Grow-How

Planting Instructions

What to Do When You Receive Your Chile Plants

Carefully remove the plants from the packaging. Move them to a cool shady spot to rest from their cross-country journey. If the soil in the pots appears moist, DO NOT WATER. If the soil in the pots appears to be dry, water by filling the individual pots quickly to the top, as if filling a cup of tea to the brim. Use room temperature water if possible. This would be a great time to add seaweed to the water, 1-2 Tablespoons per gallon. Allow the water to drench through the pot, and wait at least 6 hours before adding more water.

We recommend that you allow your plants to rest from their journey at least a few hours, and preferably overnight before taking them into the garden. Give the plants a few days to acclimate to their new climate, putting them out in the sun for a few hours in the morning or late afternoon, and returning them to shade during the heat of the day. If your plants have arrived looking very stressed, wait a few more days until they stabilize before transplanting. Keep an eye on watering, and keep the pots neither too wet nor too dry. If they get too dry and begin to wilt, don't panic!! Simply water following the directions above. If the pots get too wet, use a pencil or a long nail to gently scratch the surface, or poke just a few holes into the soil, to allow air to enter. If in doubt about watering, don’t… never over-water.

When and How to Transplant Your Plants

Be sure that the ground is warm and that night temps will stay above 55 degrees after transplanting, chiles don’t like to have cold feet! Locate your garden in a well drained sunny area, and work organic matter (compost, dried shredded leaves, well rotted manure) into the soil. If you are in a region where summer temps are very high, try to locate your plants where they will receive some late afternoon shade. Plan to transplant on a cloudy day, or in the evening hours when the sun is not so strong. Irrigate your plants in their containers a few hours before transplanting, so that they will be fresh and strong for their change of living quarters! At the nursery, we irrigate our transplants with a solution of fish emulsion and seaweed, and allow them to soak in this solution for 10-20 minutes before planting. Dig a hole larger and deeper than the root ball of the plant you will be transplanting. Gently open the bottom of the root ball so that all roots extend downward, and plant at the same depth as in the pot. Water the plant well, around the base of the plant in rings, so that the whole area of mixed soil gets moistened. You can use plain water, or the remainder of the fish emulsion and seaweed solution that was used to irrigate the plants before planting. Remove all buds, flowers and fruits until you see that the plant has put on good strong growth, or for at least 2 weeks. This may seem crazy to do, but doing so will give you a larger plant just loaded with fruit, versus a small plant with only a couple of fruits.

When and How to Water Your Chile Plants

After transplanting, the plants will need to have consistent soil moisture to nourish them as they start making new roots into their new environment. Depending on the weather, the soil, and the location, this could be daily watering. So for the first few weeks, keep a keen eye on your plants. After that time, keep the plants moist, but not wet nor dry. A 3” mulch is a good way to keep the plants cool and moist, and from drying out too quickly. To test the soil moisture, scratch away the mulch and feel the soil a few inches below the surface. Try to water in the morning, not in the heat of the day. Water the soil, not the foliage. Once the plants have established, it is better to water heavy and infrequently, then frequently and light. This promotes roots that go deep down versus those that stay on the surface.

When and How to Fertilize Your Chile Plants

We use organic fertilizers on all of our plants. While a plant will uptake and utilize an organic fertilizer the same as an inorganic fertilizer, your soil certainly will know the difference. Organic fertilizers promote the good bacteria and soil microorganisms which are essential for good plant health. They encourage earthworms and other soil organisms which are good at aerating and loosening the soil. Fish emulsion and seaweed work well for us and we recommend them highly. For the first few weeks we fertilize every week to promote good root growth, and then we fertilize every 3-4 weeks thereafter. Fish emulsion is high in nitrogen and promotes strong growth and good deep green leaf color. Seaweed is high in potassium, and promotes good root growth. As well, seaweed is full of many micronutrients, a sort of “multivitamin” for plants! It also helps combat the stresses that plants are subjected to, such as heat, drought, and insect attack. We also use an organic granular fertilizer, which offers longer term nutrition. This is especially necessary for container grown plants. We use this fertilizer in our planting beds and in our larger containers, and find that it increases our yields tremendously. The key factor for an abundant harvest is proper fertilization.

On Reeipt of Our Plants

My Chile Plants Arrived and Look Great. What Do I Do?

First, read our Planting Instructions. Rather than looking at the calendar to decide when to plant, watch your night temperatures instead. Chiles hate being cold, especially the more tropical varieties like habaneros. Plant out when night temps remain constantly above 55 degrees, as chiles will perform very poorly if they are planted out too early. Be sure to remove all buds, flowers and fruits until you see that the plant has put on good strong growth, or for at least 2 weeks. This may seem crazy to do, but doing so will give you a larger plant just loaded with fruit, versus a small plant with only a couple of fruits.

My Chile Plants Arrived and Look Wilted. What Do I Do?

The chile plants were watered shortly before shipping, but sometimes they arrive in a dry or wilted condition. First, don’t panic!! Chile plants do not suffer from being a bit on the dry side for short periods of time, it actually strengthens the plant, and makes them more resistant to stresses that occur later in the season. Move the plants into a cool shady spot to recover. Fill the individual pots quickly to the top, as if filling a cup of tea to the brim. Water with room temperature water if possible. Allow the water to drench through the pot. Wait at least 3 to 4 hours to see if the plants have recovered, before adding any more water. If the plant has not completely recovered, again fill the individual pots quickly to the top. Again allow the water to drench through the pot, and allow the plants 3 to 4 hours to recover.

My Plants Arrived With Their Tops Cut Off. 
What Happened?

Simply put, the chile plant was taller than it’s transport box. Rather than bending the stem with the possibility of crimping and injuring it, the plant was "pinched" or "topped". While it may look a bit drastic, it actually will improve your chile yield. By taking out the main stem, the side branches are allowed to fill out. Where there once was just one main stem, there will now be 2 or more. Fruit is produced at “nodes”, or the section of the stem where a leaf is produced. The more nodes, the more fruit. By encouraging the plant to branch out and have more main stems, you are also encouraging more nodes, and hence more fruit. Many folks routinely do this to their young plants, as they have seen the yield difference between pinched and un-pinched plants. The one drawback however of pinched plants is that the fruit may be produced closer to the ground versus those on un-pinched plants. This means that you might have to bend over more to collect your fruit. For the extra yield, this is a small price to pay!

