Fried Zucchini Blossoms RecipeFried Zucchini Blossoms Recipe Did you know that you can eat the beautiful zucchini blossoms? We like to stuff them with hummus or cheese and garlic, hot pepper flakes, and basil then dunk them in a simple flour and soda water batter and fry in a cast iron skillet. YUM! See recipe... Baked or FriedZucchini Blossoms Recipe INGREDIENTS: 8-12 Squash Blossoms (any zucchini, squash or pumpkin flowers)Fresh Basil or Sage Leaves (1/2 cup+)Hummus (homemade or store-bought)orRicotta Cheese (1 cu...
What Seeds to Plant in AugustWondering what to plant in August? In the West, we start seeds for the following vegetables in August:Lettuces, spinach, beets, carrots, green onions, cilantro, basil, bok choy, mizuna, kale, peas, green beans, broccoli, sugar snap peas, radishes and cabbage. Now is a great time to fill in bare spots in your garden or to start seeds to plant into places where cucumbers, basil or other summer veggies are at the end of their production. Vegetables to Plant in August-SeptemberSome of the cool w...
Gardening ChallengesWhat are your biggest garden challenges? Every gardener has challenges, it's part of what makes gardening fun! Learning something new every year, gardeners accumulate lots of knowledge over time via experience. What are some of your top challenges in your garden? WeatherWeather can be harsh sometimes, especially with late spring storms, hurricanes and tropical storms, non-stop rain, freezing cold temperatures, super hot 90˚F+ temperatures, you name it. We like to start many vegetables suc...
Happy June Gardening!It's June 1st, but it's not too late to plant zucchini seeds! Our Summer Squash Black Beauty Zucchini produces a huge crop of tender zucchini squash during the summer - and they are super fast growing, they start to harvest in 55 days! We direct sow the seeds in mounds in the garden, zucchini plants grow fast and don't like to get root bound, so starting them indoors is unnecessary. It's June...Is it too late to plant seeds? There are plenty of other veggies that you can p...
Fastest Growing VegetablesDo you want to grow the Fastest Growing Vegetables? Here are our top suggestions for the fastest growing crops that you can start from seed: Radish – Harvest in 22+ Days!The classic Cherry Bell Radish is super easy to grow and it is one of the fastest growing vegetables you can plant!. Simply direct sow the seeds in fluffy soil, keep them moist and watch them sprout in just 5-7 days depending on soil and weather conditions. They grow quickly into pretty 1" cherry red globes that a...
Hail Protection for GardensBest Hail Protection for Gardens If you live in an area that is hail prone, such as the front range of Colorado (also known as hail alley), then you know that you want to protect your garden from hail storms. Don't worry, hail happens – but there are real ways to provide hail protection for your garden. #1 Hail Protection for Garden: “The Classic Hail Protector”An overturned pot. Hail Garden DIY Tip: Yes, something as simple as an overturned planter, bucket or flower pot will help p...
How to transplant Seedlings after GerminationWant to learn how to transplant Seedlings after Germination? Here are our top tips for transplanting seedlings: Once your vegetable seedlings have germinated and have a set or two of regular leaves, you can transplant them into larger containers if desired. Should you pre-moisten seed starting mix? Yes. When transplanting seedlings, it is important to pre-moisten your seedling mix or potting mix before transplanting pots – this will help your pepper, tomato and other vegetable transplant...
Roasted Green Chile ChickenGreat for lazy days you want to throw things in a pot and walk away. Ingredients:1 tsp Oregano1 tsp Cumin 3 pounds Chicken (bone-in preferred)4 slices of bacon (chopped)1/2 Yellow onion (large dice)1 10oz. can crushed tomatoes (or finely chopped fresh tomatoes)1/2 C chopped hatch green chiles (roasted)Cilantro for garnishInstructions:1. In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot. Bring to medium heat. Throw in dried spices and roast for 2 minutes, stirring constantly so they don't burn (no oil)....
