Archive for the “cucumbers” Category

Jul 14 2009

Saving Seeds: Cucumbers

Posted by: Rose in cucumbers, tags:

cucumberCucumbers DO cross pollinate, so if you want pure seed, separate cucumber varieties from each other by a quarter mile.

Seeds should be taken from fruit that has ripened past edible stage and begun to turn yellow and soften.  To get to the seeds, cut the cucumber lengthwise, scoop the seeds out, wash them and dry them on a paper plate or thick sheet of paper.

Cucumber seeds, like squash and melon seeds, are dry when they break instead of bending.

Useful information to note when labeling your seeds:

- the cucumber variety the seed is from

- how long the cucumber takes to mature

- basic planting instructions

- basic seed saving instructions

- the year the seed was saved

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Jun 02 2009

Planting Cucumbers

Posted by: Rose in cucumbers, tags:

cucumberIt is a good idea to plant cucumbers in hills so they can vine in peace and do not get too crowded.

A week or two after your last frost date, make hills that are 4-5 feet apart from each other on all sides, and approximately 12” in diameter.  Plant 6-8 seeds per hill.

After 3 weeks, thin to 3-4 plants per hill, depending on the quality of the soil.

Keep on top of weeds without disturbing the vines once they started running.

If you wish to save seed, take them from over ripe cucumbers that have already turned yellow and slightly soft.  Wash seeds from the cucumber and dry them.  They are ready to be stored away when they break instead of bending.

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Jul 12 2008

Powdery Mildew V

Posted by: Rose in cucumbers, tags:

Well, the baking soda/ soap mix has a drawback after all: It covers the plant leaves with seasoning for the deer who hitherto were uninterested in our vegetables and rather ate the young maple leaves.

Especially the cucumbers must have been a delicious addition to family deer’s diet for when we inspected our garden this morning, several of our cucumber plants were completely leafless, in others the foliage was a little less severely decimated.

So tonight we put up a deer fence of our own making: We hung a few sheets of plastic (an old shower curtain cut in two, to be precise) in front of the cucumber bed and in front of that we drew another line of string and fastened tin foil to it to further deter our nightly visitors.

Really, as nice as it is to live in a place where you can watch all kinds of wildlife from your living room window, you’d rather not want them in your yard, be it deer, raccoon, or even rabbits, especially when you need to rely on your garden or when you practice for ‘gardening when it counts’.

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Jul 07 2008

Powdery Mildew II

Posted by: Rose in cucumbers, gourd, pumpkin, squash, zucchini, tags:

We started fighting the powdery mildew not last night, but this morning since we read online that watering and/ or fertilizing plants in the evening could be one of the reasons why they get powdery mildew in the first place. Not only did we find affected leaves on zucchini and pumpkins, but also on the acorn squash and on our cucumbers. The luffa gourd that grows right next t the zucchini remained unaffected, which came as a surprise.

So this morning we first cut away all the infected leaves and then sprayed the baking soda/ soap mixture on the remaining leaves and the stems, and now we are waiting for the results.

We also read online that a mixture of 1 part of water and 9 parts of milk would work well against powdery mildew, but we decided to try the baking soda/ soap mix first.

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  • RSS Herbal Household Remedies

    • Infection 4
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    • Infection 3
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    • Treat your Flu and Cold with Healing Herbs
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    • Infection 2
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    • Infection
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    • Indigestion 2
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    • Does an Apple Help Heartburn?
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    • Prevent and Treat Sunburn Naturally
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    • Indigestion
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    • Hypoglycemia
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    • Herpes
      honey, green beans, peppermint Yet another great use for honey:  Directly applied to herpes lesions, bedsores or shingles, honey heals these within a very short time. A pod tea of green beans works well as a remedy for herpes, cold sores, blackheads, acne and skin afflictions of a similar nature.  Wash the face or afflicted parts morning, [...] […]
    • Swine Flu
      Yes, everybody is talking about it, and yes, there are indeed herbal remedies that will help you preventing being infected by any flu virus. Vitamin D:  It seems as though an insufficient level of vitamin D make you very vulnerable to flu viruses, be they ordinary flu or swine flu.  Stock up on vitamin D quickly, [...] […]
    • Alleviate Spring Allergies with Natural Remedies
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    • Hyperactivity 2
      barley, fennel, peppermint A tea brewed from these ingredients will calm hyperactive children if given in 1-cup amounts, when cool: Cook some barley in plenty of water.  Strain and save the water.  Bring 1 pint of the barley water to a boil and add fennel seed and parsley, 1.5 tsp each, then let simmer for 5 minutes [...] […]
    • Hyperactivity
      catnip, chamomile A cup of hot tea brewed from catnip willensure a good night’s sleep for everyone who suffers from nervousness or hyperactivity, although I would not give it to children. To brew catnip tea, at a teaspoon of fresh or dried catnip to 1.5 cups of water that boiled and was taken from the stove.  [...] […]
    • Heartburn 2
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    • Honey & Cinnamon, who knew?
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  • RSS Survival Homestead