I Am Not Ready To Plant My Chile Plants Right Away.
What Do I Do?

The chile plants can remain in their pots for a short period of time with no adverse effects. The most important thing to remember is to not over-water, chiles hate having wet feet! If they will not be planted within a few days, put them in a spot where they will receive some sun, but not in an overly hot and dry spot. Keep an eye on watering, and if the soil appears dry, fill the individual pots quickly to the top, as if filling a cup of tea to the brim. Allow the water to drench through the pot. Water with room temperature water if possible, and do not over-water. If they will not be planted for more than a week, it is best to pot them up into a slightly larger pot (4-6" in diameter), using a potting soil (we DO NOT recommend Miracle Gro Potting Mix). If they will remain in these larger pots for more than 2-3 weeks, fertilize with low levels of organic fertilizer weekly.

Growing Chiles Successfullly

When and How Do I Transplant My Chile Plants?

Be sure that the ground is warm and that night temps will stay above 55 degrees after transplanting, chiles don’t like to have cold feet! Plan to transplant on a cloudy day, or in the evening hours when the sun is not so bright and strong. Irrigate your plants in their containers a few hours before transplanting, so that they will be fresh and strong for their change of living quarters! At the nursery, we irrigate our transplants with a solution of fish emulsion and seaweed, and allow them to soak in this weak fertilizer solution for 10-30 minutes before planting.

Pick the spot where you want to locate your chile plants. This should generally be a spot that receives lots of sun, and is in a well drained area. If you are in a region where summer temps are very high, you might want to locate your chiles where they will receive some late afternoon shade. Dig a hole larger and deeper than the plant you will be transplanting or as they say "dig a $10 hole for a $5 plant." Add some organic matter (compost, dried shredded leaves, well rotted manure) to the soil that you just removed from the hole and mix together. Put that mixed soil back into the hole. Now make a smaller hole with the loose, mixed soil, just slightly larger than the plant’s root ball, with a small cone-shaped handful of soil on the bottom of the hole.

Gently squeeze all the sides and bottom of the pot, to loosen the soil from the pot wall. Put your fingers on top of the pot and soil, with the stem between your fingers. Turn the pot over, and gently tap the bottom of the pot; the entire plant and root ball should slide out easily. With a knife or your fingers, cut an "X" approx.1" deep in the bottom of the root ball. Turn the plant stem side up, and gently extend the 4 "legs" down from the X you just cut, so that all the roots are now pointing down. They may also be spread apart so that they are pointing in 4 directions (North, East, South and West).

Place the transplant into the hole, with the 4 "legs" straddling the cone shaped mound of soil on the bottom of the hole. This will allow the roots to grow outwards in all 4 directions, and increases the root spread. Place the chile plant at the same level or slightly deeper than how it was growing in the pot. Backfill with more of the same loose, mixed soil, and when done tap down the soil down around the stem to press out any large air bubbles that may have gotten trapped. Place some sort of mulch around the plant as well, which will help keep the soil cool and moist.

Water the plant well, around the base of the plant in rings, so that the whole area of mixed soil gets moistened. Water deeply, so that the roots get moistened. You can use plain water, or the remainder of the weak fish emulsion and seaweed solution that was used to irrigate the plants before planting.

When and How Do I Fertilize My Chile Plants?

We use organic fertilizers on all of our plants. While a plant will uptake and utilize an inorganic fertilizer the same as an organic fertilizer without knowing the difference, your soil certainly will know the difference. Organic fertilizers promote the good bacteria and soil microorganisms which are essential for good plant health. They encourage earthworms and other soil organisms which are good at aerating and loosening the soil. Fish emulsion and seaweed work well for us and we recommend them highly. We use a dilute solution to soak our transplants in before planting. For the first few weeks we fertilize every week to promote good root growth, and then we fertilize every three weeks thereafter. Be sure to read the label on any fertilizer that you intend on using, and follow the instructions carefully. Fish emulsion is high in nitrogen and promotes strong growth and good deep green leaf color. Seaweed is high in potassium, which promotes good root growth. As well, seaweed is full of many micronutrients, a sort of “multivitamin” for plants! It also helps combat the stresses that plants are subjected to, such as heat, drought, and insect attack. We also use an organic granular fertilizer, which offers longer term nutrition. This is especially necessary for container grown plants. We use this fertilizer in our planting beds and in our larger containers, and find that it increases our yields tremendously. The key factor for an abundant harvest is proper fertilization.

What Chile Plants Would Do Best In My Area?

Most chiles will do well in most areas of the country. In areas where summer are extremely hot however, with day temps normally over 90 degrees, chiles may stop producing. In these areas it is best to plant chiles that are early yielders, so that they will have produced a good crop before the temps get too high and production stops. Planting where the plants will receive a bit of afternoon shade will help keep the air temps cooler, and may extend production. Another alternative is to plant chiles later in the season, so that you will get a late season crop. If temps do not get too low, they will also overwinter and will then start producing early the next season.

When Is The Best Time To Plant Chiles In My Area?

You want to plant chiles when the nighttime temps will stay above 55 degrees, and the ground is warm, chiles don’t like cold feet! Planting too early will produce very unsatisfactory results, and will actually lose you time to harvest, as the plants are set back. See our Safe Planting Date Map. To get things going earlier, place black or clear plastic down where your garden will be, a few weeks before planting, to heat up the soil. Or pot them up into a slightly larger pot (4-6" in diameter), using a potting soil (we DO NOT recommend Miracle Gro Potting Mix). If they will remain in these larger pots for more than 2-3 weeks, fertilize with low levels of organic fertilizer weekly.

How Do I Get The Soil Ready For Planting?

The first step in growing healthy plants is to have healthy soil. The extra effort that you put into preparing the soil will be repaid handsomely with the extra health and yield of the plant.

If this is a new garden, be sure to dig deeply, at least 12" and add lots of organic matter. This includes compost, shredded dried leaves, and dehydrated cow manure. Don’t skimp on the organic matter, as it loosens and aerates the soil, helps keep moisture within, as well as adding nutrients.

