Why are bell peppers so hard to grow?Do you have luck growing bell peppers? Or do you struggle growing them? Do they only produce a couple peppers for the season? Growing Bell peppers can be challenging for some growing regions. Bell peppers are tropical natives that enjoy warm temperatures between 65-85˚F, and they generally prefer high humidity with fertile soil. In some regions, like the arid West with it's intense high altitude sun, bell peppers can be more challenging to grow. Bell peppers are especially prone to sunbur...
Sautéed Bell PeppersQuick and easy to make in just 15 minutes, these Sautéed Bell Peppers are a wonderful way to add color, flavor, and a veggie to so many meals! These perfect peppers make the ideal side dish or topping for tacos, fajitas, salads, and more. Servings: 4 servings Ingredients 3 bell peppers cut into ½-inch strips OR 3 cups of any sweet peppers 1½ Tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon salt Instructions Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the s...
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...
What type of peppers does Mezzetta use? Cascabellas!What type of peppers does Mezzetta use? Mezzetta™ Hot Chili Peppers (those jars of spicy yellow pickled peppers) are made from Cascabella peppers. The hot and delicious yellow peppers that they put into jars of Mezzetta Hot Chili Peppers are grown in Northern California, but did you know that you can grow them in your own backyard? They're easy to start from Cascabella seeds! If you're addicted to the deliciously spicy Mezzetta Hot Chili Peppers, then make sure to grow some Cascabe...
Purple Bell PeppersLooking for Purple Bell Peppers or other Purple Pepper seeds? If you love purple like we do, you always want to plant purple flowers... but did you know you can also plant purple vegetables like Purple Bell Peppers or Purple Tomatoes? Purple is one of the best colors in your garden, it compliments the green leaves and everyone who sees a purple pepper or fruit are delighted! View all our beautiful Ornamental Peppers » If you like hot peppers like us, check out the Bhut Jolokia Purple pe...
Top 15 questions about Bell PeppersWe receive many questions about peppers and have written the answers to the most common questions about Bell Peppers here. Answers will include Bell Pepper growth, color, storage and health benefits. View all of our bell pepper seeds » 1. What is the best Bell Pepper variety for my area? Peppers are a warm season crop and need temperatures above 75 degrees throughout their growing season. Higher latitudes and altitudes can extend the start of growing season, wet areas can use raised beds, and...
Sweet Chocolate Bell Pepper - the earliest pepper!This Sweet Chocolate Bell Pepper is our earliest pepper! Ripening at just 57 days, this delicious pepper goes from green to dark brown on the outside with brick-red flesh on the inside. Very beautiful when chopped and put on salads, on sandwiches or in flash-fried for fajitas. If you like sweet peppers, you have to try this little delicious gem. These Sweet Chocolate Bell Peppers are about 3-4" in size, and the plants tolerate cool nights – making them good for earlier growing in the spr...
Christmas Bell - Bishop Crown PepperThe heirloom Bishop Crown: or "Christmas Bell" is originally from Brazil. This variety produces one of the most unusual pod shapes of any chile pepper. Bishop Crown is a unique thin-skinned red pepper with the unusual appearance of a tri-cornered hat like a Catholic Bishop’s Crown. The heat level has a very wide range from a medium 5,000 scoville heat units (SHU), all the way up to a very hot 15,000 SHU. Its small size is 1-1/2” long by 2”- 3“ wide with a sweet and fruity taste. B...
Pepper Plant CompanionsWondering what to plant with your chile peppers to help them thrive? Flowers, chives, carrots, radishes, squash, basil, parsley, dill, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, cucumbers, eggplant, and onions all do well when grown in close proximity to peppers. But don't plant them too close that they will shade your pepper plants: Squash and cucumbers, for example, need ample space so we plant them at least 3-4' away from our pepper patch. You can also use trellises for your cucumbers to grow th...
From Seed to Table: Why Growing Your Own Food Matters More Than EverGrowing Your Own Food Matters More Than Ever!There are a lot of benefits to growing your own vegetables and fruit at home. Here are just a few reasons why growing your own food: Water Conservation: Vegetable (and fruit) gardens actually use less water than traditional bluegrass lawns, often saving 50–75% of water use — especially if using drip irrigation and mulch. If you live in a dry and drought-prone region, removing grass and adding vegetable gardens can help cut down on water use and exp...
