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...
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...
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...
Seeds to Plant in May - Direct SowingA summer squash above was direct seeded in mounds in May at a community garden in Denver. Squash is best direct sown as it doesn't like to have it's roots disturbed, so we generally plant it directly in the garden in May and June. Is May too late to direct sow seeds? Answer: Nope! May is a great time to direct sow many seeds in most growing regions in most of the Northern Hemisphere! May marks the transition from spring to summer in many regions, and the days are super long in M...
Hardening Off Pepper PlantsHardening Off Pepper Plants is important but simple – you just want to gradually expose your indoor-started pepper seedlings to the outside sun and breezes so they are not shocked by full sun on their first day outside. Hardening off pepper seedlings involves gradually exposing seedlings to sunlight, wind, and temperature changes, toughening them up and allowing them to develop thicker leaves and stems. This process helps prevent wilting, stunted growth, and even death. Don't skip this s...
Best Vinegar for Hot SauceMaking your own hot sauce recipes from homegrown hot peppers? Some people like to make fermented hot sauce recipes (and SOMETIMES they add vinegar at the end after it's fermented), some like to cook hot peppers down in a sauce pan and add vinegar for a quick hot sauce, and some people like to pickle whole hot peppers in vinegar for a spicy vinegar treat. You can even add lime or lemon juice to hot sauces for a tropical burst of flavor and acidity. There is no wrong way to make hot sauce, ...
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 »
Grow a Victory GardenGrow Lots of Food This Year!If you haven't started your vegetable garden yet, now is a great time! Here are our top tips on How to Start a Garden: 1. Grow a Variety of Seeds! Growing different types of vegetables is a great way to harvest over a longer season! While peppers and tomatoes are great for summer growing for fresh eating, pickling, and lots of recipes to use year-round, you can also grow other veggies throughout the seasons. Lettuce, onions, cabbages, radishes, kale, cila...
Chili Oil RecipeHomemade chili oil is a thoughtful, flavorful gift and kitchen staple that’s easy to make and looks beautiful in a jar! If you grow your own chiles, this is a great way to use them long after the season is over. There’s something special about giving a homemade gift that people can actually use — and a bottle of chili oil adds a fiery, aromatic touch to any kitchen. It’s perfect for drizzling over noodles, pizza, burritos, eggs, or grilled vegetables. See a couple recipes below, plus lots of ...
Garden QuotesHere's a collection of some of our favorite Garden Quotes to brighten your day: Love people. Grow them tasty food.Gardening adds years to your life, and life to your years. Life Hack:Allow yourself 8-12 hours of time in your garden every morning to prepare for the day. Garden Harvest Quote: Happy "Let's fit the entire Garden into Jars" season! “Anyone who thinks that gardening season begins in the spring & ends in the fall is missing the best part of the year. ...
How to Make Peppers Grow FasterWondering how to make peppers grow faster? Here are our top tips for faster growing pepper plants. 1. Start Fast-Growing Pepper Seeds Early: Keep the seeds very warm for germinating. Keeping pepper seeds warm at 80-90˚ F is best for fast and successful germination. Most pepper seeds germinate within 7-21 days, but some can take longer than that so be patient and keep them consistently warm. Seedling heat mats can help greatly! Pepper Seed Germination Time:Starting peppers earlier than other...
Tomato Plant Problems - Yellow LeavesCommon Seed Customer Question:“Why are some of my tomato seedlings are looking yellow?” If your tomato plants leaves are turning yellow, this could be from a wide variety of reasons, however, before we go on, we have one thing to note: If the first leaves on your tomato seedings (called “cotyledons”) are turning yellow and falling off, don't worry! This is a normal part of seedling development, once the raggedy “true” tomato leaves appear, the first two cotyledon leaves may drop off on...
Growing Peppers from Seed: Our Top 12 TipsGrowing Peppers from SeedOur Top 12 Tips 1. Use Fresh Pepper Seeds When stored in perfect conditions, pepper seeds can be viable for up to 25 years, but generally 2-5 years is more realistic for good germination rates. Keep in mind that the older the seeds get, the less likely they will sprout. Store seeds in a cool, dark, dry environment. Remember, seeds are meant to be grown, so plant them! Of course you can still plant old seeds (a few years old), because they can still germinate. Jus...
Hottest Chilli in the World 20202025 Update: On August 23, 2023, a new pepper was crowned as the hottest pepper in the world by Guinness World Records, named Pepper X. However, if you want to grow the Pepper X, the new world champion for being the hottest pepper, you can't. The seeds are not available. But you can grow the former champ, the Reaper!The Carolina Reaper was the hottest chili in the world until 2023! And it was the hottest chilli in the world in 2020, too, it has worn the crown for many years – originally ...
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.
