Best Tomato CagesWhat are the Best Tomato Cages?Sturdy ones. We like using the sturdier thick cages, but they're a little harder to find. If you grow tomatoes, they're probably one of your favorite crops, like ours, and you want to ensure that the plants are healthy and supported so you get a great harvest. What kind of Tomato supports do you use?Those darned flimsy wire "tomato cages" that are sold at hardware stores are useless once a tomato plant gets large, as you can see in these photo...
Ornamental Pepper RecipesCan you eat your ornamental peppers?Of course you can! They are usually quite hot, so add them with caution, add a little a time and taste-test your recipe until you get to the desired heat. Ornamental peppers are usually quite a bit hotter than your average Jalapeño, so unless you like it wicked hot, add in small doses until it's just right. Here are some of our favorite salsa recipes to use up your ornamental pepper harvest at the end of the season: Ornamental Peppers Salsa Recip...
Harvest RecipesWe sure do love harvest season!Here are some of our favorite recipes to use up your harvest: Salsa Recipes:Carolina Reaper Salsa Recipe »Trinidad Scorpion Salsa Recipe »Vinegar Pepper Sauce Recipe »Ghost Pepper Salsa Recipe »Orange Salsa Recipe »Tomatillo Salsa Recipe »Hatch Chile Salsa Recipe » No-Peel Salsa Recipe »Green Tomato Salsa Recipe »Salsa Macha Recipe » Chile Pepper Recipes for Stews, Casseroles & Side Dishes:Green Chile Stew Recipe »Hatch Green Chile Gravy Recip...
Zucchini: The most abundant crop!It's open season for zucchini! Do you grow the infamous Black Beauty Zucchini summer squash? Black Beauty produces a huge crop of tender zucchini squash during the summer. Harvest zucchini squash when the fruits are small. This will result in a more tender and flavorful squash. Easy to grow and a great choice for the beginner gardener. These are one of the first of the summer vegetables to harvest, and one of the last – they just keep coming all summer long! And, they're super fas...
Edible Ornamental PeppersEdible Ornamental Peppers These NuMex Easter peppers are absolutely gorgeous in pastel! We'll be making room for these in the garden every year from here on out. They look stunning in containers! Did you know that ornamental peppers are edible? Yes, ornamental peppers like these Easter Peppers are edible! They make great hot pepper flakes when dried after fully mature, or thrown anytime into salsa to kick up the heat. You can also use them to make fermented hot sauce recipes. Many of ...
Harvest vegetables at the right timeKnowing when to harvest vegetables will help you get the best quality vegetables from your garden. Many gardeners allow produce to pass their prime when vegetables are less tender and more fibrous. Below is a guideline to help you determine the best time to harvest vegetables. Pepper and tomatoes are listed first with the Get Real Vegetables information below that. Peppers (bell and chile) can be harvested in three stages. Mature green: Pepper is firm and fully sized. The fruit color is...
Best Salt Substitute: Hot Peppers!Watching your salt intake? One of our favorite ways to spice up a dish without salt is none other than hot peppers! Any spicy peppers are a great way to get your tastebuds excited about anything you eat. We love growing hot peppers and then drying them and crushing into hot pepper flakes or powder so that we can sprinkle flavor on anything including sandwiches, soups, tacos, burritos, wraps, burgers, pizza, you name it!! Clean Salt-Substitute: The great thing about hot pepper flakes is that ...
Ornamental Pepper: NuMex EasterThe Ornamental Pepper NuMex Easter is gorgeous in pastels! Also great for drying at the end of the season for use as hot pepper flakes or to add to salsa. Beautiful and delicious! View more of our Ornamental Peppers » Ornamental Peppers are not only beautiful, they are quite prolific! And, contrary to popular belief, you can eat ornamental peppers! They are perfect peppers for making hot sauces, pepper flakes or powder, or to use in any recipes such as for salsa.
Can seedlings get too much light?Can seedlings get too much light? Yes. Can grow lights be too bright? If you have super bright lights and they are placed too close to the seedlings, you can burn seedlings.A recent lesson learned: Above is a photo from a couple weeks back, we got a new 100W Sansi LED floodlight that was recommended by a pepper grower and thought, "Wow, this super bright light is going to really get those peppers growing big before putting out in the garden!" Unfortunately, our shelf that we were...
Why are my pepper plants so small?We have this question quite often: Why are my pepper plants so small? There is a number of reasons that your peppers may not be growing larger. TOO BRIGHT LED LIGHTS Recently, we had an experience (see the sad & small pepper plants above) where we had placed a super bright 100W Sansi Floodlight above our transplanted seedlings about 8" away. Sadly, it was TOO bright – if we had it farther away, such as a couple feet, the seedlings may have been fine. But, since they were fairly clo...
