Organic Control for Tomato Hornworms on PeppersTomato Hornworms are really big green caterpillars that can devastate your pepper garden. Giant brown moths lay pearl-like eggs on your pepper leaves, from which the monsters will hatch and start to eat voraciously. They can decimate all the leaves on a plant overnight. The best organic control might be picking the caterpillars off the plants, but by then it could be too late to save your plants. Also, touching and pulling them off is gross, but depending on how mad you are, you won’t mind! ...
Is it ok to reuse potting soil? Here are our Tips for reusing potting soil in pots for growing peppers.Recent customer question:“HELP! I garden in containers and have a nice amount of soil left from growing peppers this past year. I would like to revitalize the soil to use next year for my peppers and tomatoes. I plan on adding new soil too, but what nutrients would you suggest adding?” Answer: Yes, you can reuse potting soil for growing peppers, but it must be amended to replenish nutrients and structure. To replenish the soil, it's good to mix in some slow-release organic fertilizers, wo...
Growing Peppers in ColoradoThere are many different growing zones in Colorado, and you can grow peppers in any areas that you can grow tomatoes and other veggies! For Colorado gardeners, starting peppers indoors is a must with short season gardening, we recommend starting your pepper seeds at least 6-8 weeks before mid-to-late May when you will transplant them into the garden. Use a seedling heat mat to keep the pepper seeds warm during germination, they like to germinate around 80˚F! Choose short season peppers for...
Growing seeds in winter: Winter Sowing in FebruaryCan I winter sow in February? Yes, February is a great time for Winter Sowing in many regions like the West. We usually have to wait until mid-May here in Colorado to bring out indoor-started peppers and tomatoes and other warm weather veggies to harden off and get ready to transplant into the garden. But that doesn't mean you can't start some seeds outdoors despite the freezing weather and snow... because you can Winter Sow! Cool weather veggies, herbs and native plants can do very...
Grow the Biggest PeppersWondering how to grow the biggest peppers? What is the trick to growing larger peppers? First, start off with the largest pepper varieties, such as the Legacy Big Jim chile. This giant was recognized by Guinness World Records for being the largest chile pepper in the world, and is beloved by chileheads. These New Mexican chiles have great flavor, thick flesh, and mild to medium heat with 2,000 - 4,000 Scovilles. These chile giants can grow up to 14" in length, but typically range from 8...
What Seeds to Plant in June - Companion Plants!Wondering what seeds you should plant in June? June is a great time to plant companion plants with your peppers, tomatoes and other veggies. There is a great range of seeds to choose from that you can plant in June including cilantro, squash, cucumbers, nasturtium, lettuce, basil, and many more. Read about them below... Cilantro - great for salsas, and the flowers attract lots of beneficial insects and produce more seeds (also known as Coriander) Cherry Belle Radish are super fast gro...
Hatch Chile Seeds: From Planting to HarvestIntroduction to growing Hatch Chile Seeds Growing your own delicious Hatch chile peppers from seeds is a rewarding experience, whether you're a seasoned gardener or a beginner. These flavorful peppers, originating from New Mexico's Hatch Valley, are beloved for their versatility in dishes like stews, salsas, and chile rellenos. With the right care, you can cultivate a thriving crop of Hatch chiles in your garden, ranging from mild to fiery hot. You don't have to be in Hatch, NM to...
Seeds to plant in JanuaryCan you plant seeds in January? Yes, because for us gardeners, it's hard to resist waiting! And there is no reason to wait. That said, in most growing regions, starting seeds outside in January isn't realistic (at least without cover, read more about that lower below.) In growing regions with cold winters, the ground is usually frozen or covered in snow, and ongoing frosts are imminent. But there are some cool weather veggies that can be started outdoors under cover, and you can start...
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...
Salsa GardenSALSA GARDEN If you're like us, you can never get enough salsa! So why not grow your own salsa garden? Looking for salsa garden seeds? We have you covered with over 100 peppers from around the world, plus lots of heirloom tomatoes, too, that make the BEST salsa ever! Grow your own salsa garden! Salsa Garden Kit Check out our salsa garden kit and grow your own salsa! Our Salsa Garden Seeds are perfect for any salsa-lover. Our fabulous Salsa Garden Kit has four packets of seeds to get your...