If this is an existing garden, try not to plant chiles in the same spot more than once every 3 years. This will help keep the chiles growing strong and lessen the chance of your plants becoming susceptible to soil-borne diseases. If you must plant in the same location every year, you must add lots of organic matter to your garden every year, equal to the amount of production that you took from your garden the year before. Extremely helpful is our organic granular fertilizer, which will add essential nutrients to your garden and make up for any soil deficiencies. 

How Far Apart Should I Plant My Chile Plants?

This will vary depending on the ultimate height of the plants, ie. a smaller, compact plant can be planted closer than a larger plant, but in general, spacing of 18-24", with rows 18-36" apart should produce good results. Try to plant in a staggered formation.

Growing Tomatoes Successfully

When and How Do I Transplant My Tomato Plants?

While tomatoes can get away with being planted when nights are still cool, we recommend to plants when night temps will stay above 55 degrees. Plan to transplant on a cloudy day, or in the evening hours when the sun is not so bright and strong. Irrigate your plants in their containers a few hours before transplanting, so that they will be fresh and strong for their change of living quarters! At the nursery, we irrigate our transplants with a solution of fish emulsion and seaweed, and allow them to soak in this weak fertilizer solution for 10-30 minutes before planting.

Pick the spot where you want to locate your tomato plants. This should generally be a spot that receives lots of sun, is in a well drained area, and has good air circulation. Dig a hole larger and deeper than the plant you will be transplanting or as they say "dig a $10 hole for a $5 plant." Add some organic matter (compost, dried shredded leaves, well rotted manure) to the soil that you just removed from the hole and mix together. Put that mixed soil back into the hole. Now make a smaller hole with the loose, mixed soil, just slightly larger than the plant’s root ball, with a small cone-shaped handful of soil on the bottom of the hole.

Gently squeeze all the sides and bottom of the pot, to loosen the soil from the pot wall. Put your fingers on top of the pot and soil, with the stem between your fingers. Turn the pot over, and gently tap the bottom of the pot; the entire plant and root ball should slide out easily. With a knife or your fingers, cut an "X" approx.1" deep in the bottom of the root ball. Turn the plant stem side up, and gently extend the 4 "legs" down from the X you just cut, so that all the roots are now pointing down. They may also be spread apart so that they are pointing in 4 directions (North, East, South and West).

Place the transplant into the hole, with the 4 "legs" straddling the cone shaped mound of soil on the bottom of the hole. This will allow the roots to grow outwards in all 4 directions, and increases the root spread. Place the tomato plant at the same level or slightly deeper than how it was growing in the pot. Backfill with more of the same loose, mixed soil, and when done tap down the soil down around the stem to press out any large air bubbles that may have gotten trapped. Place some sort of mulch around the plant as well, which will help keep the soil cool and moist.

Water the plant well, around the base of the plant in rings, so that the whole area of mixed soil gets moistened. Water deeply, so that the roots get moistened. You can use plain water, or the remainder of the weak fish emulsion and seaweed solution that was used to irrigate the plants before planting.

When and How Do I Fertilize My Tomato Plants?

We use organic fertilizers on all of our plants. While a plant will uptake and utilize an inorganic fertilizer the same as an organic fertilizer without knowing the difference, your soil certainly will know the difference. Organic fertilizers promote the good bacteria and soil microorganisms which are essential for good plant health. They encourage earthworms and other soil organisms which are good at aerating and loosening the soil. Fish emulsion and seaweed work well for us and we recommend them highly. We use a dilute solution to soak our transplants in before planting. For tomatoes, we fertilize for the first few weeks to promote good root growth. Then we fertilize monthly. Fish emulsion is high in nitrogen and promotes strong growth and good deep green leaf color. Seaweed is high in potassium, which promotes good root growth. As well, seaweed is full of many micronutrients, a sort of “multivitamin” for plants! It also helps combat the stresses that plants are subjected to, such as heat, drought, and insect attack. We also use an organic granular fertilizer, which offers longer term nutrition. This is especially necessary for container grown plants. We use this fertilizer in our planting beds and in our larger containers, and find that it increases our yields tremendously. The key factor for an abundant harvest is proper fertilization.

What Tomato Plants Would Do Best In My Area?

Most tomatoes will do well in most areas of the country. In areas that have a short growing season, we recommend Early Season varieties. These are varieties that produce in the shortest amount of time, or early in the season. In short growing season areas it is very helpful to keep your plants actively growing by using organic fertilizers before, during and after planting out.

When Is The Best Time To Plant Tomatoes In My Area?

You want to plant tomatoes when the nighttime temps will stay above 55 degrees, and the ground is warm. Planting too early oftentimes will produce very unsatisfactory results, and will actually lose you time to harvest, as the plants are set back. See our Safe Planting Date Map. To get things going earlier, place black or clear plastic down where your garden will be, a few weeks before planting, to heat up the soil. Or pot them up into a slightly larger pot (4-6" in diameter), using a potting soil (we DO NOT recommend Miracle Gro Potting Mix). If they will remain in these larger pots for more than 2-3 weeks, fertilize with low levels of organic fertilizer weekly.

How Do I Get The Soil Ready For Planting?

The first step in growing healthy plants is to have healthy soil. The extra effort that you put into preparing the soil will be repaid handsomely with the extra health and yield of the plant.

If this is a new garden, be sure to dig deeply, at least 12" and add lots of organic matter. This includes compost, shredded dried leaves, and dehydrated cow manure. Don’t skimp on the organic matter, as it loosens and aerates the soil, helps keep moisture within, as well as adding nutrients.

If this is an existing garden, try not to plant tomatoes in the same spot more than once every 3 years. This will help keep the tomatoes growing strong and lessen the chance of your plants becoming susceptible to soil-borne diseases. If you must plant in the same location every year, you must add lots of organic matter to your garden every year, equal to the amount of production that you took from your garden the year before. Extremely helpful is our organic granular fertilizer, which will add essential nutrients to your garden and make up for any soil deficiencies. 

How Far Apart Should I Plant My Tomato Plants?

