How to Transplant Cucumbers Into a Raised Bed

Spread a 4-inch layer of fresh compost over the top of the soil in the raised bed as soon as the soil thaws enough to work in spring. Spread 4 cups of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet of bed. Turn the compost and fertilizer into the existing soil with a shovel.

Cover the raised bed with a sheet of black plastic. The plastic traps moisture and heat in the soil, helping it warm even more quickly.

Set the cucumber transplants outdoors on a patio or other protected area after frost danger passes in spring. Bring the transplants in at night, leaving them outside during the day, so they can become accustomed to the brighter light and weather conditions outdoors.

Transplant the seedlings after the soil in the raised bed reaches a temperature of at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut a planting hole in the plastic for each seedling or remove the plastic entirely prior to planting. Leaving the plastic in place retains moisture, prevents weeds and ensures the soil remains warm.

Dig the planting holes to the same depth as the seedling pots. Space the holes 24 inches apart in rows set 24 inches apart. Raised beds require minimal row spacing since you don't walk between the plants in the bed and instead tend to them from outside the bed.

Lift the cucumber transplant from the seedling pot. Place a seedling in each planting hole, setting it so its at the same depth in the bed that it was at in its pot. Fill the hole in with soil around the cucumber roots. Water the plants immediately following transplanting.