Green Chile Sauce RecipeGreen Chile Sauce Goes great on everything! Use it on top of burritos, roasted vegetables, potatoes, tacos, sandwiches, burgers, or use it as a salsa with chips. Ingredients:4 Tbs butter1/2 yellow onion (diced)6 Tbs all purpose flour1Tbs chicken bullion1 1/2 C water 1/2 cup chopped hatch green chile (roasted)salt and pepper to taste Directions:1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and add in onions. Saute onions until they become fragrant and translucent. 2. Once onions are cooked, turn down t...
Why are my seedlings falling over?Why are my seedlings falling over?It could be Damping Off. These are common questions from gardeners starting vegetables from seed: Why are my seedings dying after sprouting? Why are my seedlings leggy? Why are my seedlings wilting? Why do my seedlings keep dying? Seedling above is affected by damping off. Every year we get hear from some gardeners that their seedlings mysteriously started wilting, flopping over, and dying – most of the time this is caused by damping off, an invisible kil...
Largest PeppersLooking to grow the world’s Largest Peppers? World’s Largest Pepper If you're looking for the world record largest pepper, look no further than the Big Jim chile – this humongous pepper is the current Guinness Book of World Record holder for being the largest chile pepper in the world! These giant peppers can grow up to 14" in length, but typically range from 8-10". This, the largest chili pepper variety, is sure to please any pepper lover! The extra large Big Jim Legacy Chile ...
Salsa Garden LayoutSALSA GARDEN LAYOUT Salsa Garden Layout If you're planning a Salsa Garden, here's some tips! Give tomato plants a lot of space! You can plant jalapenos closer together as they don't grow as large as tomato plants. Make sure to give them enough room away from the tomatoes so they don't get engulfed! Cilantro and Green onions can be grown along the sides of your garden as a border or in between the tomatoes and peppers. We put together this sample Salsa Garden Layout above – bu...
Salsa GardenSALSA GARDEN If you're like us, you can never get enough salsa! So why not grow your own salsa garden? Looking for salsa garden seeds? We have you covered with over 100 peppers from around the world, plus lots of heirloom tomatoes, too, that make the BEST salsa ever! Grow your own salsa garden! Salsa Garden Kit Check out our salsa garden kit and grow your own salsa! Our Salsa Garden Seeds are perfect for any salsa-lover. Our fabulous Salsa Garden Kit has four packets of seeds to get your...
Seed Contest: Spring 2023THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED! We love seeing your photos! Congratulations to Cat & Angela, our two lucky winners of a $25 GIFT CARD & SEED CATALOG! ORIGINAL CONTEST DEETS: Here’s how to enter: 1. Post a photo of your Sandia Seed packets, stickers, gardens & harveston Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram 2. Add hashtag #sandiaseed in your post’s description for a chance to win! Even though this contest is over, we still love seeing your pepper and vegetable posts, so tag us with #san...
When to Harvest Carolina ReapersWondering when to Harvest Carolina Reapers? You can harvest Carolina Reaper pods when they mature to red, typically after at least 90+ days of growing from seed. The Carolina Reaper is a super hot pepper – in fact, it still holds the Guinness world record for being the hottest pepper. However, just because they are the hottest pepper in the world, the Carolina Reaper isn't harder to grow than other peppers! Most importantly, Carolina Reaper plants need a long growing season. Consequently,...
How to Grow Bell PeppersWondering How to Grow Bell Peppers?Here are our top tips for Growing Bell Peppers: Bell peppers are relatively easy to grow, but here are a few tips so you can have the best success! First, plant pepper seeds at least 8-10 weeks before your area's last frost date. Plant seeds in pre-moistened well-draining seedling starter mix and bury the seeds about 1/4" deep. Use a seedling heat mat to speed up germination – this will help keep the seeds warm, ideally 80-90˚ F is optimal for fast...
