Growing Tomatoes in PotsWant to grow more tomatoes but don't have room? Then grow tomatoes in pots! We do recommend larger pots – half whiskey barrels or pots of that size are best for most regular tomatoes. If you're using grow bags, a 20 gallon or more grow bags or 20 inch deep and wide pots or larger is best for most tomato varieties. Make sure to place them in full sun and provide support for them as they grow taller.That said, you can also grow tomatoes in smaller pots... read on... What type of tomat...
What to do with unripe PeppersWondering what to do with unripe pods? With winter approaching, many gardeners have a lot of unripe peppers. But don't despair, you can still likely salvage them! Depending on stage, many peppers will ripen off the plants if you're lucky. And, keep in mind, many peppers are harvested green ON PURPOSE such as Hatch Chile, Green Chile, Jalapenos, Shishitos, Serranos, Bell Peppers, so just because they are green it doesn't mean they aren't edible or delicious. Jalapenos are ofte...
Culinary PeppersWhat makes a culinary pepper? We just watched a Seed to Fork episode on YouTube, and Meg mentioned that she likes to grow "culinary peppers" – specifically that she likes to grow peppers that they can use year-round in the kitchen. So what makes a culinary pepper? Well, just about any pepper can be preserved and used for year-round use. Many peppers are especially good for drying and to be used dried, crushed or powered in recipes. Many dried peppers are used as herbs or spices aroun...
Washing TomatillosTomatillos are delicious, easy to grow, and come wrapped in a husk that helps them store well after harvesting. However, you have to remove and then wash the Tomatillo's sticky residue before using in recipes. Here are our tips for washing tomatillos: Remove the husk by pulling it off, compost the husks. If the tomatillo is damaged, cut off damage if possible to use what looks good or compost it. Once the husk is removed, you will quickly find that tomatillos have sticky sap, which hel...
Year Round GardeningYear Round Growing: Overwintering Crops Growing veggies in the Fall, Winter & Spring Just because it's fall, it doesn't mean you can't grow more veggies. Many vegetables are perfect crops for overwintering in the garden. Growing Vegetables in Winter:What vegetables can you grow during winter? Think lettuce, spinach, cabbage, carrots, bunching onions, broccoli and beets! We're offering 50% off these seeds so you can get growing this winter. Many of these crops not only tol...
Disease-resistant PeppersPeppers in general are easy to grow and suffer from less diseases than most other vegetables. However, they can get diseases, so it's wise to practice good growing methods. To keep disease at bay, plant peppers with adequate spacing so there is good air circulation. Use supports to keep their branches off the ground, and prune off bottom leaves or branches near soil to help keep air circulation up and keep your pepper plants healthy. It's also great to mulch with grass clippings or le...
How to Dry PeppersHere are our top ways you can dry peppers: 1. Make Chile Ristras!Chile Ristras can be made from lots of different kinds of peppers, not just the common New Mexico and Hatch chile varieties. This is a great way to store your peppers for the winter. You want to string up the peppers so that they get maximum airflow and hang them in a dry sunny place to dry out. Then you can use them in your kitchen for recipes and making red chile sauces. Growing peppers that have think flesh and are suited ...
What is the fastest growing pepper?Wondering what is the fastest growing pepper? We love peppers at Sandia Seed, and we carry the fastest growing pepper seeds for people who want peppers sooner in the summer, and for those who live in short season climates. As this season comes to a close, many gardeners find that some of the longer-season peppers did not ripen before the first frost set in. Growing any of our favorite fastest growing peppers will ensure you'll have plenty of ripe peppers before the temperatures drop! Re...
What is the best time plant pepper seeds?We recommend that you start pepper seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last average frost date. For gardeners in growing zones in northern climates, January-March are good months to start seeds for peppers indoors. You want to get them growing so they are big enough to transplant after your night time temperatures get up to 50°F or higher without any chance of frost. For many growing regions with winters, frost-free weather starts in mid-to-late May to June.But it really depends on where y...
