Tag Archives: beginner garden

Seed to Storage: Success With Peppers

February 18, 2022 Jordan Charbonneau Leave a comment

Peppers are one of the best plants to learn to start from seed. Growing from seed rather than just purchasing transplants allows you to access a wide range of unique varieties that you won’t find in stores. Here are some tips for success with peppers from seed to harvest and beyond.

Selecting Pepper Varieties

We carry many pepper varieties at Southern Exposure, which we separate into three basic categories.

Hot Peppers
Seasoning Peppers
Sweet Peppers

They fall into three species: Capsicum annuum, Capsicum chinense, and Capsicum baccatum. C. annuum includes most peppers easily found in the U.S. and almost all sweet peppers.

C. baccatum and C. chinense are generally more disease-resistant than C. annuum.

C. annuum generally has thicker walls, so it adds more bulk to sauces. C. chinense has the thinnest walls, but C. baccatum tends to be the easiest to dry.

While any hot pepper has its heat mostly in its seeds and ribs, the heat of C. chinense is relatively more dispersed, and the heat of C. baccatum is especially concentrated in the seeds. C. baccatum and C. chinense generally have very fruity flavors that complement sweet as well as savory dishes.

Starting Seeds

Starting peppers seeds is easy as long as you follow some basic guidelines. Start pepper seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your last frost.

Start your pepper seeds in proper potting mix. Potting mix drains better and doesn’t compact like ordinary garden soil. It’s also best to start peppers in well-draining trays or soil blocks. Sow seeds about 1/4 inch deep.

Pepper seeds require warm temperatures to germinate. They do best when kept between 75 and 80 degrees during the day and at least 65 at night. Temperature can make the difference in peppers germinating in 5 days or 20.

Placing your seed starting set up in a warm room will help you seed peppers coming up faster. You can also purchase seedling heat mats that the trays sit on. This provides steady, even warmth to your seedlings.

Your seedlings also need a good light source once they’ve germinated. Setting seedlings in a window doesn’t provide enough light. You can use grow lights or other re-purposed lights. The long ones you’d find in a shop or basement work well for doing multiple trays of seedlings.

Peppers need an uncrowded root system for maximum production. Pot your peppers up to 3-inch pots when they develop a few leaves. You may need to pot them up again if your seedlings become large.

Transplanting

Harden off pepper seedlings before transplanting out. Hardening off allows plants to acclimate to field conditions like wind and sun exposure slowly. Begin by moving your pepper plants outdoors for an hour or two each day on warm days. Gradually increase the time you leave them out over a week or two before transplanting. Don’t let your seedlings wilt!

Wait until it has really warmed up to transplant your peppers. Plant them out after the dogwood blossoms have fallen or the soil temperature reaches 65°F. Ideally, transplanting should be done on an overcast day.

Space your plants in rows or blocks 18 to 24 inches apart. Especially if you have less than ideal soil, it’s a good idea to dig a larger transplant hole than necessary and add some finished compost. Then plant your peppers so that the soil is at the same level as in the container. If you used peat pots, tear off the tops, so they don’t stick up above the soil and wick moisture away from the roots.

Pepper Care

A month after planting, it’s a good idea to mulch around your peppers. Avoid doing this earlier as it can keep soil temperatures too cool for good growth. The mulch will help keep the soil moist and suppress weeds.

Pepper plants can be side-dressed with fertilizer when they’re young. Avoid getting any on the roots, stem, or leaves as it can burn the plant. Over-fertilizing should be avoided. Read application rates carefully. Don’t fertilize after plants have flowered, as this can cause the flowers to drop and fail to set fruit. Good levels of phosphorus in the soil are essential for good yields.

Stake larger pepper plants to avoid logging, particularly if they are heavy with fruit. You can also use tomato cages.

You can extend your season by covering your plants at night for 1 to 2 weeks during mild frosts. Before the first hard frost of the season, pull plants and place the roots in a bucket of water. Store in a cool location to extend the season by up to one month.

Harvesting Peppers

Peppers can be harvested green however they aren’t fully ripe at this stage. You can eat peppers at any stage of ripeness, but fully ripe peppers have more flavor and nearly double the vitamin C content.

Hot peppers generally get hotter as they ripen. For example, a red jalapeño will be spicer than a green one.

Preserving and Using Peppers

There are many ways to use and preserve peppers. Many seasoning peppers like the Hungarian Paprika Spice Pepper have thin flesh and are ideal for drying. Depending on your climate, they can be air-dried on screens, threaded and hung, or dried in a dehydrator. Then you can grind them to make an excellent seasoning.