Seed Contest: Spring 2023THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED! We love seeing your photos! Congratulations to Cat & Angela, our two lucky winners of a $25 GIFT CARD & SEED CATALOG! ORIGINAL CONTEST DEETS: Here’s how to enter: 1. Post a photo of your Sandia Seed packets, stickers, gardens & harveston Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram 2. Add hashtag #sandiaseed in your post’s description for a chance to win! Even though this contest is over, we still love seeing your pepper and vegetable posts, so tag us with #san...
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...
Pepper SeedsPepper Seeds Sandia Seed carries over 100 peppers of the world that you can grow in your garden! Our seeds have very high germination rates and grow into a variety of peppers that are sure to please any pepper lover! We also specialize in New Mexican Chile seeds such as Hatch Chile seeds, Poblano seeds, and other New Mexican favorites.Want sweet, mild, hot or super hot pepper seeds?We got you covered on pepper seeds with every heat level, from no heat at all to wicked hot. Here is a list of o...
Hot Pepper Comic"I'm not sure what the big deal is about Carolina Reapers... They don't have any heat."Hot Pepper Comic featuring the famous Carolina Reaper and a Bird Did you know birds can't feel the heat? In addition to spicing up hot sauce and salsas, some of our pepper seed customers grow our super hot peppers like the Carolina Reaper to dry and add to their seed mixes to discourage squirrels. Birds don't taste the heat but squirrels and other rodents do! Grow your own bird seed...
How to grow jalapeno peppers from seedsHere are our top tips for growing jalapeño seeds: 1. Use Fresh Jalapeno SeedsWhen perfectly stored, jalapeno seeds can be viable for 25+ years, but realistically they'll last about 2-5 years with the best germination rates. Older seeds won't have as good of germination but that doesn't mean you can't use them, if they germinate you're off to the jalapeno races. Store jalapeno seeds in a cool, dark, dry environment to help them last longer.2. Keep Jalapeno Seeds War...
How to care for container-grown peppersGrowing peppers in containers is a great way to expand your gardening space. As long as you have an area with 6+ hours of sun, you can grow peppers, even on a balcony in the city. First, make sure to pick good pepper varieties that grow well in containers as they are well-suited to growing in pots. Here are our top tips for the best care for container-grown peppers: Container Size: Select a large pot or container with a 12" + diameter and about 5 gallons in size to allow room for the ro...
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!
I got these to make Chipotle chilis. These fruit early and are mild-ish when green, but when they ripen, they are perfect for smoking and drying with great flavor and nice heat. Don't plant too many as they are quite prolific.
Organic Control for Tomato Hornworms on Peppers
Tomato Hornworms are really big green caterpillars that can devastate your pepper garden. Giant brown moths lay pearl-like eggs on your pepper leaves, from which the monsters will hatch and start to eat voraciously. They can decimate all the leaves on a plant overnight. The best organic control might be picking the caterpillars off the plants, but by then it could be too late to save your plants. Also, touching and pulling them off is gross, but depending on how mad you are, you won’t mind! ...
Is it ok to reuse potting soil? Here are our Tips for reusing potting soil in pots for growing peppers.
Recent customer question:“HELP! I garden in containers and have a nice amount of soil left from growing peppers this past year. I would like to revitalize the soil to use next year for my peppers and tomatoes. I plan on adding new soil too, but what nutrients would you suggest adding?” Answer: Yes, you can reuse potting soil for growing peppers, but it must be amended to replenish nutrients and structure. To replenish the soil, it's good to mix in some slow-release organic fertilizers, wo...
Growing Peppers in Colorado
There are many different growing zones in Colorado, and you can grow peppers in any areas that you can grow tomatoes and other veggies! For Colorado gardeners, starting peppers indoors is a must with short season gardening, we recommend starting your pepper seeds at least 6-8 weeks before mid-to-late May when you will transplant them into the garden. Use a seedling heat mat to keep the pepper seeds warm during germination, they like to germinate around 80˚F! Choose short season peppers for...
Growing seeds in winter: Winter Sowing in February
Can I winter sow in February? Yes, February is a great time for Winter Sowing in many regions like the West. We usually have to wait until mid-May here in Colorado to bring out indoor-started peppers and tomatoes and other warm weather veggies to harden off and get ready to transplant into the garden. But that doesn't mean you can't start some seeds outdoors despite the freezing weather and snow... because you can Winter Sow! Cool weather veggies, herbs and native plants can do very...
Grow the Biggest Peppers
Wondering how to grow the biggest peppers? What is the trick to growing larger peppers? First, start off with the largest pepper varieties, such as the Legacy Big Jim chile. This giant was recognized by Guinness World Records for being the largest chile pepper in the world, and is beloved by chileheads. These New Mexican chiles have great flavor, thick flesh, and mild to medium heat with 2,000 - 4,000 Scovilles. These chile giants can grow up to 14" in length, but typically range from 8...
