How to Grow Cucumbers With Little Space

Select a variety of cucumber that grows well in containers, such as Picklebush or Spacemaster. Salad Bush Hybrid, Cherokee, Patio Pick, Potluck and Bush Champion are also wise choices.

Set the container in an area where the cucumbers will receive approximately six hours of direct sunlight each day.

Fill your large pot close to the top with loose, well-drained potting soil with organic matter. Equal parts of dirt, peat moss, compost and perlite work well for container plantings.

Add a slow-release fertilizer to the soil according to the directions on the label.

Plant five or six cucumber seeds in the pot. Cover them loosely with 1/2 inch of the soil.

Place a teepee-shaped cage or a wood stake in the center of the pot. The cucumber plants need support as they grow.

Water the soil well. Container gardens dry out quickly due to exposure to wind and sunshine. Clay pots are even more vulnerable, since the water evaporates from the clay sides. When watering, watch for excess water to drain out of the bottom of the container and then stop. Check the soil with your fingers daily to determine if it feels damp. Do not keep the soil soggy in the container; keep it adequately moist for the best cucumber yield.

Cut off all of the seedlings at soil level except for two once the cucumbers start to sprout. Pulling the seedlings out disturbs the other plants. When the two remaining plants reach a height of 8 to 10 inches, cut off the least healthy-looking plant at soil level. This leaves only one cucumber plant in the pot.