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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...

Sphagnum Moss vs Peat Moss There 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...

Vegetable Garden Hacks Here are some vegetable garden hacks from fellow gardeners to try: I plant my peppers in pots as I'm in a short season climate, so I can move them to a warm place during late spring cool weather or early fall cool weather and frosts to extend the season. I also use a small garden bed hoop house with greenhouse film to cover them on cold nights below 50˚in spring and fall. Adding alfalfa pellets to my beds for slow release nitrogen to feed the beneficial bacteria in the soil not the plant...

Ask five gardeners a question and you will get six different answers.😂😂 Ask five gardeners a question and you will get six different answers.😂 Ain't that the truth? Gardening is all about experiences, trials and errors... and above all, experimenting! After all, there are no gardening mistakes, only experiments! For example: Some people swear that topping their young peppers will result in more yields. But many people, especially those in short growing seasons, find that the opposite is true – topping peppers only delays their production. Find our advice on...

Seeds to Sow in August for a Fall Harvest It's not too late to sow more seeds and enjoy more food from your garden this season. August is a great time to plant fall crops so that you can enjoy and preserve the abundance before winter arrives. Seeds to Sow in August for a bountiful Fall Harvest Bush Beans - Ready in just 50 days!, bush beans are the perfect pairing with tomatoes or peppers, you can easily tuck in these fast growing edible plants in your garden. Beans are great companion plants and they also boost the soil nut...

Benefits of Gardening Gardening offers a wide range of benefits including: Nutritious Food & Improved Diet: Freshly harvested vegetables have more nutrients than those that have traveled miles and days/weeks to get to the store. Your tastebuds know it too: a homegrown heirloom tomato always tastes way more amazing and complex than any store-bought tomatoes, especially when fresh-picked and still warm from the sun. When you garden, you can grow specialty peppers that are packed with flavor that you'd neve...

What Seeds to Plant in June - Companion Plants! Wondering what seeds you should plant in June? It's not too late to start your garden! 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 Corian...

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...

Vegetable Container Gardening Vegetable Container Gardening:The best seeds to grow Even if you don't have a lot of space, vegetable container gardening is possible so you can have your own homegrown veggies and herbs. Starting Seeds for Vegetable Container Gardens: You can start many seeds in a sunny window, or get some inexpensive led or flourescent grow lights and start seeds under the lights to get them growing strong for transplanting into their final containers or pots come spring. The cost of starting your cont...

How to Transplant Pepper Plants How to Transplant Pepper Plants Whether you started your own pepper seeds, or if you're transplanting peppers from the garden center, here are our top tips for best success. Transplanting peppers is a simple process, though there are a few tricks to help your pepper transplants thrive. 1. Make sure to harden off your seedlings first! This simply means to bring indoor-started pepper plants outside and expose them to the sun gradually. This will help avoid transplant shock. 2. Create Labe...

Winter Sowing Winter Sowing: We just learned about Winter Sowing a few years ago, it's a wonderful way to start seeds using recycled containers outside! With winter sowing, you don't need room inside to start seeds, you can start them outdoors in the winter/spring months with recycled jugs and other containers. These containers serve as miniature greenhouses that do an incredible job of germinating all sorts of seeds including vegetables, herbs, and native plants. Winter Sowing Seeds in Milk...

Cool Weather Vegetables There are a lot of cool weather vegetables that are great for winter growing as well as for early spring! Sandia Seed has a good selection of cool season vegetables that are great for growing in the cold months, especially early spring! When to plant cool weather crops:Cool-season vegetables can be planted anytime from several weeks to a couple of months before the last frost date. These early vegetables prefer cooler temperatures for growing. Some people start seeds indoors to get them ...

What to plant in January Ahhh, the middle of winter! It's just about now that we're excited to start planting seeds for spring. January is a good time to start planning what to plant in your garden if you haven't done it already. Deciding what vegetables to grow each year is part of the fun, though sometimes difficult to narrow down which varieties to grow! With over 100 peppers from around the world plus lots of veggies and tomato seeds, too, our Seed Catalog makes it hard to narrow down the choices! But...

Fall Vegetable Garden Tips 2019 Fall Vegetable Garden Tips Now that fall is here for many of us, and you've harvested the last of your chiles, tomatoes, and other summer veggies, it's time to put your gardens to bed for the winter. Here are a couple of tips to build your garden soil for next season: 1. Mulch your garden beds with compost, grass clippings or leaves to help conserve moisture over the winter, as well as feed/build the soil. Did you know you can add your roasted green chile skins and seeds to y...

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...

Happy first day of Autumn! Happy first day of Autumn! Wow, where does the time go? May your harvests bring you joy! Did you know? The autumnal equinox marks the moment when day and night are approximately equal in length, signaling the transition from summer to autumn.It also is harvest season for many growers! Harvesting lots of peppers? Try our Chile Recipes to use your harvest »How to make a Ristra to dry your chiles »How to dry peppers without a dehydrator » Can you plant veggies in Autumn? Even if yo...

October Gardening Tips Happy October! Here are some of our top tips for October Gardening: 1. Harvest your Peppers (and other veggies)! Harvest your peppers and other summer vegetables like tomatoes, squash, zucchini, and eggplants. Did you know you can freeze fresh whole peppers or cored tomatoes for later use? Sometimes that's easier when they come in waves and you're short on time. October is also a great time to pick and roast your chiles to freeze or use right away – learn how to roast chile » 2. Ma...

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...

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...

Vegan Jalapeno Poppers Recipe You can make your own hummus or use store-bought hummus for this delicious vegan / vegetarian version of Jalapeño Poppers. Vegan Jalapeno Poppers Recipe Ingredients: Make your own Hummus:• 1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained • 3-5 garlic cloves • ½ tsp black pepper • ½ tsp red pepper • ¼ cup water • Juice of 1 lemon, plus grate a little of the lemon rind • 2 Tablespoons of Olive oil, Sesame Oil or use Tahini if you have it • 8-10 Jalapenos, sliced in half, seeds r...