Plant Flowers for more Peppers!If you grow lots of peppers from seeds like we do, you probably are excited for the coming harvest! In addition to growing peppers, we also love to grow lots of other herbs and vegetables. We especially love to have lots of flowers to bring in bees for pollination as well as other beneficial insects to help protect our chiles and other veggies from pests. Plus, flowers bring beauty and joy to every garden! Great plants to include in your garden include perennial flowers & shrubs, and ann...
I have flowers on my pepper but no peppers!Do your pepper plants have flowers but no peppers? This could be for a variety of reasons: Hot or Cold Weather: Temperatures – Peppers can be fussy when it comes to temperatures, they don't like it too cold or too hot! Peppers fruit best during daily temperatures between 70-80 °F. (Peppers don't like temperatures below 60˚ F and won't likely produce much if too cold – except for these special cool-weather loving peppers). If it's getting into the 90˚ F temperatures, your pep...
Pepper Plant has Flowers but No PeppersWhen a pepper plant has flowers but no peppers it could be because of a lack of pollination or it could be extreme temperatures. If it is too hot (over 95˚ F) or too cold (under 60˚ F) peppers plants will often drop their flowers. Pepper pollen stops working at and becomes sterile when temperatures go above 95°F or drop below 60°F at night. Shade cloth can help shield peppers on 90˚F + days to keep them cooler.If temperatures are between 60-90˚ F, and flowers are dropping it could be that the...
Pepper Flower DropAre your pepper plants dropping blossoms and not producing peppers? Pepper flower drop is typically a stress response to extreme temperatures or other issues, and it's not uncommon. The most common causes include extreme temperatures (daytime above 85°F–95°F or nighttime below 50°F–60°F), irregular watering, nutrient imbalances (like excess nitrogen), poor pollination, and natural shedding because the plant produces more flowers than it can support. Natural shedding of pepper flowers: yo...
Bird Seed Garden: Sunflower, Echinacea and Hot Peppers!Bird Seed Garden: Sunflowers attract Goldfinches! Grow your own Bird Seed Garden to produce organic bird seed with sunflowers or Echinacea flowers – plus you can grow some super hot peppers to help keep the squirrels and rodents away from your seed mix! What kind of seeds are in bird seed? There are a lot of different kinds of seeds marketed as bird seed from the stores, many include seeds for millet, safflower, and cracked corn – and of course sunflower seeds. We've found that most bir...
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...
Gardening gifts under $10Looking for some gardening gifts under $10? Seeds make great gifts for any gardener, especially unique or unusual heirloom seeds! Need a last minute gift for a gardener? If you're looking for a last minute gardening gift under $10, our digital Gift Cards are perfect as your favorite gardener can choose some new seeds to grow in their garden! You can purchase it and email it right away to the recipient, or have it emailed to yourself, then print a copy of the gift card receipt and wrap...
Start Your Own Garden from SeedSpring fever stirs garden dreams. As you ponder the projects you will tackle this year in your yard, consider trading garden center transplants for homegrown seedlings. There are endless good reasons to start your own seeds. Here are just a few: Seeds guarantee the best selection – Garden centers sell a specific product line. If the plant you want is not on the roster, you cannot get it. Sow your own seeds, and you will pick from a broad selection of herbs, vegetables, and flowers. You can sa...
How to grow hot peppers: The best advice from pepper growersWhat is the best hot pepper growing advice you have ever received? Just go for it! Some people just don't try. Grow some of the fastest growing peppers to start, as they are easier to germinate and you get to harvest them much sooner than some other varieties such as many of the super hot peppers. These fast growing peppers are also great for short season gardening – so you can get plenty of peppers before your first frost. Start Seeds Indoors: We recommend starting hot pepper seeds ...
Happy June Gardening!It's June 1st, but it's not too late to plant zucchini seeds! Our Summer Squash Black Beauty Zucchini produces a huge crop of tender zucchini squash during the summer - and they are super fast growing, they start to harvest in 55 days! We direct sow the seeds in mounds in the garden, zucchini plants grow fast and don't like to get root bound, so starting them indoors is unnecessary. It's June...Is it too late to plant seeds? There are plenty of other veggies that you can p...
