How to Grow Cucumbers In a Container

Containers make good use of patio or deck space to grow cucumbers.

You can easily grow cucumbers in a container, even if your space is limited. Homegrown cucumbers taste delicious and can help you cut back on your grocery bill. Cucumbers take about 45 to 65 days from seeding to harvest, notes the Texas A&M System AgriLife Extension.

Things You'll Need

• Potting soil

Instructions

1. Place a container with drainage holes at least 12 inches across in an area receiving at least eight hours of sunlight. Cover the cover the drainage holes with landscape cloth or several layers of newspaper and a handful of small rocks. This prevents the potting soil from being washed away when you water your plant.

2. Fill the container three-quarters of the way with potting soil. Add a slow-release fertilizer.

3. Plant a compact or bush cucumber for salads and snacking such as Spacemaster, Salad Bush Hybrid, Bush Champion or Hybrid Bush Crop. For making pickles, go with Picklebush or Midget Bush Pickle.

4. Start your cucumber plants indoors three to four weeks before your last frost. If your last frost date has passed, plant seeds directly in the container. Plant cucumber seeds in July for a fall crop, recommends the Ohio State University Extension.

5. Fertilize your cucumber after it's been watered, beginning in mid-July, according to package instructions.

Tips & Warnings

• Check cucumbers daily for water needs.

• Picking mature fruits encourages your plant to continue producing.

• Avoid the impulse to crowd plants; overcrowded plants typically do not produce very well.

References

• Ohio State University Extension: Growing Cucumbers, Peppers, Squash And Tomatoes In Containers
• Texas A&M System AgriLife Extension: Vegetable Gardening in Containers