We plant our Tomato plants 36" apart, with rows 36" apart. Be sure that you either stake, cage, fence or otherwise keep your plants from falling on the ground. Tomatoes are tall vining plants, especially cherry tomatoes, and they need to be constained in some manner for best results. Very important is to keep air completely circulating your plants, and not letting them turn into a jungle. Never allow smokers to touch your tomato plants, as Tobacco Mosaic Virus is passed this way. Also, do not work around or tend your tomato plants when they are wet from either rain or dew.

To pinch or not to pinch?

And that is a good question. We are talking about pinching out the suckers that occur between the stem and the side branches. We do not pinch. We feel that the more you fuss with your plants by pinching, the more open wounds you are making on your plant, and the more areas for anything funky to get inside. Plus, we usually are too busy to take the time to pinch all of our tomatoes! But many feel that pinching gives the plant more energy, and more tomatoes. I don't really know, we get lots of tomatoes without pinching. So the question remains. Pinch some and don't pinch others and see what you think.

Fresh Chiles

When and How Do I Pick My Fresh Chiles?

Chiles change in color, flavor and heat level during their growth. While some have a "green" flavor when used in their immature stage, others have a milder flavor better suited for many uses. Some chiles are best eaten in their green stage, Serranos for example are usually used for salsas when green, versus red and mature. Another example is that chiles to be pickled are best picked before they reach their mature size and color, so that they will stay crispy. We recommend picking chiles at all stages of maturity to taste and test! Depending on what the ultimate use will be, the "best" time to pick will vary considerably. Also remember that generally, the more mature the chile, the stronger the flavor and heat level.

To remove the chile pods from the plant, most folks just lift the pod and snap the fruit’s stem against the growing angle. While this is a usually a quick way to harvest fruit, be careful that the branch does not snap in the wrong place, and that the whole branch is broken off, not just the fruit. A safer technique is to use garden scissors or clippers to cut the fruit’s stem from the branch. Cut the fruit’s stem as close to the growing branch as possible.

When Are The Chiles Ready To Be Picked?

Chiles can be picked and eaten at all stages of maturity. Many are usually eaten at the green stage (Serranos for example) while other are usually allowed to ripen before eating (Habaneros for example). While some may have a "green flavor" when eaten at an immature stage, sometimes the flavor is too strong when the fruit is fully mature, and will overpower the other flavors in a recipe. Chiles to be pickled are usually picked before the have reached their mature flavor and color, so that they will stay crispy and crunchy after pickling.

Try eating chiles at all stages of maturity, to see which taste is that you prefer for whatever use you might be wanting. Always taste a small portion at first however, as even though they might be immature, they can still be incredibly hot!

What Do I Do With These Chiles?

There are so many things!
First get a good book or two!
Fried, roasted, pickled, salsas, sauces, chutneys, powdered....and more.
Do some experimenting and have fun!!

Growing Eggplants Successfully

Eggplants are relatively easy to grow, but there are a few rules....
1) Eggplants do not like to be cold, at any time. Never, ever. They are almost more sensitive than chiles! Be sure to plant when night temperatures will stay above 55 degrees. 60 degrees is even better. Make sure the ground is very warm. Eggplant leaves will wilt, and look very poorly if they get cold.
2) Eggplants grow best when the soil is moist. Not too wet, nor too dry, but moist. Nasty pests like flea beetles will attack more if the ground is too dry or too hot. It is important to use a good thick 4" layer of mulch to keep the soil moist, and cool.
3) Eggplants are heavy feeders. They love our organic granular fertilizer, and show it by producing lots and lots. We get so many eggplants!
4) Eggplants might need to be staked or caged. Especially the larger fruiting varieties.

When and How Do I Transplant My Eggplant Plants?

Plan to transplant on a cloudy day, or in the evening hours when the sun is not so bright and strong. Irrigate your plants in their containers a few hours before transplanting, so that they will be fresh and strong for their change of living quarters! At the nursery, we irrigate our transplants with a solution of fish emulsion and seaweed, and allow them to soak in this weak fertilizer solution for 10-20 minutes before planting.

Pick the spot where you want to locate your eggplant plants. This should generally be a spot that receives lots of sun, is in a well drained area, and has good air circulation. Dig a hole larger and deeper than the plant you will be transplanting or as they say "dig a $10 hole for a $5 plant." Add some organic matter (compost, dried shredded leaves, well rotted manure) to the soil that you just removed from the hole and mix together. Put that mixed soil back into the hole. Now make a smaller hole with the loose, mixed soil, just slightly larger than the plant’s root ball, with a small cone-shaped handful of soil on the bottom of the hole.

Gently squeeze all the sides and bottom of the pot, to loosen the soil from the pot wall. Put your fingers on top of the pot and soil, with the stem between your fingers. Turn the pot over, and gently tap the bottom of the pot; the entire plant and root ball should slide out easily. With a knife or your fingers, cut an "X" approx.1" deep in the bottom of the root ball. Turn the plant stem side up, and gently extend the 4 "legs" down from the X you just cut, so that all the roots are now pointing down. They may also be spread apart so that they are pointing in 4 directions (North, East, South and West).

Place the transplant into the hole, with the 4 "legs" straddling the cone shaped mound of soil on the bottom of the hole. This will allow the roots to grow outwards in all 4 directions, and increases the root spread. Place the eggplant plant at the same level or slightly deeper than how it was growing in the pot. Backfill with more of the same loose, mixed soil, and when done tap down the soil down around the stem to press out any large air bubbles that may have gotten trapped. Place some sort of mulch around the plant as well, which will help keep the soil cool and moist.

Water the plant well, around the base of the plant in rings, so that the whole area of mixed soil gets moistened. Water deeply, so that the roots get moistened. You can use plain water, or the remainder of the weak fish emulsion and seaweed solution that was used to irrigate the plants before planting.

When and How Do I Fertilize My Eggplant Plants?