    • At Last 41 Killed as Quake Strikes Eastern Turkey
      Turkish officials say an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 has destroyed homes in several villages in the country’s east, killing at least 41 people and injuring 50 others. Turkey’s Kandilli Observatory says the quake struck the province of Elazig early Monday at 4:32 a.m. local time and was centered near the town of Karakocan. The [...] […]
    • Hundreds of Mostly Tiny Quakes Are Rattling Yellowstone Park
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    • Wet summer, more demand could create seed shortage
      Dreaming of biting into a garden-fresh cucumber sandwich this summer? Better order your seeds now. A poor growing season last year and increased orders from Europe could make it difficult for home gardeners to get seeds for the most popular cucumber variety and some vegetables this spring. Farmers, who usually grow different varieties than home gardeners, [. […]
    • Cold inflicted major toll on fish in Florida
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    • Another Strong quake hits Haiti, sends people into streets
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    • The Story Behind Earth’s Coldest Temperature Ever
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    • Extreme Weather: Why Has Mother Nature Gone Bonkers?
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    • Floods leave 3,000 displaced in Argentina; at least 2 people dead
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    • Panasonic’s new home battery could store a week’s-worth of electricity
      Panasonic is charging into the green space headlong — first with deals to supply batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles — and now announcing that it will launch a massive lithium-ion storage battery capable of powering an average home for up to a week, the company says. Source/Full Story: VentureBeat […]
    • Gun-friendly laws sweep South, West
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    • A paradox of plenty – hunger in America
      Call it a paradox of plenty. In the world’s wealthiest country, home to more obese people than anywhere else on earth, almost 50 million Americans struggled to feed themselves and their children in 2008. That’s one in six of the population. Millions went hungry, at least some of the time. Things are bound to get [...] […]
    • Far Fewer Americans Believe in ‘Global Warming’
      Americans seem to be cooling toward global warming. Just 57 percent think there is solid evidence the world is getting warmer, down 20 points in just three years, a new poll says. And the share of people who believe pollution caused by humans is causing temperatures to rise has also taken a dip, even as the [...] […]
    • Cleveland Volcano on Aleutians spews ash plum
      Geologists are on alert after the Cleveland Volcano spewed an ash plume up to 20,000 feet. The Alaska Volcano Observatory reports that the volcano on Alaska’s Aleutians Islands erupted late Friday, prompting the observatory to raise the mountain’s threat level to code orange. The observatory says satellite views showed the ash cloud drift northeast about 375 […]
    • Ammo rationing at Wal-Mart as panic buying sweeps US
      The USA is suffering the most severe ammunition famine in living memory. Gun fanciers, fearing a Democrat crackdown on every American’s right to pack heat, are clearing shelves at ammo shops and hoarding cartridges. AP reports that the Remington Arms Company’s factory in North Carolina is now working around the clock trying to supply insatiable demand [...] […]
    • Johns Hopkins student kills apparent burglar with sword
      A Johns Hopkins University student killed an apparent burglar with a samurai sword after discovering the man in his garage, police said Tuesday. Baltimore, Maryland, police received a phone call shortly before 1:30 a.m. Tuesday about a suspicious person, and an off-duty officer arrived at the scene with campus security, city police spokesman Anthony Guglielm […]

