Question
Hi Mike: I live in Nova Scotia , canada. I am trying square foot gardening, well 5' by '5' square gardening. SHould cucumbers be put in mounds instead? But the question i would like answered is should cucumbers vines be allowed to creep on the ground or should the  vines creep upwards on something? thank you

Answer
Jerome, I do not plant cucumbers and squash in hills or mounds. Instead, I plant three seeds per hole spaced 2 feet apart. After the plants germinate, I thin the seeds to one per hole.

In regard to the growing habit, cucumbers were meant to vine out and sprawl along the ground. As long as the soil is not constantly wet, the cucumbers will do fine. If the ground is excessively wet, place boards under the fruit to keep them from rotting.

Many gardeners, however, do choose to grow the vines vertically. The primary advantage of this, in addition to keeping the fruit from contacting the soil, is that it saves space. When grown vertically on a trellis, you can space the plants one foot apart instead of two. This is esepcially advantageous when using the square foot methodology.

In short, either method is acceptable. Use whichever method fits your situation the best.

I hope this answered your question. Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike