How to Grow and Care for the Cucumber Plant in Containers
Intro: The important thing about growing cucumber plants is not their foliage or flowers, but the crop the plant will give you. Cucumbers are relatively large plants, taking up a lot of space with their vines and large leaves, but it is possible to grow these vegetables in containers in a balcony kitchen garden. Choose a large plant container (at least 20 inches deep and 20 inches in diameter), and a tall trellis (4 feet tall or so) that can be placed behind the plant container or staked into the container itself. Train the cucumber plant’s vines to grow up the trellis in order to maximize your floor space and allow the foliage more sun.
Scientific Name: Cucumis sativus
Plant Type: Gourd
Light: Full sun
Water: Water your cucumber plant often to make sure the potting soil never dries out. It is appropriate to water if it is dry about 2 inches down into the soil (put your finger into the potting soil to check this). Dry soil will affect the crop, but overwatering can lead to root rot, so pay close attention to watering.
Zone: Zones 4 to 12 when temperatures are consistently above 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fertilizer: Because cucumber plants grown in plant containers are grown in a relatively small amount of potting soil, you will need to fertilize often (at least every week). You can also add compost or compost tea to the soil.
Pests and Diseases: Check for insect pests and soil-borne fungus (fungus shouldn’t be a problem because the vines are growing up on the trellis). Cucumber plants are susceptible to aphids, cucumber beetles, slugs and snails, fungus, various types of rots, etc.
Propagation: This vegetable plant is propagated from seed, which are inside of the cucumbers themselves. Dry seeds and store them in a cool, dry place until the next planting season.
Misc. Info: Some good cucumber varieties for plant containers in kitchen gardens include suyo, salad bush, Liberty, Sweet Success, Bush Slicer and more.
