Can you eat squash leaves?Did you know that squash, pumpkin and zucchini leaves and blossoms are edible? With the leaves, the young ones are the best as they are more tender and tasty – a great leafy green to add to all kinds of dishes. Add to soups, curries, quiches, frittatas, stir fry, risotto, you name it! They are also great lightly steamed for a minute or two with garlic, herbs of your choice, and a drizzle of olive oil. We chopped up some young Spaghetti Squash leaves, blossoms, plus Shishito peppers, garlic...
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...
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...
Alfredo Spaghetti Squash - Vegan/ Dairy-free Recipe!Vegan Spaghetti Squash Alfredo Ingredients • 1 Spaghetti Squash For the sauce: • 3 tablespoons of olive oil • 6+ cloves Garlic, minced • 3 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour or arrowroot/chickpea flour if gluten-free • 1 can Coconut Milk + Water as needed • ⅓ cup Nutritional Yeast • ½ teaspoon Salt • ¼ teaspoon Pepper • 1 pinch ground nutmeg (optional) • ¼ cup chopped Parsley• Hot Pepper Flakes and/or Basil (optional) Instructions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a sharp knife, cut the squas...
Squash Wilting?Why does my squash wilt? If your zucchini, pumpkin, squash or cucumber plants are wilting, it could be a few things: 1. Wilting squash during the Heat of the Day: The most common reason that pumpkin, cucumbers, zucchini and squash leaves wilt is that the cucurbita family has a low root-to-shoot ratio, meaning that they have a shallow root system that supports a very large mass of above ground vegetation. Because of this, during the dry heat of the sunniest part of the day, squash leaves...
Simple Squash Blossom RecipeDo you have squash blossoms from your zucchini, squash or pumpkin plants? These beautiful large orange flowers are perfect for stuffing and pan-frying for a delicious summer treat. There are a ton of recipes out there, but here is our easy one, you can also vary up the ingredients for the stuffing, there is no right or wrong way to make these! Simple Squash Blossom Recipe INGREDIENTS: • 6-12+ Blossoms from Pumpkin, Zucchini and Squash (whatever you have)* STUFFING: • 1-2 cups Shredded chee...
Spicy Pumpkin Seeds RecipeIf you grow pumpkins or squash like spaghetti squash, you should definitely make these toasted spicy pumpkin seeds with them! These are addictive. You'll never want to throw away or compost pumpkin seeds (or any squash seeds) ever again after you try this recipe. This is a great one to make if you're carving pumpkins and you clean out the "guts", save the seeds in a bowl. You can soak them in water immediately to help loosen and remove the pulp, then rinse them and let them dr...
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 is the Guinness Book of World Record holder for being the largest chile pepper in the world! 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 8-10". While pod size...
Is it normal for vegetable plants to wilt in the sun?Yes, wilting is normal for vegetable plants on days with hot temperatures and full sun. When it gets super hot from 90-100˚ F days in the Front Range of Colorado, lots of plants in the vegetable garden start drooping and wilting, despite having been watered in the morning. Don't worry, this is normal! (Well, maybe not this crazy heat, but it's normal for plants to wilt on super hot sunny days.) Plants wilting in the sun is common, and it is caused by the plant losing more water throug...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
Edible Nasturtium for your Vegetable GardenNasturtium flowers are beautiful and add artistic flair to your vegetable garden! Plus, the leaves and flowers are edible – they are tasty and a bit spicy, their peppery flavor tastes great when added to salads or as a garnish on any dish. Easy to grow from seeds, direct sow them! They have beautiful edible flowers, leaves and seed pods. Nasturtiums are also a great companion plant for peppers and tomatoes as they attract beneficial insects and deter some pests in the garden. They are ...
20% OFF SEEDS TO PLANT IN MAY & JUNEMay and June are great months to sow seeds! That's right, May and June is great time to sow many seeds in most growing regions in most of the Northern Hemisphere.To help you get started, we're offering 20% OFF SEEDS TO PLANT IN MAY & JUNEUse discount code: PLANTNOWExpires May 23, 2025 SHOP SEEDS ON SALE » Learn more about what seeds are best to direct sow in May & June »
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!