Growing Carolina Reaper Peppers - Part 2We begin Part 2 (see Part 1) with Carolina Reaper plants that are more than 12 weeks old and still growing in a cell tray. They have already been hardened off to withstand normal outdoor conditions. Note - Some seedlings will be ready to be transplanted directly to the outdoor garden at this time, and some will enjoy being bumped up to the next container size and remaining inside under artificial lighting. These plants will be bumped up to the next container size and stay outside. Fill all 7...
Hot Pepper Companion PlantsDo you plant marigolds with your peppers and tomatoes? We think they help keep the plants healthy and pest-free! Marigolds can help repel beetles, nematodes, aphids, potato bugs and squash bugs on not only peppers but other veggies, too! We love planting marigolds among our pepper plants and tomato plants. Marigolds also release a substance from their roots that wards off nematodes and eel worms, which target peppers and other veggies in the garden. Nasturtium flowers are also great compan...
Gardening Questions?Do you have local gardening questions? When do I start my tomatoes in my area? What veggie seeds can I direct sow, and when are the best times? What is the best time to start seeds indoors? Should I direct sow beans, or start them indoors in my area? Depending on your area, the answer may be different! You can always ask your own state’s cooperative extension service to answer questions on when to start vegetable seeds and what types of veggies grow best in your area. These local expert...
Spicy Beet Greens RecipeWe love growing beets!! They are so delicious and so easy to grow. Did you know you can also eat the greens? Recipe posted below! Spicy Beet Greens Recipe: Ingredients: Olive oil Beet greens, washed and cut into 2-inch pieces 3+ cloves garlic, minced Crushed hot pepper flakes to taste Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper Directions: Heat up the oil in a heavy sautée pan. Sautée the beet greens and garlic until the greens are wilted and tender, 5 to 8...
FREE SEEDS with PurchaseEXPIRED OFFER: Get a Free Packet of Watermelon seeds to plant in May 2021 when you buy any seeds in our Get Real Gardening Collection! NOTE: This offer is expired, stay tuned and signup for our newsletter for future deals. You can direct sow watermelon seeds, we like to soak them overnight first to help them get nice and saturated before direct sowing in mounds in the garden. Shop now » FUN FACT: We are named Sandia Seed after the Sandia mountains in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sandía mea...
How to Start a Seed LibrarySharing seeds is one of the best ways for communities to share the love of gardening and growing food! Here are our top tips for starting a seed library in your community: Step 1: Find a community space for the Seed Library A well-visited community space is your best bet! Choose a venue that is free and open to the general public such as a local public library or community center.Some people are starting to create outdoor "Little Free Seed Libraries" alongside the book versions ...
Hatch Green Chile RecipeGet out those roasted Hatch chiles in your freezer (or fresh out of the garden and off of your grill) and make up a batch of this delicious stew. This is great served in a bowl, and is also great for smothering burritos or enchiladas. HATCH GREEN CHILE RECIPE: Ingredients: 1½ tbsp olive oil 1 cup roasted homegrown Hatch green chiles, peeled and diced 2 lbs of pork or chicken, cubed (or go vegan and instead use pinto beans, potatoes, crumbled sauteed tofu and/or mushrooms if desired) 3 Pota...
Top 5 Tomatoes to grow in 2025We picked our top favorite 5 tomatoes to grow in 2025 for fresh eating, salads, sandwiches, salsas, sauces, and so much more: #1 Sun Gold Tomato These bright golden orange tomatoes have a sweet, juicy, tropical flavor. They are always a big hit with everyone that who tastes them. The vigorous vines produce an abundance of tomatoes growing on long 10-15 fruit grape-like trusses. This is our favorite cherry tomato and best producer. Most of these tomatoes are eaten before they get out of the g...
Growing Peppers in Pots - Extend the harvest!Growing peppers in Pots is a great way to extend the harvest for those growing in short seasons! These habaneros and herbs shown above were picked in mid-November in Denver, Colorado – grown in pots that were moved into a small garden bed hoop house to keep them warm through the fall snows and frosts. Denver had an exceptionally warm fall and so peppers were picked all the way through mid-November! In the Front Range, it was an unusually long season in 2024, but the un-heated hoop house kept ...
Hot Peppers From Seeds - a great customer review!Thanks to David who shared his great post with us about growing our seeds! Read on.... During our travels through New Mexico on an Alien Tour—from the Meteor Crater to Roswell, where even the most ordinary dishes come with a fiery kick—I found myself falling under the spell of Hatch chili peppers. It seemed fitting that our journey took us straight through Hatch, New Mexico, the undisputed mothership of peppers. The moment we got home, I went online to feed my new obsession, which led me to ...
Growing Habaneros in PotsGrowing Habaneros in Pots:Growing habanero in pots (or any peppers that are suited to containers) is great for getting a big harvest of habaneros. All habanero varieties grow very well in pots, make sure to pick out a pot that is at least 5 gallons in size, and has a good height of 12-14 inches or taller. The bigger the pot, the happier the Habanero pepper. Live in a short season climate with late frosts and early snowstorms? Then growing Habaneros in pots is a great way to grow some of thes...
Wholesale Seeds without a Contract!Yes, you can sell Sandia Seed's packets and get Wholesale Seed discounts without any CONTRACTS! You can buy from our seed catalog at discounted rates anytime you need to restore. The initial order to qualify for our Wholesale Seed discounts is $300. Then, after your first $300+ Wholesale order, all future reorders of any amount will be 50% off with no minimum and no contract! Read more about our Wholesale Seeds » Be sure to also check out our colorful Seed display racks that you can pla...
March GardeningWondering what to plant in March? The warmer weather and longer days in March are a great time to get your hands in the dirt! There are lots of seeds you can start this month. The timing we write about below is geared for a growing zone 5 where the last frost is in mid-to-late May. Adjust timing accordingly if you have earlier or later frosts. What vegetables to plant in March: Sow Cool-Weather Veggie Seeds Indoors in March: Start seeds for cool-weather crops like lettuce, cabbage, broc...
Garden Center SeedsIf you're looking for the best garden centers that sell seeds, check out our Seed Store Locator to find all the shops that carry our Peppers of the World seed packets. Shown above is City Floral Garden Center in Denver, a gem in the night! Love this neighborhood nursery! They have beautiful plants, and lots of garden supplies and, of course, seeds. Stop by and check out our pepper seeds, they have a great selection of our customer favorites. Find more nurseries that carry our seed...
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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...
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 chile that have thin flesh and are suited to d...
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...