Guajillo Chile - Which kind are used for Mole?Here's a question we recently had about Guajillo chile: Question about the guajillo pepper seeds: The site says these are one of the most common dried peppers in Mexico, but I was reading the Peppers of America book by Maricel Presilla from one of your earlier posts and she refers to the guajillo as the dried form of the mirasol chile. I noticed your mirasol pepper description doesn't mention anything about this. What are y'all's thoughts on this nomenclature discrepancy? Two ...
Free Seeds for Lettuce!NOTE: This offer is expired, stay tuned and signup for our newsletter for future deals.Now through June 30, 2021, you can get Free Seeds for Lettuce from Sandia Seed with the purchase of any of our Get Real Gardening vegetable seeds. We will add a free seed packet of our delicious Little Gem Lettuce in with any vegetable seeds in our Get Real Gardening collection. Looking for more more seed deals? Check out our Discount Seeds » Chef's love Little Gem Lettuce as it is a cross between ...
Red Chile is Green ChileDid you know red and green chiles both grow on the same plant? Every red chile begins as a green chile and then matures to red. We often refer to both the red and green chiles as green chile. There are dozens of different varieties of green chile and some of them are better to use when red. Varieties that are designated as red have less flesh and a smoother heat with more robust flavor. They will dry quickly in the sun and can be used at any time. For example, the dried pods can be reconstit...
How to Make Lettuce Last LongerCRISPY LETTUCE TIPThe secret to crispy lettuce from your garden:If you harvest lettuce from your garden, you may wonder how to make lettuce last longer. Well, here’s the trick to keep it crispy in your fridge for days! No more wilted lettuce.How to preserve lettuce from the garden: Immediately after picking, soak your freshly picked greens in cold water for 20-30 minutes to "crisp" them up for storing longer in the fridge. This will prevent wilting of your lettuces and other greens...
Summer Succotash with Peaches & Cream CornSuccotash is a celebration of all the vibrant vegetables coming into season. It is an American dish created where the Three Sisters of corn, beans, and squash are native. Although succotash is mainly composed of vegetables, it is not unusual for bacon to be added for flavor. Succotash knows no limits when it comes to substitutions. The cherry tomatoes have a nice fresh flavor, but when ripe red tomatoes are at their peak, dice and add them for a rich flavor. Early season jalapeños can be us...
Stocking Stuffers for GardenersLooking for some ideas for Stocking Stuffers for Gardeners? Well, you may have already guessed, but seeds are always the best gifts for gardeners, even those who have everything. Because you can never have too many seeds! Just ask any gardener. While we can't guarantee Christmas delivery for 2019 anymore, you can buy our Gift Cards which are instantly emailed so you can print and stuff into a stocking or wrap up in a box to give to your favorite gardener. Sandia Seed specializes in New ...
Seed Promo CodeSeed Promo Codes:Save Money on SandiaSeed.com with Promo Codes and Coupons! Read how below: Looking for Seed Promo Codes? This offer has ended, but you can subscribe to our newsletter for future offers!Get $5 off at SandiaSeed.com, just follow us on Instagram. All new followers in 2018 will receive a $5 Off Promo Code for any seeds in our store! ($5 Off Seed Promo Code good on orders over $10, one per customer- this offer has ended) instagram.com/sandiaseed Then, stay tuned here, or on o...
Last Minute Gardener GiftsGift Cards for seeds make great last minute gifts for gardeners!Sandia Seed will email your purchased gift cards immediately after you buy them so you can email to the recipient or print and wrap as a present or use as a stocking stuffer! The gift card can be used immediately online to purchase any of our seeds. Ask anyone who grows vegetables from seed, and they'll tell you: you can never have too many seeds! So gift cards for seeds are always welcome as we all dream of growing new var...
Get a $5 Off Coupon Promo Code for SandiaSeed.comHello Gardeners! My name is Patsy, and I'm the owner of Sandia Seed. I bet our team that we could get 2,000 Instagram followers by 2019 New Year's Day 12:01am. We got close, getting 1,650 followers, thanks for all of you who followed us! While this offer is no longer available, please stay tuned by subscribing to our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram and Facebook or Pinterest for future coupon offers! Or So, If you are on Instagram, please follow us at www.instagram.com/sandiasee...