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...
Seeds to Plant in May - Direct Sowing
A summer squash above was direct seeded in mounds in May at a community garden in Denver. Squash is best direct sown as it doesn't like to have it's roots disturbed, so we generally plant it directly in the garden in May and June. Is May too late to direct sow seeds? Answer: Nope! May is a great time to direct sow many seeds in most growing regions in most of the Northern Hemisphere! May marks the transition from spring to summer in many regions, and the days are super long in M...
Hardening Off Pepper Plants
Hardening Off Pepper Plants is important but simple – you just want to gradually expose your indoor-started pepper seedlings to the outside sun and breezes so they are not shocked by full sun on their first day outside. Hardening off pepper seedlings involves gradually exposing seedlings to sunlight, wind, and temperature changes, toughening them up and allowing them to develop thicker leaves and stems. This process helps prevent wilting, stunted growth, and even death. Don't skip this s...
Best Vinegar for Hot Sauce
Making your own hot sauce recipes from homegrown hot peppers? Some people like to make fermented hot sauce recipes (and SOMETIMES they add vinegar at the end after it's fermented), some like to cook hot peppers down in a sauce pan and add vinegar for a quick hot sauce, and some people like to pickle whole hot peppers in vinegar for a spicy vinegar treat. You can even add lime or lemon juice to hot sauces for a tropical burst of flavor and acidity. There is no wrong way to make hot sauce, ...
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 »
Grow a Victory Garden
Grow Lots of Food This Year!If you haven't started your vegetable garden yet, now is a great time! Here are our top tips on How to Start a Garden: 1. Grow a Variety of Seeds! Growing different types of vegetables is a great way to harvest over a longer season! While peppers and tomatoes are great for summer growing for fresh eating, pickling, and lots of recipes to use year-round, you can also grow other veggies throughout the seasons. Lettuce, onions, cabbages, radishes, kale, cila...
Chili Oil Recipe
Homemade chili oil is a thoughtful, flavorful gift and kitchen staple that’s easy to make and looks beautiful in a jar! If you grow your own chiles, this is a great way to use them long after the season is over. There’s something special about giving a homemade gift that people can actually use — and a bottle of chili oil adds a fiery, aromatic touch to any kitchen. It’s perfect for drizzling over noodles, pizza, burritos, eggs, or grilled vegetables. See a couple recipes below, plus lots of ...
Garden Quotes
Here's a collection of some of our favorite Garden Quotes to brighten your day: Love people. Grow them tasty food.Gardening adds years to your life, and life to your years. Life Hack:Allow yourself 8-12 hours of time in your garden every morning to prepare for the day. Garden Harvest Quote: Happy "Let's fit the entire Garden into Jars" season! “Anyone who thinks that gardening season begins in the spring & ends in the fall is missing the best part of the year. ...
How to Make Peppers Grow Faster
Wondering how to make peppers grow faster? Here are our top tips for faster growing pepper plants. 1. Start Fast-Growing Pepper Seeds Early: Keep the seeds very warm for germinating. Keeping pepper seeds warm at 80-90˚ F is best for fast and successful germination. Most pepper seeds germinate within 7-21 days, but some can take longer than that so be patient and keep them consistently warm. Seedling heat mats can help greatly! Pepper Seed Germination Time:Starting peppers earlier than other...
Tomato Plant Problems - Yellow Leaves
Common Seed Customer Question:“Why are some of my tomato seedlings are looking yellow?” If your tomato plants leaves are turning yellow, this could be from a wide variety of reasons, however, before we go on, we have one thing to note: If the first leaves on your tomato seedings (called “cotyledons”) are turning yellow and falling off, don't worry! This is a normal part of seedling development, once the raggedy “true” tomato leaves appear, the first two cotyledon leaves may drop off on...
Growing Peppers from Seed: Our Top 12 Tips
Growing Peppers from SeedOur Top 12 Tips 1. Use Fresh Pepper Seeds When stored in perfect conditions, pepper seeds can be viable for up to 25 years, but generally 2-5 years is more realistic for good germination rates. Keep in mind that the older the seeds get, the less likely they will sprout. Store seeds in a cool, dark, dry environment. Remember, seeds are meant to be grown, so plant them! Of course you can still plant old seeds (a few years old), because they can still germinate. Jus...
Hottest Chilli in the World 2020
2025 Update: On August 23, 2023, a new pepper was crowned as the hottest pepper in the world by Guinness World Records, named Pepper X. However, if you want to grow the Pepper X, the new world champion for being the hottest pepper, you can't. The seeds are not available. But you can grow the former champ, the Reaper!The Carolina Reaper was the hottest chili in the world until 2023! And it was the hottest chilli in the world in 2020, too, it has worn the crown for many years – originally ...
