Congratulations! If you're reading this blog you have most likely had success starting your pepper seeds and growing seedlings. The next question...when is the best time to transplant my seedling to your outdoor garden?

Warm weather crops such as our hot hot hot peppers are very susceptible to frost damage. As such, its important that you do not transplant your burgeoning seedlings until there is no danger of the air or soil temperature dropping below freezing. Pepper plants that are transplanted too early can not withstand a single frost.

So how do you figure out when you are in the clear to transplant your seedlings? Growers use something called the Last Frost Date which indicates the point in the season when the temperature isn't likely to drop to freezing. It is hard to pinpoint an exact date so it is wise to assume that freezing temperatures are possible two weeks before the first frost date and two weeks after the last.

​To find the frost dates for your region check out this great planting calendar by Almanac. 

Again, congratulations on reaching the next milestone in your grow journey! Leave a message and let us know how its going.

​Ingredients:

• 1 head of peels garlic cloves
• 1 red pepper rough chopped
• 1 small onion rough chopped
• 1 cup of celery chopped
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 1 bunch on green onions chopped
• 1/2 bunch fresh thyme, leaves only
• 1/2 bunch fresh oregano or Spanish thyme, leaves only
• ¼ cup of white vinegar
• ¼ cup of lime juice
• 1 teaspoon of salt to taste
• Pepper Spice Levels
  • Mild- 2 Trinidad Pimento Pepper
  • Medium- 1 scotch bonnet/habanero pepper
  • ​Hot-1 Carolina Reaper

Preparation:

1. Put all ingredients except vinegar, pepper, and salt in a blender/food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Add Vinegar slowly until the seasoning reaches your preferred consistency.
3. Add salt slowly until the seasoning reaches your preferred sodium level
4. Now for our favorite part: pepper time! Add your preferred pepper in quarters until you reach your heat level.

For long term use, put your sauce in an ice cube tray and store for use as a few as needed. Enjoy Pepper Family!

Whether you are growing peppers indoors or outdoors, knowing your planting zone is an important first step. 

What is a Planting Zone/ Hardiness Zone/Gardening Zone?
Your 'zone" is based on a map developed by the USDA that separates the United States into regions based on the average low winter temperatures.. There are 10 primary zones across the US, each representing a 10-degree increment. 

Why Does it Matter?
While many peppers are quite adaptable, most will not tolerate specific degrees of cold. Therefore knowing your zone helps you select peppers that grow best in your zone and tells you when to grow them.

What's My Zone?
Use the map below to identify your grow zone.

PLANTING PEPPERS OUTDOORS:

• Transplant peppers into the garden 2 to 3 weeks after the last frost in spring when the soil temperature has risen to at least 65°F.
• Young peppers transplanted should be 4 to 6 inches tall.
• Plants started indoors should be acclimatized to outdoor temperatures before transplants. Set plants outdoors for a few hours each day before transplanting to the garden.
• Sweet and hot peppers grow best in air temperatures 65° to 80°F. The ideal temperature for sweet peppers is a daytime temperature around 75°F and a nighttime temperature around 62°F.
• Grow peppers in full sun. Peppers should get 8 hours of sun each day.
• Plant peppers in soil rich in organic matter. Work aged garden compost or commercial organic planting mix into beds prior to planting.
• The soil should be moisture-retentive but well-draining. Slightly sandy or loamy soil is best.
• Pre-warm the soil before transplanting by placing black plastic over the planting bed for two weeks prior to transplanting peppers. The plastic will transfer solar heat to the soil.
• Set transplants in the garden at the same depth they were growing in the container. Do not plant deeper; buried stem may rot.
• Peppers prefer a soil pH of 5.5 to 6.8.
• Avoid planting peppers where another nightshade (Solanacea) family crop has grown recently—tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants. These crops can be attacked by the same pests and diseases.
• ​Space pepper plants 18 to 24 inches apart. Space rows 24 to 36 inches apart.

CONTAINER GROWING PEPPERS:

• Peppers can be grown in pots or containers that are at least 12 inches wide and deep.
• Plant peppers in a commercial potting mix.
• Choose a container with holes in the bottom for easy drainage.
• Keep the soil evenly moist.
• Side-dress plants with compost tea or dilute fish emulsion every two weeks through the growing season.
• In larger containers, set plants on 12-inch centers

​MAINTAINING PEPPERS:

• Keep planting beds well weeded to avoid competition.
• Peppers are shallow-rooted, so cultivate around peppers with care.
• Mulch around peppers with aged compost or straw to keep soil temperature and moisture even.
• Plastic mulch can improve pepper yields. Organic compost mulches will reduce weeding and watering, but not fruit yields.
• Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers which will create large leafy plants with few or no fruits.
• Feed plants compost tea or water with a dilute fish emulsion solution every 10 days.
• Support pepper plants with a stake or cage; plants heavy with fruit can break or topple. Pepper branches are brittle and can easily break.
• High temperatures and wind can cause flowers to drop and plants not to set fruit.

Comment below and share how your growing is going.

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spread the bacon out over a large baking sheet.
3. Mix together the brown sugar, maple syrup, sriracha sauce and ghost pepper flakes in a large bowl.
4. Rub each bacon slice down with your spice mixture. Get them good and coated!
5. Bake the bacon for 30 minutes, or until is just getting crispy.
6. Remove from heat and allow to cool. It will crisp up more in that time.

Recipe by Mike Hultquist

RECIPE PREPARATION

• Pulse eggs, flour, Parmesan, and ½ tsp. kosher salt in a food processor to combine. Add corn, scallion, and jalapeño; pulse 2–3 times.
  
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook heaping tablespoonfuls of batter until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side; season fritters with salt. Serve with sour cream and lime wedges.
  
  Recipe by Allie Lewis