Fried Zucchini Blossoms Recipe
Fried Zucchini Blossoms Recipe Did you know that you can eat the beautiful zucchini blossoms? We like to stuff them with hummus or cheese and garlic, hot pepper flakes, and basil then dunk them in a simple flour and soda water batter and fry in a cast iron skillet. YUM! See recipe... Baked or FriedZucchini Blossoms Recipe INGREDIENTS: 8-12 Squash Blossoms (any zucchini, squash or pumpkin flowers)Fresh Basil or Sage Leaves (1/2 cup+)Hummus (homemade or store-bought)orRicotta Cheese (1 cu...
What Seeds to Plant in August
Wondering what to plant in August? In the West, we start seeds for the following vegetables in August:Lettuces, spinach, beets, carrots, green onions, cilantro, basil, bok choy, mizuna, kale, peas, green beans, broccoli, sugar snap peas, radishes and cabbage. Now is a great time to fill in bare spots in your garden or to start seeds to plant into places where cucumbers, basil or other summer veggies are at the end of their production. Vegetables to Plant in August-SeptemberSome of the cool w...
Gardening Challenges
What are your biggest garden challenges? Every gardener has challenges, it's part of what makes gardening fun! Learning something new every year, gardeners accumulate lots of knowledge over time via experience. What are some of your top challenges in your garden? WeatherWeather can be harsh sometimes, especially with late spring storms, hurricanes and tropical storms, non-stop rain, freezing cold temperatures, super hot 90˚F+ temperatures, you name it. We like to start many vegetables suc...
Happy June Gardening!
It's June 1st, but it's not too late to plant zucchini seeds! Our Summer Squash Black Beauty Zucchini produces a huge crop of tender zucchini squash during the summer - and they are super fast growing, they start to harvest in 55 days! We direct sow the seeds in mounds in the garden, zucchini plants grow fast and don't like to get root bound, so starting them indoors is unnecessary. It's June...Is it too late to plant seeds? There are plenty of other veggies that you can p...
Fastest Growing Vegetables
Do you want to grow the Fastest Growing Vegetables? Here are our top suggestions for the fastest growing crops that you can start from seed: Radish – Harvest in 22+ Days!The classic Cherry Bell Radish is super easy to grow and it is one of the fastest growing vegetables you can plant!. Simply direct sow the seeds in fluffy soil, keep them moist and watch them sprout in just 5-7 days depending on soil and weather conditions. They grow quickly into pretty 1" cherry red globes that a...
Hail Protection for Gardens
Best Hail Protection for Gardens If you live in an area that is hail prone, such as the front range of Colorado (also known as hail alley), then you know that you want to protect your garden from hail storms. Don't worry, hail happens – but there are real ways to provide hail protection for your garden. #1 Hail Protection for Garden: “The Classic Hail Protector”An overturned pot. Hail Garden DIY Tip: Yes, something as simple as an overturned planter, bucket or flower pot will help p...
How to transplant Seedlings after Germination
Want to learn how to transplant Seedlings after Germination? Here are our top tips for transplanting seedlings: Once your vegetable seedlings have germinated and have a set or two of regular leaves, you can transplant them into larger containers if desired. Should you pre-moisten seed starting mix? Yes. When transplanting seedlings, it is important to pre-moisten your seedling mix or potting mix before transplanting pots – this will help your pepper, tomato and other vegetable transplant...
Roasted Green Chile Chicken
Great for lazy days you want to throw things in a pot and walk away. Ingredients:1 tsp Oregano1 tsp Cumin 3 pounds Chicken (bone-in preferred)4 slices of bacon (chopped)1/2 Yellow onion (large dice)1 10oz. can crushed tomatoes (or finely chopped fresh tomatoes)1/2 C chopped hatch green chiles (roasted)Cilantro for garnishInstructions:1. In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot. Bring to medium heat. Throw in dried spices and roast for 2 minutes, stirring constantly so they don't burn (no oil)....
