Container Cucumbers

Patio Snacker is a well branched, short, vining variety perfect for large containers with small trellises. This fast-growing plant produces early, continuous high yields of 8-in. (20-cm) dark green fruit with great flavor and a nice crunch. Perfect vining variety for large containers with trellises.

Planting
Cucumbers should be planted in a section of your garden that receives full sun and has evenly moist soil. If your garden space is limited, cucumbers will do just fine in full sun on a patio or deck in a 5 gallon or larger container.

• Choose a sunny location (6+ hours of sun) and dig a hole about two times as wide as your pot.
• Remove your plant from the pot by loosening the soil and tipping it out into your hand. Place your plant in the soil about as deep as it was in the pot.
• Refill the space around your plant with soil and press lightly to compact the dirt, keeping your plant firmly in the ground.
• Water immediately to settle the soil, and add more soil as needed, bringing it level to the rest of your garden.

Care
Cucumbers do not need a lot of attention once established in the garden. Since cucumbers love heat, they can follow cool-season crops like spinach and lettuce. The use of mulch can speed up growth by conserving soil moisture, maintaining a high soil temperature. Mulch will also keep the weeds under control.

Since cucumbers have a shallow root system, a continuous water supply is necessary for the best quality fruits. Water deeply once a week, applying at least one inch of water. Frequent but shallow watering will reduce overall yields.

Feed them well. Cucumbers, along with squash, melons, and pumpkins, are heavy feeders. If compost was incorporated into the soil prior to planting, fertilizer will not be needed early in the season. Apply an all-purpose vegetable garden fertilizer when your plant begins to set fruit.

Think vertical! When planning the garden, consider growing cucumbers vertically on a trellis, fence, or other support. This makes the best use of garden space by containing the vines and keeping them from sprawling throughout the garden, as well as keeping the fruits clean and straight as they develop above the ground. Researchers have proven that growing cucumbers vertically dramatically increases yields because the vines receive better air circulation and more sunlight than vines on the ground.

Harvesting
Like most vegetables, cucumbers are tender and tastiest when harvested young before their seeds are fully developed. Slicing varieties are generally ready for harvest when about 6 to 8 in. (15-20 cm) long; pickling types at 3 to 5 in. (7-12 cm).

Don’t allow the fruits to become overripe on the vine. Keep mature fruits picked to encourage further production. Harvest the fruits early in the morning before the sun hits them for the best flavor and texture.

About 30 to 40 days before the first expected frost in your zone, pinch off all the blossoms on the plants. This will encourage the plants to bring the remaining fruits on the vines to maturity before the frost kills them.

Spacing
12″

Width
36-60″

Exposure
Full Sun – 6+ hours direct sun

Fruit size
8in (20cm)

Days to harvest
39

Information courtesy of BurpeeHomeGardens.com