You came to the right place – Peter Pepper seeds are available but tender care should be taken when growing them from seeds.

When mature, the pods are 3-4″ long and about 1″ wide, with a twisted, ropy texture. Bright red when ripe, and very hot. Makes delicious chile powder!

Have fun growing them. Click on the Amazon.com picture below for details.

In this time of economic hardship, job losses, and home forclosures, it seems to be the right time to revist being closer to nature and becoming more self sufficient for our family’s future.

Also, a greenhouse certainly helps to produce vegetables year round in climates that are not extreme. So, go wild and experiment in your backyard, with vegetables, honeybees, fruit trees, and of course chickens for your egg and meat needs.

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I remember when I was young growing up on a farm, we planted large vegetable gardens and many fruit trees and the summers and falls were spent canning and canning and canning for the winter months. If we didn’t can in the summer, there would be no food for the winter. About the only things we bought in the winter were staples like salt, sugar, flour, etc. everything else we ate came from our summer canning efforts. That also included the meats.

The pressure cooker and the pan for canning acid foods were in constant use during the canning season, sterilizing the jars and then cooking the fruits and vegetables that we were canning. You too should be able to enjoy the benefits of home canning, give it a try. I highly recommend that you grow your own vegetables either in your backyard or if you don’t have a back yard, in containers on your terrace. The organic method is best and the produce will just taste better. Even after the fruit is canned, the nutritional value will be outstanding compared what you get at the grocery store.

If you would like to try your own hand at canning your food, I can recommend the following information:

USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, here is the URL, just copy and paste this URL into the address bar on your computer to view the information: http://foodsafety.psu.edu/canningguide.html

For Pressure Cookers Click Here

WATER BATH METHOD

This method is used for acid foods like fruits, tomatoes, and pickled vegetbles.

Organic gardening is a method whereby fertilizers and pesticides are not used on plants. Organic gardeners avoid having synthetic materials or chemicals in their plants. It supports the natural ecology by providing natural resources to support a strong growth of the plants. It supports the concept of recycling such as using waste of animals, vegetables waste, kitchen scraps, etc. Using the fertilizer from your chickens is excellent for your garden.

Planning Your Garden

First step in planning your organic garden is to choose the area which will be cultivated. Find the site in your backyard which will have sunlight at least 6 hours daily. The soil in the site must drain well, have the right air circulation and have a shield (could be your house) from a strong wind.

Decide the how wide an area you are intend to use for a garden. As a beginner, it is better to start small. Once you have enough experience, you can extend the area of the garden. For a start a 10×10 foot area is large enough for you to plant different vegetables and even flowers.

Draw out the garden plan after you have selected the site for your garden. Provide enough space for each plant to maximize their productivity. If possible, prepare a scale model. As you do so, remember the size of the plant when it matures and make proper adjustment in your plan. Provide space for paths which will also be for your convenience.

The layout of your garden will depend on the plants you are planning. There are vegetable that mature early while some will have to stay for a whole season. Be sure to list the plant that will have so you can have the necessary things to be done in your garden layout.

It is important to save the garden layout you have made for next year reference. One way of avoiding pests and diseases is the rotation of plants. Do not plant vegetables at the same spot for consecutive 2 years. You will need to wait for the third year to plant the specific vegetable planted on its first year.

In choosing plants for your garden, consider the climate and the type of soil that your have. If the plant is suitable in its environment, it doesn’t need too much attention to survive and be productive.

Getting the Soil Ready

Feed the soil that feeds your plant. In organic gardening preparing the soil is the key to attain success.

Check your local Cooperative Extension Service. They can help you test the acidity of your soil. The recommended pH for vegetable garden is 6.8. The result of the test will also have a guide on how you can reach the appropriate pH. Your plant will need nutrients such as potassium, calcium, nitrogen and phosphorous. The amount of these nutrients will also be available in the test result. Consult with them how you can balance the needed nutrients.

The best gardening soil has to look, feel and even smell pleasant. It must have the right structures which depend on its component particles which could be composed of clay, sand, silt and humus. So no matter what kind of soil you have in your site, you can transform it into the right garden soil.

Check your soil’s organic content or the amount of decomposed material that is present. The primary technique used to increase the organic content is to add compost. You can make your own compost, where you can recycle materials such as vegetable waste, egg shells, and kitchen leftover.

Mix the organic material with the loose topsoil. Animal manure (horse/cow) is one of the best materials to add. Buy these from a local farmer in your area. In case there is none available, you can check in a garden center or shop if they have an alternative that you can use in tilling the soil.