Fried Zucchini Blossoms RecipeFried Zucchini Blossoms Recipe Did you know that you can eat the beautiful zucchini blossoms? We like to stuff them with hummus or cheese and garlic, hot pepper flakes, and basil then dunk them in a simple flour and soda water batter and fry in a cast iron skillet. YUM! See recipe... Baked or FriedZucchini Blossoms Recipe INGREDIENTS: 8-12 Squash Blossoms (any zucchini, squash or pumpkin blossoms)Fresh Basil or Sage Leaves (1/2 cup+)Hummus (homemade or store-bought)orRicotta Cheese (a...
Gardening ChallengesWhat are your biggest garden challenges? Every gardener has challenges, it's part of what makes gardening fun! Learning something new every year, gardeners accumulate lots of knowledge over time via experience. What are some of your top challenges in your garden? WeatherWeather can be harsh sometimes, especially with late spring storms, hurricanes and tropical storms, non-stop rain, freezing cold temperatures, super hot 90˚F+ temperatures, you name it. We like to start many vegetables suc...
Fastest Growing VegetablesDo you want to grow the Fastest Growing Vegetables? We have a great selection of fast growing vegetable seeds to grow in your garden. Whether you want to fill more vegetables into your garden, or you're starting your garden late, or just want to eat fresh veggies faster, any of these varieties are sure to please! Here are our top suggestions for the fastest growing crops that you can start from seed: Radish – Harvest in 22+ Days!The classic Cherry Bell Radish is super easy to grow and i...
Hail Protection for GardensBest Hail Protection for Gardens If you live in an area that is hail prone, such as the front range of Colorado (also known as hail alley), then you know that you want to protect your garden from hail storms. Don't worry, hail happens – but there are real ways to provide hail protection for your garden. #1 Hail Protection for Garden: “The Classic Hail Protector”An overturned pot. Hail Garden DIY Tip: Yes, something as simple as an overturned bucket or flower pot will help protect your ...
Salsa Garden LayoutSALSA GARDEN LAYOUT Salsa Garden Layout If you're planning a Salsa Garden, here's some tips! Give tomato plants a lot of space! You can plant jalapenos closer together as they don't grow as large as tomato plants. Make sure to give them enough room away from the tomatoes so they don't get engulfed! Cilantro and Green onions can be grown along the sides of your garden as a border or in between the tomatoes and peppers. We put together this sample Salsa Garden Layout above – bu...
Why are my pepper plants turning yellow?A common question from gardeners is:“Why are my pepper plants turning yellow?” Yellow leaves on peppers can be caused by a few issues. Here are a few causes of yellow leaves on your pepper plants: #1 Cause: OverwateringThis is what we think is the most common cause of yellowing pepper plants. Some gardeners give their pepper plants too much "love" in the form of water, resulting in drowning their roots in soggy soil. It doesn't take long for pepper plants in soggy soil to sta...
Pruning young Tomato PlantsWhen growing tomato seeds, we think that Pruning young tomato plants is important to help them grow into the most productive tomato plants in the long run. Here's a video of us pruning a young tomato plant. While it's a simple thing, it's still not easy for us to prune these off emotionally, but it's totally worth it! Clipping off First Flowers of Tomatoes will help them put more energy into growing bigger! It's hard to do but it is good to do it! After they grow l...
Ornamental Hot PeppersOrnamental hot peppers are a great addition to any garden. They add beauty and spice and everything nice! As a vegetable gardener, you probably want to have a beautiful veggie garden! So why not grow some ornamental peppers to add pops of color and beauty! We have a whole selection of ornamental hot peppers that will look great in your landscape, plus you can harvest them for spicing up salsas, hot sauces, sandwiches, burgers, burritos, soups, stews, stir fries, you name it! The rainb...
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 ...
What to plant with TomatoesWondering what to plant with tomatoes to help them thrive? Here are some of our top suggestions: Basil – basil and tomatoes are the perfect companions! It's been said that growing a basil plant next to your tomatoes can improve the growth and taste of tomatoes. Basil also helps repel garden pests like aphids and spider mites, while attracting pollinators with it's blooms. It's also perfect to grow basil with tomatoes because they complement each other in the kitchen! Think tomat...
Plant Flowers for more Peppers!
