November is National Pepper Month!Happy National Pepper Month! All month long we can celebrate peppers! While we love peppers all year long, November is a great time to give these delicious fruits the attention they deserve. Right now, loads of hot sauces, salsas, roasted chile and hot pepper flakes are being enjoyed by people around the world. Sandia Seed loves National Pepper Month because we love peppers! In fact, in 2008, we were the first seed packet company to focus exclusively on pepper seeds from around the world. At ...
Should I harvest peppers before frost?Should I harvest peppers before frost? Absolutely! Don't let the pepper pods freeze outside on the plants, as they will turn to mush. Harvesting peppers before frost: Do you have to harvest your peppers before a frost, but they're not ripe? Here are our suggestions: Pick your Peppers:You can pick the peppers, and if they are close enough to ripe, they may turn color on your counter. Many peppers like jalapeños are often picked green, so enjoy them green – you'll find that super...
Shishito RecipesThere are lots of delicious Shishito Recipes! Shishitos are great sweet peppers to grow in the garden as they are fast growing so they are one of the first peppers to harvest, and then they just keep producing all season long. They are one of the easiest peppers to grow, and are great for beginner gardeners. Shishitos grow happily in pots, too. You can pick them often to eat fresh or make a variety of dishes with them. Here are a few of our favorite Shishito Recipe ideas: Sautéed Shishitos ...
Best way to Preserve Dill - Top TechniquesWe recently received this question from a customer about storing homegrown Dill: It's going to frost so I harvested some volunteer dill from my garden. What is the best way to preserve it for pickles next summer? Can I use the stems also? Should I separate the leaves from the stems? Best Way to Store Dill: We like freezing fresh dill in glass storage dishes to retain the fresh flavor of dill, but you can also dehydrate/dry it easily as well. Yes, you can use the stems if not woody! We...
Jalapenos Turning Black?Don't worry if your jalapenos are turning black! Jalapeños turn black often during their to natural ripening process. Most Jalapeño varieties mature from green to red, and during this time they often turn partially black or deep purple – this is totally normal. You may be worried that there is something wrong with your Jalapeño peppers, but often they will turn partially dark or black as they starting to turn red. Green to black to red is how they ripen!Jalapeños peppers can be harvested ...
How many Hatch chiles per plant?We recently had a customer ask us this in an email: “How many Hatch Chilis per plant? I want to grow enough for a bushel!” Answer: Each Hatch chile plant typically produces between 10 and 20+ pods, depending on variety and growing conditions. So if you want to grow a bushel of large green chile pods like Big Jims – assuming that an average bushel includes about 80-110 pods per bushel, depending on the size of the pods – we'd recommend growing at least 8-10+ Hatch chile plants so they ca...
What zone do Hatch chiles grow in?Hatch Chile can be grown outdoors in zones 5-11. Pretty much anywhere you can grow tomatoes you can grow Hatch chile! Hatch chile varieties are easy to grow! Find all of our green chile seeds including Hatch chile seeds » Learn more about what makes Hatch chiles so special » Find our top tips for How to Grow Hatch Chile »
International Hot and Spicy Food Day - January 16th!January 16 is International Hot and Spicy Food Day? January 16th is the day where you get to celebrate and enjoy the spiciest food in the world. Countries of the world have lots of spicy recipes, and we love them all! Many of you grow some of the hottest peppers in the world from seed, as well as enjoy homemade hot salsas, hot sauces and spicy dishes. Check out all of our favorite spicy chile recipes » If you love spicy, check out our List of Peppers by Heat »
When to Harvest Green ChileKnowing when to harvest Green Chile is important for the best flavors. When to pick your chiles all depends on when you planted, the variety of chile, plus weather and soil conditions. In Hatch, New Mexico, for example, the harvest season typically begins in August and goes through September, with some seasons getting late harvests in October – it all depends on the weather! Depending on where you are growing your green chile will affect when you'll be able to start harvesting pods. Here ...
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...
Vegetables You Can Plant in SeptemberJust because it's September, gardening season isn't over yet! There are still plenty of veggies you can plant now. Here are some of our top recommendations: Here are some veggies you can still plant in September: Lettuce - Little Gem is a great variety to start in September! It also can tolerate light frosts. Spinach - Bloomsdale Spinach, a cold-hardy beloved heirloom variety known for its thick, crinkly dark green leaves and rich, nutty flavor. Bunching Onions - a hardy, fas...