Avoid digging the soil during cold spring where you might damage the structure. If the soil looks like fudge, you can wait until it dries out before tilling. Do not dig too deep but just enough to be able to remove grass and weeds. Set aside the grass to be use in your compost.

After tilling, wait for few days before planting.

Planting Your Garden

There are available small plants in garden centers which you can buy. However, since you are into organic gardening, there is a possibility that these plants have been exposed to pesticides. It is recommended that you start your garden from seeds.

You can directly plant the seeds in the ground, but have patient for it takes some time to grow. And do not expect that 100 percent of those seeds will germinate. In average, only 3/4 of the seeds planted will grow.

Consider that there are plants that cannot grow when planted together. They compete for air and light. But there are sees such as those of peas, radishes and beans that can grow fine even when bundled together.

Do not cover the seed to much soil. Add soil that is twice the size of the seed. There are fine seeds that you don’t have to cover at all.

If you are planting your seed, make a small trench with each row an inch apart. The bigger the distance of the row, it makes it easier for weeding and moving around when the plants mature. Sprinkle the seed on the trench evenly to avoid crowding. Have enough space between the seed so they can have the light and air circulation that they need.

After planting the seeds, put markings with a small stick or rather a Popsicle stick so you can also attach a name at the end of the row. Water the planted seeds. When it starts to sprout and pop out of the soil, you only have to do the right cultivation to ensure that they grow strong and healthy.

Starting Seeds Indoor

Since you can’t start planting seeds in your garden until early spring, there is an alternative to start planting indoor during winter months. Many have preferred this method since during the planting season the plants are ready and can be harvested early.

Mark the planting date in your area, which is usually the last killing frost. Four to eight weeks before that date you can start planting the seeds near a window that will have enough sunlight.

Select containers that have holes in the bottom. You can buy plastic pots or trays in garden shop or you can recycle tin cans, Styrofoam cups, and milk cartons as container.

There are available potting soils sold in garden shops which you can be sure it is rich in nutrients and doesn’t contain weed seeds. But if you on budget, you can make your own soil mix. Get a top soil in your yard which must be well-drained and does not contain high clay. If possible gather soil from an area that has shrubs and trees. Add sphagnum peat and sand and mix.

To ensure that there are no weed seeds or fungi that can cause diseases to your plant, place the soil mix in a tray or baking pan. Make sure the soil has enough moisture and put in an oven for 45 minutes at 250 degrees.

Put the soil in a container when it cools. Do not fill the container completely but leave 3/4 inch between the rim and surface of the soil. Place the seed on top of the soil. If you are using individual peat pots, place 2 or 3 seeds in each pot. Sift some soil on the top of the seeds using a sifter or window screen. The same in planting in the ground, do not cover the seeds with too much soil – if possible only 4 times the seed diameter. Add water but avoid causing the seed to float on the soil surface.

Cover the seed with plastic sheets and keep in a room that as 60-65 degrees temperature. Do not leave it in area that can have a direct sunlight until it starts to germinate. Do not let the soil dry out.

When the seeds start to germinate, move the pots near the window where they can have direct sunlight. Do it gradually for two to three days. When the first true leaves begin to appear, have only one seedling per container. Get rid of unwanted seedlings using a tweezers instead of pulling it out. If you have planted the seed in one big container, transplant the seedling into their individual pots.

When they are already separated, water the seedlings carefully. Do not let the soil dry out but also avoid frequent watering that might disturb the growth of the small plants.

A week before the schedule of planting the seedling in the ground, expose them outdoor. But be sure that the temperature is not below 50 degrees. Lessen the frequency and amount of water that you feed. This will be an adjusting time for the plant to its full exposure outdoor.

Upon planting on the ground, remove the plant from the container carefully not to damage the roots. Place the plant in a hole you have dug in the ground. Cover the roots and be sure that the soil covering is firm and packed.

You don’t need to have an acre of land to experience the joy of seeing the first vegetables in your garden. And if you are thinking of how hard it is to keep up a garden, then you are misled. All you need is the right information on mulching, composting and weed control. With the right knowledge combined with passion for the activity, you’ll soon be proud of garden’s produce.

So why garden organically? Although few decades ago, the concept was questioned because growing of plants had been dependent on pesticides and other chemicals. However, our history has proven that man is able to farm crops without the help of any man-made chemicals. And in recent years many gardeners have develop methods using organic materials in producing quality crops.

Advantages of Organic Gardening

There are many advantages that gardeners have reaped out from organic gardening. The most important and the main reason why many have engage in organic gardening is the food produced has more nutrients and healthful benefits. Because of the many chemicals used by farmers, consumers tend to doubt the freshness and quality of food they buy from the market. But harvesting from your own garden gives tyou the feeling of safety that the foods you provide to your family have not touched any pesticides.

