Cucumber, Early Fortune
Product Description: (Cucumis sativus) Early Fortune was discovered in 1906 by George Starr of Royal Oak, Michigan. Starr selected this variety from his planting of Davis Perfect (now believed to be extinct). In 1910, Early Fortune was released to the public by the Jerome B. Rice Seed Company in Cambridge, New York, where it was described as “the earliest and best white spine cucumber ever offered”. Early Fortune’s sweet and crunchy fruit are great for slicing and fresh eating. Each cucumber grows to about 8 inches in length and 2 inches wide. Yields are frequent and dependable. Open-pollinated. 30 seeds per packet.
Growing Information: To trellis your cucumbers, sow 3 seeds every 8-10 inches at the base of your trellis. Once sprouted, thin the seedlings to just one plant every 8-10 inches. For an earlier harvest, you can start your seeds indoors 3 weeks before your expected last frost. While we recommend trellising, Early Fortune can also be grown on the ground. To do this, build up mounds of soil roughly 12 inches tall and 18 inches wide. Space your mounds about 3 feet apart along the entire length of the row. Direct seed 4-5 seeds per mound (and later thin to just one plant per mound) or transplant directly into the mound. 55 days to maturity.
Seed Saving: Saving cucumber seeds is a slightly more complicated process than some crops, but it can easily be done with everyday kitchen equipment. Firstly, keep in mind that cucumbers will cross pollinate with other cucumber varieties. If you wish to grow more than one variety, a few extra steps will have to be taken to assure the genetic purity of your seeds.
Oftentimes, accurately judging when your cucumbers are ripe enough for seed saving is the hardest part of the whole process! We recommend being patient while the fruit ripen. Don’t be afraid to overestimate the amount of time that they will need. A completely ripe cucumber will be dark yellow in color and significantly larger than harvestable cucumbers. It is not uncommon for them to swell to more than twice their typical size. To avoid rot in the ripening process, be sure to allow adequate airflow around the cucumbers. Trellising your plants would improve airflow significantly.
Once they have been cut off the vine, examine each cucumber for obvious signs of rot. Do not save seeds from any rotting cucumbers, as some plant pathogens can be passed on through seeds. Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop the seeds from the center of the cucumbers into a clean glass jar, tubberware container or large bowl. Feel free to add some water to make the mixture more fluid. You will see that each seed is encased by a gelatinous sac. You must allow the seeds to absorb this sac through fermentation. The fermentation process will take 1-3 days to complete. To keep insects out, you can cover the container with cheesecloth, but this is not necessary.
Stir the seeds once or twice daily and keep the container out of direct sunlight. When fermentation is nearing completion, you will surely notice a less-than-pleasant odor emerging from your container and perhaps even spots of mold on the surface. Do not fear! While this is not very appetizing, it is a sign that your seeds are almost finished fermenting. When most of the seeds have settled to the bottom of the container, transfer the mixture into a wire mesh strainer above your sink. Run the faucet over the seeds and remove any remaining plant tissue until only seeds are left. Continue rubbing them under warm water until they are completely clean.
Transfer the seeds onto a paper towel or kitchen cloth to dry. Healthy and viable seeds should remain plump as they dry. Remove any seeds that appear to flatten out. Be sure to thoroughly dry your seeds (this should take at least a few days depending on the humidity). A quick test of moisture is to snap a seed in half. If it bends before breaking, continue the drying process. If the seed cracks almost immediately, then it is dry. Package your seeds in a sealable glass jar or plastic bag and store them in a cool dry place for up to a year.
Germination Rate: 99%
Product Description: (Cucumis sativus) Early Fortune was discovered in 1906 by George Starr of Royal Oak, Michigan. Starr selected this variety from his planting of Davis Perfect (now believed to be extinct). In 1910, Early Fortune was released to the public by the Jerome B. Rice Seed Company in Cambridge, New York, where it was described as “the earliest and best white spine cucumber ever offered”. Early Fortune’s sweet and crunchy fruit are great for slicing and fresh eating. Each cucumber grows to about 8 inches in length and 2 inches wide. Yields are frequent and dependable. Open-pollinated. 30 seeds per packet.
Growing Information: To trellis your cucumbers, sow 3 seeds every 8-10 inches at the base of your trellis. Once sprouted, thin the seedlings to just one plant every 8-10 inches. For an earlier harvest, you can start your seeds indoors 3 weeks before your expected last frost. While we recommend trellising, Early Fortune can also be grown on the ground. To do this, build up mounds of soil roughly 12 inches tall and 18 inches wide. Space your mounds about 3 feet apart along the entire length of the row. Direct seed 4-5 seeds per mound (and later thin to just one plant per mound) or transplant directly into the mound. 55 days to maturity.
Seed Saving: Saving cucumber seeds is a slightly more complicated process than some crops, but it can easily be done with everyday kitchen equipment. Firstly, keep in mind that cucumbers will cross pollinate with other cucumber varieties. If you wish to grow more than one variety, a few extra steps will have to be taken to assure the genetic purity of your seeds.
Oftentimes, accurately judging when your cucumbers are ripe enough for seed saving is the hardest part of the whole process! We recommend being patient while the fruit ripen. Don’t be afraid to overestimate the amount of time that they will need. A completely ripe cucumber will be dark yellow in color and significantly larger than harvestable cucumbers. It is not uncommon for them to swell to more than twice their typical size. To avoid rot in the ripening process, be sure to allow adequate airflow around the cucumbers. Trellising your plants would improve airflow significantly.