If you grow lots of peppers from seeds like we do, you probably are excited for the coming harvest! In addition to growing peppers, we also love to grow lots of other herbs and vegetables. We especially love to have lots of flowers to bring in bees for pollination as well as other beneficial insects to help protect our chiles and other veggies from pests. Plus, flowers bring beauty and joy to every garden! Great plants to include in your garden include perennial flowers & shrubs, and ann...
I have flowers on my pepper but no peppers!
Do your pepper plants have flowers but no peppers? This could be for a variety of reasons: Hot or Cold Weather: Temperatures – Peppers can be fussy when it comes to temperatures, they don't like it too cold or too hot! Peppers fruit best during daily temperatures between 70-80 °F. (Peppers don't like temperatures below 60˚ F and won't likely produce much if too cold – except for these special cool-weather loving peppers). If it's getting into the 90˚ F temperatures, your pep...
Pepper Plant has Flowers but No Peppers
When a pepper plant has flowers but no peppers it could be because of a lack of pollination or it could be extreme temperatures. If it is too hot (over 95˚ F) or too cold (under 60˚ F) peppers plants will often drop their flowers. Pepper pollen stops working at and becomes sterile when temperatures go above 95°F or drop below 60°F at night. Shade cloth can help shield peppers on 90˚F + days to keep them cooler.If temperatures are between 60-90˚ F, and flowers are dropping it could be that the...
Pepper Flower Drop
Are your pepper plants dropping blossoms and not producing peppers? Pepper flower drop is typically a stress response to extreme temperatures or other issues, and it's not uncommon. The most common causes include extreme temperatures (daytime above 85°F–95°F or nighttime below 50°F–60°F), irregular watering, nutrient imbalances (like excess nitrogen), poor pollination, and natural shedding because the plant produces more flowers than it can support. Natural shedding of pepper flowers: yo...
Bird Seed Garden: Sunflower, Echinacea and Hot Peppers!
Bird Seed Garden: Sunflowers attract Goldfinches! Grow your own Bird Seed Garden to produce organic bird seed with sunflowers or Echinacea flowers – plus you can grow some super hot peppers to help keep the squirrels and rodents away from your seed mix! What kind of seeds are in bird seed? There are a lot of different kinds of seeds marketed as bird seed from the stores, many include seeds for millet, safflower, and cracked corn – and of course sunflower seeds. We've found that most bir...
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...
Gardening gifts under $10
Looking for some gardening gifts under $10? Seeds make great gifts for any gardener, especially unique or unusual heirloom seeds! Need a last minute gift for a gardener? If you're looking for a last minute gardening gift under $10, our digital Gift Cards are perfect as your favorite gardener can choose some new seeds to grow in their garden! You can purchase it and email it right away to the recipient, or have it emailed to yourself, then print a copy of the gift card receipt and wrap...
Start Your Own Garden from Seed
Spring fever stirs garden dreams. As you ponder the projects you will tackle this year in your yard, consider trading garden center transplants for homegrown seedlings. There are endless good reasons to start your own seeds. Here are just a few: Seeds guarantee the best selection – Garden centers sell a specific product line. If the plant you want is not on the roster, you cannot get it. Sow your own seeds, and you will pick from a broad selection of herbs, vegetables, and flowers. You can sa...
How to grow hot peppers: The best advice from pepper growers
What is the best hot pepper growing advice you have ever received? Just go for it! Some people just don't try. Grow some of the fastest growing peppers to start, as they are easier to germinate and you get to harvest them much sooner than some other varieties such as many of the super hot peppers. These fast growing peppers are also great for short season gardening – so you can get plenty of peppers before your first frost. Start Seeds Indoors: We recommend starting hot pepper seeds ...
Happy June Gardening!
It's June 1st, but it's not too late to plant zucchini seeds! Our Summer Squash Black Beauty Zucchini produces a huge crop of tender zucchini squash during the summer - and they are super fast growing, they start to harvest in 55 days! We direct sow the seeds in mounds in the garden, zucchini plants grow fast and don't like to get root bound, so starting them indoors is unnecessary. It's June...Is it too late to plant seeds? There are plenty of other veggies that you can p...