Cheap Vegetable SeedsLooking for cheap vegetable seeds? For cheap veggie seeds, your first place to stop is our 50% Off Seeds Collection with overstock seeds, so be sure to visit that regularly as we're always rotating out seeds at half off! These are still high quality and viable seeds, we just have an overabundance of them! We also offer free shipping on orders over $30 to sweeten the deal. Nothing beats half off seeds! Plus signup to get an instant discount code for 10% OFF to use on any of our non-disc...
Best Tomato Cages
What are the Best Tomato Cages?Sturdy ones. We like using the sturdier thick cages, but they're a little harder to find. If you grow tomatoes, they're probably one of your favorite crops, like ours, and you want to ensure that the plants are healthy and supported so you get a great harvest. What kind of Tomato supports do you use?Those darned flimsy wire "tomato cages" that are sold at hardware stores are useless once a tomato plant gets large, as you can see in these photo...
Ornamental Pepper Recipes
Can you eat your ornamental peppers?Of course you can! They are usually quite hot, so add them with caution, add a little a time and taste-test your recipe until you get to the desired heat. Ornamental peppers are usually quite a bit hotter than your average Jalapeño, so unless you like it wicked hot, add in small doses until it's just right. Here are some of our favorite salsa recipes to use up your ornamental pepper harvest at the end of the season: Ornamental Peppers Salsa Recip...
Harvest Recipes
We sure do love harvest season!Here are some of our favorite recipes to use up your harvest: Salsa Recipes:Carolina Reaper Salsa Recipe »Trinidad Scorpion Salsa Recipe »Vinegar Pepper Sauce Recipe »Ghost Pepper Salsa Recipe »Orange Salsa Recipe »Tomatillo Salsa Recipe »Hatch Chile Salsa Recipe » No-Peel Salsa Recipe »Green Tomato Salsa Recipe »Salsa Macha Recipe » Chile Pepper Recipes for Stews, Casseroles & Side Dishes:Green Chile Stew Recipe »Hatch Green Chile Gravy Recip...
Zucchini: The most abundant crop!
It's open season for zucchini! Do you grow the infamous Black Beauty Zucchini summer squash? Black Beauty produces a huge crop of tender zucchini squash during the summer. Harvest zucchini squash when the fruits are small. This will result in a more tender and flavorful squash. Easy to grow and a great choice for the beginner gardener. These are one of the first of the summer vegetables to harvest, and one of the last – they just keep coming all summer long! And, they're super fas...
Edible Ornamental Peppers
Edible Ornamental Peppers These NuMex Easter peppers are absolutely gorgeous in pastel! We'll be making room for these in the garden every year from here on out. They look stunning in containers! Did you know that ornamental peppers are edible? Yes, ornamental peppers like these Easter Peppers are edible! They make great hot pepper flakes when dried after fully mature, or thrown anytime into salsa to kick up the heat. You can also use them to make fermented hot sauce recipes. Many of ...
Harvest vegetables at the right time
Knowing when to harvest vegetables will help you get the best quality vegetables from your garden. Many gardeners allow produce to pass their prime when vegetables are less tender and more fibrous. Below is a guideline to help you determine the best time to harvest vegetables. Pepper and tomatoes are listed first with the Get Real Vegetables information below that. Peppers (bell and chile) can be harvested in three stages. Mature green: Pepper is firm and fully sized. The fruit color is...
Best Salt Substitute: Hot Peppers!
Watching your salt intake? One of our favorite ways to spice up a dish without salt is none other than hot peppers! Any spicy peppers are a great way to get your tastebuds excited about anything you eat. We love growing hot peppers and then drying them and crushing into hot pepper flakes or powder so that we can sprinkle flavor on anything including sandwiches, soups, tacos, burritos, wraps, burgers, pizza, you name it!! Clean Salt-Substitute: The great thing about hot pepper flakes is that ...
Ornamental Pepper: NuMex Easter
The Ornamental Pepper NuMex Easter is gorgeous in pastels! Also great for drying at the end of the season for use as hot pepper flakes or to add to salsa. Beautiful and delicious! View more of our Ornamental Peppers » Ornamental Peppers are not only beautiful, they are quite prolific! And, contrary to popular belief, you can eat ornamental peppers! They are perfect peppers for making hot sauces, pepper flakes or powder, or to use in any recipes such as for salsa.
Can seedlings get too much light?
Can seedlings get too much light? Yes. Can grow lights be too bright? If you have super bright lights and they are placed too close to the seedlings, you can burn seedlings.A recent lesson learned: Above is a photo from a couple weeks back, we got a new 100W Sansi LED floodlight that was recommended by a pepper grower and thought, "Wow, this super bright light is going to really get those peppers growing big before putting out in the garden!" Unfortunately, our shelf that we were...
Why are my pepper plants so small?