Hot Chili SeedsLooking for the best hot chili seeds to grow in your garden? Well look no further than Sandia Seed! We have over 100 peppers from around the world that you can grow in your home garden. Bring international flavors to your kitchen and grow savory sweet peppers or spicy peppers to elevate every dish! We have some of the hottest peppers in the world, plus hot peppers, mild peppers, and even sweet peppers which pack a ton of flavor without heat. At Sandia Seed, we started out specializing in Gree...
What Veggies to Plant in MayWondering what seeds you can plant in May for your food garden? May is a great time to direct sow vegetable seeds for summer. While you may have already started seeds for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants indoors 4-8 weeks ago, you likely still have them growing indoors until it has warmed up to 50-60˚F at night consistently. If you haven't started those seeds yet, you could try some of our short season pepper seeds or short season tomato seeds in May as they grow quickly. And of course...
Can peppers withstand a light frost?Can peppers withstand a light frost? Not usually. Peppers are very tender plants and a light frost will likely kill the plant or at least heavily damage the leaves. Even if the cold doesn't kill the plant outright, it will be damaged and stunted going forward. If a frost is expected, or any temperatures below 45˚ F, we'd recommend covering your pepper plants with a frost blanket, overturned bucket, mini hoop house, water wall or other protection. Or bring them inside if possible. Many...
Can I plant pepper seeds directly in the ground?Yes, you can plant pepper seeds directly outside in warm regions such as in 9+ growing zones once the soil warms up. However, for most growing regions, we find it's best to start seeds indoors in early spring, then transplant them outside. This is because pepper seeds like consistent warm temperatures, and, to germinate the seeds, a soil temperature of 80-90˚ F is ideal for the most successful & fastest germination. If you do start them indoors, make sure to harden off your pepper see...
Sustainable Gardening - Our Top 12 Tips!Happy Earth Day Everyday! Gardening is a great way to be more sustainable. Growing your own food, herbs, and flowers for pollinators and wildlife is a great way to make a difference! Here are our top 12 Tips for Sustainable Gardening: 1. Compost: Recycling your food scraps, paper and yard debris is a great way to reuse and recycle all of that good stuff to turn it into what we call "Gardener's Gold." Compost helps feed your plants with natural nutrients all season long, and i...
Zucchini Companion PlantsGot squash bugs? If you plant Nasturtiums with your Zucchini and Squash plants, they are known to help to decrease the number of squash bugs! Plus, the Nasturtiums' leaves, flowers and their seed pods are beautiful and edible, too. Some people pickle the green Nasturtium seedpods to use them like capers. Nasturtium flowers can be added to lettuce salads, both the flowers and the leaves have a nice sweet and peppery horseradish-like flavor. The enchanting flowers also attract pollinators. ...
Discount Seeds: Easter Sale on Yellow Pepper Seeds!HAPPY EASTER! Get 20% off selected Yellow Peppers Use Discount Code: EASTER2024 Click here to shop for the peppers on sale and automatically apply discount code to your cart. Offer good through Monday, April 1, 2024. Looking for more deals?Check out our 50% Off Seeds and Discount Seed Bundles » Happy growing!!
Earth Day Seed Sale!Earth Day Seed Discounts! Get 22% OFF select green peppers and vegetable seeds now thru midnight on Earth Day on Monday, April 22, 2024. Use Discount Code: EARTHDAY2024Celebrate Earth Day all year with our Sustainable Gardening tips »
Pepper Seeds for PlantingLooking for the best Pepper Seeds for Planting? Check out our huge Peppers of the World collection with over 100 pepper varieties to grow! Our pepper seeds are easy to plant and grow, check out our top 12 tips for planting pepper seeds, and shop for all of our hundreds of pepper seeds. Peppers are the perfect addition to any vegetable garden as they're easy to grow, productive and super tasty – from super hot to sweet! We specialize in New Mexico Chile seeds and Hatch Chile seeds which ar...
