Cool and refreshing, cucumbers are vigorous, productive plants that are easily cultivated in pots and planters.
A smart solution for small gardens and kitchen potagers, growing compact bush varieties in containers delivers the same juicy crunch as garden-grown vining varieties.
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All you need for robust crops with an abundant harvest is a sunny spot, a decent sized pot, and rich, lightly moist soil that’s well-draining.
And no trellises required!
You can grow the vining types if you like, but for easy, carefree cultivation, the compact bush varieties are where it’s at!
So if you’re yearning for some cool, crunchy cukes this summer, let’s dig in and learn how to grow cucumbers in containers.
Here’s what’s coming up:
What You’ll Learn
Growth Types
Cucumbers, Cucumis sativus are divided into two basic categories: bush or vining, with notable differences in their sizes and growth habits.
Bush cultivars are short and bushy, with a compact spread of only two to three feet. These typically produce 12 to 20 fruits per cucumber plant.
They generally have an upright, tidy form that doesn’t require trellising – although a small, 24-inch support can be used if desired.
Bush cucumbers are ideal for cultivating in containers and make handsome spillers, tumbling over the sides of hanging baskets, patio pots, large planters, and even window boxes.
Vining cucumbers are much larger plants with a vining or spreading habit and each vine can grow as much as eight feet long.
These varieties grow well in containers as well, but they require more space, larger pots, and a trellis or other support for climbing.
Our guide to the different types of cucumbers has more information about the varieties available.
Container Choices
To ensure a successful harvest for your potted cucumbers, containers must be large enough to hold a minimum of five gallons of soil.
A pot with a diameter of 12 inches and similar depth holds about this much. Each additional two inches of diameter and height equals approximately two and a half gallons of soil.
Any type of vessel can be used, including grow bags, half-barrels, and large buckets, but whatever pot you choose must have adequate drainage holes to prevent soggy soil.
Hanging baskets and window boxes are also suitable as long as they can hold the minimum five gallons of soil.
Growing Medium
C. sativus are heavy feeders, and for the crispest, firmest, and most flavorful fruits, they require a light, well-draining soil mixture that’s rich in organic materials with a slightly acidic to neutral pH of 6.0 to 6.8.
I find that potting soil alone is too lightweight in texture and nutrients for container grown veggies and prefer to mix my own blend.
Here’s how to make it:
- Into a large bin or wheelbarrow, place two parts of loamy garden or potting soil.
- Mix in two parts of organic matter such as compost, well-rotted manure, or worm castings.
- If desired, add in one-half or one part of moisture retentive materials such as coconut coir, peat moss, or vermiculite. This can be helpful in smaller pots where the soil tends to dry out more quickly than large planters.
- If using larger pots or planters, add in one part of gritty materials such as landscape sand, stone chips, pea gravel, or perlite to prevent compaction and ensure the soil is well-draining.
Also, avoid using garden soil alone for potted vegetables – it’s too heavy and compacts easily, causing problems for the roots.
Cultivars to Select
There are many vigorous bush varieties that are ideal for container cultivation – here are a few popular choices to get you started.
Bush Champion
A non-climbing, compact cucumber, ‘Bush Champion’ is early fruiting and produces an abundance of large cukes with a crisp texture and full flavor.
The fruits measure eight to 12 inches long on plants that grow up to eight inches tall with a 24-inch spread.
‘Bush Champion’ has good disease resistance and is a smart choice for patio pots and other containers.
You can find ‘Bush Champion’ seeds available at Burpee.
Pick A Bushel
A semi-bush variety, ‘Pick A Bushel’ is a small cucumber cultivar but reliably high yielding with up to 20 flavorful and firm-textured fruits per plant.
The small, light green fruits grow three to six inches long on 12-inch plants that spread up to 24 inches.
An easy choice with good disease resistance, ‘Pick A Bushel’ is ideal for hanging baskets, kitchen potagers, or patio planters.
You can find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.
Saladmore
Perfect for container gardens, ‘Saladmore’ is a reliable bush variety that provides an ample harvest of crisp, sweetly flavored fruits.
The dark green cukes grow seven to eight inches long on cucumber plants that reach up to 24 inches with a similar spread.