Pickling peppers is also a simple, common way to put up a large harvest. Pickled peppers go well on pizzas, sandwiches, and salads. Sweet Banana Peppers and Jalapeños are common choices, but it also works with other varieties. You can find instructions here.

Fermenting is another common way to use peppers. Making your own hot sauce is a delicious way to spice up a variety of meals. Try this recipe from Soul Fire Farm.

You can also freeze peppers. Peppers don’t need to be blanched, so you can just chop them or cut them into strips and freeze them. Freezing them in a single layer on a cookie sheet before transferring them to a bag or container keeps them from clumping together for easier use. For a fun night and a bit of extra flavor, you can also roast peppers over an open fire before freezing.

Garden Advice

Guide to Growing Great Carrots

January 25, 2022 Jordan Charbonneau Leave a comment

Many garden articles and books out there suggest carrots as one of the easiest crops for beginners to add to their garden. However, that isn’t always the case. You’re not alone if you didn’t have great success with carrots! Thankfully, a few techniques can help make growing carrots so much easier.

Start with the Soil

A great garden always starts with the soil, but this is especially true for carrots. They need light, well-drained soil to grow full beautiful roots. Many folks in the Southeast are starting with heavy clay soils, which can hinder carrot root development.

One quick way to get great soil is to build a raised bed and fill it with finished compost. Raised beds can be the perfect solution for root crops; however, they also come with some downsides we discuss in our post, The Pros and Cons of Raised Beds.

You don’t have to build a raised bed, though, and it is possible to improve your soil no matter what you’re starting with. If you want to get a good carrot crop this year, it will take some work. Broadfork or garden fork your bed to a depth of at least 9 inches and add several inches of finished compost. If you’re working with heavy soil, it’s a good idea to add peat moss or leaf mold to provide good drainage, loose structure, and adequate moisture-holding capacity.

It’s also a good idea to have your soil tested. Carrots, like other crops, have specific growing requirements. They need a good bit of potassium and phosphorus and a pH between 6.0 and 6.8.

Soil that’s too acidic or low in potassium and other nutrients can lead to poor growth. You can correct these issues with amendments like wood ash which is rich in potassium, bone meal which is rich in phosphorus, and lime to make the soil more alkaline.

Avoid adding fresh manure or fertilizer before planting. Too much nitrogen encourages top growth but causes rough and highly branched roots.

Select an Adaptable Variety

Not all carrot varieties are created equal. If you’re dealing with less than ideal soil conditions, you’ll have better luck with a variety adapted to such conditions.

Chantenay Red Core Carrots are an heirloom variety introduced from France in the late 1800s. They’re a blocky, broad-shouldered variety with blunt tips that do well in clay and a wide range of soils.

Another heirloom that dates to 1884, Oxheart Carrots produce shorter, wider roots great for heavy clay, shallow, or rocky soils. Give them plenty of growing space! Oxhearts can weigh up to one pound.

Danvers 126 Carrots are a popular variety for a good reason. Dating to 1947, these carrots are widely adapted, productive, and heat-tolerant. They’re especially suited to growing in clay soil, and the strong tops aid harvesting.

Sow Your Carrot Seeds

Always direct sow carrots. Sow carrots 1/4 inch deep and cover them with fine, light soil. Keep the soil moist be careful not to wash away soil and seeds with a strong water source. Sprinkle wood ash along the row to prevent wireworm damage.

Carrots need consistent moisture to germinate and do best with relatively cool soil temperatures. Seeds take about five days to germinate but may take longer in cool weather.

Planting carrots in hot, dry, midsummer weather for a fall crop can be a challenging task. Thankfully, there’s a trick to make it much easier. After sowing carrot seed, cover your rows with boards or cardboard. This keeps the soil cool and moist and improves germination. Check under the boards every day and remove them as soon as you see that the carrots have germinated.

Companion Plants for Carrots

Onions, garlic, and chives can help repel carrot pests like aphids and carrot rust flies. Interplanting carrots with onions in a ratio of 1 to 2 reduces carrot fly damage by 70%. Carrots also help onions by repelling thrips which can damage onions.

Radish seeds are super quick to germinate! Sow then with carrot seed to prevent the soil from crusting.

Strong smelling marigolds deter carrot rust flies. There’s also some evidence that intercropping marigolds or calendula with carrots increases carrot roots’ sugar content.