We use organic fertilizers on all of our plants. While a plant will uptake and utilize an inorganic fertilizer the same as an organic fertilizer without knowing the difference, your soil certainly will know the difference. Organic fertilizers promote the good bacteria and soil microorganisms which are essential for good plant health. They encourage earthworms and other soil organisms which are good at aerating and loosening the soil. Fish emulsion and seaweed work well for us and we recommend them highly. We use a dilute solution to soak our transplants in before planting. For eggplants, we fertilize for the first few weeks to promote good root growth. Then we fertilize monthly. Fish emulsion is high in nitrogen and promotes strong growth and good deep green leaf color. Seaweed is high in potassium, which promotes good root growth. As well, seaweed is full of many micronutrients, a sort of “multivitamin” for plants! It also helps combat the stresses that plants are subjected to, such as heat, drought, and insect attack. We also use an organic granular fertilizer, which offers longer term nutrition. This is especially necessary for container grown plants. We use this fertilizer in our planting beds and in our larger containers, and find that it increases our yields tremendously. The key factor for an abundant harvest is proper fertilization.

What Eggplant Plants Would Do Best In My Area?

Most eggplants will do well in most areas of the country. In areas that have a short growing season, we recommend Early Season varieties. These are varieties that produce in the shortest amount of time, or early in the season. In short growing season areas it is very helpful to keep your plants actively growing by using organic fertilizers before, during and after planting out.

When Is The Best Time To Plant Eggplants In My Area?

You want to plant eggplants when the nighttime temps will stay above 55 degrees, preferably 60 degrees or more and the ground is very warm. Planting too early oftentimes will produce very unsatisfactory results, and will actually lose you time to harvest, as the plants are set back. See our Safe Planting Date Map. To get things going earlier, place black or clear plastic down where your garden will be, a few weeks before planting, to heat up the soil. Or pot them up into a slightly larger pot (4-6" in diameter), using a potting soil (we DO NOT recommend Miracle Gro Potting Mix). If they will remain in these larger pots for more than 2-3 weeks, fertilize with low levels of organic fertilizer weekly.

How Do I Get The Soil Ready For Planting?

The first step in growing healthy plants is to have healthy soil. The extra effort that you put into preparing the soil will be repaid handsomely with the extra health and yield of the plant.

If this is a new garden, be sure to dig deeply, at least 12" and add lots of organic matter. This includes compost, shredded dried leaves, and dehydrated cow manure. Don’t skimp on the organic matter, as it loosens and aerates the soil, helps keep moisture within, as well as adding nutrients.

If this is an existing garden, try not to plant eggplants in the same spot more than once every 3 years. This will help keep the eggplants growing strong and lessen the chance of your plants becoming susceptible to soil-borne diseases. If you must plant in the same location every year, you must add lots of organic matter to your garden every year, equal to the amount of production that you took from your garden the year before. Extremely helpful is our organic granular fertilizer, which will add essential nutrients to your garden and make up for any soil deficiencies. 

How Far Apart Should I Plant My Eggplant Plants?

We plant our Eggplant plants 24" apart, with rows 30" apart. Be sure that you either stake, cage, fence or otherwise keep your plants from falling on the ground. Some eggplant varieties produce large and heavy fruit. It is important to support the plants as to keep the fruits from laying on the ground. Very important is to keep air completely circulating your plants, and not letting them turn into a jungle. Never allow smokers to touch your eggplant plants, as Tobacco Mosaic Virus is passed this way. Also, do not work around or tend your eggplant plants when they are wet from either rain or dew.

Extending Your Season

Can Chiles Be Grown In Containers?

For those folks without sunny ground for a garden, there is an alternative – grow your chiles in containers! Container growing is quite easy and fun, as long as they receive a good deal of sunshine and fresh air. First pick a container that will be the comparative size of the chile plant, i.e.. a smaller pot for smaller, compact plants, and a larger pot for those chiles which grow to be monsters! We grow many chiles in half whiskey barrels, and plant 3 plants per barrel. Most chiles will also do well grown in a 5 gallon bucket, and the handles make moving the pots easier. If a 5 gallon bucket is not the look that you are looking for, try to find a pretty pot that is either plastic or glazed pottery. While a terra cotta pot looks pretty, it’s unglazed surface loses lots of water to evaporation, and you will be constantly watering with less than satisfactory results. If you simply must use a terra cotta pot, try planting the chile in another pot and then placing that pot inside the terra cotta pot. Or buy a non toxic glaze and cover the inside of the terra cotta pot so that it will retain moisture. Use a good quality potting soil found at most garden centers, not just dirt from outside, which will have many weed seeds and will compact and get hard. Remember that plants grown in containers will need extra fertilizer to keep healthy and productive.

How Can I Extend My Growing Season?

Chiles like to be transplanted into warm soil. Planting too early will produce very unsatisfactory results, and will actually lose you time to harvest, as the plants are set back. To warm the soil earlier, place black or clear plastic down where your garden will be, a few weeks before planting to heat up the soil. The “walls of water” are also reported to be good at getting plants established earlier. If night temps are expected in getting below 50 degrees, cover your plants with either a larger pot turned upside down, or with “floating row cover”, also known as Reemay, or with simply a bed sheet. If possible cover the plants in the late afternoon, to capture some heat within. Uncover in the morning when temps rise above 50 degrees.

At the end of the season, as Jack Frost is looming, covering the plants nightly with the "floating row cover" (Reemay) or bed sheet. Again, try to cover in the late afternoon to capture some heat within. Watering or foliar feeding with seaweed also helps offer some frost protection.

Another great way to extend your growing season is by…

Can I Bring Chile Plants Indoors For Winter?

You can easily get a few extra months of fresh chiles by bringing your chiles plants indoors. If they have been growing in pots, the transfer to the indoors is quick and simple. If they have been growing in the garden, there is a bit more work involved, but you will be repaid handsomely with fresh chiles in November!! First decide which chile plant you would like to transplant, and water it or fertilize it a few days beforehand, so that it is fresh and strong for it’s journey inside. Choose one that has many buds and/or immature fruit, and is not too terribly large. Usually a smaller plant will transplant better than a larger one. Find a pot that will be big enough to handle the plant that you will be digging up A five gallon bucket will work great. Dig the plant with as large a root ball as possible, so to disturb as few roots as possible. Place into the pot, and fill the empty spaces with extra soil. Water well. Now, give the plants a haircut! Since you have cut off some of the roots, you will have to cut off the same amount of top growth so that the plant is balanced above and below the soil line. Trim the branches back a bit, or selectively cut off some branches while leaving others intact. The one very important tip is to keep an eye on pests.

