producing maximum fruit. Densely packed foliage at the center of the cage can easily harbor pests and brew disease, especially if the plant gets wet during waterings.
Having so many zucchini plants so close together was a tangled mess waiting to happen. But the tomato cages helped in several respects: With occasional guiding of leaves through the higher rings of the cage, I was able to keep the plants from growing into each other all season.
Acidic-loving plants such as azaleas, blueberries, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, and roses will benefit from a sprinkling of coffee grounds around the base of plants. Vegetable crops that may benefit from coffee grounds include carrots, cucumbers, peppers, potatoes, and radishes.
Pepper varieties that produce large-fruited bells or big elongated peppers tend to be branching plants that grow well in tomato cages. While short two- and three-ring cages are too small for all but the most dwarf tomatoes, they are ideal for peppers.
Make sure you have heavy duty wire cutters.
Concrete reinforcing wire is thick and strong – after all, that's why it makes great tomato cages! The best way to cut it is to use heavy duty wire cutters (like the ones pictured below) that will cut through the thick wire like butter.
In the grand scheme of things, cucumbers crave a consistent 1-2 inches of water weekly. But let's not oversimplify. Sandy soils dry out faster than a gossip in a small town, necessitating more frequent watering. Clay soils, the stage-five clingers of the garden, retain moisture longer and demand less.
However, because they are both heavy feeders, require a lot of moisture and light, and need adequate space around them to promote healthy air circulation, they may compete. In light of this, if you want to grow cucumbers and tomatoes together, it is best to plant them 45 – 60 cm apart and in separate soil if possible.
If you're planting vining cucumbers, install a trellis about 6 feet tall. Most bush cucumbers don't need extra support, but you can use tomato cages if you'd like. Plant your seeds or transplants. Plant according to your seed packet instructions for your variety.
Vining vegetables like cucumbers actually make perfect companions to bushing veggies like peppers. They enjoy similar growing conditions and can grow together in about the same amount of space as a single plant. Ensure you trellis your cukes and plant your peppers in front so they aren't shaded by growing vines.
Cucumber is a kind of cold-natured food, while peanut contains a lot of oil and fat. If cucumber and peanut interact with each other, it is easy to cause diarrhea.
Cucumbers and tomatoes can be planted by each other as they share similar growing habits and therefore you can grow tomatoes by cucumbers. Greg Volente from Greenhouse Today explains that: 'Cucumbers and tomatoes are two vigorous growers in a spring garden. They're both vining plants and share similar basic needs.