Tomato spotted wilt virus - mottled tomatoesThe above photo of some wild looking mottled tomatoes is damage most likely caused by the Tomato spotted wilt virus. Plants infected with Tomato spotted wilt virus exhibit bronzing of the upper sides of young leaves, which later develop distinct, necrotic mottled spots. It looks wild, but it usually results in a less tasty tomato though it is still safe to eat if it doesn't taste too bad. This viral disease is infectious to many other plants including peppers, so it's best to remove ...
How to store cucumbers until you have enough to pickle?Customer question: I finally have cucumbers coming in, with lots more to come this week. What is the best way to store them until Sunday (over 4 days away) when I can pickle them so they stay as crisp/fresh as possible? Thanks for any advice! Here's our advice for storing cucumbers for a few days so they are as fresh as possible when you pickle them: Wash and dry: After you harvest your cucumbers, rinse them gently under cold water and remove any dirt. Pat them dry with a clean towel. M...
Pickle RecipesWe love pickles and make them out of a lot of our cucumbers and hot peppers.like Cascabellas and Jalapenos and other Wax Peppers. Pickled peppers are delicious, we like to leave out the sugar and use hot peppers for a nice vinegary punch of heat and flavor anytime we feel like a snack. And spicy cucumber pickles are another perfect snack or side or topper for a sandwich or burger! If you don't have a huge harvest, make refrigerator pickles which are crunchier and they keep in the fridge f...
What seed company is not owned by Monsanto?Sandia Seed company is NOT owned by Monsanto (now owned by Bayer.) We are a small woman-owned seed company based in Castle Rock, Colorado. We only sell non-gmo, untreated seeds. We have signed and support the Seed Integrity Pledge. As signers, we pledge that we do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants. We wish to support agricultural progress that leads to healthier soils, genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems and ultimately healthier people and communities. ...
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'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.
November is National Pepper Month!
Happy National Pepper Month! All month long we can celebrate peppers! While we love peppers all year long, November is a great time to give these delicious fruits the attention they deserve. Right now, loads of hot sauces, salsas, roasted chile and hot pepper flakes are being enjoyed by people around the world. Sandia Seed loves National Pepper Month because we love peppers! In fact, in 2008, we were the first seed packet company to focus exclusively on pepper seeds from around the world. At ...
Should I harvest peppers before frost?
Should I harvest peppers before frost? Absolutely! Don't let the pepper pods freeze outside on the plants, as they will turn to mush. Harvesting peppers before frost: Do you have to harvest your peppers before a frost, but they're not ripe? Here are our suggestions: Pick your Peppers:You can pick the peppers, and if they are close enough to ripe, they may turn color on your counter. Many peppers like jalapeños are often picked green, so enjoy them green – you'll find that super...
Shishito Recipes
There are lots of delicious Shishito Recipes! Shishitos are great sweet peppers to grow in the garden as they are fast growing so they are one of the first peppers to harvest, and then they just keep producing all season long. They are one of the easiest peppers to grow, and are great for beginner gardeners. Shishitos grow happily in pots, too. You can pick them often to eat fresh or make a variety of dishes with them. Here are a few of our favorite Shishito Recipe ideas: Sautéed Shishitos ...
Best way to Preserve Dill - Top Techniques
We recently received this question from a customer about storing homegrown Dill: It's going to frost so I harvested some volunteer dill from my garden. What is the best way to preserve it for pickles next summer? Can I use the stems also? Should I separate the leaves from the stems? Best Way to Store Dill: We like freezing fresh dill in glass storage dishes to retain the fresh flavor of dill, but you can also dehydrate/dry it easily as well. Yes, you can use the stems if not woody! We...
Jalapenos Turning Black?
Don't worry if your jalapenos are turning black! Jalapeños turn black often during their to natural ripening process. Most Jalapeño varieties mature from green to red, and during this time they often turn partially black or deep purple – this is totally normal. You may be worried that there is something wrong with your Jalapeño peppers, but often they will turn partially dark or black as they starting to turn red. Green to black to red is how they ripen!Jalapeños peppers can be harvested ...