Bugs love to come indoors, especially aphids. They can be easily controlled with Insecticidal Soap. Use 4 Tablespoons per gallon of water, mixed in a sprayer or squirt bottle. Spray at the first sign of bugs, covering the plant foliage, both tops and undersides of the leaves, and never in full sun. Spray 3 to 4 times, every 3 to 4 days to catch them all!!

Can I Grow Chiles Indoors?

Yes. Give lots of light. Place the chile plants near a sunny or bright window, but not where it is drafty. Even better is to place them under grow lights, that are on for 16 hours a day, and off 8 hours (plants need to sleep too!!) The closer the lights to the plant the better, but don't let the leaves touch the lights. Plants can be placed outside on warm days, but returned inside if temperatures are expected to go below 50 degrees. Slowly acclimate them to the sun and other outdoor elements if they have been indoors for an extended period. Do this by putting them outside for short periods, in a slightly shady spot at first, then gradually increase the amount of time and amount of sun that they received.

Water sparingly. Chile plants prefer to be on the dry side. Water lightly when the soil appears quite dry, but remember, DO NOT OVER-WATER! It is okay for the plants to get a bit dry, they might even begin to wilt. Water lightly at first, checking again in a few hours to see if they have revived. Water the soil, not the leaves.

The chile plants may go through a "dormancy" in winter and may drop leaves or look a little bare. Give the plants a haircut! Trim stems back an inch or more to give a nice compact shape. Also cut back a bit on watering.

In the spring, slowly begin to increase watering as you see new leaves emerging. If possible, transplant your plant into a larger container, using fresh potting soil. Start with low levels of organic fertilizer, increasing doses as the plant grows.

Give the plants a shake every week! Flowers need to be pollinated in order for fruits to form. Indoors, the chiles can self-pollinate by having the pollen fall into it’s own flower. Carefully give a gentle shake!

Harvest fruit at the stage that is most preferred for taste or use. Sample the fruits at all colors of maturation to test the different levels of heat produced. Always taste a small portion at first, as chiles can be extremely hot!

How Do I Bring Chiles Outdoors After Being Inside All Winter?

After being inside all winter, many plants don’t look so good. But don’t despair, with a little TLC they will be growing by leaps and bounds, and will be producing fruit much earlier than newer, younger transplants. Start by trimming back branches to give a nice compact shape, onto which new branches will grow. This spring haircut can be quite severe if your plant is quite large. Start fertilizing a few weeks before the move, with low levels of organic fertilizer, to get your plant ready for it’s trip back outside. At first bring the plants outside for short periods of time, to slowly acclimate them to the outdoors. Try to not have them outside during the sunniest, hottest part of the day for the first few trips outside.

If the plants will remain in their pots, remove as much soil as possible without disturbing too many roots, and replace with fresh new potting mix. Since the new potting mix will probably have nutrients, you won’t need to fertilize for a couple of weeks. After that, fertilize with organic fertilizers once a week for 3 weeks, then every 2 weeks thereafter.

If you will be planting your winter house-bound chile plant back into the garden, wait until the ground and air have warmed up, before transplanting. Have your hole dug and ready to go before tipping the plant out of it’s pot, and be sure to tamp down the soil after planting. Fertilize right away with an organic fertilizer, and every week for the first 3 weeks, then every 3 weeks thereafter.

Pest & Disease Problems

My Plants Always Seem To Be Dry. What Do I Do?

Make sure that you are using mulch. A 3" layer of mulch helps the plants conserve moisture by shading the ground and keeping it cool. Mulch keeps the soil from drying out so quickly on warm summer days, and it also keeps weeds from growing around your plants, stealing precious moisture and nutrients. Some types of mulches include chopped leaves, straw, hay, shredded bark, wood chips, dried grass clippings and even newspapers!

Water deeply and infrequently versus frequently and shallow. This encourages roots to go deeper, searching for moisture rather than staying on the surface where they will get heated and dried.

My Chiles Have Sunken Areas at the Blossom End.
What Do I Do?

This is called "Blossom End Rot" and is a condition caused by a calcium deficiency, but is usually found on plants in a drought condition or with inconsistent watering. Taking control of watering and moisture levels can often solve the problem. Place a mulch down to help keep moisture levels consistent, and be sure to water deeply and infrequently versus frequently and shallow. Also try spraying plants with seaweed. Often plants grown in containers will suffer from this condition. Use a mulch, or try planting the chile plant into a larger container.

My Chiles Are Cracking. What Do I Do?

This is a condition also caused by inconsistent watering. Often this will occur after a heavy rain following a dry spell. While there is not much that can be done once they have cracked, a good prevention is to keep your plants consistently moist by using a good mulch, and watering deeply. To help dry out soil that has gotten saturated, take a pencil and poke down a few inches around the plant, a few inches out from the stem so as to not injure roots, in rings around the soil area. This will allow air to penetrate into the soil and return the media to it’s proper air/water ratio.

Another condition which causes cracking of chiles is a condition known as "corking". Most frequently found on Jalapeño type chiles, this is quite common, and has no adverse effects on flavor. Actually in Mexico, chiles highly streaked with corking are highly desirable.

I Have Small Greenish Bugs On My Plants. What Do I Do?

Sounds like Aphids. Also known as "plant lice", aphids are found in every part of the country. They are probably the most common pest to attack young transplants. Aphids reproduce like crazy, as females do not need males in order to reproduce!

• Outdoors: Ladybugs are wonderful predators of aphids and will probably keep them under control on plants grown outside, once the weather has warmed up a bit. For low levels of aphids, knock them down with a strong spray of water. For higher populations, use Insecticidal Soap. They key for success is doing multiple successive sprayings.

• Indoors: Bugs love to come indoors, especially aphids. They can be easily controlled with Insecticidal Soap. They key for success is doing multiple successive sprayings. Spray your plants once or twice before you bring them in, and then another 1-2 times indoors. The shower makes a good spray-down location.

