Spring 2024

Growing Cucumbers and Squash in Containers for Small Spaces Gardening

by David George

One of the most popular veggie families besides tomatoes at our annual Great Tomato Plant Sale are the Cucurbits, which include cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins. Growing cucurbits, whether in-ground or in a container, is a breeze and very rewarding. 

Suitable planter pots come in a variety of materials and sizes, but all should have 3-5 drain holes in the bottom. A 16–20 inch diameter container should be sufficient to promote stable (soil, water, and heat) growing conditions. Add a potting soil mix uniformly to about 2 inches from the rim. Cucumbers and squash like warm to hot growing conditions, so locate your planters in a sunny south-facing location. Containers lose water and nutrients more quickly than in-ground beds, so water your darlings 3-4 times per week and apply a balanced fertilizer every 4 weeks until a month before harvest time.

Cucumbers and squash are vines, so you will need to either have space on your patio or deck to allow them to sprawl, or provide a trellis for them to climb. Trellises can be as simple as a tomato cage installed in your planter pot or placing your planters next to wooden lattice work panels up a wall. Other trellis ideas include a decorative arch, a teepee of poles bound by cord, or fencing above your planters that leans at an angle against a wall.

Some favorite cucumber varieties for container gardening are Diva, Japanese Climbing, Persian, and Unagi. All ripen in 55–60 days and continue producing cukes until colder weather sets in. The fruit should be harvested before it grows more than 9–10 inches long. Diva produces tender, crisp, and bitter-free fruit to about 7 inches and is mildew-resistant if grown in cooler locales. Japanese Climbing cukes bear 9-inch tender, crisp, slightly tart fruit and are excellent trellis climbers. Persian “Green Fingers” should be picked when about 5 inches long, and provide thin-skinned, crisp fruit on mildew-resistant vines in hard-to-grow conditions. Unagi provides glossy, crisp, and tasty fruit in high yields of up to 10 inches, and vines are disease-resistant.

Favorite summer squashes for containers include Crookneck, Golden Glory, and Zephyr varieties. They start producing early, at 40-50 days, and the fruit is sweet and compact. Zucchini squash varieties need to be harvested before they become too large, typically around 6-8 inches. Good container zucchinis include Black Beauty, Dunja, and Mexicana.

For more information about the mentioned cucurbit varieties, and a host of other choices, follow the link to this year’s Contra Costa UC Master Gardeners GTPS selection list at: https://ccmg.ucanr.edu/EdibleGardening/GreatTomatoPlantSale/. For additional information about container gardening basics, go to: https://mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu/garden-help/container-gardening/.

With the right attention and care, you’ll be eating your own delicious grown cucurbits all summer!