Hot Pepper Sauce Recipe - Quick & Easy!Here is a quick and easy hot pepper sauce recipe: Hot Pepper Sauce Recipe 1.5 cups of Red Hot Peppers (try Fresno, Cayenne, Hot Portugal)5 cloves of Garlic1/4 cup chopped onions or shallots2 teaspoons of Salt1 cup VinegarRemove stems, cut peppers in half lengthwise, remove seeds and ribs IF desired to reduce heat, chop. Add all ingredients to a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover to simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Let cool off for about 15 minutes, then add to a blender ...
Seed DonationsWe love providing seed donations to Seed Libraries! We are thankful for organizations and groups that are helping their community through seed libraries and other seed sharing opportunities. Every year we donate lots of seeds to seed libraries, non-profits and community gardens over the years. We offer our seed donations in October each year. Do you know of a non-profit or seed library in your city that needs seeds? Have them contact us in September/October at support@sandiaseed.com to see i...
So, as a life long BOC fan and an avid gardener who loves the quality of seeds I’ve always received from Sandia Seeds. I just had to have this shirt. It rocks! I ordered a couple more for some fellow BOC fans as well. Great quality and the graphic is outstanding!
I'm going to grow these every year, they are HOT!! They make great poppers and salsa. Very productive, easy to grow, quick germination and fast growing plants. Thank you for the stellar seeds.
I planted several cultivars from wholesale seed. These were prolific. See all that RED (and green)?!? Looking forward to harvesting in a few days. Thank You Sandia Seed!
I pretty much use Sandia seeds exclusively! A few years ago I just happened to order your Jalapeño M. To me it's the perfect Jalapeño! Really nice size! Perfect heat for what we like! Wonderful flavor with a meatyness that's perfect for many different uses! I make my own Sriracha so I wait for them to turn red. They're one of my base peppers for my sauce! I praise them to all my personal friends and to members of groups that I belong to!
Serrano Hidalgo Seeds fromSandia Seed produce even in the HOT drought of central Illinois this year! I love adding a little Mexican kick to my salsa but also tossing these on the grill! They have great flavor and produce all summer long!
I had looked high & low, and searched the web with many word combinations ‘looking’ specifically for my favorite chili, the Dynamite xx Hot… so I could grow my own. The peppers were sold in Colorado at select places during roasting season, but you couldn’t buy seeds for them… anywhere!
Finally, as luck and persistence would have it, I discovered Sandia Seed Company.
Thank you Sandia! I planted them and had a great crop this year. I plan on growing them every year as well as trying some of their other seeds,
There's just something fun about growing a jalapeno that is light enough in color that some people think it's a banana pepper. LOL! I picked these just for color variety, and I'm very pleased that my plants have been loaded with them all season! We donated about 50 lbs of mixed peppers this year from our garden and I still had enough to freeze some and can more jars of recipes than we'll probably be able to use before next season. All my peppers were from Sandia Seed Company. I've never had such great pepper production before using these seeds!!
This spinach germinated well, and produced way more spinach than I'd initially expected. It grew really well, was slow to bolt in the summer, and has a really nice mild flavor for salads or steamed.
This was my first time growing these and I will definitely be growing them from now on. Great germination and very sturdy plants that have withstood some really high winds. Huge long peppers that are excellent green or red, very easy to peel skin.
Growing these in Florida, (Recent transplant of NM).
Lovely peppers. Took a couple weeks is all and wow! I have several budding; 2 large enough to nickname. They're still in their infancy, but I can tell they are going to be great! Love the seeds!
Growing Tomatoes in Pots
Want to grow more tomatoes but don't have room? Then grow tomatoes in pots! We do recommend larger pots – half whiskey barrels or pots of that size are best for most regular tomatoes. If you're using grow bags, a 20 gallon or more grow bags or 20 inch deep and wide pots or larger is best for most tomato varieties. Make sure to place them in full sun and provide support for them as they grow taller.That said, you can also grow tomatoes in smaller pots... read on... What type of tomat...
What to do with unripe Peppers
Wondering what to do with unripe pods? With winter approaching, many gardeners have a lot of unripe peppers. But don't despair, you can still likely salvage them! Depending on stage, many peppers will ripen off the plants if you're lucky. And, keep in mind, many peppers are harvested green ON PURPOSE such as Hatch Chile, Green Chile, Jalapenos, Shishitos, Serranos, Bell Peppers, so just because they are green it doesn't mean they aren't edible or delicious. Jalapenos are ofte...