Green Chile Sauce Recipe
Green Chile Sauce Goes great on everything! Use it on top of burritos, roasted vegetables, potatoes, tacos, sandwiches, burgers, or use it as a salsa with chips. Ingredients:4 Tbs butter1/2 yellow onion (diced)6 Tbs all purpose flour1Tbs chicken bullion1 1/2 C water 1/2 cup chopped hatch green chile (roasted)salt and pepper to taste Directions:1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and add in onions. Saute onions until they become fragrant and translucent. 2. Once onions are cooked, turn down t...
Why are my seedlings falling over?
Why are my seedlings falling over?It could be Damping Off. These are common questions from gardeners starting vegetables from seed: Why are my seedings dying after sprouting? Why are my seedlings leggy? Why are my seedlings wilting? Why do my seedlings keep dying? Seedling above is affected by damping off. Every year we get hear from some gardeners that their seedlings mysteriously started wilting, flopping over, and dying – most of the time this is caused by damping off, an invisible kil...
Largest Peppers
Looking to grow the world’s Largest Peppers? World’s Largest Pepper If you're looking for the world record largest pepper, look no further than the Big Jim chile – this humongous pepper is the current Guinness Book of World Record holder for being the largest chile pepper in the world! These giant peppers can grow up to 14" in length, but typically range from 8-10". This, the largest chili pepper variety, is sure to please any pepper lover! The extra large Big Jim Legacy Chile ...
Salsa Garden Layout
SALSA GARDEN LAYOUT Salsa Garden Layout If you're planning a Salsa Garden, here's some tips! Give tomato plants a lot of space! You can plant jalapenos closer together as they don't grow as large as tomato plants. Make sure to give them enough room away from the tomatoes so they don't get engulfed! Cilantro and Green onions can be grown along the sides of your garden as a border or in between the tomatoes and peppers. We put together this sample Salsa Garden Layout above – bu...
Salsa Garden
SALSA GARDEN If you're like us, you can never get enough salsa! So why not grow your own salsa garden? Looking for salsa garden seeds? We have you covered with over 100 peppers from around the world, plus lots of heirloom tomatoes, too, that make the BEST salsa ever! Grow your own salsa garden! Salsa Garden Kit Check out our salsa garden kit and grow your own salsa! Our Salsa Garden Seeds are perfect for any salsa-lover. Our fabulous Salsa Garden Kit has four packets of seeds to get your...
Seed Contest: Spring 2023
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED! We love seeing your photos! Congratulations to Cat & Angela, our two lucky winners of a $25 GIFT CARD & SEED CATALOG! ORIGINAL CONTEST DEETS: Here’s how to enter: 1. Post a photo of your Sandia Seed packets, stickers, gardens & harveston Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram 2. Add hashtag #sandiaseed in your post’s description for a chance to win! Even though this contest is over, we still love seeing your pepper and vegetable posts, so tag us with #san...
When to Harvest Carolina Reapers
Wondering when to Harvest Carolina Reapers? You can harvest Carolina Reaper pods when they mature to red, typically after at least 90+ days of growing from seed. The Carolina Reaper is a super hot pepper – in fact, it still holds the Guinness world record for being the hottest pepper. However, just because they are the hottest pepper in the world, the Carolina Reaper isn't harder to grow than other peppers! Most importantly, Carolina Reaper plants need a long growing season. Consequently,...
How to Grow Bell Peppers
Wondering How to Grow Bell Peppers?Here are our top tips for Growing Bell Peppers: Bell peppers are relatively easy to grow, but here are a few tips so you can have the best success! First, plant pepper seeds at least 8-10 weeks before your area's last frost date. Plant seeds in pre-moistened well-draining seedling starter mix and bury the seeds about 1/4" deep. Use a seedling heat mat to speed up germination – this will help keep the seeds warm, ideally 80-90˚ F is optimal for fast...
