Cucumbers are part of the gourd family which also include squashes and melons.  They are a vine plant so they will want somewhere to climb and spread.  There are many different varieties to choose from and they come in all different shapes, sizes and colors.  I love the selection from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and appreciate that all of their seeds are heirloom varieties. 

• Can be started indoors a week or two before the last frost date, they do grow best sown directly.
• Presoak and plant directiy in the soil after last frost date.
• Plant two per square foot or 6" apart, about 1/2" deep, in full sun.

• Because of the high water content in cucumbers the soil needs to stay moist all the time.  Water a couple times a week and keeping them mulched will help with this.
• Do not let leaves get wet since this can spread fungus and disease.
• Train the vines up a cage, trellis, fence, etc.
• Keep an eye out for cucumber beetles and other pests and disease, see below.

• Plant with beans, peas, and sunflowers.
• Corn protects cucumber against viruses that cause wilt.
• Planting a couple radish seeds around the cucumber protects against cucumber beetles. 
• Avoid planting with potatoes and aromatic herbs.

• Cucumber beetles;  as mentioned above you can plant a few radish seeds around the cucumber plant, don't pick the radishes but let them grow all season, even going to seed.  
• Nematodes; boil half cup of sugar in two cups of water and spray onto the plant.  The sugar will dry them up and also attracts pollinators.
• Downy mildew; make a strong tea using chives and/or horsetail and use as a spray.
• Rotate the crop each year.

• Cucumbers need to be harvested regularly to keep the plant producing more cucumbers.  
• Cut the fruit stem from the vine at any size, although you do not want them too big.  They taste best when young.
  
• They to not store well unless you are pickling them, so eat fresh and eat often.  Or use as directed in the healing section below.

• Let the fruit grow to full maturity so they get very large and turn either yellow or brown.  Cut in half lengthwise and scoop the seeds out in to a jar or bowl.  
• Add enough water to cover the pulp and le the mixture ferment for three days, stirring daily. 
• Strain and rinse really well, removing all pulp and bad seeds.
• Spread out on a screen to dry for a week or two, then store in an air tight container for up to 5 years.
  

Cucumbers are not only refreshing on a hot summer day, they also have many healing properties that can be useful for treating some of the following conditions:

• Skin conditions of all kinds; itchy, inflammed, iriitated, dry, eczema, rashes, and sun burn.  Apply the sliced fruit or juice externally and/or eat or drink internally.
• Arthritis and gout - drink the juice or eat daily.
• Inflammed and strained eyes - apply cucumber slices to closed eyes, replace with fresh slices as they become hot.
• Kidney tonic
• Lung supoort
• Bone strenthening and building
• Lower fevers due to the cooling properties
• Cleansing and cooling (hence the term "Cool as a cucumber")
• Mild diuretic
• Electrolyte - comsume to replace lost electrolytes through sweating, vomiting and diarrehea. 

Cucumbers also contains vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C and K, potassium and antioxidants. 

Cucumber facts from Nutrition and You

Shared on: Tuesday Garden Party, The Art of Homemaking.

I debated whether to do this post on corn since this is my first year actually planting it and I have no experience whatsoever with growing and harvesting.  But this is a place to live and learn together so I am simply sharing the information I have studied about planting corn and we can learn together in the process.

There are three different types of corn you can plant, depending on your needs.  The most common is sweet corn, which is the milky sweet corn we all love to eat right off the cob.  There is also dent/flour corn which you let dry on the stalk and then grind into cornmeal and flint corn, which you also let dry on the stalk and then use for popping corn.  There is a really cute book called Corn by Gail Gibbons where she explains with pictures all about these different varieties of corn.  In fact it was after reading this book that we decided to give corn a try in the garden this year.

• Corn must be started from seed, outdoors two weeks before the last frost date up to June. 
• Plant them 4 per square foot or 12" apart, 1-4" deep, if summers are dry it is best to plant deeper.  Corn will actually grow better if planted in the square foot method since the wind is the main pollinator.  
• For a continuous harvest you can plant a new crop every two weeks.
  
• Plant in rich soil with added compost or manure.
• Be mindful of where you plant corn since it will get quite large and you don't want to shade other plants growing behind it.

• Mulch right after planting to hold in moisture and prevent weeds from starting.
• Water weekly, more if the weather is hot and dry.
  
• Keep area clear of weeds.

• Peas and beans are really good to plant with corn because they add nitrogen to the soil which corn uses quite a bit of.  
• Also does well next to potatoes, cucumbers, squash and sunflowers. 
• Keep away from tomatoes.
  

• Check the ears daily when the silk starts to turn brown and they feel bumpy. 
• Peel a small strip of husk to do a milk test, puncture a hole in one kernal with you fingernail and if it pops with milk, it is ready.  
• Hold the stalk with one hand and use the other to pull down and break off the ear.  
  
• For harvesting dent or flint corn, let the ears dry on the stalks and then rub the kernals off.
• Sweet corn can be cut off the cob and either bottled or frozen.  
• Once completely dried, Dent and Flint corn should be stored in an airtight container and stored in a cool, dry place.

From what I've read corn has more problems with pests than any other crop.  A local farm plants rows of sunflowers throughout the farm to attract the birds and hopefully leave the corn alone, so I will be trying this method.  Rotating crops will help prevent earworms and corn borers. 

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds goes out of their way to ensure their seeds are non-GMO, so I order all my corn seed from them.  They also have a large variety to choose from and they are all of course, heirloom seeds.

Shared on: Tuesday Garden Party, The Art of Homemaking.

My family made it through the entire winter without any kind of illness and then comes spring and bam! Everyone had croup and even though I am usually immune to what the kids have, for some reason I got to join them on this one.  Luckily I had all the herbs on hand to pull together this very effective Dr. Christopher formula for lung support, including the chickweed we have been talking about.

I recently completed the Family Herbalist course from The School of Natural Healing and learned about many very effective formulas Dr. Christopher used for many years with his patients.  This one in particular relieves irritation in the respiratory tract, lungs and bronchials.  It also aids in emphysema as well as other bronchial and lung congestion such as bronchitis, asthma, tuberculosis, etc.  Not only does this formula heal conditions but it also strengthens the entire respiratory tract.

I did have to modify this recipe a bit to make it more palatable as a tea by adding a bit of peppermint.  I found the peppermint also supports the original formula due to it's own respiratory support and congestion clearing properties.   The original recipe from Dr. Chrisopher is equal parts of the the following herbs, minus the peppermint.   This is my version:

1 oz. marshmallow root
.5 oz. comfrey leaf
1 oz. chickweed
.5 oz. mullein
1 oz. lobelia
1 oz. peppermint

I find this herbal formula works best as an herbal tea.  Add a teaspoon of raw honey and it tastes great and you also get the healing benefits of the raw honey.  It is soothing on sore throats that can sometimes accompany constant coughing associated with respiratory conditions.  You can also make a tincture or glycerite or grind into a powder for herbal capsules.  Typical dosage would be one cup of tea two or three times a day, 2-3 capsules two or three times a day or 1 teaspoon of tincture or glycerite 3 times a day for adults and 2-3 dropperfuls 3 times a day for children.  

I try to grow and dry what herbs I can, what I don't have I purchase from Mountain Rose Herbs orBulk Herb Store, both carry high quality, organic herbs.  You could also purchase the original formula from Dr. Christopher's Herb Shop, it comes in capsule form, bulk powder and tinture.