We have this question quite often: Why are my pepper plants so small? There is a number of reasons that your peppers may not be growing larger. TOO BRIGHT LED LIGHTS Recently, we had an experience (see the sad & small pepper plants above) where we had placed a super bright 100W Sansi Floodlight above our transplanted seedlings about 8" away. Sadly, it was TOO bright – if we had it farther away, such as a couple feet, the seedlings may have been fine. But, since they were fairly clo...
Guajillo Chile - Which kind are used for Mole?
Here's a question we recently had about Guajillo chile: Question about the guajillo pepper seeds: The site says these are one of the most common dried peppers in Mexico, but I was reading the Peppers of America book by Maricel Presilla from one of your earlier posts and she refers to the guajillo as the dried form of the mirasol chile. I noticed your mirasol pepper description doesn't mention anything about this. What are y'all's thoughts on this nomenclature discrepancy? Two ...
Free Seeds for Lettuce!
NOTE: This offer is expired, stay tuned and signup for our newsletter for future deals.Now through June 30, 2021, you can get Free Seeds for Lettuce from Sandia Seed with the purchase of any of our Get Real Gardening vegetable seeds. We will add a free seed packet of our delicious Little Gem Lettuce in with any vegetable seeds in our Get Real Gardening collection. Looking for more more seed deals? Check out our Discount Seeds » Chef's love Little Gem Lettuce as it is a cross between ...
Red Chile is Green Chile
Did you know red and green chiles both grow on the same plant? Every red chile begins as a green chile and then matures to red. We often refer to both the red and green chiles as green chile. There are dozens of different varieties of green chile and some of them are better to use when red. Varieties that are designated as red have less flesh and a smoother heat with more robust flavor. They will dry quickly in the sun and can be used at any time. For example, the dried pods can be reconstit...
How to Make Lettuce Last Longer
CRISPY LETTUCE TIPThe secret to crispy lettuce from your garden:If you harvest lettuce from your garden, you may wonder how to make lettuce last longer. Well, here’s the trick to keep it crispy in your fridge for days! No more wilted lettuce.How to preserve lettuce from the garden: Immediately after picking, soak your freshly picked greens in cold water for 20-30 minutes to "crisp" them up for storing longer in the fridge. This will prevent wilting of your lettuces and other greens...
Summer Succotash with Peaches & Cream Corn
Succotash is a celebration of all the vibrant vegetables coming into season. It is an American dish created where the Three Sisters of corn, beans, and squash are native. Although succotash is mainly composed of vegetables, it is not unusual for bacon to be added for flavor. Succotash knows no limits when it comes to substitutions. The cherry tomatoes have a nice fresh flavor, but when ripe red tomatoes are at their peak, dice and add them for a rich flavor. Early season jalapeños can be us...
Stocking Stuffers for Gardeners
Looking for some ideas for Stocking Stuffers for Gardeners? Well, you may have already guessed, but seeds are always the best gifts for gardeners, even those who have everything. Because you can never have too many seeds! Just ask any gardener. While we can't guarantee Christmas delivery for 2019 anymore, you can buy our Gift Cards which are instantly emailed so you can print and stuff into a stocking or wrap up in a box to give to your favorite gardener. Sandia Seed specializes in New ...
Seed Promo Code
Seed Promo Codes:Save Money on SandiaSeed.com with Promo Codes and Coupons! Read how below: Looking for Seed Promo Codes? This offer has ended, but you can subscribe to our newsletter for future offers!Get $5 off at SandiaSeed.com, just follow us on Instagram. All new followers in 2018 will receive a $5 Off Promo Code for any seeds in our store! ($5 Off Seed Promo Code good on orders over $10, one per customer- this offer has ended) instagram.com/sandiaseed Then, stay tuned here, or on o...
Last Minute Gardener Gifts
Gift Cards for seeds make great last minute gifts for gardeners!Sandia Seed will email your purchased gift cards immediately after you buy them so you can email to the recipient or print and wrap as a present or use as a stocking stuffer! The gift card can be used immediately online to purchase any of our seeds. Ask anyone who grows vegetables from seed, and they'll tell you: you can never have too many seeds! So gift cards for seeds are always welcome as we all dream of growing new var...
Cheap Vegetable Seeds
Looking for cheap vegetable seeds? For cheap veggie seeds, your first place to stop is our 50% Off Seeds Collection with overstock seeds, so be sure to visit that regularly as we're always rotating out seeds at half off! These are still high quality and viable seeds, we just have an overabundance of them! We also offer free shipping on orders over $30 to sweeten the deal. Nothing beats half off seeds! Plus signup to get an instant discount code for 10% OFF to use on any of our non-disc...