Fried Zucchini Blossoms Recipe
Fried Zucchini Blossoms Recipe Did you know that you can eat the beautiful zucchini blossoms? We like to stuff them with hummus or cheese and garlic, hot pepper flakes, and basil then dunk them in a simple flour and soda water batter and fry in a cast iron skillet. YUM! See recipe... Baked or FriedZucchini Blossoms Recipe INGREDIENTS: 8-12 Squash Blossoms (any zucchini, squash or pumpkin blossoms)Fresh Basil or Sage Leaves (1/2 cup+)Hummus (homemade or store-bought)orRicotta Cheese (a...
Gardening Challenges
What are your biggest garden challenges? Every gardener has challenges, it's part of what makes gardening fun! Learning something new every year, gardeners accumulate lots of knowledge over time via experience. What are some of your top challenges in your garden? WeatherWeather can be harsh sometimes, especially with late spring storms, hurricanes and tropical storms, non-stop rain, freezing cold temperatures, super hot 90˚F+ temperatures, you name it. We like to start many vegetables suc...
Fastest Growing Vegetables
Do you want to grow the Fastest Growing Vegetables? We have a great selection of fast growing vegetable seeds to grow in your garden. Whether you want to fill more vegetables into your garden, or you're starting your garden late, or just want to eat fresh veggies faster, any of these varieties are sure to please! Here are our top suggestions for the fastest growing crops that you can start from seed: Radish – Harvest in 22+ Days!The classic Cherry Bell Radish is super easy to grow and i...
Hail Protection for Gardens
Best Hail Protection for Gardens If you live in an area that is hail prone, such as the front range of Colorado (also known as hail alley), then you know that you want to protect your garden from hail storms. Don't worry, hail happens – but there are real ways to provide hail protection for your garden. #1 Hail Protection for Garden: “The Classic Hail Protector”An overturned pot. Hail Garden DIY Tip: Yes, something as simple as an overturned bucket or flower pot will help protect your ...
Salsa Garden Layout
SALSA GARDEN LAYOUT Salsa Garden Layout If you're planning a Salsa Garden, here's some tips! Give tomato plants a lot of space! You can plant jalapenos closer together as they don't grow as large as tomato plants. Make sure to give them enough room away from the tomatoes so they don't get engulfed! Cilantro and Green onions can be grown along the sides of your garden as a border or in between the tomatoes and peppers. We put together this sample Salsa Garden Layout above – bu...
Why are my pepper plants turning yellow?
A common question from gardeners is:“Why are my pepper plants turning yellow?” Yellow leaves on peppers can be caused by a few issues. Here are a few causes of yellow leaves on your pepper plants: #1 Cause: OverwateringThis is what we think is the most common cause of yellowing pepper plants. Some gardeners give their pepper plants too much "love" in the form of water, resulting in drowning their roots in soggy soil. It doesn't take long for pepper plants in soggy soil to sta...
Pruning young Tomato Plants
When growing tomato seeds, we think that Pruning young tomato plants is important to help them grow into the most productive tomato plants in the long run. Here's a video of us pruning a young tomato plant. While it's a simple thing, it's still not easy for us to prune these off emotionally, but it's totally worth it! Clipping off First Flowers of Tomatoes will help them put more energy into growing bigger! It's hard to do but it is good to do it! After they grow l...
Ornamental Hot Peppers
Ornamental hot peppers are a great addition to any garden. They add beauty and spice and everything nice! As a vegetable gardener, you probably want to have a beautiful veggie garden! So why not grow some ornamental peppers to add pops of color and beauty! We have a whole selection of ornamental hot peppers that will look great in your landscape, plus you can harvest them for spicing up salsas, hot sauces, sandwiches, burgers, burritos, soups, stews, stir fries, you name it! The rainb...
How to Start a Seed Library
Sharing 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 ...
What to plant with Tomatoes
Wondering what to plant with tomatoes to help them thrive? Here are some of our top suggestions: Basil – basil and tomatoes are the perfect companions! It's been said that growing a basil plant next to your tomatoes can improve the growth and taste of tomatoes. Basil also helps repel garden pests like aphids and spider mites, while attracting pollinators with it's blooms. It's also perfect to grow basil with tomatoes because they complement each other in the kitchen! Think tomat...
