These cordon plants are sometimes called greenhouse cucumbers or English cucumbers. When mature, they can be 12 inches/30 cm long and up to almost 1 kg / 2 lb in weight. That would be too much for these small plants to grow and that’s why I’m pruning them in the way you see.

For how the plants look by late July, in two months time, see this video from 2024.

Filmed 30th May 2025 by Carly Dutton Edwards, iPhone 14, helped by the cat.
At Homeacres, Somerset UK.

You can join this channel by paying a monthly fee, to support our work with helping gardeners grow better, and to receive monthly videos made only for members:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB1J6siDdmhwah7q0O2WJBg/join

41 Comments

  1. Great to know I need to remove the early cucumbers. Maybe this explain why I had so little success with my cucumbers last year. Cheers Charles and kitty.

  2. Nice system you have for climbing veggies. Nice cuke plant and Minty sweet kitty.
    Coyotes in my neighborhood. I had to put branches over our garden hose where one visits to make a deposit.

  3. Good evening!
    Does this also apply to tomatoes, or paprika, plants from the cucurbit family ? As far as I know, for example strawberries are often pruned in a similar manner..

  4. I grew gherkins last year & now have a dozen jars of pickles.
    This year I'm back to Marketmore, Burpless & another variety which escapes me.
    Minty's the twin of my late mother's 'pet' feral who we're gradually turning into felis domestica

  5. I’ve got a Green House this year and brought cucumbers on From seeds they’re coming on nicely. Is it best to keep them in the greenhouse or outside?
    I just wondered about your cat. I do like cats, but I don’t like them when they poop in my garden. What can you recommend? 😏 I’ve got two recycle buckets that I’m going to try and do my own soil with this year. Do you recommend that I put the bucket with a hole in the bottom on soil area?

  6. It's nice to that your cat does exactly what mine does when I'm on zoom calls with people. Must be in frame and on camera every time.

  7. Buena técnica, yo la hago en pimientos e incluso tomates, no sabía que en otra variedad de pepinos también, lo primero que cosecho en primavera son los pepinos y calabacines, ahora están en plena producción.Este fin de semana, 45 grados 🥵

  8. I love that literally every comment mentions Minty. Edit: haha I had to come back because I forgot to ask what kind of twine that is? I used jute because that's all I could find but I'm worried it will break.

  9. Thanks charles first year for me growing cucumbers and its carmen im growing so these nuggets of good info are great. Thanks.

  10. Hi Charles, its been awhile since I watched you, during lock down etc I found such joy and calm in learning from you as I had access to a little garden, Nature and animals and art are what I love and I hope I can create my own life set up to do those things.
    Now kitty always love to be involved in any gardening, I am sure they sniff lots of interesting things as we fidget about..😅😅 ..who knew that kitties are also very much gind benefit in being in the garden ..heavens she is so lovely, the way she perched on your lap, mid squat 😅❤ ..Thank you for all you do and share ..I will share videos with the kids I teach english/art ..we watch together😊😊Lia

  11. Greetings Charles!! I have a Calico cat Garden companion, too🐾🐾🌱💚 Her name is Lyric,,, found her (as a MuddyKitten) trapped in a tipped-over Tomato pot😂😺Thanks for CukeCare insights, Charles, BeWell🌱🌱🌞

  12. Its hilarious that in the time it took to record this, the cat just HAD to be on your lap 😂

    For some reason, whenever I crouch to do stuff in the garden, mine needs to get up on my shoulders (I suspect bc it did so regularly as a kitten… except back then I was sitting on the couch, and it wasn't 3ft tall and 16lbs 😂)

  13. I never had a grandpa, so I pretend you’re mine and are teaching me all about gardening. I’m soaking the knowledge up like a sponge. My girls and I now have a huge garden and I am passing what you taught me down to them. Thank you for sharing your experience with the world. ❤

  14. My little tuxedo girl sits on me like that every time I crouch down, haha. It’s wonderful. I can’t get anything done. 🥒 🐈‍⬛

  15. Your cucumbers don’t seem to have those tendrils that reach out to grab onto things for support. The variety I’m trying this year, a yellow Dutch variety ‘gele tros’, is resisting me wrapping the cord around the stem by making numerous tendrils that wrap around the cord instead, and anything else nearby. It’s at knee height now. I’m thinking to just give it bamboo supports and let it do what it wants 😂

Write A Comment

Pin