Can you grow cucumbers in winter?

Cucumbers need about 8 hours of full sunlight daily, and they like warm temperatures to grow well.

You can’t grow cucumbers in winter in most parts of the U.S. unless you have an indoor growing system set up. Cucumbers need a minimum of 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit overnight to grow. If you don’t live in Hawaii, South Florida, or Southern California, outside temperatures are too cold in winter.

What happens to a cucumber plant in winter?

A cucumber plant is an annual plant that doesn’t regenerate after the growing season. Once it has lived a life span (70 days), it will die and can’t be regrown. If winter hits while a plant is still growing, it dies when the temperatures drop below freezing. Cucumber plants cannot survive frost.

Even before frost, when temperatures drop in winter, it affects the growth of cucumber plants and can cause chilling injuries. Symptoms of such injuries include water-soaked spots, pitting, and plant decay.

Btw, if you find other cucumber problems with your plants such as holes in the leaves, yellowing or drying out of the leaves, check out the other cucumber articles. To identify the problem is always the first step to get rid of it.

How late can you grow cucumbers?

You can grow cucumbers as late as August or September in late fall. However, cucumbers require 50-70 days with temperatures above 65 degrees Fahrenheit to produce a harvest at all. So, if you live in USDA zones 3-7, the latest you might want to plant cucumbers is in July.

Cucumbers like moist and warm conditions and thrive in temperatures between 80- and 90-degrees Fahrenheit. So, in most places, even in USDA zones 8-10, you are better off to start growing your cucumbers sooner (late spring) than later in the season.

If you end up having sown your cucumbers a little late in the season, you can try to protect them with row covers. They can provide a little extra protection from the cold and warm up the plants during the days.

What temperature is too cold for cucumbers? Can cucumbers survive frost?

Temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit are too cold for cucumber plants. It will result in slower growth, plant damage, and not much of a harvest, if anything at all. Cucumber plants cannot survive frost, so temperatures of 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below will kill the plants immediately.

How to grow cucumbers in winter

1. Growing cucumbers indoors in winter

To grow cucumber indoors in winter, you need:

– the correct type of cucumber seed variety (Socrates, Tyria, Corinto, Unistars)

– rich starting soil

– a 5-7-gallon container with drainage holes 

– a trellis

– a sunny spot with lots of light or a grow light

With the right cucumber seeds, rich starting soil, a trellis, lots of light, and adequate water provision, you can grow cucumbers in pots in an apartment during the cold winter months. Remember that container-grown plants will need regular fertilization because the nutrients wash out over time.

Cucumbers should be watered two to three times a week, receiving about 1 inch of water over that time. Deep watering moistens the soil to a certain depth and will encourage plants to grow their roots well into the soil. It is better than giving the plants tiny amounts of water every day.

I recommend adding a nitrogen-rich fertilizer every 3-4 weeks.

Also, keep in mind that cucumbers usually rely on insects for pollination, so when the flowers are blooming, you have to pollinate them by hand in order to get to a harvest.

2, Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse

You can grow cucumbers in the winter in a greenhouse. Make sure to keep them warm day and night. You might need to install a heater to guarantee a 70 degrees Fahrenheit or higher temperature so the cucumbers can germinate and start growing. Provide them with direct sunlight for 6-8 hours per day.

Like other fruiting vegetables, cucumbers need the maximum amount of light to yield the full fruit. If there isn’t enough sunlight, you can instead install an additional grow light to ensure the plants get enough light.

After all, greenhouse cucumbers need pretty much the same care as indoor ones. Water them appropriately and start fertilizing them every 3 weeks after the first 4-6 weeks of growth. And don’t forget hand pollination once the plants are blooming.

Conclusion

Can you grow cucumber all year round?

If you don’t live in a warm place with mild winter temperatures, you can’t grow cucumbers outside all year round. You need to set up an indoor growing system like a greenhouse to protect the plants from the cold. You might even have to install a heater to keep the temperatures high enough overnight.

Wondering what else you should know to get your outdoor vegetable garden ready for winter and frost? Here is an easy guide on how to winterize your vegetable garden. Did you know that you should even cover bare soil during winter?

Related questions:

Best winter cucumber varieties

These types of cucumbers are especially great to plant in autumn or winter when the temperatures are on the lower side.

– Cucumber F1 Hybrid Mayar

– Cucumber F1 Hybrid Sila TS-217

– Cucumber F1 Hybrid TS-777

– Cucumber F1 Hybrid JAWAD

What vegetables grow in winter?

There are plenty of vegetables that grow wonderfully despite cold temperatures and might be a better fit for your winter vegetable garden. Many of them even tolerate frost and can survive the harsh and cold winter weather, providing you and your family with fresh and tasty goodness straight from your backyard.

– Beets

– Brussel sprouts

– Cabbage

– Carrots

– Collards

– Garlic

– Kale

– Leeks

– Purple sprouting broccoli

– Romanesco cauliflower

– Shallots

– Spinach

– Swiss chard

However, before you start planting these in fall, do some further research and find details on what each of them needs to thrive in winter. You will be surprised to find out how easy it is to grow some of them in cold temperatures.