Hi! I am new to this forum and to gardening and have learned a lot already from this group. Thank you! Unfortunately, I started my cucumbers and squash too early and I don't want to lose them. Is it possible to grow them in large containers indoors and if so what type of trellis or support system would work best. I live in Illinois and I believe the last frost date is soon approaching but I have to wait until May to transplant them. How long do the vines get and can they grow in pots during the winter? Also, can strawberries be trained to climb up a trellis as well in pots (indoors and outdoors)? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cucumbers are often grown in containers, so they should do okay. The squash might just get too big depending on the variety. You could try using tomato cages to support the vines. I don't think strawberries climb. They will grow fine in pots.
Thank you very much for your input. I will try the strawberries in large pots. Last year I used a strawberry pot with the holes and it died. Cucumbers, I learned, need to be pollinated. If you grow them in pots outside is it enough to have two cucumber pots next to each other in order for them to pollinate? or should I set four of them together in a block form?
I believe one cucumber plant should have both male and female flowers on it. You can usually see the fruit at the base of the female flower. You can try pollinating with a paint brush. Just first go to the male flower and pick up some pollen and then brush inside the female flower. Alternatively you can just remove the male flower and then brush it up against the female flowers.
I think I need to go to the library and pick up a book on this subject. I understand some plants need pollination and others don't. Some require insects and others a paint brush. I thought pollen just flew up in the air and landed where it was suppose to. Thank you very much for your help. I would like to one day own a small piece of land where I could spend all day gardening. I see I have a lot to learn before I do that!
