How to Grow Bush Cucumbers in Containers Indoors

Preparing the Containers

• 1

  Choose a cucumber variety that prefers containers. Plant scientists with the Penn State Cooperative Extension recommend Salad Bush, Cucumber Bush Champion and Picklebush. Experts at the Ohio State University Extension recommend growing Salad Bush Hybrid and Midget Bush Pickler in containers.

• 2

  Prepare the potting soil. Cucumbers thrive in a mix of one part each of potting soil, perlite, sphagnum peat and heat-sterilized compost. Don't borrow soil from outside because it may harbor pests, fungi or diseases. Add a balanced slow-release fertilizer of 10 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphate and 10 percent potassium (10-10-10).

• 3

  Add soil to pots that are 12 inches in diameter and 12 inches deep. Fill to within 1 inch of the pots' tops.

• 4

  Place stakes in the soil to support the cucumber bushes. Bushes don't produce climbing vines, but cucumber fruits can be heavy. Providing support helps bushes withstand the weight of growing produce. Embed three stakes at equal distances from each other in the soil. Angle them so they form a triangle that meets at the top.

Planting and Harvesting

• 5

  Plant cucumber seeds in pots according to the spacing directions on the seed packet. Instructions typically call for planting five seeds in the center of each pot. Cover seeds with 1/2-inch of soil mix. Water the seeds carefully to avoid dislodging them.

• 6

  Place the pots in south- or west-facing windows that receive at least five to six hours of afternoon light daily. Sunlight warms the soil and helps cucumber seeds germinate. The seeds will sprout in seven to 10 days.

• 7

  Thin cucumber seedlings when they reach 1 inch in height and have two or three sets of leaves. Cut off all but the two largest seedlings. Be careful, when pulling out seedlings by hand, to avoid damaging the root systems of the remaining seedlings.

• 8

  Check the soil moisture daily. Keep the growing medium damp but not over-saturated.

• 9

  Feed cucumbers one time with low-nitrogen, high-potassium, time-release pellets (9-15-30) after the first true leaves appear.

• 10

  Feed cucumbers once a week with a low-nitrogen, high-potassium fertilizer (9-15-30) after the plants have three to four sets of true leaves. High-nitrogen fertilizers will produce abundant foliage but few flowers and fruits. Fed properly, cucumber bushes should bear fruit 45 days after planting.

• 11

  Harvest bush cucumbers when they reach 2 to 6 inches in length. The best fruits are green and firm. Once the cucumbers turn yellow, they're past their prime. Pick cucumbers at least every other day to encourage continued fruiting.