Growing Cucumbers In A Pot: Tips And Tricks - Epic Gardening

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Growing cucumbers is one of my favorite springtime activities. Having a harvest to pickle with dill and garlic makes summer refreshing, and fresh cucumbers from the garden simply can’t be beaten. While having space to grow them is great, it’s not completely necessary. Did you know you can grow cucumbers in a pot?

Cucumber bushes are easy to grow, and as long as proper spacing, pruning, and fertilizing are in place, they are one of the most rewarding crops to grow. But not everyone has enough room for a raised bed in their garden.

We’ll discuss the ins and outs of growing cucumbers in containers and cover how you can have a huge harvest when you grow cucumbers in pots.

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Quick Care Guide

Scientific Name Cucumis sativus Days to Harvest 50 to 70 days Light Full sun to partial shade Water 1 to 2 inches per week

Soil Loose sandy loam Fertilizer Slow-release pellet fertilizer Pests Cucumber beetles, squash vine borer Diseases Cucumber mosaic virus, powdery mildew

Container Preparation

Do cucumbers grow well in pots? They sure do! When you plan for the growing season, figure out how to grow cucumbers in containers by choosing the right pot for your needs. Much of this depends on what kind of cucumbers you want to grow.

Size And Material

How big do pots need to be for cucumbers? The size of your container determines how many seeds or starts to plant. Most 10-inch wide pots hold one plant, and larger pots hold two. When you plant cucumbers, give them at least one foot of room between each start or seed.

If you are working with bush-like cucumber varieties, you won’t need an additional trellis, but if you’re container gardening vining varieties, you will. Consider this when you determine which container to use. You’ll need a container that is at least one foot deep to accommodate the extensive root system of a cucumber plant. Every container type should also have drainage holes to prevent conditions where diseases can take hold.

Wooden containers are an excellent option for growing cucumber seeds. Whether this is a small raised bed that sits along a balcony or a reused wine or whiskey barrel, wood holds moisture in the container, so you don’t have to water as much as you would with other pots. Add the fact that you are repurposing the container, and you bring ecological sensitivity to your container garden.

Plastic buckets or bags are also viable containers for growing cucumbers. Use at least a five-gallon bucket with adequate drainage. Another option is a large plastic container. Plastic bags with drainage holes work too if you don’t have access to sturdier plastic. The advantage to growing in hard plastic is durability, and they also hold moisture quite well.

Metal containers are an option, too. Use a galvanized steel washtub or a large planter of the same material. Just as you would with the other containers listed so far, choose something that is at least one foot deep and at least 10 inches wide. Wider is better. Repurposed washtubs give you lots of room, or you can use a galvanized stock tank for more width when planting cucumbers. Metal is non-porous and doesn’t need to be watered as much because it retains moisture easily.

Terra cotta pots are also viable growing containers for cucumbers. They sit somewhere between plastic pots and grow bags when it comes to moisture retention and come in sizes large enough for up to two plants. They are more fragile than the others listed here, but if you have a surplus of terra cotta at home, they work well.

Soil Requirements

While you may be tempted to use average garden soil to grow cucumber vines, this isn’t the best option. Instead, use high-quality potting soil that drains well. In the ground, cucumber plants prefer a loamy, slightly sandy soil.

Potting soil has the right mix of moisture-retentive and drainage materials to keep your cucumbers healthy. If you’d like to formulate your own soil, use a combination of one part each potting soil, peat moss, perlite, and compost.

Trellis Considerations

While bush cucumbers, which include some slicing varieties, are better for container gardening, you can grow vining cucumbers in containers, too. Provide a trellis to help your plant produce fruit and remain healthy. Growing cucumbers vertically is a great way to add an accent to your garden.

Most gardeners choose an A-frame trellis when they grow cucumbers vertically in containers. These sturdy frames won’t succumb to the weight of delicious ripe cucumbers when they’re heavy on the vine. Gardeners can then harvest from within the frame, avoiding damage to the vine overall. A-frame trellises also help save space within the container, sitting next to the pot.

A tomato cage can also act as a trellis for your vining cucumber. Include this in the initial planting to avoid damage to roots.

Caring For Your Potted Cucumber Plant

How do you care for a cucumber plant in a pot? Let’s talk about it! This will help you develop delicious cucumbers in pots throughout the growing season.

Planting Cucumbers in a Pot

Use the seed packet as your guide to determine when to plant cucumber seeds. Most will say to wait until after the last spring frost. If you’d like to give your container garden a head start, you can plant most cucumber varieties indoors before then. Get them nice and big and place them outdoors in your container garden after the last frost. This will make the time to your first harvest much sooner.

Start seeds indoors in starter pots or trays, like our Epic 6-Cell Seed Starting Trays, in late winter. Give them a little humidity with a dome and allow the plants to grow into healthy starts. After you plant your seeds, cucumbers will begin growing in just a few days. Then plant them in your cucumber containers with your preferred potting mix and move them outdoors just before the warm weather of spring sets in.

Sunlight & Temperature

Growing cucumbers in pots gives you some wiggle room as to how much sunlight your vines or bush varieties get. Give them about five hours of full sunlight per day and adjust the container position as needed.

