If you prune a cucumber too early, it may not develop properly and the vine may get damaged. This ensures the plant can support cucumbers later in the growing season.
In particular, prune your plants when they develop suckers.
Damaged areas will take away vital nutrients from the rest of your plant.
To identify the sucker, look for the fuzzy, floral-like end coming off of the main plant stem. If you leave the suckers on the plant, you will have a smaller overall yield and may grow smaller cucumbers.
This keeps your plants healthy by distributing the nutrients to the growing cucumbers rather than the damaged ones.
If you train your plants too early, their stems may grow unevenly.
Growing cucumbers on vines saves space in your garden and keeps them off the ground, which minimizes diseases.
If you accidentally cut off the tendrils, you may need to use extra clips to support your main vine on the trellis.
