How To Grow Cucumbers From Seed

Last Updated: July 29, 2022

You haven’t tasted a genuine cucumber if you’ve never bitten into one that has a delicious, vine-ripened, sun-warmed flavor produced right in your own backyard.

You’ll never be satisfied with mealy supermarket imitations again once you’ve experienced the wonderful taste of real cucumbers. Cucumbers plants are easy to grow and are bountiful.

What Month Do You Plant Cucumber Seeds

Sow the seeds between late spring and early summer – roughly May to June, depending on your local climate, or sooner if you’re growing them in a greenhouse.

How Long Does It Take To Grow Cucumbers From Seed

Cucumbers, when properly maintained and free of disease, produce long, slender fruit that may grow to be 3 to 24 inches in length. It takes approximately 50 to 70 days after planting for it to become ready for harvest, depending on how you intend to utilize it.

5 Steps To Start Growing Cucumbers From Seed At Home

Seed

There are hundreds of cucumbers cultivars available as seeds, and picking a few for your personal garden may be difficult. Here are a few things to think about:

  • Determine the sort of cucumbers you want.

  • Consider the size of the mature plants.

Soil

Although it’s known as “potting soil,” the ideal medium for seed germination has no soil at all. Use a sterile, soilless mix designed for seed starting. Never use garden soil, which may drain poorly and harbor disease spores.

Containers

You can start your seeds in a variety of items, including egg cartons with holes cut in the bottoms. However, I’ve discovered that commercial pots, such as biodegradable pots and seed-starting trays, are more convenient.

Sunlight

Seeds germinate best at 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit; bottom heat with a heat mat may assist them in sprouting more quickly. Seedlings flourish better when kept at a temperature of 65 degrees F.

Although you may start your tomatoes on a sunny windowsill, they will thrive better in an LED grow light. Winter and early spring sunshine aren’t as strong as summer sunlight, and there are fewer hours of daylight. Inadequate lighting might cause weak, spindly plants. A light garden with adjustable lights is perfect for growing seeds.

Step-By-Step Cucumber Seed Starting

  • Fill the containers to within 1/2″ of the top and thoroughly moisten the seed-starting mix. Compress the mix but not excessively.

  • Place two or three seeds in each tiny container or each seed cell of a seed starter. Cover the seed with 1/4″ of soil and firmly press it down on top of the seeds. A simple way to ensure good seed-to-mix contact is to soak the soil with water. You can either use a plant mister or just drip a stream of water over the top. It’s not necessary to wet the earth; simply moisten the upper layer.

  • Set the pots in a warm location or on top of a heat mat. At this time, the seeds don’t require any light. Always keep the mix wet, but not sodden. If your seed-starting system includes a greenhouse top, set it on end to collect moisture. Alternatively, cover the tops of the pots with plastic kitchen wrap.

  • Check on your plants at least once a day. As soon as you see sprouts, remove the cover and put the pots in a sunny window or under grow lights, keeping the lights about an inch or two above the tops of the plants.

Growing Phase

Continue to water the soil, but don’t let it get soggy. The lighter color of dry seed-starting mix indicates that it needs watering, as opposed to moist mix. Some gardeners utilize a fan in the room where their seedlings are growing; good air circulation reduces the risk of damping off.

If you’re growing plants on a window sill, turn them every day to ensure that they grow upright instead of leaning toward the light. Raise the lights as your plants expand, keeping them just a few inches above the foliage.

Thinning

You’ll need only one seedling per pot or cell for the healthiest, fittest plants. Many gardeners are hesitant to get rid of the seedlings they’ve been nurturing due to a fear of thinning (removing extra seedlings).

It is, however, critical that it be done. Choose the most robust and healthy seedling and snap off the rest at the soil line with a pair of scissors. You might try moving the extras to new containers, but you run the risk of disturbing the roots of the main plant, and, realistically, how many cucumber plants can your garden take?

Fertilizing

Once the second set of real leaves appears, it’s time to start fertilizing. “Seed leaves” are the first two leaves, which are known as such because they contain seeds. Apply a regular water-soluble fertilizer once or twice a week at half the recommended dose.

Repotting

If your cucumbers outgrow their pots before they’re ready to transplant outdoors, they may need to be transplanted to bigger containers. Don’t let the plant get pot-bound with its roots filling up the container; growth can be restricted.

Transplanting

Wait to plant your cucumber seedlings in the garden until after the average last spring frost date. If a late frost threatens, be prepared to cover the seedlings with season-extending garden fabric, row covers, or plant covers. You should be able to harvest ripe cucumbers in eight weeks or less if everything goes well.

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