Growing Cucumbers In Minnesota: Everything You Need To Know

You want to know whether it is possible to grow great cucumber plants in Minnesota?

Of course, it is! However, there are still some things you should take into account when growing cucumbers in the Minnesota region.

Hence, make sure to have a look at this article since I will show you how to adjust your watering behavior, what pests you may have to keep away from your plants and much more.

After reading this article, you will be able to avoid mistakes many other people often make when it comes to growing cucumbers in this region.

Without further ado, let’s get right into it!

Do cucumbers grow well in Minnesota?

Since Minnesota is a rather cool state, cucumbers don’t grow as well in this region as in many other parts of the US.

However, you can still grow decent cucumber plants if you are willing to put some extra work into your gardening project.

How long does it take to grow cucumbers in Minnesota?

It will usually take you between 14 and 18 weeks to grow cucumbers at home from seed to harvest.

If you are a rather impatient person and want to see results quicker, I suggest you rely on seedlings from the store to shorten the growing period by many weeks.

How big do cucumber plants grow in Minnesota?

While climatic conditions may not be perfect, your cucumber plants may still get pretty bushy and you should therefore provide each plant with at least 12 square feet of space so they can grow in a decent manner and don’t have to compete for important natural resources with each other.

Can you expect great yields when growing cucumbers in Minnesota?

As long as you care well for your plants and provide them with everything they need, you can expect pretty decent cucumber harvests at the end of the growing season, even though you should not expect the same great yields people growing cucumbers in Georgia or other warmer and sunnier states are often able to get.

When to grow cucumbers in Minnesota?

You should start growing cucumbers in Minnesota as soon as you no longer expect spring frost outdoors.

In most regions, this will be around May.

However, if you want to start earlier in the year, this would be possible if you pre-grow your plants indoors and transplant them outdoors later once it gets warmer outside.

Can you grow cucumbers in Minnesota in winter?

You should not try growing cucumber plants in Minnesota during winter since lighting conditions are rather poor and it is far too cold to grow cucumbers outdoors during this time and using a heated greenhouse may just not be economical in most cases.

Can you grow cucumbers in Minnesota multiple times per year?

Since winters are rather long and also arrive pretty early in the year, growing season will be rather short and instead of trying to get multiple cucumber harvests at different times of the year, you may be far better off just focusing on one single batch and caring for it as best as possible since batches grown too late in the year will often not get ready before winter frost arrives.

What cucumber varieties grow best in Minnesota?

When growing cucumbers in Minnesota, you should choose varieties that grow well under cool climatic conditions. Those include:

• Talladega Cucumbers
• Dasher Cucumbers
• Cutter Cucumbers
• Kirby Cucumbers
• Helena Cucumbers
• Socrates Cucumbers
• Babylon Cucumbers
• Dominator Cucumbers
• Genuine Cucumbers
• Saber Cucumbers
• Tyria Cucumbers

Is it better to grow cucumbers in Minnesota from seeds or seedlings?

Due to the rather short growing season, it may be better to grow cucumbers from seedlings instead of trying to grow them from seed since cucumbers grown from seed may often not get ready to harvest before winter frost arrives.

Should you start growing cucumbers in Minnesota indoors?

Since growing season outdoors is rather short, it definitely makes sense to pre-grow cucumbers indoors in early spring and transplant them outdoors later in May so you may be able to harvest cucumbers rather early in summer.

How to water cucumber plants in Minnesota?

While you may not have to water cucumber plants much during the early months of the year when your plants are still young and it is rather cool outdoors, you may have to water your plants far more often during hot summer days.

Do you have to protect cucumbers against the sun in Minnesota?

You don’t have to actively protect your cucumber plants from the sun.

Instead, just let them grow in a natural manner and once your plants get bigger, they will become more resistant to the sun, radiation and heat on their own without any intervention needed from your side.

Will wild animals feed on cucumber plants in Minnesota?

Rabbits, voles and groundhogs may frequently try feeding on your cucumber plants in Minnesota and I therefore recommend installing a fence so you can keep away those hungry folks to a certain extent and don’t have to share your yield with them.

Cucumber pests & plant diseases in Minnesota

Whiteflies, thrips and nematodes are just some of the unpleasant pests you may have to deal with when growing cucumbers in Minnesota.

Fortunately, it is not hard to keep away pests and plant diseases from your cucumber plants.

When to harvest cucumbers in Minnesota?

If you start sowing cucumber seeds in Minnesota in May, you will usually be able to harvest your cucumbers around September.

If you want to see results earlier in the year, you may want to pre-grow cucumber seedlings indoors around March and may be able to harvest your plants in early August.

Additional Information for Growing Cucumbers at Home

As you can see, growing cucumbers in a successful manner in Minnesota is not really difficult.

However, if you want to become a real expert in growing cucumbers at home in general, you should also have a look at my cucumber grower’s guide.

If you still have some specific questions when it comes to growing cucumbers in your garden or on your balcony, you may also want to have a look at my growing cucumber FAQ.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumber

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cucumber_varieties

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.