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...
When to Plant Sugar Snap Peas for Fall HarvestIf you're looking for good fall crops to grow from seed, we have you covered! We have a new lineup of our favorite easiest-to-grow vegetable seeds to complement our chile pepper and tomato seed collections. One of the top growers are our Easy-to-Grow Pea Seeds. When to Plant Sugar Snap Peas for Fall Harvest In the fall, plant sugar snap peas in the last 8 to 10 weeks before the first expected frost to guarantee a plentiful harvest. Or, you can also provide cover such as a hoop house o...
Sphagnum Moss vs Peat MossThere is a lot of confusion about the labeling of sphagnum moss and peat moss. The important difference between these two mosses has never been clearly explained to most gardeners. So, this article will try to clear up the confusion and describe how they are both similar, yet two very different soil amendments. Sphagnum moss is pH neutral. Yes, you read that right. Generally, the pH of sphagnum moss is pH neutral. It is soft, pliable, and very water-retentive. It is used to line baskets, a...
How to store fresh Basil from the GardenWhat is the best way to save fresh basil? If you pick some fresh basil for other herbs from your garden, it's always good to use the herbs right away. But, if you pick it in the morning, you may want to keep it fresh until you're ready to make lunch or dinner with it or perhaps use it in the next day or two. Well, first things first – don't put your basil in the fridge! Why shouldn't you refrigerate fresh basil? It can turn the leaves black, and it will lose flavor when it get...
Ten great peppers for pots in small spaces!Peppers are a great vegetable to grow on a patio, deck or sunny balcony. So if you don't have a lot of space, you can still grow some peppers! Some people even grow them under lights indoors, year-round! Above are Fire and Ice peppers growing in a glorious blue ceramic pot – this variety is perfect for patio containers as it really looks like fire at the end of the season with colorful yellow to orange to red peppers growing upwards. Most peppers grow great in pots and containers – and ca...
Powdery Mildew on Squash & PumpkinsDo you have powdery mildew on your squash plants? Do you struggle with powdery mildew on your squash, pumpkins and cucumbers later in the season? Well, don't fret, it is very common. Powdery mildew occurs when the soil is too dry or has inconsistent moisture – however, it is also natural as the plants age towards the end of the season. Powdery mildew is normal, and happens to nearly all cucurbit plants (squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini) at some point towards the end of the season. T...
Why grow your own vegetables?Why do some people prefer growing food themselves?Why grow vegetables vs just buying them at the store?Why is it better to grow your own produce?There are many reasons that people love growing their own vegetables! For one, they just taste better. And, it's just so rewarding to pick food from your garden that you grew from seed! But there are many benefits, here are a few more reasons that people love growing their own vegetables: Homegrown vegetables taste better! Fresh Nutrition &...
Growing Spaghetti SquashAre spaghetti squash hard to grow? Growing spaghetti squash seeds are some of the easiest and rewarding squashes to grow! They are easy to start from seed, you can direct sow them in mounds in your garden, no need to start them indoors. In fact, we find that direct sown squash often do better than their indoor-started counterparts, this is in part because they have sensitive root systems that don't like to be disturbed (aka transplanted). Make sure to provide good soil for them, they lik...
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...
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 can I plant in April?Spinach, shown above, is a great seed to direct sow in your garden in April. Of course, what you can plant in April depends on your growing region! Here in the front range of Colorado in growing zone 5b, our last frost is usually in mid-to-late-May. Indoors, we can start lots of warm weather veggie seeds under lights like pepper seeds, tomato seeds, basil seeds, eggplant seeds in April. Outside, we can start seeds for Lettuce, Spinach, Beets, Carrots, Radishes, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cilantro, Or...
Seed Starting Setup Contest!Seed Starting Setup Photo Contest Winners Congratulations to Daniel C., the winner of our $25 Gift Card for our Seedling Setup Photo Contest! Here's his fun up-potting photo with a special guest appearance. Our second $25 gift card winner for is Rana! Wow, that's a lot of seedlings! Nice looking plants. Running a fan on seedlings for a few hours a day is always a good idea to keep the plants growing stout and strong. See more of the entries in the collage below or on our Facebook page...
Red or Green Chile Sale!Get 25% off seeds in our Red Or Green Collection with discount code: REDORGREEN Plus, we'll send a FREE Marigold seed packet with any sale using this discount code! Offer good now thru Saturday, April 5, 2025.APPLY DISCOUNT CODE & SHOP COLLECTION: CLICK HERE »
Disease-resistant PeppersPeppers in general are easy to grow and suffer from less diseases than most other vegetables. However, they can get diseases, so it's wise to practice good growing methods. To keep disease at bay, plant peppers with adequate spacing so there is good air circulation. Use supports to keep their branches off the ground, and prune off bottom leaves or branches near soil to help keep air circulation up and keep your pepper plants healthy. It's also great to mulch with grass clippings or le...