Best Peppers to Start Indoors in April: Ten Varieties for a Strong Summer Harvest.Haven't started your pepper seeds yet? Don't fret, there is plenty of time to plant seeds for the fastest growing peppers and other fast-growing veggies. Since peppers can take a little longer to get going than other veggies, we recommend starting our fastest growing peppers, which will germinate quickly and grow into robust plants in just 65-75 days. So even those of you with short growing seasons can start these in April! Read more about our top pepper varieties to plant this sprin...
How to Grow Peppers Faster: 7 Tips for Earlier HarvestsWondering how to grow peppers faster? How to Grow Peppers Faster:7 Tips for Earlier Harvests If you want peppers to grow faster, the key is to give them warmth, light, and a strong head start indoors. Peppers are heat-loving plants, so they grow best when you help them germinate early, keep them warm, and choose varieties that mature quickly. 1. Start seeds early and keep them warm Pepper seeds germinate best when the soil stays consistently warm, ideally around 80˚-90˚ Fahrenheit. Most vari...
Low Water VegetablesWondering what are the best low water vegetables to grow? Here are a few of our suggestions along with tips for conserving water in your garden. #1 Favorite Low Water Vegetables: Peppers* Peppers need less water than many other vegetables. As tropical plants, they thrive in warm, well-draining soil and don't mind it drying out slightly between watering. The famous New Mexico Chiles are grown annually in the dry regions of Hatch Valley and Chimayó regions of New Mexico, and the Pueblo Ch...
Easy Seeds to PlantChiles are awesome, but don't stop there! There are plenty of easy seeds to plant in your garden that will round out your dinner table. We'll mention Pozole a lot below... that's because it's so delicious! Pozole is a traditional, hearty Mexican stew made with hominy (large, dried corn kernels) and meat, typically it is made with pork or chicken but we make it vegetarian with potatoes/sweet potatoes/squash or other veggies, all cooked in a flavorful broth. It comes in three m...
Plant Labels for Garden - Make Free Durable Plant Labels from Blinds!Looking for Cheap but Durable Plant Labels for your garden? We've found that old blinds make GREAT labels, as they often have UV resistance so they can last multiple seasons (where many plastic or wood garden markers start to get brittle or disintegrate after a season). Repurposing old blinds is an inexpensive way to label your native plant seedlings so you can share them and keep track of what's what! Mini-blind slats are easy to cut with a Utility knife / box cutter, or you ca...
Partial Shade VegetablesGet 50% off veggie seeds for shade for a limited time. Grow more food in your garden with a variety of veggies and expand your growing season and harvest! There are plenty of vegetables that grow in partial shade. Vegetables that can grow in partial shade (3-6 hours of sun) include Beets, Carrots, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, and Radish. These crops grow well in early spring, and benefit from partial shade in the heat of summer which helps keep them from bolting as quickly. Here's some mor...
Datil Seeds & RecipeOur Datil seeds are back in stock! This is a unique pepper that has its own festival in St Augustine, Florida. It has a really cool history mixed with folktales. Believed to have been brought to Florida by Minorcan immigrants in the late 1700s, it became a cornerstone of local culture, often used in, jellies, and seafood dishes. Have you tried them? They are delicious!! Get the seeds now while they last, these are in limited supply and are fast sellers because people LOVE these hot peppers. ...
Datil Pepper Hot Sauce RecipeDatil Pepper Hot Sauce Recipe: 1 cup of Ketchup 1 white onion 2-3 garlic cloves 1 green bell pepper (or any sweet pepper) 3-5+ Datil peppers 1 stalk celery 1/2 cup grown sugar 2 tablespoons of vinegar Simmer ketchup and brown sugar on low heat. Remove seeds from Datil peppers, then process onion, garlic, bell pepper, celery and datil peppers and add to pot. Raise heat and simmer, cook about 30 minutes until reduced to combine flavors. Add vinegar, then pour into clean jar. Store in fridge....
How do you make Paprika? (homegrown from seeds!)Making Paprika is a lot of fun! This year ‘Making Paprika’ is a great theme for a pepper garden. Paprika powder is made from red peppers. It can be sweet, flavorful, mild or have a sweet bite of spice. All red chile peppers will produce chile powder. Here are some of the best peppers for Paprika: Most Popular Paprika Pepper Varieties: The most popular pepper choices for homemade paprika are Paprika R. Naky, Alma Paprika, and Hot Hungarian. Addition Peppers that make gre...