Studies have shown there is a difference in nutrients as well as health outcome of people who consume organic foods compared than those who do not. Organic crops have higher Vitamins C, mineral content and antioxidants compared to those who were grown with pesticides.

Having your crops in your backyard, you get fresh supply of food. You usually eat fruits or vegetables just after harvesting. Food straight from your garden taste better than those purchased from supermarket which usually are stored for some time.

Almost all of us have been affected by the declining economy. Maybe you have tried some techniques to save money, lower your expenses or find ways to increase your income. With your own garden, you can save money because you have the some necessary foods available. If you have more produce than what your family needs, you can earn extra cash by selling excess produce in local grocery store, it might be even possible that you can ask for higher price because your goods are all organic and no chemicals been used in growing the plants.

Many gardeners enjoy organic gardening because of the pleasure they get from taking care of the plants. From planting seeds to daily routines ensuring a healthy growth until you harvest your crops. If you enjoy the tasks in gardening, then it is a first step to have a successful organic garden.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes can be easily grown from seeds, but to save time and energy, most home gardeners buy tomato plants or seedlings from nurseries and garden centers. Tomatoes are high in Vitamin A and C and are naturally low in calories. Tomatoes grow best when the daytime temperature is between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Tomatoes are the most commonly home grown vegetable in the United States. Tomatoes should be planted 2 1/2 to 3 feet apart. Tomatoes are among the most popular and commonly purchased vegetables in the world.

Varieties

There are many different varieties of tomato plants and most produce red fruit, but there are also tomato plants that produce yellow, orange, pink, purple, green and white fruit. There are literally thousands of varieties of tomatoes out there. There are many kinds of tomatoes to consider, from beefsteak to cherry to heirloom varieties. Hybrid tomatoes are a cross between two different varieties of tomatoes which have the best characteristics of both parents. If your tomato gardening season is short, you’ll get more bang for your buck if you choose “early” tomato varieties with shorter days to maturity.

Container

Container Gardening can be fun and rewarding to all gardeners even in winter. Container grown plants will usually produce earlier yields than bare root plants. Growing tomatoes in a container on a deck or patio is a great way to get a nice crop of tomatoes right outside your back door — especially if you don’t have room for a garden. Try growing tomatoes in large containers on a patio or plant some tomato plants among flowers or shrubbery in a border. Vegetable container gardening is an easy way for many city dwellers to have fresh grown vegetables almost any time of year. Many gardeners are finding that growing tomatoes in hanging baskets or upside down tomato planters is a great way to grow tomatoes in apartments or balconies that a normal garden or even a normal planter might not be able to do.

Grow your own tomato plants. Growing tomatoes is a great way to produce your own food and save money. Growing tomatoes is perhaps one of the easiest tasks in an organic garden. The main thing to remember about growing tomatoes is they need a lot of sunshine and a lot of water with good drainage. A good fertilizer for growing tomatoes is dried, composted manure mixed with bone meal or you can use a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10. There is nothing like a fresh, sun-warmed tomato, so growing tomatoes is on everyone’s list.

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Vegetables can be grown among herbs, flowers and shrubs, adding color and interest to the landscape. Vegetables from the home garden are fresher, may have better nutrient values, and are often less costly than those sold in stores. Vegetables should be part of everyones diet.

Soil preparation is critical for the first-time vegetable gardener. Soil Clay and sandy soils must be modified for successful vegetable gardening. Quality soil promotes vigorous growth and minimizes stress. A loose soil texture is especially important for root and tuber crops like beets, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes and turnips. Most vegetables prosper in a pH range of 6.

Vegetable gardening is easier than you think, and organic gardening is the best for you, your family, and the environment. Vegetable gardening is also a great educational experience for children and can provide opportunities in experimentation for adults. Vegetable gardening is fun, healthy and economical. Vegetable gardening is many people’s favorite form of gardening because you can actually taste the fruits of their labor. With produce costs rising, many people are also concerned about pesticides and movement towards healthier living, many people are choosing organic vegetable gardening for their produce. Vegetable gardening is making a huge comeback. Grow Your Own Vegetables — Vegetable gardening is hot.

If you are serious about your vegetable gardening, there is one book that you simply must have to succeed, The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible. This book is destined to be well worn as you consult it for all your questions in gardening. Click on the book below to review.

Compensation Disclosure: This site receives compensation for referred sales of some or all of the products mentioned.