A handsome, disease resistant choice for patio pots and mixed veggie planters.
You can find seeds available in a variety of packet sizes at True Leaf Market.
How to Grow
Heat-loving cucumbers shouldn’t be planted out until overnight temperatures remain above 50°F and soil temperatures are a minimum of 60°F.
To ensure the deeper soil in pots doesn’t become soggy, I like to add a one- to two-inch layer of porous drainage material, like broken pottery or pebbles, to the bottom of the container.
Prepare your pots with your favorite soil mixture then allow it to warm in the sun for a couple of days.
Large planters can be covered with a sheet of black plastic to heat up larger volumes of soil.
When you are ready to sow, mix in one tablespoon of bone meal and one or two tablespoons of slow release fertilizer for each hungry cucumber plant.
Use a balanced formula such as 5-5-5 (NPK) or one with a slightly higher phosphorous content, such as 6-8-6 NPK.
I use Burpee’s All Purpose Plant Food which has an NPK ratio of 5-5-5 and is available at Burpee.
If you’re starting from seed, sow two to three in each pot, at a depth of about half an inch. Cover with soil and gently tamp it down.
Water seeds and keep the soil lightly moist until sprouts appear.
In four to six weeks, thin seedlings to the strongest plant – keep two or three seedlings for large planters.
In areas with short summers, you can start seeds indoors for transplanting. It’s best to use biodegradable pots as root bound cucumbers can be a bit sulky about transplanting.
If you are planting seedlings or nursery starts, transplant them into your containers at the same depth they are currently sitting in their growing pots then water gently to settle in place.
If you do decide to grow vining varieties, ensure supports are in place before planting. Use netting or trellising that’s sturdy enough to support fruit-laden vines.
Place containers in a location where they’ll receive full sunlight.
Our guide to growing cucumbers has more detailed cultivation info.
Fertilizing
Plants grown in pots will need more regular fertilizing than those growing in the ground, especially heavy feeders like cucumbers.
For container veggies, I like to use a liquid feed every three or four weeks in the form of compost tea.
If you don’t make your own compost tea, you can use a water soluble fertilizer with a balanced NPK ratio or a product slightly higher in phosphorus instead.
Neptune’s Harvest Fish and Seaweed Fertilizer
I recommend Neptune’s Harvest Fish and Seaweed Fertilizer, available at Burpee, which is a mild product with an NPK of 2-3-1.
Water
Provide plants with one or two inches of water per week to keep the soil evenly moist, but not soggy.
The soil should feel like a well-wrung-out sponge at all times – don’t allow it to dry out!
Since the soil in containers dries out quicker than in the garden, you may need to water more frequently in hot weather.
Mulching
When summer’s heat kicks in, a two-inch layer of bark mulch, leafmold, or straw can be set on the top of the soil to help moisture and keep the roots cool.
Avoid crowding the stem and wait for air temperatures to reach 75°F before applying mulch – if the soil is too cool, it can damage or kill your plants.
Companions
Although some cucumber hybrids are self-pollinating, many varieties still need a pollen exchange to produce fruit.
To ensure your potted plants are visited by plenty of pollinators, add a few annual flowers at planting time or place your containers near some flowerpots.
I like to companion plant with easy-growing pollinator magnets like alyssum, nasturtium, and zinnia, and also add a couple of marigolds and a clove or two of garlic for their impressive pest-repellent properties.
For more interplanting ideas, read up on the best and worst cucumber companion plants.
Cool and Crisp
Growing cucumbers in containers is a fun and easy way to enjoy a steady harvest of these cool, crisp veggies.
Bush varieties are ideal for potted cultivation thanks to their compact size. But vining types work as well, although you’ll need a trellis to manage their extensive growth.
Ensure your pots are large enough to hold an adequate amount of nutrient-rich soil and that they have enough drainage holes to prevent soggy conditions.
Place your pots in full sun and give them regular applications of fertilizer and water – then kick back and enjoy a steady harvest of fresh fruits!
Are you growing cucumbers in containers? What’s your favorite variety? Let us know in the comments section below.
And for more cucumber know-how, be sure to add these guides to your reading list next:
