Do a good job of loosening the soil down to a depth of at least a foot and evict rocks of any size while you're at it. Lavish compost in the soil, carrots expecially will benefit from its soil-leavening effect. Don't use manure in late fall before planting seeds, the carrots will respond to fresher stuff by enthusiastically growing huge tops. If your're a real carrot fan, plan on seeding every two or three weeks from early spring through midsummer for continuous harvest. Set seeds 1/4 inch deep, 3 seeds to the inch and space in rows 12 inches apart. Cover the seeds with fine soil. Thin plants to 3 inches in rows. Once carrots are several inches high they'll benefit from a moisture-concerving mulch. If the soil is loamy and loose in your flower beds, try interplanting carrots in the ornament of their lacy tops.
HARVESTING HEIRLOOM CARROTS
Baby carrots should be ready to harvest in 45 to 55 days. Later than that, be guided by the size-carrots are at their most tender and flavorful when no more than 1 inch in diameter.
SAVING HEIRLOOM CARROT SEEDS
Carrots will cross with each other and with their country cousin, Queen Anne's lace. To save seed from a variety, it should be isolated a least 200 feet from either potential pollen source, a thousand feet would be better. Harvest roots before the first hard frost can get to them and store in sand in cool basement or garage. Set them in the garden the next spring and pick the ripened seed heads.
HEIRLOOM CUCUMBERS
Harvesting
Saving Seeds
Planting
GROWING HEIRLOOM CUCUMBERS
When growing cucumbers it is best to choose a location where the soil is loose and well drained. The preparation of the soil should begin a month before by digging over the soil and removing all weeds. Applying a layer of manure will help to give the plants nutrients when growing. The time to begin growing the cucumber plants is when there is least chance of a frost. Seeds should be started off indoors in peat pots to avoid damage to the root system when transplanting to the garden. The seedlings should be ready to be transplanted into the garden after 12 to 14 days.
Space the plants in groups of 3 and spacing the groups at 2ft apart. If you are growing cucumbers in rows, space the rows at 3ft apart. While the cucumbers are growing keep the plants well watered and search for, and remove all weeds at regular intervals.
HARVESTING HEIRLOOM CUCUMBERS
The time to harvest the cucumbers is roughly 50 - 60 days after planting, depending on the variety being grown. The cucumbers should be harvested before they turn yellow. If the cucumbers do turn yellow they will be bitter to the taste, so a timely harvest is vital.
SAVING HEIRLOOM CUCUMBER SEEDS
Cross pollination occurs in cucumbers. This means pollen is transferred from a plant of one variety to a plant of another variety. This is done by insects. Although it does not affect the fruit borne this season, if you save the seed and plant them next year, the plants that come from these seeds will be different. So will the fruit. So, if you want to save cucumber seed, plant only one variety. Select strong, healthy cucumber plants and well-formed fruits. Let the fruits hang on the vine until ripe (skin becomes yellowish and hard). Scoop the seeds out with a spoon. Place in a jar or bowl, fill the jar will water. Let stand for a few days (outdoors) until a mold forms on the top. The good seeds will have sunk to the bottom and bad seeds float to the top.
Gently pore the mold and bad seeds from the top of the jar and refill the jar with water. Keep pouring off yucky water until you have clean water and seeds at the bottom of jars. Drain and put on a class plate or screen, place in a shady spot until the seeds will snap when you break them apart, not just bend them.