• Insecticidal Soap Instructions: Use 4 Tablespoons per gallon of water, mixed in a sprayer or squirt bottle. Spray at the first sign of bugs. Cover the plant foliage, both tops and especially undersides of the leaves. Never spray in full sun. Fully cover the plant, but don't go crazy and keep the plant saturated for long periods. The key to success is doing multiple sprayings - Spray once every 3 to 4 days, for 3-4 times, or as needed. Soft bodied pests will be killed upon contact with the soap, but the soap must touch them, there is no residual effect. Spraying multiple successive times ensures that you get them all!! Insecticidal Soap can be purchased either in a ready-to-use spray, or a concentrate

• Seaweed is a good "multi-vitamin" remedy and is not a favorite of aphids, nor any sucking or rasping pest. Seaweed raises the sugar level (or "brix") of the leaf, which pests simply hate. Use it alone as a drench, spray or add a bit to the soap mixture (1 Tablespoon Seaweed per 1 Gallon of Soap solution). Seaweed keeps plants strong, and helps relieve any stress that the plants may be under.

• Pests are attracted to "weaker" plants, those that are malnourished or are under some sort of stress. Be sure that your feeding regime is adequate. Our plants LOVE the Organic Fertilizers that we use!

For higher levels of aphids, or for folks that always seem to have a pest problem, beneficial insects might be the answer. We use them exclusively for pest control at our Nursery. These are insects which occur naturally, but might have been killed off by the use of synthetic pesticides (while synthetic insecticides do kill the "bad guys", it also kills a lot of the "good guys" and unfortunately the "good guys" take much longer to bounce back than the "bad guys". My recommendation is NEVER to start with synthetic pesticides, as it sets up problems all along the way). Some great beneficials for aphids include Ladybugs, Lacewing larvae, Aphidoletes, and Aphidius.

I Have White Bugs Flying Around My Plants.
What Do I Do?

Sounds like Whiteflies. While they may be somewhat controlled with Insecticidal Soap, the best solution here is for the use of Encarsia formosa, a Whitefly parasite. These are tiny wasps that attack only whiteflies, by either eating the scales or laying eggs in the scales. The parasites are shipped inside whitefly scales that are attached to cards, which you hang among the infected plants.

At first whitefly sign, I use 1 per 3 square feet, every week for 3-4 weeks. For greater numbers of whitefly use 1 per square foot. For best results you need to make consecutive weekly releases to get the parasite established. This is not a cheap quick-fix solution, but once you have Encarsia established they will continue to reproduce and keep your plants Whitefly free.

Something Is Eating My Chile Plants. What Do I Do?

First step is to determine whether the attacker is animal or insect.

Deer and rabbits eat the leaves off of plants, with deer occasionally ripping the plants completely out of the ground. Rabbits tend to eat lower leaves of plants, with deer nibbling the tops. They usually do not eat the chile pods however.

Insects would include caterpillars and hornworms. Their droppings are small (approx 1/16th of an inch) which at times is the only way to tell, because they become camouflaged with the plants.

Fencing is a good way to keep deer and rabbits out of your garden. Sometimes just wire or string strategically placed can discourage them from entering. For deer, place lines at 6", 12" and 24". For rabbits, place lines at 3", 6" and 12". While this might not completely solve the problem, it has worked for some, and is a good first "line" of defense! The plastic mesh type of fence is a more permanent measure, works well, and is pleasing to the eye - it practically disappears from view. Just be sure to secure it well to the ground as deer would prefer to scoot under than jump over.

Deer and rabbits have keen senses of smell, and other means of deterring them is to put down items which carry a human smell. Human hair is one approach. Get some from your local hairdresser, and put it into bags made from pantyhose, and tie around your plants. This might need to be replaced after heavy rains, to keep the human smell strong. Some folks have reported good luck with using fragrant soaps tied in bags around their plants. Others try the more natural approach, by urinating around the perimeter of their garden! Since it is a readily available commodity, and the price is right, it might work for you.

Other "brews" which might work include mixtures of egg, fish, and dried blood. Being vegetarians, any animal based product is undesirable to them. Repeat applications would be necessary after rains.

For caterpillars and hornworms, try the simplest solution of finding and removing them. Be very carefully of the horn of hornworms, it is very sharp and can sting badly! These are nasty critters and can completely strip your plants of leaves in a matter of days. Bt, a natural bacteria, works well to rid plants of caterpillars, and is harmless to other insects or people. It is a powder mixed with water and sprayed on the leaves of the plant. It takes a few days to work, while the caterpillars ingest the bacteria. Do not spray if the caterpillars are covered with small, white, rice looking projections, as these are parasitic wasp cocoons and are highly beneficial at attacking and killing hornworms!!

My Chile Plants Are Turning Yellow. What Do I Do?

Sounds like a nutrient deficiency. Try fertilizing with fish emulsion and seaweed.

My plants are very tall with beautiful green foliage but no flowers or peppers. Why?

Sounds like too much nitrogen. When the plants are small and young, you want to fertilize regularly so that they get off to a strong start, but once the plants have reached a good size, you want to cut back on the fertilizer applications. We tend to hear this complaint often from users of non-organic fertilizers such as Miracle Gro. Rarely do we hear this complaint from folks who use fish emulsion and seaweed, which we recommend highly. We like to fertilize once a week for the first 3 weeks, then once every three weeks thereafter. When the plants have reached full size you may stop applying fish emulsion, but continue with the seaweed. If the plants start yellowing give an application of fish emulsion to green them up.

My plants have barely grown since I put them in the ground in early spring. Why?

Sounds like they were put out too early, and they have been stunted. Chiles like to have warm feet, and will do very poorly if planted too early. While most folks look  at the calendar to decide when to plant, you need to look at the night temperatures instead. Plant out when night temperatures are consistently above 50 to 55 degrees. It is better to plant out three weeks late than one week early! If you have plants that were stunted by the cold, it will take the summer’s heat to pull them out of it.

My plants have grown only a little since I put them in the ground and have only produced a few fruits. Why?

When planting out your transplants, be sure to pull off all buds, flowers and fruit that are on the small plant, and continue to do so until your plants have at least doubled or tripled in size. Plants are either in vegetative mode, or fruiting mode -you want them to be in vegetative mode until they are good sized, before you allow them to be in fruiting mode. If you allow them to fruit when they are small, they will remain a small plant with just a few fruits. If you remove all buds, flowers and fruit for approx. 3 weeks after planting, you will get a good-sized plant just loaded with fruit.

