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...
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...
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 &...
How to grow more peppersTo increase your pepper plant harvests, it is important to provide optimal growing conditions, such as in full sun and warm temperatures, plus good, loamy soil with lots of organic matter. Providing a balanced fertilizer, ideally organic, is also good for continued support of growth. Here are more tips on growing more peppers: 1. Choose Productive Pepper Varieties: Pick the fastest growing peppers to ensure a long, productive harvest. While all peppers will eventually produce a ton of pods...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Biggest Sale Ever on Seeds!Be sure to check out our biggest sale ever for HALF OFF our most popular seeds for peppers of the world, plus heirloom tomatoes and easy-to-grow veggie seeds. Shop Seeds on Sale Now » This is a great time to stock up on seeds for next season!
Top 5 Peppers to Grow in 2025Here's our Top 5 Peppers to Grow in 2025 Make 2025 great with some super tasty (and spicy) new peppers that are sure to boost those endorphins and delight your tastebuds: #1 Tasmanian Ghost Pepper A new pepper in our lineup, this fruity pepper has nice flavor until the ferocious bite arrives. The chances of being attacked by a Tasmanian Ghost are very high after you chew it up swallow it down under! The aroma and flavor is fruity up front then forget about it – it's HOT! Great for ...
NEW SEEDS FOR 2025WE HAVE NEW SEEDS ARRIVING! We are excited to announce the addition of new seeds to our mid-season lineup.New seeds now available: Gypsy Sweet Pepper This super fast growing sweet pepper has a fantastic sweet flavor and is never bitter like a bell pepper can be. The plants produce an unbelievable amount of fruit all season that you can enjoy early at the yellow-green stage or wait until they fully ripen to orange-red. Sun Gold F1 TomatoThese bright golden orange tomatoes have a sweet, juicy,...
Free Shipping on Seeds this week!THIS OFFER HAS ENDED. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE DISCOUNTS » EXPIRED DISCOUNT:Free USPS Ground Shipping on all seed orders over $20 for 3 days only for customers in the USA Tuesday-Thursday, Feb 11-13, 2025Use discount code: FREESHIP25 Sorry the discount is expired!Subscribe below for more discounts:
Pepper Seeds with Scovilles ListedDid you know that we list the Scoville Heat units on the front of of our mild-to-extra hot pepper seed packets? This helps you find peppers with just the right amount of heat... or lack thereof. We specialize in Hatch Chile Seeds, which can be grown all over the world, not just in Hatch, New Mexico.Our Aji Limo Pepper Seeds produce beautiful plants loaded with spicy pods that have a Scoville of 15,000-30,000 so they are HOT but they also have great flavor. Our Tabasco seeds are perfect fo...
Canned Salsa RecipesCanning: because you don't have to read ingredient labels when you're the one that filled that jar. Most of these salsa recipes can be canned, too! Canned Hot Pepper Salsa Recipe »Carolina Reaper Salsa Recipe »Trinidad Scorpion Salsa Recipe »Vinegar Pepper Sauce Recipe »Ghost Pepper Salsa Recipe »Orange Salsa Recipe » Pico de Gallo Recipe »Tomatillo Salsa Recipe »Hatch Chile Salsa Recipe » Quick Salsa » No-Peel Salsa Recipe »Green Tomato Salsa Recipe »Salsa Macha Recipe » Cab...
Valentine's Day Gift Cards for the Gardener in your life!Gift Cards for seeds make the perfect last-minute but thoughtful Valentine's Day gifts. Give a gift to grow together! Sandia Seed's gift cards are a spicy addition to any Valentine's Day present – your loved one can buy all the super hot peppers to spice up your lives! Our gift cards are great for last minute gifts too, as they can be sent via email (or you can print it out and put it in a card!) We have over 101 peppers of the world to choose from, from super sweet to super spic...
Pepper Growing for BeginnersA customer just asked us about his seedlings that were just starting to popup. He's a beginner and was wondering if he should keep the humidity dome on them if not all the seeds had sprouted yet, and when he should fertilize. Here's our quick answer: Don't keep a humidity dome over your peppers after they germinate as that can cause damping off and other problems. The rest should still mostly sprout if kept moist. You can also move the ones that haven't germinated under a h...
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.
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...
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...
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 &...