Pepper Seed Germination GuideHere is our Pepper Seed Germination Guide with all the best tips for your pepper-growing success! It's important to know that pepper seeds can take longer than most other vegetable seeds to germinate, so it's good to start them earlier to ensure plenty of time for growing indoors before transplanting outside. Here are our tips for fastest and germination: Use Fresh Pepper Seeds The older the seeds are, the harder they are to germinate. While pepper seeds can be viable for up to 25...
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!
Why are bell peppers so hard to grow?
Do you have luck growing bell peppers? Or do you struggle growing them? Do they only produce a couple peppers for the season? Growing Bell peppers can be challenging for some growing regions. Bell peppers are tropical natives that enjoy warm temperatures between 65-85˚F, and they generally prefer high humidity with fertile soil. In some regions, like the arid West with it's intense high altitude sun, bell peppers can be more challenging to grow. Bell peppers are especially prone to sunbur...
Sautéed Bell Peppers
Quick and easy to make in just 15 minutes, these Sautéed Bell Peppers are a wonderful way to add color, flavor, and a veggie to so many meals! These perfect peppers make the ideal side dish or topping for tacos, fajitas, salads, and more. Servings: 4 servings Ingredients 3 bell peppers cut into ½-inch strips OR 3 cups of any sweet peppers 1½ Tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon salt Instructions Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the s...
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...
What type of peppers does Mezzetta use? Cascabellas!
What type of peppers does Mezzetta use? Mezzetta™ Hot Chili Peppers (those jars of spicy yellow pickled peppers) are made from Cascabella peppers. The hot and delicious yellow peppers that they put into jars of Mezzetta Hot Chili Peppers are grown in Northern California, but did you know that you can grow them in your own backyard? They're easy to start from Cascabella seeds! If you're addicted to the deliciously spicy Mezzetta Hot Chili Peppers, then make sure to grow some Cascabe...
Purple Bell Peppers
Looking for Purple Bell Peppers or other Purple Pepper seeds? If you love purple like we do, you always want to plant purple flowers... but did you know you can also plant purple vegetables like Purple Bell Peppers or Purple Tomatoes? Purple is one of the best colors in your garden, it compliments the green leaves and everyone who sees a purple pepper or fruit are delighted! View all our beautiful Ornamental Peppers » If you like hot peppers like us, check out the Bhut Jolokia Purple pe...
Top 15 questions about Bell Peppers
We receive many questions about peppers and have written the answers to the most common questions about Bell Peppers here. Answers will include Bell Pepper growth, color, storage and health benefits. View all of our bell pepper seeds » 1. What is the best Bell Pepper variety for my area? Peppers are a warm season crop and need temperatures above 75 degrees throughout their growing season. Higher latitudes and altitudes can extend the start of growing season, wet areas can use raised beds, and...
Sweet Chocolate Bell Pepper - the earliest pepper!
This Sweet Chocolate Bell Pepper is our earliest pepper! Ripening at just 57 days, this delicious pepper goes from green to dark brown on the outside with brick-red flesh on the inside. Very beautiful when chopped and put on salads, on sandwiches or in flash-fried for fajitas. If you like sweet peppers, you have to try this little delicious gem. These Sweet Chocolate Bell Peppers are about 3-4" in size, and the plants tolerate cool nights – making them good for earlier growing in the spr...
Pepper Plant Companions
Wondering what to plant with your chile peppers to help them thrive? Flowers, chives, carrots, radishes, squash, basil, parsley, dill, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, cucumbers, eggplant, and onions all do well when grown in close proximity to peppers. But don't plant them too close that they will shade your pepper plants: Squash and cucumbers, for example, need ample space so we plant them at least 3-4' away from our pepper patch. You can also use trellises for your cucumbers to grow th...
From Seed to Table: Why Growing Your Own Food Matters More Than Ever
Growing Your Own Food Matters More Than Ever!There are a lot of benefits to growing your own vegetables and fruit at home. Here are just a few reasons why growing your own food: Water Conservation: Vegetable (and fruit) gardens actually use less water than traditional bluegrass lawns, often saving 50–75% of water use — especially if using drip irrigation and mulch. If you live in a dry and drought-prone region, removing grass and adding vegetable gardens can help cut down on water use and exp...
Best Peppers to Start Indoors in April: Ten Varieties for a Strong Summer Harvest.
Haven't started your pepper seeds yet? Don't fret, there is plenty of time to plant seeds for the fastest growing peppers and other fast-growing veggies. Since peppers can take a little longer to get going than other veggies, we recommend starting our fastest growing peppers, which will germinate quickly and grow into robust plants in just 65-75 days. So even those of you with short growing seasons can start these in April! Read more about our top pepper varieties to plant this sprin...