How much sun you give them is important. Here in the hot weather of Texas, the sunlight gets intense in the middle of cucumber season. A little bit of shade or dappled sun is needed in those times when the soil temperature is high. Even in large pots, the heat can dry out the soil very quickly.

If you’re vegetable gardening in a more temperate area, place your large container or medium-sized pots in full sun all day. Many plants prefer the morning sun, as it’s not as intense as the afternoon sun. Orient your container gardens to catch the appropriate amount of sunlight.

Another consideration when growing in containers: cucumbers like warm soil but not soil that is too hot. At temperatures above 90°F (32°C) for extended periods, they’ll stop producing. So if you’re growing bush varieties or vines in summer, consider a dolly that can move your plants in and out of direct sunlight as needed.

When temperatures consistently dip below 50°F (10°C), your cucumbers won’t set fruit either. A moisture-retentive soil mix will help maintain a warmer soil temperature.

Watering

If the soil feels dry in its top two inches, water it. Keep the soil consistently moist when you’re growing cucumbers in pots. If you don’t have time to check on your plants, use an automated system that waters them for you. A drip irrigation system that works on a timer can provide a consistent amount of moisture daily.

It’s possible to miss vital watering times in higher heat seasons. While you may have waited a week to water your plants in plastic pots in early spring, you may need to adjust to just a few days at a time for a successful harvest in summer.

Fertilizing

Because these heavy feeders don’t have a consistent supply of nutrients as they do in a raised bed, they’ll need fertilizer. Use a slow-release pellet fertilizer upon planting with an NPK of 2-3-6. Then follow up with diluted liquid fertilizer every few weeks, applied as a soil soak. This, coupled with good fertile soil, ensures each of those cukes has a lovely sweet flavor that can’t be beaten!

Pruning

Prune regularly to maintain compact vines or bushy plants. Begin by checking the base of the plant and ensuring any spent flowers or wilted leaves have been removed from the soil below. Then prune for shape, taking care not to remove branches that may have pollinated flowers on them.

If there are diseased parts, remove these as they crop up. Be careful when pruning compact varieties of cucumbers, as they can suffer damage from too much pruning.

Troubleshooting

Now that we’ve covered the basics of caring for container cucumbers, let’s talk about some problems you may encounter. We’ll also touch on pests and diseases you may encounter.

Growing Problems

If the soil moisture in your container isn’t consistent, you may see pale green leaves on your plant. This affects the development of cucumber fruit overall. Monitor the top two inches of soil to determine when watering needs to happen. Pale green leaves may also be a sign of overwatering or lack of nutrients. The best way to address these issues is to stick to a schedule or use tools that help you fertilize and water regularly.

Another thing you may run into is a lack of pollination, which prevents fruit production. Remember to locate your male flowers and pollinate your female flowers with them. If you find each female flower falling off without any fruit forming, that’s a pollination issue.

If you aren’t growing compact cucumbers like ‘Salad Bush’ and grow vines instead, neglecting to use a trellis can create conditions where diseases are more likely. The same goes for a lack of pruning. Rotting leaves and flowers can be detrimental to container cucumbers. Keep the area clean and you’ll be set.

Pests

Among the most common cucumber insect pests are cucumber beetles. These centimeter-long, bright yellow and black-spotted bugs scar fruit and leaves and defoliate them. They can even spread disease as they feed.

In containers, the best options for control are sprays and planting your cucumbers with companion plants that attract ladybugs, green lacewings, and assassin bugs that feed on them. Neem oil and spinosad will keep them away from your plants too. Remove the clusters of orange eggs they lay as you find them under leaves.

Squash vine borer is a bear in the garden. While there are pesticidal and cultural methods for controlling them, the best way to keep them from boring into your cucumber bush and wilting it is to check your outdoor plants daily for eggs. Remove and crush them, then follow up with liberal applications of neem oil to help prevent egg-laying and suffocate any remaining eggs you missed.

Squash bugs are stink bug relatives that feed on plant juices with their proboscis. You’ll see damage to leaves in the form of stippled scarring. Handpick them as you see them and flick them into soapy water to drown. Plant companion plants that attract parasitic wasps to kill them, and follow up with a misting of neem oil to keep them away and kill any remaining bugs. 

Diseases

Cucumber mosaic virus is often spread by cucumber beetles, aphids, or infected hand tools. The first signs of infection are mottled, yellowed leaves. Prevent cucumber pests that act as disease vectors with consistent applications of neem oil spray. If a plant becomes heavily infected, remove it from your garden and destroy it to prevent further spread.

Powdery mildew occurs when the soil has been too moist for too long or when an exceptionally wet spring occurs. This fungal disease forms on leaves in patches of grey, powdery-looking spots. Remove affected leaves as they emerge, then spray the rest of the plant with neem oil every few days to prevent the fungus from spreading. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do cucumbers grow well in pots?

They can! As long as you give them what they need, they’ll take off.

How big do pots need to be for cucumbers?

Use at least 5-gallon pots that are at least 12 inches deep.

Do I need a trellis for cucumbers in a pot?

If you’re growing a vining cucumber, yes. Otherwise, no trellis is needed.