OLD YELLER PART II - SAVING CUCUMBER SEEDS IS EASY!

OLD YELLER, POST PLUCKAGE

In our first installment about saving cucumber seeds we had plucked an elderly, yellowed cucumber from our patch and set it aside to soften, to simplify the process of separating the seeds from the pulp that will result.

SUCCESS - CUCUMBER PULLS APART UNDER LIGHT FINGER PRESSURE

Timing is by no means critical for success in this project but in this case we were very lucky. This cucumber literally fell apart under mild finger pressure; the natural fermentation process which frees the seeds to germinate on their own is already underway.

We removed all the chunky, non seed bearing portions and placed the remainder in a container with about a quart of water, stirring mildly to blend seeds, pulp and water as evenly as possible. Most containers, glass, food grade plastic or as in this case, an old pot from a crock pot that had burned out long ago will do just fine. Do clean the container thoroughly first, however.

SEEDS AND PULP FLOATING IN CLEAN WATER IN CROCK POT
 

If you have the pots original lid, simply put it in place and store the crock in a room temperature, dimly lit environment until the fermentation process has freed the bulk of the seeds. Most folks start with a sturdier cucumber than we have here; the process might take as long as 5 days.

In this case I'm betting on less than 72 hours but we shall see. Once a day open and examine the contents of the crock, stirring lightly. When almost all the seeds are on the bottom, it is time for phase 3 of our seed saving process, This will be detailed in another post, shortly.

Perhaps you do not have the pots' original lid? You do want to cover the crock. If you have a plate that fits properly, that is fine or you can make do with plastic, as we have here.

PLASTIC SECURED WITH RUBBER BAND MAKES A SUITABLE COVER

Poke several holes in the plastic to allow the fermentation gases to escape, and you are well on your way to starting your own stock of heirloom cucumber seeds!

That is about all we have for today, thanks as always for visiting Uncle Mac's Garden Shed!  

OLD YELLER PART I- SAVING CUCUMBER SEEDS IS EASY!

It was just so sad. He was laying under a withered cucumber vine there in the garden, up against the fence; motionless, unaware. Unnoticed until too late he had lingered there and now, expired, he was of no further use to anyone. Yes, Old Yeller, once a proud and tasty cucumber had died on the vine, as it were.

What to do with the dear departed? Interment in the compost pile? A vikings funeral? Keep him by the shed door to hurl, end over end like an old fashioned German potato masher grenade to make a satisfying and somewhat squashy impact on Mr. Bears' nose when next he stops by to grace us with a table dance we definitely have no use for or desire to witness?

None of the above. For as it turns out, Old Yeller and others of his ilk have more value to us as a potential cucumber patch in years to come than do cool, crunchy green specimens no matter how tasty they may be. We are going to extract and save Old Yellers' seeds.

The first step is to allow several cucumbers to hold their ground there by the fence, to grow and gradually decay like an old Studebaker on a backwoods road,

THE OBJECT OF OUR SOMEWHAT LABORED STUDEBAKER SIMILE.

When they have yellowed naturally but are still firm it is time to gather them up, rinse and dry them off, and then place them in a room temperature environment inside the house to decompose until they are soft but not quite mushy. Keep the cucumbers out of direct light while this process continues.

We will update this post with pictures and directions as we proceed through the remaining steps that will lead to a supply of viable seeds, good for several years and which can be sown, sold, swapped or simply given as gifts.

As a bit of a hint, the next step will require an old crock. (Or plastic pail, large glass jar or the like.)

What's that Agnes? No, not you, this kind of old crock, is what we meant.*

That's about it for today folks, check back at Uncle Mac's Garden Shed for real time directions for saving and storing your own seed supply. It is simpler and more rewarding than you might think.


*HAD YOUR ASSISTANCE BEEN REQUIRED, AGNES, THE MOT JUSTE WOULD HAVE BEEN "BATTLEAXE"


Oh and of course, yellowed or not you can still eat them. One rather tasty way to do so is revealed right HERE!

THE CHILDRENS HOUR WITH LEATHERFACE - Knowing the enemy

Hi boys and girls and welcome back to the Children's Hour with your favorite cut-up, Leatherface. Well I finally found out why that durn old chain saw wouldn't run, there was an ear ring jammed in the turning mechanism again! I wonder how the heck that keeps happening, I guess it's just one of life's little mysteries...

Another of life's mysteries is how to get a bumper crop of vegetables out of the gardens we've worked in so hard when so many of mother natures critters are bound and determined to get to them first. Here is the first contender from our rogues gallery of furry - and occasionally feathered - adversaries, and a tip or two on how to deal with their ilk.

Mrs. Bunny

What is cuter than a bunny? Not many things are; they are innocuous creatures for the most

part, a welcome sign of spring,

a pleasant sight on the lawn in the morning and evening. But in the garden, well perhaps not as welcome. The stereotype of Bugs Bunny with a carrot in his paw is not far from the truth, Rabbits love carrot tops and Mrs. Bunny and her adorable brood can saw an entire carrot patch level with the ground in just a few unguarded hours.


They also like the foliage of many other garden plants, cucumber and squash vines and their leaves being right on the top of the list along with all varieties of greens.

Fortunately, and unlike most of the marauders on the list, it is not terribly difficult to deal with

bunnies. A 3' tall 1 inch poultry wire fence will defeat them. They can dig underneath but rarely will, and setting the baseboards at the bottom of the fence even a few inches into the ground will discourage even the most enterprising carrot lover. 

Ignore the various sprays, scents, live traps etc. that are available, you will need a fence anyway, and a well maintained fence will keep a sorrowful Mrs. Bunny on the outside, looking in.

Yes Kids, rabbits are one of the few garden pests that we can happily co-exist with, because they are so easy to deflect. But be sure to stop back for the next edition of The Children's Hour when we encounter a totally different kind of adversary in the form of Chuck the Destructor...

As always, thanks for stopping by!

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Before you go why not visit with Amycita, who gives us some of the soundest gardening advice that I can remember: http://www.firefliesandtunacans.blogspot.com/2011/03/never-impale-your-foot-on-garden-rake.html, or with Mandy at Mandy's Pages, a breath of fresh air for all of us who write or aspire to do so: http://www.mandys-pages.com/