Cucumbers are one of those vegetables that just scream fresh, and you can't get any fresher than growing them yourself. Coincidentally, cucumbers are easy to grow indoors. Cucumbers are also beautiful plants when cared for properly. If you don't know how to grow cucumbers indoors look no further. I am going to give you a quick and winning guide to starting your cucumbers on the right foot.
Location
Choosing the site is the first and most important step. Cucumbers really like two things: sunlight and warmth. Cucumbers need 8+ hours of direct sun each day. A south-facing picture window or larger is ideal for growing cucumbers indoors. If you have a sunny room you when the grand prize of awesome cucumbers.
The second need is warmth. Much of the warmth will come from putting them in the right place for sun. You can also help the sun by adding some heat absorbing material covered in the tips section later in the article.
Container Selection
Cucumbers have shallow roots, so you don't need a deep container. One with 6" of depth or more will work fine. Wider pots offer more room to trail and I recommend you choose one at least 12" wide.
Be sure that the pot has drainage holes. Adequate drainage is important to prevent root rot. You can put some landscape fabric or weed screen over the holes so dirt doesn't fall out. Personally, I prefer self-watering containers for most of my indoor plants. They ensure adequate drainage and watering which is important for almost all fruiting plants. I have the best success using them to grow cucumbers indoors.
You want to add a trellis or other device for the cucumbers to crawl up if you are growing vine type cucumbers.
Choosing a Variety
Most cucumber varieties are the vine type, which is fine, but I listed a few good bush types that are more compact. If you want to avoid dealing with 6 foot vines on a trellis, then go with a bush variety. You also need to know if you are going to use the cucumbers for salads & snacks or pickles.
For Salads & Snacks I recommend:
Salad Bush Hybrid
Hybrid Bush Crop
Spacemaster
For pickles choose one of these:
Picklebush
Midget Bush Pickle
Growing
Start your cucumbers from seed in a windowsill greenhouse or your preferred start greenhouse.
Transplant the cucumbers after the first true leaves appear (8-11 days after first sprout normally).
Don't fertilizer for the first month, then add a balanced fertilizer for vegetables.
Limit each container to 1-2 plants. Overcrowding will negatively impact cucumbers.
Check water daily.
Days to maturity around 2 months.
Tips
Don't wait until after the last frost to plant. You can grow indoors any time of year.
Use self-watering containers for better moisture levels.
Cucumbers have shallow roots, so it's important to check moisture levels daily.
Avoid watering the foliage. It can cause wilting.
Wait until fruit is mature before picking. It promotes future growth.
Cover soil with plastic or some other heat absorbing cover. It will absorb the sunlight and help heat the soil. This makes your cucumbers happy.
Growing cucumbers indoors is very rewarding. Particularly, when you slice them up and add to a salad or make your own yummy pickles. You will taste the difference. Many people don't realize what a huge difference in taste there is between home-grown and store-bought vegetables.
Author: T. Bleython
Source: http://www.streetarticles.com/gardening/how-to-grow-cucumbers-indoors
