Q: What do you do with the frozen peppers that you preserve? A: We use these peppers in so many ways! Since they are already diced and ready to go in the freezer bag, I simply grab a bag when I’m ready to use it and take 1-2 spoonfuls out. I typically add them into hot oil and sauté them with onions and garlic. I will then use this combination to so many of our […]
Q: What do you do with pepper and tomato plants over the cool seasons? Do they survive the winter outside or do they come back in the spring? A: Pepper and Tomato plants will start to die off as soon as temps start to get into the 30’s-40’sF. If you live in an area that stays above those temps they can stay alive, but in most places they will die off over winter. You could […]
The Colorado potato beetle is one of the major pests that can affect your crops. Adults are round beetles with orange/yellow and black stripes on their wings. Their head is orange with black spots. If left unchecked, they can destroy your plants in no time! Treatment Options: Hand-picking and placing the beetle in a soapy water bucket is a great way to get rid of them. Companion planting can help deter potato beetles. […]
Flea beetles are the extremely tiny insects that jump when disturbed. Even though these beetles are super small, they can quickly move through the leaves of plants, destroying the foliage in its path and spreading diseases. Treatment Options: Insect netting (floating row covers) provide the best form of protection against flea beetles. Applying beneficial nematodes and neem oil can also be effective. Make sure not to apply the neem oil when the temperature is above […]
Peppers are one of those things that we absolutely love to grow in our garden! It adds so much color out there and the kids love to watch them grow. We always plant so many each year to make sure to have plenty out there. One large benefit from this is the fact that we have not bought a single pepper from the store now in several years! One way we preserve our extra peppers […]
Corn earworms (also known as tomato fruitworms) are small caterpillars that vary in color from different shades of brown, yellow, pink, green, and black. The light yellow adult moth lays white, circular eggs on leaves or corn silk in the spring time. The earworm consumes the silk and then moves on to the ear. On other plants, earworms consume stems, leaves, and fruit. Treatment Options: Green lacewings and trichogramma wasps can help to fight […]
These small rodents can be challenging and can destroy a garden! They’re usually first spotted by their ~3-inch holes they make in raised beds. Once you see these, it’s time to get into action before they get out of hand. They multiply quickly and will wreak havoc on not only your garden, but also your garden supplies like tarps, sheeting, and other materials. They can be pesky, so trial and error is important to see […]
Tomato hornworms are huge caterpillars that are green with a spiky tail and orange spots on the abdomen. These giants are monsterous and can destroy a tomato plant in the course of a day, so it is important to catch them fast! These extremely large caterpillars can be shockingly difficult to spot sometimes, so make sure you are checking your tomato plants thoroughly. To help with the hunt, we pay our kids a quarter for […]
Cutworms are the caterpillar of a brown or gray night-flying moth. The caterpillars are black, gray, or brown and are about an inch and a half long. These jerks can go through your entire garden of new seedlings extremely quickly! It’s important to watch out for them in your garden and do your best to protect again them. They look like little brown worms, and they like to spin around into circles around the plant, […]
Aphids are tiny insects that can usually be found in groups on the undersides of leaves and stems. A few aphids can’t do much, but they reproduce quickly, are born pregnant, and can take over a plant in no time at all! Treatment Options: Spray aphids off leaves with a blast of water from the sprayer and repeat as necessary for a few days Ladybugs are valuable ally and can be purchased to help with […]