Culinary Peppers
What makes a culinary pepper? We just watched a Seed to Fork episode on YouTube, and Meg mentioned that she likes to grow "culinary peppers" – specifically that she likes to grow peppers that they can use year-round in the kitchen. So what makes a culinary pepper? Well, just about any pepper can be preserved and used for year-round use. Many peppers are especially good for drying and to be used dried, crushed or powered in recipes. Many dried peppers are used as herbs or spices aroun...
Washing Tomatillos
Tomatillos are delicious, easy to grow, and come wrapped in a husk that helps them store well after harvesting. However, you have to remove and then wash the Tomatillo's sticky residue before using in recipes. Here are our tips for washing tomatillos: Remove the husk by pulling it off, compost the husks. If the tomatillo is damaged, cut off damage if possible to use what looks good or compost it. Once the husk is removed, you will quickly find that tomatillos have sticky sap, which hel...
Year Round Gardening
Year Round Growing: Overwintering Crops Growing veggies in the Fall, Winter & Spring Just because it's fall, it doesn't mean you can't grow more veggies. Many vegetables are perfect crops for overwintering in the garden. Growing Vegetables in Winter:What vegetables can you grow during winter? Think lettuce, spinach, cabbage, carrots, bunching onions, broccoli and beets! We're offering 50% off these seeds so you can get growing this winter. Many of these crops not only tol...
Disease-resistant Peppers
Peppers in general are easy to grow and suffer from less diseases than most other vegetables. However, they can get diseases, so it's wise to practice good growing methods. To keep disease at bay, plant peppers with adequate spacing so there is good air circulation. Use supports to keep their branches off the ground, and prune off bottom leaves or branches near soil to help keep air circulation up and keep your pepper plants healthy. It's also great to mulch with grass clippings or le...
How to Dry Peppers
Here are our top ways you can dry peppers: 1. Make Chile Ristras!Chile Ristras can be made from lots of different kinds of peppers, not just the common New Mexico and Hatch chile varieties. This is a great way to store your peppers for the winter. You want to string up the peppers so that they get maximum airflow and hang them in a dry sunny place to dry out. Then you can use them in your kitchen for recipes and making red chile sauces. Growing peppers that have think flesh and are suited ...
What is the fastest growing pepper?
Wondering what is the fastest growing pepper? We love peppers at Sandia Seed, and we carry the fastest growing pepper seeds for people who want peppers sooner in the summer, and for those who live in short season climates. As this season comes to a close, many gardeners find that some of the longer-season peppers did not ripen before the first frost set in. Growing any of our favorite fastest growing peppers will ensure you'll have plenty of ripe peppers before the temperatures drop! Re...
What is the best time plant pepper seeds?
We recommend that you start pepper seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last average frost date. For gardeners in growing zones in northern climates, January-March are good months to start seeds for peppers indoors. You want to get them growing so they are big enough to transplant after your night time temperatures get up to 50°F or higher without any chance of frost. For many growing regions with winters, frost-free weather starts in mid-to-late May to June.But it really depends on where y...
Hot Chili Seeds
Looking for the best hot chili seeds to grow in your garden? Well look no further than Sandia Seed! We have over 100 peppers from around the world that you can grow in your home garden. Bring international flavors to your kitchen and grow savory sweet peppers or spicy peppers to elevate every dish! We have some of the hottest peppers in the world, plus hot peppers, mild peppers, and even sweet peppers which pack a ton of flavor without heat. At Sandia Seed, we started out specializing in Gree...
What Veggies to Plant in May
Wondering what seeds you can plant in May for your food garden? May is a great time to direct sow vegetable seeds for summer. While you may have already started seeds for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants indoors 4-8 weeks ago, you likely still have them growing indoors until it has warmed up to 50-60˚F at night consistently. If you haven't started those seeds yet, you could try some of our short season pepper seeds or short season tomato seeds in May as they grow quickly. And of course...
