Dragon PeppersGROW DRAGONS IN YOUR GARDEN! We're excited to be offering two new Dragon Pepper seeds for all you chileheads out there! These wicked hot beasts are new to our Peppers of the World collection, and are sure to make great hot sauces and salsas! These two new Dragon Peppers are now for sale*! The Komodo Dragon Pepper is super hot with a Scoville of 1,400,000 – which means it's WICKED HOT! This dragon is sure to please any spice-lover and it will make a great fermented hot sauce. ...
Short Season PeppersGrow Short-Season Peppers! We often wish summer would last forever... that way, we can grow more peppers. For those of us in short-season climates, it's great to grow the fastest growing peppers so you can harvest lots of peppers sooner than later. Even if you live in areas with longer growing seasons, these are also great to grow as they come to harvest sooner – and who doesn't want peppers sooner? Also, be sure to check out our Short-Season Tomatoes » If you have a short gardenin...
Container PeppersContainer Peppers:Yes, peppers can be grown in containers and pots! It's good to choose varieties that do well in containers, see our list below.Container Size for Peppers:Plant peppers in the largest container possible, we recommend using pots that are at least 5-Gallons and 10-12" across in size so there is plenty of soil for pepper plants to grow roots into. Plastic pots hold in moisture better, which is good if you are growing them in hot dry conditions. Full Sun:Make sure your p...
Short Season TomatoesIf you live in a short season climate with early frosts, rather than growing tomatoes that have a long growing season, it's best to pick short season tomatoes so that you'll get your harvest before the cold weather arrives in autumn. Want to grow Short Season Heirloom Tomatoes? An heirloom tomato is an open-pollinated, non-hybrid heirloom cultivar of tomato. Check out our list of our favorite short season heirloom tomatoes »The tomato is a tender plant that is easily damaged by cold w...
Types of Hot PeppersThere are a ton of different types of hot peppers! Sandia Seed is all about chile peppers, and we carry over 100 types of peppers from around the world. Try growing a new type of hot pepper this year! We add new varieties each season, so you can grow peppers of the world in your garden! Looking for mild or super spicy peppers or somewhere in-between?View our List of Peppers by Heat » View our full list of all the types of peppers we carry in one place on our online seed catalog »Technical...
Spicy Refrigerator Pickles RecipeThis is a simple recipe that you can make in smaller batches to use up your cucumbers and some peppers in the summer months. Quick and easy, you don't have to water bath these delicious spicy pickles, just store them in your fridge. We find that these refrigerator pickles are much crispier than their preserved cousins, you have to eat them a little faster as they don't last as long, but don't worry, they're so good that won't likely be a problem. :) Spicy Refrigerator Pic...
Is it too late to start tomatoes and peppers?Around March, April and May, customers ask us this question. What we have to say is – it's never too late to start seeds! In the spring, you can grow faster growing peppers if you want to get a harvest in a shorter time. For example, many of the fastest growing peppers are ready in 57-65 days from planting! If you start them indoors in a warm place (pepper seeds like germinating at 80-90˚F), then they will get a nice head start for transplanting outside when the weather warms up. Jalapen...
How to Make Peppers Grow FasterWondering how to make peppers grow faster? Here are our top tips for faster growing pepper plants. 1. Start Fast-Growing Pepper Seeds Early: Keep the seeds very warm for germinating. Keeping pepper seeds warm at 80-90˚ F is best for fast and successful germination. Most pepper seeds germinate within 7-21 days, but some can take longer than that so be patient and keep them consistently warm. Seedling heat mats can help greatly! Pepper Seed Germination Time:Starting peppers earlier than ot...
Easiest Peppers to GrowIf you haven't planned a garden yet, now is a great time. We have picked out some of the fastest growing peppers which are also of course the easiest to grow so that you can get your garden growing quickly! Here Is Our Favorites List Of TheEasiest Peppers To Grow: Early Jalapeño Seeds Early Jalapeño - The best pepper for short seasons and cooler climates! These are one of the earliest peppers, and everybody loves jalapeños because they can be prepared in so many different ways. Jalapeñ...
Hot Pepper Seeds: Helmet HeadIf you grow Hot Pepper Seeds, Super Hot Pepper Seeds, Sweet Pepper Seeds, or any chile seeds from around the world, you have likely have encountered “helmet heads” at some point. These are seeds that start to germinate but fail to break open the pepper seed shell, so they get stuck inside and have what we call a “helmet head.”Helmet heads in pepper seedlings are common when the humidity is low, and it also just happens sometimes to some seeds. To prevent helmet heads, you can increase humidi...
Best Peppers for Pickles & KimchisCustomer Question: “I'm looking for for low-medium Scoville chiles for pickling and kimchis. Good growing season to you & yours.” - Ken from Oregon Here are our top picks for good peppers for pickling and kimchis:Mild/Sweet:Fushimi PepperSweet Hungarian Yellow Wax PepperSweet Banana PepperPaprikaBeaver Dam PepperMedium Heat:PepperonciniHot Hungarian Yellow Wax SeedsTry any of our Jalapeno SeedsHotter Peppers:Santa Fe GrandeCayenne - Las Cruces NuMexGoat Horn PepperThai Hot PepperOf c...
Purple PeppersSandia Seed has a wide variety of purple peppers that you can grow easily from seed! Purple in the garden is always a welcome sight! And, when you use purple peppers in your salads and recipes, they really add some great flavor and color! Our favorite purple peppers include both sweet and hot peppers. To start, we'll introduce you to our purple hot peppers. Our Purple Bhut Jolokia Ghost Peppers start out in beautiful purple then ripen to white/pale green and eventually turn to a deep pur...
Prevent Damping OffMany gardeners experience issues with their seedlings mysteriously wilting, flopping over, and dying – most of the time this is caused by damping off, an invisible killer that is caused by pathogens that kill seedlings after they germinate. Damping off usually occurs in damp, cool, still-air conditions – and be easily prevented. When affected by damping off, the seedling will usually have a shriveled base or the stem will have lesions at the ground level, and it will flop over and die. Seed...
Pepper Plant CarePepper plant care is not all that complicated, you just have to know a few things: Keep the seeds warm when germinating, they like to be between 80-90˚ F for fastest sprouting. Movement: Once germinated, make sure pepper seedlings have good air circulation and movement. Yes, you can pet your pepper seedlings by brushing or "petting" the pepper plants with your hands. This is good for your indoor seedlings as it will stimulate them to grow thicker stems, and be stockier (less l...
Growing Peppers from Seed: Our Top 12 TipsGrowing Peppers from SeedOur Top 12 Tips 1. Use Fresh Seeds When perfectly stored, pepper seeds can be viable for up to 25 years, but generally 2-5 years is more realistic for good germination rates. The older the seeds get, the less likely they will sprout. Store seeds in a cool, dark, dry environment. Remember, seeds are meant to be grown, so plant them! Of course we still plant old seeds (a few years old) all the time, because they can still sprout. Just be aware that the germination r...
Morita Salsa RecipeDid you know that a Morita chile is really a smoked ripe jalapeño? Morita chiles are similar to Chipotle peppers in this respect, the difference being that Moritas are mildly smoked for less time than Chipotle peppers, so they are softer and they maintain their subtle fruity characteristics while developing a rich chocolatey aroma. Dried and crushed Morita chiles are ideal for use in soups, stews, beans, and chilis. Morita chiles can be used instead of Chipotle peppers in recipes. Moritas a...