How many Hatch chiles per plant?
We recently had a customer ask us this in an email: “How many Hatch Chilis per plant? I want to grow enough for a bushel!” Answer: Each Hatch chile plant typically produces between 10 and 20+ pods, depending on variety and growing conditions. So if you want to grow a bushel of large green chile pods like Big Jims – assuming that an average bushel includes about 80-110 pods per bushel, depending on the size of the pods – we'd recommend growing at least 8-10+ Hatch chile plants so they ca...
What zone do Hatch chiles grow in?
Hatch Chile can be grown outdoors in zones 5-11. Pretty much anywhere you can grow tomatoes you can grow Hatch chile! Hatch chile varieties are easy to grow! Find all of our green chile seeds including Hatch chile seeds » Learn more about what makes Hatch chiles so special » Find our top tips for How to Grow Hatch Chile »
International Hot and Spicy Food Day - January 16th!
January 16 is International Hot and Spicy Food Day? January 16th is the day where you get to celebrate and enjoy the spiciest food in the world. Countries of the world have lots of spicy recipes, and we love them all! Many of you grow some of the hottest peppers in the world from seed, as well as enjoy homemade hot salsas, hot sauces and spicy dishes. Check out all of our favorite spicy chile recipes » If you love spicy, check out our List of Peppers by Heat »
When to Harvest Green Chile
Knowing when to harvest Green Chile is important for the best flavors. When to pick your chiles all depends on when you planted, the variety of chile, plus weather and soil conditions. In Hatch, New Mexico, for example, the harvest season typically begins in August and goes through September, with some seasons getting late harvests in October – it all depends on the weather! Depending on where you are growing your green chile will affect when you'll be able to start harvesting pods. Here ...
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...
Vegetables You Can Plant in September
Just because it's September, gardening season isn't over yet! There are still plenty of veggies you can plant now. Here are some of our top recommendations: Here are some veggies you can still plant in September: Lettuce - Little Gem is a great variety to start in September! It also can tolerate light frosts. Spinach - Bloomsdale Spinach, a cold-hardy beloved heirloom variety known for its thick, crinkly dark green leaves and rich, nutty flavor. Bunching Onions - a hardy, fas...
Tomato spotted wilt virus - mottled tomatoes
The above photo of some wild looking mottled tomatoes is damage most likely caused by the Tomato spotted wilt virus. Plants infected with Tomato spotted wilt virus exhibit bronzing of the upper sides of young leaves, which later develop distinct, necrotic mottled spots. It looks wild, but it usually results in a less tasty tomato though it is still safe to eat if it doesn't taste too bad. This viral disease is infectious to many other plants including peppers, so it's best to remove ...
How to store cucumbers until you have enough to pickle?
Customer question: I finally have cucumbers coming in, with lots more to come this week. What is the best way to store them until Sunday (over 4 days away) when I can pickle them so they stay as crisp/fresh as possible? Thanks for any advice! Here's our advice for storing cucumbers for a few days so they are as fresh as possible when you pickle them: Wash and dry: After you harvest your cucumbers, rinse them gently under cold water and remove any dirt. Pat them dry with a clean towel. M...
Pickle Recipes
We love pickles and make them out of a lot of our cucumbers and hot peppers.like Cascabellas and Jalapenos and other Wax Peppers. Pickled peppers are delicious, we like to leave out the sugar and use hot peppers for a nice vinegary punch of heat and flavor anytime we feel like a snack. And spicy cucumber pickles are another perfect snack or side or topper for a sandwich or burger! If you don't have a huge harvest, make refrigerator pickles which are crunchier and they keep in the fridge f...
What seed company is not owned by Monsanto?
Sandia Seed company is NOT owned by Monsanto (now owned by Bayer.) We are a small woman-owned seed company based in Castle Rock, Colorado. We only sell non-gmo, untreated seeds. We have signed and support the Seed Integrity Pledge. As signers, we pledge that we do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants. We wish to support agricultural progress that leads to healthier soils, genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems and ultimately healthier people and communities. ...
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 ...