Caring for Carrots

Once your seedlings put out true leaves, thinning them is essential. It feels like you’re destroying good plants but remember that none of your carrots will produce nice roots if they’re overcrowded! Thin to 1-2 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart.

When your seedlings reach several inches high, it’s a good idea to mulch around them. Mulching keeps the soil cool and moist. Water as needed to keep the soil moist but not soggy. Extreme fluctuations of soil moisture between dry and wet conditions may cause cracking of the roots.

Harvesting & Storing Carrots

Most carrot varieties are best when harvested when they’re no larger than 1 inch in diameter; Oxhearts are one of the obvious exceptions to this. If you’re having trouble pulling carrots, carefully use a garden fork to lift them from the soil.

For storage, cut off the tops to about 1/4 inch. Store in the refrigerator or overwinter in the garden by covering with a thick, loose mulch such as straw.

Garden Advice

Transplanting: 9 Tips for Success

April 8, 2021 Jordan Charbonneau Leave a comment

This time of year is all about planting. We’re transplanting cabbages and broccoli this week in our zone, but soon it’ll be time to start setting out tomatoes, peppers, and other warm-weather crops. While transplanting is relatively straightforward, there are a few things you can do to ensure your seedlings grow successfully.

Hardening Off

The first thing you need to do is harden your seedlings off. Seedlings accustomed to the relatively stable conditions in your home just aren’t up to coping with the outdoors just yet. For best results, move your plants outside for a few hours each day, gradually increasing the time over a week or two. This process allows your seedlings to become accustomed to the sunlight, wind, outdoor air temperature.

Prepare Your Soil

Transplants do best when they have fertile, soft soil to grow in. You can prepare your bed by incorporating a couple of inches of finished compost and loosening the soil with a garden or broad fork. It’s also a good idea to dig a larger hole than your transplant needs and fill in around your plant with compost.

Choose an Overcast Day

Even though you’ve hardened off your seedlings, it’s best to plant them on an overcast day. Transplanting is a bit stressful for plants, and a lot of heat and sun can make it harder for them to recover quickly. If you have to transplant on a sunny day, you can use shade cloth or similar material to create a bit of temporary shade.

Water Before Planting

Ensure that your seedlings are watered well before planting, preferably paying extra close attention starting a day or two ahead of time. Dry seedlings will have a more difficult time recovering from transplant shock.

Gently Break Up Roots

If you notice that your transplants are root bound, meaning the roots have formed around the container’s inside, it’s a good idea to break them up a bit gently. Gently pinch apart the bottom and sides of the roots in a few places. These breaks will encourage the roots to grow outward.

Proper Planting

For most crops, you should plant your seedlings so that the soil is at the same level as it was in the pot. However, tomatoes will grow roots from farther up their stem, so it’s helpful to buy them deeply. You can plant tomatoes so that their first set of leaves is just above the soil (if the first set is yellow or dying, remove it and plant up to the next set). Another exception is leeks which you should plant in a hole to create the nice white, blanched stems.

You can also give your plants a bit of extra help by creating a small basin around your transplant. The basin will help catch and hold water while the plant is young.

If you’re using peat pots or other pots that you plant into the ground, it’s essential to avoid leaving any sticking up. You may need to tear a bit of the top off the pot. Leaving any material such as peat pot or newspaper sticking out into the air can wick moisture away from the plant’s roots.

Press the Soil in Gently but Firmly

Once your plant is in the hole, you should gently but firmly press the soil around it. If you don’t press the soil in, you may leave air pockets around the plant, preventing root growth.

Give Your Plants a Boost

After you’ve got your transplants in, you’ll want to water them. If you can, it’s best to provide extra nutrients with the water. Liquid kelp or seaweed liquid fertilizer is excellent for this. You should follow package instructions, but you typically only add a tablespoon or two to every gallon of water. Alternatively, you can use mild compost tea. Water at the base of the plant and avoid pouring all over the leaves.

It Will Take Plants a Little While to Take Off

Don’t be worried if you don’t see a lot of new growth quickly. When you first plant your seedlings, they’ll be working hard to establish healthy root systems. This will happen before you get to see any foliar growth. However, once their roots are established, you should see good growth.

Spring planting is a fun time of year for many gardeners. It’s good to be out in the garden finally and starting to see plants on their way. Make sure that your seedlings transplant well this year by using these simple tips. Getting your plants off to a good start can help ensure a good harvest.

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange