My bamboo plants are there for screening, and so I can hear the wind blow through them (*smile*). Thinning is a good thing, but like anything else, you can do too much of a good thing. What I've read is to do your first thinning after 2 or 3 years. Cut out the old, thin culms, and shape the clump to your needs. But don't cut it before it is at least somewhat established, and do it in phases if you need to do a lot. -Roger

I plant cucs every year and usually a few kinds. This year, 8 different kinds. For the last three years I have planted them in the front flower beds with my perennials and just let them wind their way through the flowers. :) My late husband had built me cucumber tee pees with chicken wire that worked well when I had the big garden. I have also grown them in tomato cages. :) Ginny

Oh, ok, for some reason I thought you were over near Johnson City. I'm in Hamblen, not far at all. You ever drive out Fish Hatchery Rd., headed south off of the exit from I-81? There are a number of farms on the river there near Bybee which distribute to the tomato canneries. I think they also use them down in Dandridge/Newport at Bush's. Just about everything they plant there though is determinate. Of course Grainger is tomato central. They make a big thing out of the soil there, but I spoke with the Hamblen Ag. Agent, and he explained that the entire valley south of Clinch all the way down towards Sevierville and Knoxville is pretty much the same stuff with different amounts of clay, depending on grazing and erosion. I hope you do get yours set up well, I don't use fungicide and I'm East of you lol. I didn't make the festival last year, I know they are doing the Tomato wars both days now. 3 ft. wide cages should have allowed for a lot of space. One reason that I like the reinforcement wire is the wide openings. There's plenty of room for them to spread out outside the cages. Regardless of diameter though, if they are bunched up in tight cages with openings restricting elbow room, they're gonna have issues come July and August. I had minor issues with septoria last year, and of course they quit setting fruit in the heat of August, but once September came around they picked back up and I got a nice finish. Post some pics when you decide which direction to go with the supports.

Very cute. I LOVE the picture with the vizsla in it :) Linda