What Seeds to Plant in June - Companion Plants!
Wondering what seeds you should plant in June? June is a great time to plant companion plants with your peppers, tomatoes and other veggies. There is a great range of seeds to choose from that you can plant in June including cilantro, squash, cucumbers, nasturtium, lettuce, basil, and many more. Read about them below... Cilantro - great for salsas, and the flowers attract lots of beneficial insects and produce more seeds (also known as Coriander) Cherry Belle Radish are super fast gro...
Hatch Chile Seeds: From Planting to Harvest
Introduction to growing Hatch Chile Seeds Growing your own delicious Hatch chile peppers from seeds is a rewarding experience, whether you're a seasoned gardener or a beginner. These flavorful peppers, originating from New Mexico's Hatch Valley, are beloved for their versatility in dishes like stews, salsas, and chile rellenos. With the right care, you can cultivate a thriving crop of Hatch chiles in your garden, ranging from mild to fiery hot. You don't have to be in Hatch, NM to...
Seeds to plant in January
Can you plant seeds in January? Yes, because for us gardeners, it's hard to resist waiting! And there is no reason to wait. That said, in most growing regions, starting seeds outside in January isn't realistic (at least without cover, read more about that lower below.) In growing regions with cold winters, the ground is usually frozen or covered in snow, and ongoing frosts are imminent. But there are some cool weather veggies that can be started outdoors under cover, and you can start...
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...
Salsa Garden
SALSA GARDEN If you're like us, you can never get enough salsa! So why not grow your own salsa garden? Looking for salsa garden seeds? We have you covered with over 100 peppers from around the world, plus lots of heirloom tomatoes, too, that make the BEST salsa ever! Grow your own salsa garden! Salsa Garden Kit Check out our salsa garden kit and grow your own salsa! Our Salsa Garden Seeds are perfect for any salsa-lover. Our fabulous Salsa Garden Kit has four packets of seeds to get your...
Seed Contest: Spring 2023
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED! We love seeing your photos! Congratulations to Cat & Angela, our two lucky winners of a $25 GIFT CARD & SEED CATALOG! ORIGINAL CONTEST DEETS: Here’s how to enter: 1. Post a photo of your Sandia Seed packets, stickers, gardens & harveston Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram 2. Add hashtag #sandiaseed in your post’s description for a chance to win! Even though this contest is over, we still love seeing your pepper and vegetable posts, so tag us with #san...
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...
Pepper Seeds
Pepper Seeds Sandia Seed carries over 100 peppers of the world that you can grow in your garden! Our seeds have very high germination rates and grow into a variety of peppers that are sure to please any pepper lover! We also specialize in New Mexican Chile seeds such as Hatch Chile seeds, Poblano seeds, and other New Mexican favorites.Want sweet, mild, hot or super hot pepper seeds?We got you covered on pepper seeds with every heat level, from no heat at all to wicked hot. Here is a list of o...
Hot Pepper Comic
"I'm not sure what the big deal is about Carolina Reapers... They don't have any heat."Hot Pepper Comic featuring the famous Carolina Reaper and a Bird Did you know birds can't feel the heat? In addition to spicing up hot sauce and salsas, some of our pepper seed customers grow our super hot peppers like the Carolina Reaper to dry and add to their seed mixes to discourage squirrels. Birds don't taste the heat but squirrels and other rodents do! Grow your own bird seed...
How to grow jalapeno peppers from seeds
Here are our top tips for growing jalapeño seeds: 1. Use Fresh Jalapeno SeedsWhen perfectly stored, jalapeno seeds can be viable for 25+ years, but realistically they'll last about 2-5 years with the best germination rates. Older seeds won't have as good of germination but that doesn't mean you can't use them, if they germinate you're off to the jalapeno races. Store jalapeno seeds in a cool, dark, dry environment to help them last longer.2. Keep Jalapeno Seeds War...
How to care for container-grown peppers
Growing peppers in containers is a great way to expand your gardening space. As long as you have an area with 6+ hours of sun, you can grow peppers, even on a balcony in the city. First, make sure to pick good pepper varieties that grow well in containers as they are well-suited to growing in pots. Here are our top tips for the best care for container-grown peppers: Container Size: Select a large pot or container with a 12" + diameter and about 5 gallons in size to allow room for the ro...
