Growing Cucumbers in Florida: Everything You Need To Know
You want to know whether it is possible to grow great cucumber plants in Florida?
Of course, it is! However, to get the best possible results, you still have to adapt your gardening project to the hot and humid climatic conditions quite a bit.
Not only will you have to water your plants more than in many other states but there are also some pests and wild animals you may have to keep away from your cucumbers.
At the end of this article, you will also find some helpful resources where you will get lots of information on growing cucumbers at home in general so you may be able to become a real expert in this field.
Enough talk, let’s get right into it!
Table of Contents
Do cucumbers grow well in Florida?
Thanks to hot and sunny climatic conditions, most cucumber varieties grow really well in Florida and you will be able to see great results even if you are still new to growing plants at home.
How long does it take to grow cucumbers in Florida?
Most people are able to grow cucumbers from seed to harvest within 13 to 17 months, depending on the cucumber variety and also on the growing conditions they provide to their plants.
How big do cucumber plants grow in Florida?
Cucumber plants can get really big and bushy and you should therefore provide each plant with at least 15 square feet of space so your plants will not have to compete for nutrients and sunlight and can grow in a proper manner.
Can you expect great yields when growing cucumbers in Florida?
Even if you make some small mistakes, you will still be able to get decent cucumber yields since climatic conditions are just really good in Florida and as long as you provide enough space and nutrients for your plants, you will be good to go and can expect pretty decent harvests.
When to grow cucumbers in Florida?
You should start growing cucumbers from seed rather early in the year between February and March when you will no longer expect spring frost in most parts of Florida.
Can you grow cucumbers in Florida in winter?
While winters in Florida are pretty mild compared to the rest of the US, you should still not try growing cucumbers in winter since lighting conditions are just rather poor and chances are you will confuse your plants which would often only deliver rather poor yields if you don’t use artificial lighting and don’t have experience with growing cucumbers in winter yet.
Can you grow cucumbers in Florida multiple times per year?
Since growing season in Florida is rather long and winters are pretty short, you may be able to grow more than one batch of cucumber plants.
For instance, if you start growing your first batch of seeds in March, you may be able to harvest your plants between June and July and may be able to sow a second batch of seeds in June and harvest it around October so you can enjoy great harvests for many months to come.
What cucumber varieties grow best in Florida?
When growing cucumbers in Florida, you should choose cucumber varieties that are well-used to hot and humid weather. Those include:
- Thunder Cucumbers
- Eureka Cucumbers
- Spacemaster Cucumbers
- Helena Cucumbers
- Soarer Cucumbers
- Fanfare Cucumbers
- Diva Cucumbers
- Bush Champion Cucumbers
- Impact Cucumbers
Is it better to grow cucumbers in Florida from seeds or seedlings?
Since growing season is pretty long, there is no need to take the shortcut of growing cucumbers from seedlings from the store.
Instead, you can just grow cucumbers from seed and can enjoy the full growing experience without missing any step in the gardening process.
Should you start growing cucumbers in Florida indoors?
Since winters are pretty short and you will therefore be able to start growing cucumbers in Florida outdoors early in the year, there is no real need for pre-growing cucumbers indoors.
How to water cucumber plants in Florida?
Since Florida is a pretty hot state, you may have to water your plants quite often even when they are still young and once it gets warmer outside and your plants get bigger, you may have to water your cucumber plants in Florida on a daily basis so they will not dry up and can develop in a proper manner.
Do you have to protect cucumbers against the sun in Florida?
Since the sun can be pretty intense even early in the year, it might be a good idea to grow your small cucumber seedlings in half-shady environments so your plants will get a healthy mix of sun and shade until they get bigger and will be better able to deal with full sun on their own.
Will wild animals feed on cucumber plants in Florida?
Rabbits, deer and voles are just some of the hungry animals that may try getting their share of your cucumber plants in Florida and if you don’t want to lose part of your yield to those intruders, you may want to install a fence to protect your plants at least to a certain extent.
Cucumber pests & plant diseases in Florida
Aphids, thrips and flea beetles are just some of the annoying pests you may have to deal with when growing cucumbers in Florida.
Fortunately, there are easy ways how to deter cucumber pests and plant diseases.
When to harvest cucumbers in Florida?
If you start growing cucumbers from seed between February and March, you will usually be able to harvest your plants between June and July.
However, it may also take you longer, depending on the cucumber variety you want to grow and also your skill level when it comes to gardening in general.
Additional Information for Growing Cucumbers at Home
I hope you got lots of useful information out of this article.
If you want to become a real expert in growing cucumbers in general, you may also want to have a look at my cucumber grower’s guide.
Also in case you still have some really specific questions about growing cucumbers at home, you may want to check out my FAQ section for growing cucumbers where you will find answers to almost all questions people often have when growing cucumbers in their garden or on their balcony.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumber
Own research.
About the Author
My name is Andreas and I’m really passionate about our environment and also about growing plants. In fact, I have grown several different plants over many years. I love to see my own plants grow and also always try new things to improve my overall conditions at home.
In my blog posts, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can become successful in growing various different plants and improving your home as well, even though you might still be a beginner right now.