  • RSS Natural Household Remedies

    • Kitchen Floor Cleaner for Tough Jobs
      If you have a lot of grease to fight, try this vinegar formula: Ingredients: 1 gallon of hot water 2 tbsp liquid castile soap 1/4 cup washing soda 1 cup vinegar 20 drops essential oil, either peppermint, eucalyptus or tea tree Clean your floor as usual.  Rinsing is not necessary.  For extremely stubborn spots, drop essential oil directly on the spot, wait […]
    • Kitchen Floor Cleaner Lemon and Orange
      Citrus is great against grease, and makes the kitchen smell fresh too: Ingredients: 1 gallon of hot water 2 tbsp liquid castile soap 15 drops sweet orange essential oil 8 drops lemon essential oil (or 1/4 cup of lemon juice) Mix ingredients and mop or scrub your kitchen floor as usual.  No rinsing necessary. […]
    • Kitchen Floor Cleaner Pine
      To add a delightful light pine fragrance to your freshly scrubbed kitchen, try this solution: Ingredients 1 gallon hot water 2 tbsp liquid castile soap 10 drops pine essential oil 5 drops cypress essential oil In a large bucket, combine all ingredients.  Mop or scrub the floor as usual.  Rinsing is not needed.  If you have stubborn stains or scruff marks, […]
    • Keeping Your Fridge Fresh
      There are several ways of maintaining the freshness of your fridge - or freezer, for that matter. Place a bowl of coffee on one of the shelves, if you like the smell of coffee.  This will keep odors at bay for up to 7 weeks. Place a bowl with about 2 oz of vanilla extract on the [...] […]
    • Refrigerator and Freezer Cleaning
      If your fridge or freezer doesn’t smell as fresh as you would like it to, here is a simple fix: Refresh-Your-Fridge-or-Freezer Mix Ingredients 1/2 cup water 3 tbsp baking soda 6 drops of essential oil, peppermint or eucalyptus (for freezer) 10 drops of essential oil, peppermint or eucalyptus (for fridge) Mix a solution of these ingredients.  After emptying […]
    • Put green into your spring cleaning
      It’s worth checking this out, there are plenty of links to follow in the article itself.  I am only blogging their suggestions for household cleaners here: Via: Kentucky.com How-to: Making your own cleaning products It’s easy to make household cleaning products. And making your own is often a lot less expensive [...] […]
    • Microwave cleaner
      The inside of your microwave can trap food odors and grease which will spoil the flavor of the food you heat in it.  Here is a recipe for a paste that removes odors and grease easily and your microwave will be smell new. Ingredients 1/4 cup baking soda 1 tsp vinegar 5-6 drop essential oil, either lemon, lemongrass or [...] […]
    • A different story: Fighting Cockroaches Naturally
      Cockroaches are tough, as all of you who have to put up with them know. IF you do not have children or pets that walk around the house freely, you can mix borax and sugar and put it into all the dark spots, which is where cockroaches like to hide.  But even this it might not [...] […]
    • Fighting Critters Naturally 5 - Insects in General
      This is the last part of my mini series: Insects In general, you can get rid of any number of insects in your kitchen by placing loose bay leaves in your kitchen cabinets. […]
    • Fighting Critters Naturally 4 - Centipedes, earwigs and silverfish
      And the fourth part of my mini series deals with Centipedes, Earwigs and Silverfish Several drops of either of the following essential oils placed in all areas that collect moisture, like damp basements, garages or cabinets that house plumbing fixtures will deter any of these critters: peppermint eucalyptus wintergreen citronella […]
    • Fighting Critters Naturally 3 - Mites
      Here is the third part of my mini series: Mites and Weevils Place whole nutmegs in flour bins or bags, at the bottom.  This will deter both mites and weevils. […]
    • Fighting Critters Naturally 2 - Ants
      Here is the second part of my mini series: Ants Wipe your cabinets out with a damp sponge and 6-8 frops of peppermint essential oil, or citronella essential oil.  Use the same oil and put 3-5 drops on windowsills, edges between countertop and wall, and wherever you see the ants marching. […]
    • Manufacturers Flout Law, Refuse to Disclose Toxics in Household Cleaners
      Via: readme.readmedia.com Chemical Disclosure Could Protect Consumers, Advocates Fight for Transparency Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and other household cleaner manufacturing giants are refusing to follow a state law requiring them to disclose the chemical ingredients in their products and the health risks they pose. With mounting concern about […]
    • Fighting Critters Naturally 1 - Mice
      This is a little series I am starting today - I will post advice about how to evict critters from your kitchen without using chemicals Mice Mice do not like peppermint.  If you a few sprigs of fresh peppermint between your cabinets, and also where you suspect them to enter your kitchen, they will be [...] […]
    • Appliance Degreaser “Herbal Wonder”
      If you have a greasy film on your appliances, this solution will work wonders: Ingredients: 2 cups of water 1/4 cup oil based soap (Murphy’s will do just fine) 10 drops of either rosemary, lavender, or even citrus essential oil In a plastic spray bottle, combine all ingredients and shake well before you use the solution.  Then spray generously on [...] […]
    • Take ‘green’ to the cleaners with new products, old recipes
      Via: USATODAY.com Is it possible to clean green? Is it necessary to give up Mr. Clean to be green?If you’re not sure, that may explain the surge in books, magazine articles and websites explaining how you can clean and “detox” your home without chemicals found in familiar cleaning products such as Mr. Clean. But the [...] […]
    • Clean home, clean planet
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    • This green party’s agenda: safe scrubbing
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    • Appliance Cleaner “Lemon Wonder”
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    • Sink Rust Remover
      Ingredients: 1/4 cup baking soda 5 drops essential oil of your choice juice of half a lemon Sprinkle baking soda on the stain, then add drops of essential oil and sprinkle with lemon juice. Let sit over night or several hours. Wipe baking soda away and then rinse well. If the stain is on the side of the [...] […]

  • RSS Get Out of Dodge!

    • Remington Shotguns for The U.S. Department of Education
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    • Food product recall jumps by 1.7M pounds
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    • Ireland: Bailout ‘would spark revolution’
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    • Rulings Restrict Clean Water Act, Foiling E.P.A.
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    • Claude Foulk, Hospital Director, Accused of Raping Children Since 1975
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