Chimayó Chile - Grow your own!The Chimayó Chile is one of our favorite peppers in the world! They have a unique and different flavor that imparts pure deliciousness to many dishes. Many chefs believe that the Chimayó Chile is the most delicious chile pepper in the American southwest. The Chimayó Chile is known by locals in New Mexico as well as by connoisseurs around the world for being one of the tastiest chile you can get your hands on. In fact, NPR recently did a story on this rare treat, give it a listen to get insp...
Pesto RecipeSimple Pesto Recipe: 2 Cups of Basil – or more, who measures Basil? We usually just use all that we have on hand, you can make larger or smaller batches depending on how much basil you have. You can use both the leaves and any non-woody stems. 1/2 Cup of Nuts - we like to use hulled pumpkin seeds, pine nuts are traditional, but people also use walnuts, almonds, pistacios or even peanuts for pestos, they all bring their own flavor profile to the table. Vary quantity as desired 1/4 cup of ...
I grow your basil seeds every year, they are easy to start from seed and grow into nice bushy plants that we harvest all summer long to use to make caprese salads (when the tomatoes start to ripen), as well as pesto. I like to make a big batch of pesto, then freeze "pucks" of it in a muffin tray to store in a container in the freezer for some summer flavors all winter long. These seeds always have great germination. I also like to let a couple of basil plants bloom as the pollinators love the blooms and they are pretty, too!
Bought the Green Chile Intro - 3-Pack and was able to start indoors the Big Jim Legacy and Sandia Select with a 100% germination rate thanks to the clear instructions provided. As of Mid July in NC zone 7A on the 8 chile plants(6 Big Jim, 2 Sandia) in the garden I have 5-7 large chiles per plant. The smallest chiles are over 7” and I’m already getting another flush of flowers for round 2 of delicious peppers. Highly recommend these chiles!!!
My sister loves gardening, and is quite a seed collector and grower. She'll love all these classic varieties to add to her garden and seed box. Zucchini are an old stand-by, as well as pumpkins, beans, radishes and more. She's never grown spaghetti squash, so that will be a fun addition.
Beautiful, perfect golden tomatoes - very tasty, too!
Perfect looking tomatoes in a golden color with hints of red, they are gorgeous. These Rainbow Tomatoes were definitely the most productive tomatoes of the season last year, so our countertop bowl was filled with their golden deliciousness.
Make sure to use a sturdy tomato cage (not those wirey floppy ones that they most commonly sell!) - we ended up using some wood stakes to create a frame around the plants as they were so huge and loaded with fruit later in the season.
We just planted our seedlings for these this year, looking forward to watching them grow!
Fantastic! I will be ordering from Sandiaseed from now on.
Germination for nearly all of my varieties was 3-5 days (95% - 100% success rate). My varieties include: Red Ghost, Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Scorpion, Devils Tongue, Cayenne Ring of Fire, Habenero Red, Yellow Jamaican, Paprika Numex, and Bolivian Rainbow. Another thing that I really appreciated is that each packet seemed to contain 20% more seeds than indicated (each 10 seed pack contained 12 seeds) - Not sure if that is standard but it was a nice bonus.
I've found that when you combine roasted carrots, habaneros, lime juice and garlic, it will make the best hot sauce of your life. I think it's the sweetness and depth of the carrots that make the sauce even better, and pairs perfectly with the habanero heat. I got the inspiration from one of my favorite store-bought hot sauces, Marie Sharp's Habanero hot sauce. Sometimes I add some of your Chef's orange tomatoes too to make more of it, and they also give more flavor to the hot sauce and help tame the heat a bit. I grow these in my garden every year along with your orange habaneros, orange tomatoes and other hot peppers and veggies. Very reliable.
These fabulous peppers added lots of color to our patio pots. So pretty in multiple colors, plus you can pick them and add to salsa for a nice spicy kick. These are fun in any ornamental edible garden.
We let these hang dry, then ground them up – they made the tastiest pepper flakes. They have a nice kick, but good flavor too. Easy to grow plants, pretty peppers.
Great seeds, good germination, plants grow quickly and produce lots of pods for roasting. Great flavor and just the right amount of spice. We grow these every year in our garden in Utah.
I tried these purple Cherokee seeds on 2024. This is the first time growing these purple Cherokees and were amazed at the ease of germination and taste
These germinated in two days. I started them in midsummer and they fruited by late fall in my zone 10b garden and are overwintering just fine. I’ll have more to harvest by late spring. I made my red sauce for pozole for Christmas with my harvest!
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...
When to Plant Sugar Snap Peas for Fall Harvest
If you're looking for good fall crops to grow from seed, we have you covered! We have a new lineup of our favorite easiest-to-grow vegetable seeds to complement our chile pepper and tomato seed collections. One of the top growers are our Easy-to-Grow Pea Seeds. When to Plant Sugar Snap Peas for Fall Harvest In the fall, plant sugar snap peas in the last 8 to 10 weeks before the first expected frost to guarantee a plentiful harvest. Or, you can also provide cover such as a hoop house o...