Once they have been cut off the vine, examine each cucumber for obvious signs of rot. Do not save seeds from any rotting cucumbers, as some plant pathogens can be passed on through seeds. Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop the seeds from the center of the cucumbers into a clean glass jar, tubberware container or large bowl. Feel free to add some water to make the mixture more fluid. You will see that each seed is encased by a gelatinous sac. You must allow the seeds to absorb this sac through fermentation. The fermentation process will take 1-3 days to complete. To keep insects out, you can cover the container with cheesecloth, but this is not necessary.
Stir the seeds once or twice daily and keep the container out of direct sunlight. When fermentation is nearing completion, you will surely notice a less-than-pleasant odor emerging from your container and perhaps even spots of mold on the surface. Do not fear! While this is not very appetizing, it is a sign that your seeds are almost finished fermenting. When most of the seeds have settled to the bottom of the container, transfer the mixture into a wire mesh strainer above your sink. Run the faucet over the seeds and remove any remaining plant tissue until only seeds are left. Continue rubbing them under warm water until they are completely clean.
Transfer the seeds onto a paper towel or kitchen cloth to dry. Healthy and viable seeds should remain plump as they dry. Remove any seeds that appear to flatten out. Be sure to thoroughly dry your seeds (this should take at least a few days depending on the humidity). A quick test of moisture is to snap a seed in half. If it bends before breaking, continue the drying process. If the seed cracks almost immediately, then it is dry. Package your seeds in a sealable glass jar or plastic bag and store them in a cool dry place for up to a year.
Germination Rate: 99%
Product Description: (Cucumis sativus) Early Fortune was discovered in 1906 by George Starr of Royal Oak, Michigan. Starr selected this variety from his planting of Davis Perfect (now believed to be extinct). In 1910, Early Fortune was released to the public by the Jerome B. Rice Seed Company in Cambridge, New York, where it was described as “the earliest and best white spine cucumber ever offered”. Early Fortune’s sweet and crunchy fruit are great for slicing and fresh eating. Each cucumber grows to about 8 inches in length and 2 inches wide. Yields are frequent and dependable. Open-pollinated. 30 seeds per packet.
Growing Information: To trellis your cucumbers, sow 3 seeds every 8-10 inches at the base of your trellis. Once sprouted, thin the seedlings to just one plant every 8-10 inches. For an earlier harvest, you can start your seeds indoors 3 weeks before your expected last frost. While we recommend trellising, Early Fortune can also be grown on the ground. To do this, build up mounds of soil roughly 12 inches tall and 18 inches wide. Space your mounds about 3 feet apart along the entire length of the row. Direct seed 4-5 seeds per mound (and later thin to just one plant per mound) or transplant directly into the mound. 55 days to maturity.
Seed Saving: Saving cucumber seeds is a slightly more complicated process than some crops, but it can easily be done with everyday kitchen equipment. Firstly, keep in mind that cucumbers will cross pollinate with other cucumber varieties. If you wish to grow more than one variety, a few extra steps will have to be taken to assure the genetic purity of your seeds.
Oftentimes, accurately judging when your cucumbers are ripe enough for seed saving is the hardest part of the whole process! We recommend being patient while the fruit ripen. Don’t be afraid to overestimate the amount of time that they will need. A completely ripe cucumber will be dark yellow in color and significantly larger than harvestable cucumbers. It is not uncommon for them to swell to more than twice their typical size. To avoid rot in the ripening process, be sure to allow adequate airflow around the cucumbers. Trellising your plants would improve airflow significantly.
Once they have been cut off the vine, examine each cucumber for obvious signs of rot. Do not save seeds from any rotting cucumbers, as some plant pathogens can be passed on through seeds. Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop the seeds from the center of the cucumbers into a clean glass jar, tubberware container or large bowl. Feel free to add some water to make the mixture more fluid. You will see that each seed is encased by a gelatinous sac. You must allow the seeds to absorb this sac through fermentation. The fermentation process will take 1-3 days to complete. To keep insects out, you can cover the container with cheesecloth, but this is not necessary.
Stir the seeds once or twice daily and keep the container out of direct sunlight. When fermentation is nearing completion, you will surely notice a less-than-pleasant odor emerging from your container and perhaps even spots of mold on the surface. Do not fear! While this is not very appetizing, it is a sign that your seeds are almost finished fermenting. When most of the seeds have settled to the bottom of the container, transfer the mixture into a wire mesh strainer above your sink. Run the faucet over the seeds and remove any remaining plant tissue until only seeds are left. Continue rubbing them under warm water until they are completely clean.
Transfer the seeds onto a paper towel or kitchen cloth to dry. Healthy and viable seeds should remain plump as they dry. Remove any seeds that appear to flatten out. Be sure to thoroughly dry your seeds (this should take at least a few days depending on the humidity). A quick test of moisture is to snap a seed in half. If it bends before breaking, continue the drying process. If the seed cracks almost immediately, then it is dry. Package your seeds in a sealable glass jar or plastic bag and store them in a cool dry place for up to a year.
Germination Rate: 99%
