How to Grow Cucumbers to Produce a Lot of Fruit in Pots | FULL INFORMATION
If you want to give your seeds the greatest at sprouting, try soaking seeds in water for 12-15 hours. This is the secret to boosting germination and getting more plants to grow.
CONTAINER SIZE: 25 INCH WIDE/25 INCH DEPTH.
TIP: If you want to grow more than 1 plant in a single pot, try a container that is at least 20-25 inches in diameter and 15-20 inches deep. Rich, healthy soil will keep your plants well-fed and retain more moisture than poor-quality soil.
SOIL MIX: 40% COMPOST, 60% GARDEN SOIL.
Make 1-inch deep holes in the soil mix and put seed per hole. In a 25-30 inch diameter container, we can easily plant 4-5 cucumber seeds.
GROWING SEASON: HOT WEATHER
GROWING TEMPERATURE: 22-38 DEGREE c..
Cucumbers do not do well with transplanting. For this reason, it is better to buy seeds and directly sow them into your pots than to buy seedlings. For most cucumber varieties, plant 1 inch deep, and 6-8 inches apart. Cover the seeds with the soil and pat it down firmly.
Once the seeds are planted, firm the soil gently to ensure good contact between seed and soil. Water in and keep the soil evenly moist until the seeds sprout. Don’t allow the soil to become waterlogged or the seeds will rot. Once the top of the soil dries out, it is time to water again. Select a site that gets full sun (at least 5-7 hours of direct sunlight per day). Cucumbers like warmth and lots of light.
Germination depends on the temperature of the soil. In temperatures above 26 degrees Celsius, seeds can germinate more quickly, sometimes in as little as 3-4 days.
The next stage in growth is the seedling stage. This is when the first set of immature leaves, called cotyledon, starts to appear.
Next, the true leaves develop and the plant starts depending on photosynthesis for its nutrients.
Always check the soil moisture with your finger before watering. If dry, water thoroughly. If wet, don’t water again until the soil feels dry on top and remains slightly moist below the surface. Once the seedlings become established, let the soil dry slightly between waterings.
Day 17, Your plants will get larger and more vines will form. The leaves will get bigger and take on their distinctive shapes.
Day 22, Cucumber plants have tendrils that will reach out to “grab” onto something so the vine can grow upward.
As your cucumber plant continues to grow, it will produce leaves. And if you’re growing a vining cucumber plant, the vine will start to grow too.
Day 25, Once your cucumber plant reaches this stage and grows leaves, do your best to water it at its roots rather than watering from above soaking the leaves. This precaution will help reduce the chance of mildew and other diseases that can be common among cucumbers.
Cucumbers are tender plants and need warm temperatures to germinate and grow strongly, and ideally, 20-36 C to crop well.
Day 32, At this stage you can allow them to cascade down the pots and over the ground around your container garden, or you can tame them to trellises.
Growing them vertically means they take up very little garden space, which is useful in small gardens as well as in small greenhouses. Cucumbers can grow up to 8 to 10 feet long, so be sure you have the horizontal or vertical space to spare before you pick up any of these seed varieties.
Day 43, At this stage of growth, regular watering is very important. Be vigilant in watering, especially if the weather gets very hot and dry. The soil should be moist but not wet. In hot weather water once a day, but otherwise, every other day should be fine. In a growing stage where you may want to use a bit of fertilizer to keep your plant growing steadily. It is generally recommended to water plants after fertilizing them. Watering the plants after fertilizing helps to dissolve the fertilizer and transport the nutrients to the roots, where the plant can absorb them.
Day 46, The day has arrived when your cucumbers are ready for harvest. This is usually within 8-10 days after the tiny fruits first emerge from the blossom.
Pick the ready ones and let the rest ripen and put on some size. Harvesting cucumbers regularly encourages new flower buds to form, and then you can have cucumbers throughout the growing season. Don’t leave them on the vine too long, if they get too large they may taste watery and bland.
Harvest cucumbers early in the morning when it is cool. Cut the fruits from the plant using a sharp scissor or knife. You can harvest cucumbers from around 40-45 days after sowing.
