Will Cucumber Plants Freeze – Ideal Temperature & More

Cucumbers are delicious additions to our summer gardens. Cucumbers aren’t hard to grow, but they do like certain conditions to grow properly. Having lots of sun and warm temperatures is essential to the growth of cucumber. What if it’s cold though? Will cucumber plants freeze?

If it gets too cold, cucumber plants will freeze or experience stunted growth. The ideal temperature for cucumbers to grow is between 70-90 degrees F. It is recommended that you wait 2-3 weeks after the last frost to plant your cucumbers outside or until the soil is around 65 degrees F. 

You’ve come to the right place for more information about cucumbers freezing and what happens if they do freeze.

How Cold Can Cucumbers Survive In?

Cucumbers need a temperature of at least 70 to maintain their survival and produce nice looking cucumbers. Of course, we can’t control the weather, and sometimes cold snaps will happen during the usually warm summer months. So how cold is too cold? 55 degrees F is the lowest for a cucumber to almost survive for a few days. Anything more, and they will be completely frozen and most likely die. 

If the cold weather does only last a few days, you have the potential to be in the clear. Or things like stunted growth or deformed fruit may be your only concerns. If the weather stays cold or consistently gets cold, you may have other problems. Having cold snaps shocks plants, and it can be hard for them to grow properly if the weather goes back and forth. 

What Temperature Do Cucumber Seeds Need To Germinate?

It is recommended that a gardener waits at least 2-3 weeks after frost to sow cucumber seeds. Cucumbers do not like having their roots disturbed, so it is better to plant them in the ground rather than directly starting the seeds in a pot. For the seeds to germinate, the soil has to be at least 65 degrees F. 

What Happens to Cucumbers That Get Too Cold?

Plant damage is inevitable during many cold days. Cucumbers need heat and sunlight to survive. These are some of the things that could happen if your cucumbers are exposed to the cold for too long.

Stunted Growth

• If there is a cold snap, especially during the first few weeks of a cucumber plant’s life, it may only grow to a certain point and stop, not being able to grow anymore. This may leave you with smaller and fewer cucumbers. 

Deformed Cucumbers

• If you have cucumbers starting to bloom and cold weather comes around, the cucumbers on the vine may grow to be deformed. For instance, they could grow small and round or have one end thicker than the other. 

Disease Exposure

• Cold weather makes plants much more vulnerable to disease. 

Drying, shriveling leaves

• Cold weather will shock the plant’s leaves, and they may start looking shriveled or like they are drying up. They may even fall off.

Decay or rot

• Sometimes, if the weather stays cold for more than five days, if there is already fruit on the vines, they will start to rot and decay. 

Plant Death

• Ultimately, if the weather stays too cold for too long, the plant will die.

How To Save Cucumbers From Cold Weather

As I’ve mentioned before, sometimes the cold weather happens, and we have no control over it. This can be frustrating, but you can take measures to protect your plants. 

Are Cucumbers Affected By The Cold or Frost Okay to Eat?

If the frost or cold hasn’t gotten to your cucumbers too badly (since sometimes it can leave them to rot), then they are perfectly fine to eat. If you have some cucumbers almost ready to harvest when this cold is coming, you should pick them up as soon as possible to make sure they don’t get damaged too badly. 

Final Thoughts

Cucumbers are very delicate plants and are picky about the weather they like to grow in. They need that warm sun to thrive and grow; otherwise, they will most definitely freeze and have the potential to die in cold weather. If you live in a cold area and still want to grow cucumbers, your best option is to plant them in a small greenhouse.

This way, they are protected from any weather coming your way, and it is also easier to regulate the temperature inside of the greenhouse. If it is going to be very cold outside, you can even put heaters or heat mats down so your plants stay warm. Happy gardening!