Growing Hydroponic Cucumbers Indoors 10 FAQ Answered

Start growing hydroponic cucumbers indoors. It’s easy to have lots of yummy cucumbers year-round if you grow them indoors.

Growing Hydroponic Cucumbers Indoors

Hydroponic cucumbers are a versatile crop that can be grown in DWC, flood and drain, Rockwool blocks or slabs, the Kratky method, NFT, and even aeroponic systems. The main difference is that hydroponics does not use soil.

You can grow hydroponic cucumbers at home and they are easy to grow. The only thing you really need is a way to control the vines.

This will require a trellis unless you want them sprawling out on your floor which I would not recommend.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about growing hydroponic cucumbers indoors with answers.

Can you grow cucumbers indoors hydroponically?

Yes, you can grow cucumbers hydroponically indoors. They will actually do better indoors with hydroponics than they would outside. 

Hydroponic cucumbers are grown without soil so soil-borne diseases are less and they are not exposed to frequent weather changes outdoor cucumbers experience.

How do you grow hydroponic cucumbers indoors?

There are several ways to grow hydroponic cucumbers. I prefer DWC or deep water culture. But they can be grown in flood and drain systems or in Rockwool.

Here is a more detailed article on growing cucumbers in DWC:
Growing DWC Cucumbers (indoorvegetablegrower.com)

How do you start cucumber seeds?

Cucumber seeds are larger than most other vegetable seeds and they actually sprout pretty fast too, usually in less than a week.

I like to germinate seeds on a moist paper towel. I set them on the towel and fold it over once to cover them up. Then I place the towel in a small plastic container with a lid.

Keep the container in a warm but not hot place. It does not have to be kept in the dark. Check it after about 3 days as cuke seeds germinate quickly.

Once you see the root tail coming out you can plant them into a Rockwool cube or a rapid rooter plug.

Once you see roots coming out of that they are ready to set into your hydro system in a pot of moistened hydroton. 

How long does cucumber take to grow in hydroponics?

It depends on a lot of different factors. But generally, if you are going to grow cucumbers indoors you can go by the days to harvest on the seed pack or the label in your transplant container.

Hydroponic vegetables usually will yield faster than plants in soil or in the garden.

Most cucumbers will take 50-60 days to produce fruit and continued picking of the new cukes can extend the harvest.

Which hydroponic system is best for cucumber?

I think DWC is the best system for growing cucumbers. Make sure to use a bush variety because regular cukes will make long vines that are hard to control indoors.

However, most other hydroponic systems including flood and drain, Rockwool top feed drip, and NFT systems also work very well.

Can you grow cucumbers with the Kratky method?

Yes, you can grow Kratky cucumbers. Kratky method hydroponics is very similar to deep water culture but without the airstones.

You will need a very large container to do it though. This means you would be growing hydroponic cucumbers in a plastic trash container or in a barrel.

It works well but it is not very practical for growing indoors because trash cans or barrels take up a lot of space.

Do you have to pollinate hydroponic cucumbers?

Cucumbers should be hand pollinated if grown indoors. There are usually no bees or other insects to do this so you will have to do it.

Sometimes just shaking the plant will work but a better method is to pollinate the flowers with a soft brush like a makeup brush or a small paintbrush.

If you really don’t want to pollinate try English greenhouse cucumber varieties.

Are hydroponic cucumbers healthy?

Hydroponic cucumbers are every bit as healthy as those grown outside in a garden. In fact, they may be even better for you.

Out in the garden, not all soil is full of all the nutrients a plant needs. So garden cukes may actually be less nutritious.

If you add balanced hydroponic nutrients to your indoor cucumbers they will not suffer from nutrient deficiencies like some soil-grown crops.

Are hydroponic cucumbers seedless?

Most cucumbers have seeds but they will be very small and not affect the taste of your cucumbers.

If you wait too long to harvest your cucumbers they can develop seeds. So you want to keep picking cucumbers as they develop.

There are parthenogenic varieties available if you really don’t want any seeds at all. Greenhouse or English cucumbers are seedless. They are longer and thinner than standard cucumbers.

Can you grow cucumbers in water?

Believe it or not, you can as long as you add soluble nutrients to it. This is the basis for how deep water culture works.

But to grow cucumbers in water you will need to oxygenate the water with an airstone unless you are using the Kratky method. grow hydroponic cucumbers at home

Here is another resource about growing hydroponic cucumbers: https://cropking.com/blog/hobby-greenhouse-product