How to grow more peppers
To increase your pepper plant harvests, it is important to provide optimal growing conditions, such as in full sun and warm temperatures, plus good, loamy soil with lots of organic matter. Providing a balanced fertilizer, ideally organic, is also good for continued support of growth. Here are more tips on growing more peppers: 1. Choose Productive Pepper Varieties: Pick the fastest growing peppers to ensure a long, productive harvest. While all peppers will eventually produce a ton of pods...
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...
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...
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...
Spicy Pumpkin Seeds Recipe
If 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...
Biggest Sale Ever on Seeds!
Be sure to check out our biggest sale ever for HALF OFF our most popular seeds for peppers of the world, plus heirloom tomatoes and easy-to-grow veggie seeds. Shop Seeds on Sale Now » This is a great time to stock up on seeds for next season!
Top 5 Peppers to Grow in 2025
Here's our Top 5 Peppers to Grow in 2025 Make 2025 great with some super tasty (and spicy) new peppers that are sure to boost those endorphins and delight your tastebuds: #1 Tasmanian Ghost Pepper A new pepper in our lineup, this fruity pepper has nice flavor until the ferocious bite arrives. The chances of being attacked by a Tasmanian Ghost are very high after you chew it up swallow it down under! The aroma and flavor is fruity up front then forget about it – it's HOT! Great for ...
NEW SEEDS FOR 2025
WE HAVE NEW SEEDS ARRIVING! We are excited to announce the addition of new seeds to our mid-season lineup.New seeds now available: Gypsy Sweet Pepper This super fast growing sweet pepper has a fantastic sweet flavor and is never bitter like a bell pepper can be. The plants produce an unbelievable amount of fruit all season that you can enjoy early at the yellow-green stage or wait until they fully ripen to orange-red. Sun Gold F1 TomatoThese bright golden orange tomatoes have a sweet, juicy,...
Free Shipping on Seeds this week!
THIS OFFER HAS ENDED. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE DISCOUNTS » EXPIRED DISCOUNT:Free USPS Ground Shipping on all seed orders over $20 for 3 days only for customers in the USA Tuesday-Thursday, Feb 11-13, 2025Use discount code: FREESHIP25 Sorry the discount is expired!Subscribe below for more discounts:
Pepper Seeds with Scovilles Listed
Did you know that we list the Scoville Heat units on the front of of our mild-to-extra hot pepper seed packets? This helps you find peppers with just the right amount of heat... or lack thereof. We specialize in Hatch Chile Seeds, which can be grown all over the world, not just in Hatch, New Mexico.Our Aji Limo Pepper Seeds produce beautiful plants loaded with spicy pods that have a Scoville of 15,000-30,000 so they are HOT but they also have great flavor. Our Tabasco seeds are perfect fo...
Canned Salsa Recipes
Canning: because you don't have to read ingredient labels when you're the one that filled that jar. Most of these salsa recipes can be canned, too! Canned Hot Pepper Salsa Recipe »Carolina Reaper Salsa Recipe »Trinidad Scorpion Salsa Recipe »Vinegar Pepper Sauce Recipe »Ghost Pepper Salsa Recipe »Orange Salsa Recipe » Pico de Gallo Recipe »Tomatillo Salsa Recipe »Hatch Chile Salsa Recipe » Quick Salsa » No-Peel Salsa Recipe »Green Tomato Salsa Recipe »Salsa Macha Recipe » Cab...
Valentine's Day Gift Cards for the Gardener in your life!
Gift Cards for seeds make the perfect last-minute but thoughtful Valentine's Day gifts. Give a gift to grow together! Sandia Seed's gift cards are a spicy addition to any Valentine's Day present – your loved one can buy all the super hot peppers to spice up your lives! Our gift cards are great for last minute gifts too, as they can be sent via email (or you can print it out and put it in a card!) We have over 101 peppers of the world to choose from, from super sweet to super spic...
Pepper Growing for Beginners
A customer just asked us about his seedlings that were just starting to popup. He's a beginner and was wondering if he should keep the humidity dome on them if not all the seeds had sprouted yet, and when he should fertilize. Here's our quick answer: Don't keep a humidity dome over your peppers after they germinate as that can cause damping off and other problems. The rest should still mostly sprout if kept moist. You can also move the ones that haven't germinated under a h...
