Peppers

Green to Red Bell Types: California Wonder ’Yarden’ ($3.50) -  Organic, 75 days, the standard open – pollinated Pepper.  Medium 4” fruits with thick fleshy walls and mild flavor.  Turning crimson when ripe.

Sweet Banana ($3.50) – 75 days, a productive, firm and sweet fruit 6” in length, 1 – ½” wide tapering to a point.  Color turns from green to waxy yellow to crimson red when mature.

Peppers have gained popularity in North America over the last few years.  Along with peas, peppers are one of the oldest vegetables in the world (3400 BC).  Peppers add taste and texture to many dishes as well as providing high amounts of Vitamin A & C, especially when fully matured.

(Tip) Peppers:  Peppers are warm season plants, sensitive to cold temperatures and drought conditions.  Start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost date.  Transplant outdoors after danger of frost is gone and night time temperatures are above 50F.  Cool night temperatures will delay growth and fruit will set.  Temperatures below 40F can stop growth permanently.  Soil- Almost any warm soil can be used to grow peppers.  PH 6.5 – 7.2.  Peppers need constant moisture and uniform nutrients for good yields.  Excessive nitrogen can cause large plants with no fruit.  We recommend using a slow release 4-10-12.  Calcium can reduce blossom end rot.  Germination – 7-10 days at 75-85F.  Poor germination is a result of too cool or erratic temperatures.  Grow on at 70F.  Spacing – Twin rows 40” apart with plants spaced 14-16” works well.  Tarnished Plant Bug- stings the blossoms causing fruit to drop when forming.  See tomato section for additional pests.  Do not plant too soon in the spring, cool temperatures will delay the fruit set.

Hot Peppers

Cayenne Long Slim ($3.50) -  75 days, highly pungent hot peppers for Mexican and Latin American cuisine.  Long  slim, pencil pod peppers borne in abundance turn from dark green to bright red when mature.  Can be used for hot pepper deterrent sprays in the garden.

Caribbean Red ($3.50) – 80 days, hottest pepper we can grow in Canada!  Caribbean Red is a early maturing habanero type, with an rating of over 400,000 Scovilles.  Produce 100’s of small 1 ½ light green turning red when mature on healthy compact plants.  If you want to grow a hot pepper to beat your neighbors hottest, this is the one!

Although used mainly in Mexican and South American diets, hot peppers are making their way into our northern dishes.  Hot peppers are nutritious and packed with vitamins.  With stronger plants, hot peppers handle colder weather better than sweet peppers.

Pumpkin

Connecticut Field ($3.50) – 110 days.  Heirloom, large orange fruits weighing from 10 to 25lbs. on vigorous growing vines.  Flesh orange-yellow color, with dry sweet flavor.

Related to the squash family.  Originally used for cooking similar to squash.  Pumpkins are now used in pies or as a ornamental crop.  Pumpkin seeds are high in protein with medicinal purposes.  For kids, the week before Halloween is spent carving their pumpkins.

(Tip) Pumpkin: In short season areas plant indoors 3-4 weeks before the last frost date.  Do not pull plants apart, transplant the whole clump.  In other areas seed outdoors when soil is warm and night time temperatures are above 48F.  If soil is cool pumpkin seeds will not germinate.  Soil – Pumpkins like well drained sandy loam soil enriched with compost or well rotted manure.  Add manure in the spring or apply slow release nitrogen at the the time of planting.  Pumpkins need adequate moisture when forming fruits.  Lack of moisture will produce small fruits.  Germination – 70F for 5-7 days.  Cool wet soil will cause seeds to rot.  Spacing – 4 seeds in hills, 4 feet apart in rows 8-12 feet apart.  Too close of spacing will cause small fruits.  For extra large pumpkins start indoors in large pots, transplant into manure mix in the field.  Pick all but 2 pumpkins from a plant clump.

Radicchio Chicory

Radicchio SOLD OUT($3.50) -  85 days, traditional open pollinated radicchio from Italy.  Rita forms medium sized, well wrapped, concave heads with bright red leaves and white crisp ribs.  For direct seeding only, will not form heads from transplant like the hybrid types.

Prized for its bitter taste, Radicchio is a popular salad ingredient.  Originating in Europe where radicchio is used as a cooked vegetable.

(Tip) Radicchio – Traditionally radicchio was direct seed outdoors and then thinned out, if transplanted they would produce 30-40% misformed heads.  Soil – rich sandy loam with good drainage.  Adequate fertility and uniform amounts of water is essential for quality heads.  Germination – 7-12 days at 70F.  Keep moist until growth is seen.  Spacing – When seeding outdoors sow like lettuce.  Thin or transplant to 30cm / 12”.  Pick when heads are tight, peel away outer leaves to expose red and white heads.

Spinach

Bloomsdale Dark Green ($3.50) -  50 days, old standard home garden variety dating back to the early 19^th century.  Heavy yielder of glossy, dark green blistered leaves.  Plants are prostrate in growth and slow to bolt into seed.  Plant in spring or fall.  Can over-winter with a minimum cover.

Loaded with iron and vitamins, spinach is one of the most nutritious green vegetables in the garden.  It can be eaten raw in salads, cooked like Swiss chard or it can be frozen.

(Tip) Spinach -  Sow outdoors from early spring to late summer.  There are different varieties for spring and fall culture than for summer culture.  Soil – spinach likes moist, fertile soil.  Supply medium amounts of nitrogen to produce dark green leave.  Adequate moisture is essential for proper growth.  Germination – 5-7 days at 65F.  Keep moist until growth is seen.  Spacing – sow seeds 1cm / ½ “ apart and 6mm/ ¼ deep in rows 12” – 18” apart.  Thin out to 10-15cm / 4-6”.  The main pest is the leaf minor which bores through the leaves.  It is the larvae of the spinach fly, which lays its eggs on the leaves.  Control by covering plants with row covers in mid spring or wait until late summer for a fall crop when minors are not a problem.  Plant late summer for a fall or overwintering crop.  You can usually get a better crop of spinach in the fall than in the spring because heat, weeds and insects are not a problem in the fall.