Bush cucumbers have been bred to take up very little space with their extremely short vines — most varieties only require 2 to 3 square feet per plant. They have the same cultural requirements as vining cucumbers and ripen in about the same amount of time. Cultivars include “Bush Champion,” “Parks Bush Whopper,” “Pickle Bush,” “Pot Luck,” “Salad Bush” and “Spacemaster.”
Bush cucumbers are ideal for container gardening or small gardens. A bush cucumber is at home in any well-drained corner of the garden that has good air circulation. They also produce abundantly for their size, but do not overwhelm gardeners with more cucumbers than they can possibly use. If you have a small family or aren’t interested in dealing with a bumper crop of cucumbers, bushing types may be ideal.