The flowers on my pepper plant are turning yellow and falling off. Why?

Buds will turn yellow and fall off (abort) if conditions are not right, usually due to high day or night temperatures. This will also happen if the plants are too wet or too dry, or if there is too much nitrogen in the soil. We tend to hear this complaint in the middle of the summer when temps are high and soil moisture is not consistent. Be sure to mulch you plants as this offers a layer of protection from the hot sun, and helps keep the soil moist. Generally buds will remain on the plant once temperatures cool down, especially as we go into September.

My Chiltepines are not producing fruit and not even flowers yet. Why?
My Habaneros are not producing fruit and not even flowers yet. Why?
My Rocotos are not producing fruit and not even flowers yet. Why?

Habaneros, Chiltepines and especially Rocotos are long season varieties, in that they take a long time to produce, usually more than 90 days from transplanting. Your buds are falling off (aborting) because conditions are not right, usually due to high day or night temps, inconsistent soil moisture, or high nitrogen levels. Generally however, they will remain on the plant and produce fruit once the temps cool down a bit. I find that Chiltepines do better their 2nd season. Try to overwinter them and you should have a good early harvest. The one Chiltepin I find that does well the first year is “Texas”. Found growing further north where it would get killed by frost/freeze (versus many chiltepines which are found in warmer Mexico), it produces early on a compact plant. A good early season habanero type is "Limon", which produces heavily and early on a compact plant. Rocotos are found growing natively high in the mountains, and need cooler temps to be happy and produce well. Ours do not start producing heavily until November/December (in the greenhouse), so we recommend not growing Rocotos unless you have an extremely long (but cool) growing season, or you are able to bring them indoors for winter. We also find that Rocotos do much better if there are a few Rocoto plants, planted close together.

The skin on my chiles is turning white in patches.
What is this?

Sounds like sun-scald. This happens on chiles that are not being protected by leaf cover, and the fruit is being exposed to long periods of sun, which is causing a scald of the fruit. The first way to prevent this is to get your plants to a good size before you allow them to produce. Usually fruit is held under the canopy of leaves, but small plants will not have a large canopy for the fruits to hide under! This also happens in areas that tend to have many cool and cloudy days, followed by very hot and sunny days. This sun-scald usually does not affect the flavor, but if the fruit is left on the plant, the scalded areas will develop into holes, which may then lead to rotting. We recommend removing all sun-scalded fruit to ripen indoors.

The skin on my chiles is turning blackish purple in patches. What is this?

Sounds like sunburn. On some chiles this sunburn is quite normal, like Purira with it’s upright pods standing above the foliage. But on other it is because the leaf cover is not large enough to protect the fruit from the strong rays of the sun. Try to get your plants good sized before you allow them to fruit, so that there is good leaf cover to hide your chiles from the sun’s rays. While the sunburn may look strange, it will not affect the fruit, and the chiles will mature to their normal color.

Other Questions

If I Plant A Hot Chile Next To A Sweet Pepper, Will The Sweet Be Hot?

No. While many are sure that this has happened in their garden, theoretically it can not happen. The characteristics of shape, size, color and flavor are determined by genetics. The genetic footprint of the chile plant, or pepper plant, is already within the plant. This genetic disposition was within the seed that was used to produce the plant, and was determined when the flower was pollinated the season before. Crosses do occur within the garden by busy bees and other insects, but this cross will only be recognized in the next generation. So if you save seeds from this year’s sweet pepper plant that was grown in close proximity to a hot pepper plant, there is a good chance that the pollen from the two plants have crossed, and that the seeds you have collected will next season produce a plant with a sweet pepper shape and a hot pepper taste!

My peppers are not turning their mature color. Why?

Sometimes it takes a long time for chiles to turn to their mature color in summer. But once late summer/early fall rolls around you will see them ripening almost overnight! When the plants are actively growing and producing many pods, their energy seems to be in the fruiting mode, and not the maturing mode. Have patience, they will mature!

I have a pepper plant labeled as "ornamental". Can I eat the peppers?

All peppers are edible. Sometimes the taste of some ornamentals is not as flavorful as other peppers, often referred to as a "green" flavor, but other ornamentals are very tasty. The one caution for plants labeled and sold as "ornamentals" is that often they have been sprayed with chemicals not registered for use on edible plants. If possible, grow them out for a few weeks so that the pesticides will break down, and be sure to wash the pods thoroughly with soap and water before eating.

My peppers are very mild, not as hot as they should be. Why?
My peppers are very hot, not as mild as they should be. Why?

The heat level of chiles is in direct relation with the amount of water that the plant receives as the pepper fruits are forming. Milder than usual chiles are found on plants that have been given an excess of water, pampered plants tend to produce wimpy chiles! This also will happen with plants grown in cool and wet areas, such as Washington and Maine. Plants grown in Florida and Arizona however tend to produce chiles that are quite hot, due to the area’s dry and hot climate. If you want to produce extra hot chiles, stress the plants by withholding water, even letting them wilt. Do this only on established plants, not to very young transplants that are just getting started. To revive them from the wilt stage, water like normal, do not over-water at this time or you may drown the plant, and kill it.

My Jalapeños are turning red. Why?

While most Jalapeños are consumed in the green stage, they will turn red at maturity. As the season progresses, chiles will begin to mature more quickly, possibly quicker than you can eat them! If they are left on the plant, they will continue to ripen to their mature color.

I pickled my peppers and they turned out mushy. Why?

Be sure to only use young, immature fruit for pickling. If older and mature fruit is used, the pickled peppers will turn mushy after being processed.

Will a chile plant survive and produce fruit if it is planted in a pot and kept inside year round?

While you can keep a chile pepper plant in a pot, and it will survive year round, it will not continue to produce all winter long unless you provide some supplemental lighting. Bringing plants indoors is a great way to extend your harvest, but without extra hours of lighting it will not continue to produce new buds, flowers and fruits, it will only mature those pods already on the plant. Many people have great success keeping chile plants indoors, by using plant lights (grow lights) that are kept on 16 hours per day.