How to store fresh Basil from the Garden
What is the best way to save fresh basil? If you pick some fresh basil for other herbs from your garden, it's always good to use the herbs right away. But, if you pick it in the morning, you may want to keep it fresh until you're ready to make lunch or dinner with it or perhaps use it in the next day or two. Well, first things first – don't put your basil in the fridge! Why shouldn't you refrigerate fresh basil? It can turn the leaves black, and it will lose flavor when it get...
Ten great peppers for pots in small spaces!
Peppers are a great vegetable to grow on a patio, deck or sunny balcony. So if you don't have a lot of space, you can still grow some peppers! Some people even grow them under lights indoors, year-round! Above are Fire and Ice peppers growing in a glorious blue ceramic pot – this variety is perfect for patio containers as it really looks like fire at the end of the season with colorful yellow to orange to red peppers growing upwards. Most peppers grow great in pots and containers – and ca...
Powdery Mildew on Squash & Pumpkins
Do you have powdery mildew on your squash plants? Do you struggle with powdery mildew on your squash, pumpkins and cucumbers later in the season? Well, don't fret, it is very common. Powdery mildew occurs when the soil is too dry or has inconsistent moisture – however, it is also natural as the plants age towards the end of the season. Powdery mildew is normal, and happens to nearly all cucurbit plants (squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini) at some point towards the end of the season. T...
Why grow your own vegetables?
Why do some people prefer growing food themselves?Why grow vegetables vs just buying them at the store?Why is it better to grow your own produce?There are many reasons that people love growing their own vegetables! For one, they just taste better. And, it's just so rewarding to pick food from your garden that you grew from seed! But there are many benefits, here are a few more reasons that people love growing their own vegetables: Homegrown vegetables taste better! Fresh Nutrition &...
Growing Spaghetti Squash
Are spaghetti squash hard to grow? Growing spaghetti squash seeds are some of the easiest and rewarding squashes to grow! They are easy to start from seed, you can direct sow them in mounds in your garden, no need to start them indoors. In fact, we find that direct sown squash often do better than their indoor-started counterparts, this is in part because they have sensitive root systems that don't like to be disturbed (aka transplanted). Make sure to provide good soil for them, they lik...
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...
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 can I plant in April?
Spinach, shown above, is a great seed to direct sow in your garden in April. Of course, what you can plant in April depends on your growing region! Here in the front range of Colorado in growing zone 5b, our last frost is usually in mid-to-late-May. Indoors, we can start lots of warm weather veggie seeds under lights like pepper seeds, tomato seeds, basil seeds, eggplant seeds in April. Outside, we can start seeds for Lettuce, Spinach, Beets, Carrots, Radishes, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cilantro, Or...
Seed Starting Setup Contest!
Seed Starting Setup Photo Contest Winners Congratulations to Daniel C., the winner of our $25 Gift Card for our Seedling Setup Photo Contest! Here's his fun up-potting photo with a special guest appearance. Our second $25 gift card winner for is Rana! Wow, that's a lot of seedlings! Nice looking plants. Running a fan on seedlings for a few hours a day is always a good idea to keep the plants growing stout and strong. See more of the entries in the collage below or on our Facebook page...
Red or Green Chile Sale!
Get 25% off seeds in our Red Or Green Collection with discount code: REDORGREEN Plus, we'll send a FREE Marigold seed packet with any sale using this discount code! Offer good now thru Saturday, April 5, 2025.APPLY DISCOUNT CODE & SHOP COLLECTION: CLICK HERE »
Disease-resistant Peppers
Peppers in general are easy to grow and suffer from less diseases than most other vegetables. However, they can get diseases, so it's wise to practice good growing methods. To keep disease at bay, plant peppers with adequate spacing so there is good air circulation. Use supports to keep their branches off the ground, and prune off bottom leaves or branches near soil to help keep air circulation up and keep your pepper plants healthy. It's also great to mulch with grass clippings or le...
Chimayó Chile - Grow your own!
The Chimayó Chile is one of our favorite peppers in the world! They have a unique and different flavor that imparts pure deliciousness to many dishes. Many chefs believe that the Chimayó Chile is the most delicious chile pepper in the American southwest. The Chimayó Chile is known by locals in New Mexico as well as by connoisseurs around the world for being one of the tastiest chile you can get your hands on. In fact, NPR recently did a story on this rare treat, give it a listen to get insp...
Pesto Recipe
Simple Pesto Recipe: 2 Cups of Basil – or more, who measures Basil? We usually just use all that we have on hand, you can make larger or smaller batches depending on how much basil you have. You can use both the leaves and any non-woody stems. 1/2 Cup of Nuts - we like to use hulled pumpkin seeds, pine nuts are traditional, but people also use walnuts, almonds, pistacios or even peanuts for pestos, they all bring their own flavor profile to the table. Vary quantity as desired 1/4 cup of ...