Can peppers withstand a light frost?
Can peppers withstand a light frost? Not usually. Peppers are very tender plants and a light frost will likely kill the plant or at least heavily damage the leaves. Even if the cold doesn't kill the plant outright, it will be damaged and stunted going forward. If a frost is expected, or any temperatures below 45˚ F, we'd recommend covering your pepper plants with a frost blanket, overturned bucket, mini hoop house, water wall or other protection. Or bring them inside if possible. Many...
Can I plant pepper seeds directly in the ground?
Yes, you can plant pepper seeds directly outside in warm regions such as in 9+ growing zones once the soil warms up. However, for most growing regions, we find it's best to start seeds indoors in early spring, then transplant them outside. This is because pepper seeds like consistent warm temperatures, and, to germinate the seeds, a soil temperature of 80-90˚ F is ideal for the most successful & fastest germination. If you do start them indoors, make sure to harden off your pepper see...
Sustainable Gardening - Our Top 12 Tips!
Happy Earth Day Everyday! Gardening is a great way to be more sustainable. Growing your own food, herbs, and flowers for pollinators and wildlife is a great way to make a difference! Here are our top 12 Tips for Sustainable Gardening: 1. Compost: Recycling your food scraps, paper and yard debris is a great way to reuse and recycle all of that good stuff to turn it into what we call "Gardener's Gold." Compost helps feed your plants with natural nutrients all season long, and i...
Zucchini Companion Plants
Got squash bugs? If you plant Nasturtiums with your Zucchini and Squash plants, they are known to help to decrease the number of squash bugs! Plus, the Nasturtiums' leaves, flowers and their seed pods are beautiful and edible, too. Some people pickle the green Nasturtium seedpods to use them like capers. Nasturtium flowers can be added to lettuce salads, both the flowers and the leaves have a nice sweet and peppery horseradish-like flavor. The enchanting flowers also attract pollinators. ...
Discount Seeds: Easter Sale on Yellow Pepper Seeds!
HAPPY EASTER! Get 20% off selected Yellow Peppers Use Discount Code: EASTER2024 Click here to shop for the peppers on sale and automatically apply discount code to your cart. Offer good through Monday, April 1, 2024. Looking for more deals?Check out our 50% Off Seeds and Discount Seed Bundles » Happy growing!!
Earth Day Seed Sale!
Earth Day Seed Discounts! Get 22% OFF select green peppers and vegetable seeds now thru midnight on Earth Day on Monday, April 22, 2024. Use Discount Code: EARTHDAY2024Celebrate Earth Day all year with our Sustainable Gardening tips »
Pepper Seeds for Planting
Looking for the best Pepper Seeds for Planting? Check out our huge Peppers of the World collection with over 100 pepper varieties to grow! Our pepper seeds are easy to plant and grow, check out our top 12 tips for planting pepper seeds, and shop for all of our hundreds of pepper seeds. Peppers are the perfect addition to any vegetable garden as they're easy to grow, productive and super tasty – from super hot to sweet! We specialize in New Mexico Chile seeds and Hatch Chile seeds which ar...
Hot Pepper Sauce Recipe - Quick & Easy!
Here is a quick and easy hot pepper sauce recipe: Hot Pepper Sauce Recipe 1.5 cups of Red Hot Peppers (try Fresno, Cayenne, Hot Portugal)5 cloves of Garlic1/4 cup chopped onions or shallots2 teaspoons of Salt1 cup VinegarRemove stems, cut peppers in half lengthwise, remove seeds and ribs IF desired to reduce heat, chop. Add all ingredients to a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover to simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Let cool off for about 15 minutes, then add to a blender ...
Seed Donations
We love providing seed donations to Seed Libraries! We are thankful for organizations and groups that are helping their community through seed libraries and other seed sharing opportunities. Every year we donate lots of seeds to seed libraries, non-profits and community gardens over the years. We offer our seed donations in October each year. Do you know of a non-profit or seed library in your city that needs seeds? Have them contact us in September/October at support@sandiaseed.com to see i...