How to Grow Peppers Faster: 7 Tips for Earlier Harvests
Wondering how to grow peppers faster? How to Grow Peppers Faster:7 Tips for Earlier Harvests If you want peppers to grow faster, the key is to give them warmth, light, and a strong head start indoors. Peppers are heat-loving plants, so they grow best when you help them germinate early, keep them warm, and choose varieties that mature quickly. 1. Start seeds early and keep them warm Pepper seeds germinate best when the soil stays consistently warm, ideally around 80˚-90˚ Fahrenheit. Most vari...
Low Water Vegetables
Wondering what are the best low water vegetables to grow? Here are a few of our suggestions along with tips for conserving water in your garden. #1 Favorite Low Water Vegetables: Peppers* Peppers need less water than many other vegetables. As tropical plants, they thrive in warm, well-draining soil and don't mind it drying out slightly between watering. The famous New Mexico Chiles are grown annually in the dry regions of Hatch Valley and Chimayó regions of New Mexico, and the Pueblo Ch...
Easy Seeds to Plant
Chiles are awesome, but don't stop there! There are plenty of easy seeds to plant in your garden that will round out your dinner table. We'll mention Pozole a lot below... that's because it's so delicious! Pozole is a traditional, hearty Mexican stew made with hominy (large, dried corn kernels) and meat, typically it is made with pork or chicken but we make it vegetarian with potatoes/sweet potatoes/squash or other veggies, all cooked in a flavorful broth. It comes in three m...
Plant Labels for Garden - Make Free Durable Plant Labels from Blinds!
Looking for Cheap but Durable Plant Labels for your garden? We've found that old blinds make GREAT labels, as they often have UV resistance so they can last multiple seasons (where many plastic or wood garden markers start to get brittle or disintegrate after a season). Repurposing old blinds is an inexpensive way to label your native plant seedlings so you can share them and keep track of what's what! Mini-blind slats are easy to cut with a Utility knife / box cutter, or you ca...
Partial Shade Vegetables
Get 50% off veggie seeds for shade for a limited time. Grow more food in your garden with a variety of veggies and expand your growing season and harvest! There are plenty of vegetables that grow in partial shade. Vegetables that can grow in partial shade (3-6 hours of sun) include Beets, Carrots, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, and Radish. These crops grow well in early spring, and benefit from partial shade in the heat of summer which helps keep them from bolting as quickly. Here's some mor...
Datil Seeds & Recipe
Our Datil seeds are back in stock! This is a unique pepper that has its own festival in St Augustine, Florida. It has a really cool history mixed with folktales. Believed to have been brought to Florida by Minorcan immigrants in the late 1700s, it became a cornerstone of local culture, often used in, jellies, and seafood dishes. Have you tried them? They are delicious!! Get the seeds now while they last, these are in limited supply and are fast sellers because people LOVE these hot peppers. ...
Datil Pepper Hot Sauce Recipe
Datil Pepper Hot Sauce Recipe: 1 cup of Ketchup 1 white onion 2-3 garlic cloves 1 green bell pepper (or any sweet pepper) 3-5+ Datil peppers 1 stalk celery 1/2 cup grown sugar 2 tablespoons of vinegar Simmer ketchup and brown sugar on low heat. Remove seeds from Datil peppers, then process onion, garlic, bell pepper, celery and datil peppers and add to pot. Raise heat and simmer, cook about 30 minutes until reduced to combine flavors. Add vinegar, then pour into clean jar. Store in fridge....
How do you make Paprika? (homegrown from seeds!)
Making Paprika is a lot of fun! This year ‘Making Paprika’ is a great theme for a pepper garden. Paprika powder is made from red peppers. It can be sweet, flavorful, mild or have a sweet bite of spice. All red chile peppers will produce chile powder. Here are some of the best peppers for Paprika: Most Popular Paprika Pepper Varieties: The most popular pepper choices for homemade paprika are Paprika R. Naky, Alma Paprika, and Hot Hungarian. Addition Peppers that make gre...
Pepper Seed Germination Guide
Here is our Pepper Seed Germination Guide with all the best tips for your pepper-growing success! It's important to know that pepper seeds can take longer than most other vegetable seeds to germinate, so it's good to start them earlier to ensure plenty of time for growing indoors before transplanting outside. Here are our tips for fastest and germination: Use Fresh Pepper Seeds The older the seeds are, the harder they are to germinate. While pepper seeds can be viable for up to 25...
