Guides

One thing per guide, written for a gardener with a spare weekend rather than a research plot.

Anaheim vs poblano: two mild peppers compared for the garden Both are mild and their heat ranges overlap. The pod shape and the plant set them apart. Compared from two named varieties. 3 min read
Carolina Reaper vs ghost pepper: two former record holders in the garden The Reaper is roughly twice as hot on published figures, but the two plants ask for almost the same season. Heat, pods and growing compared from seed-seller data. 3 min read
Jalapeño vs serrano: the heat gap and the plants Serrano runs several times hotter than jalapeño on published figures, and its pod is smaller. Heat, pods and growing compared from two named varieties. 3 min read
Poblano vs jalapeño: which pepper to grow A poblano is a big, mild, heart-shaped pepper; a jalapeño is a small, thick-walled one with more bite. Heat, pods and growing compared from two named varieties. 3 min read
Scotch bonnet vs habanero: same heat, different pod Both are Capsicum chinense with the same published heat range. For a gardener the differences are the shape of the pod and a short gap in the calendar. 3 min read
How to dry peppers: air, dehydrator or oven Small thin-walled chiles dry on a string in 3 to 4 weeks. Thick-walled peppers need slicing and a dehydrator at 140°F. Which method suits which pepper, and how to store them. 6 min read
Pepper plant spacing: how far apart to plant peppers Space pepper plants 12 to 24 inches apart in rows 30 to 36 inches apart, or in paired rows 15 inches apart on a raised bed. What university extensions recommend, and when to go wider. 5 min read
How to grow peppers: from seed to harvest Start seeds 8 to 10 weeks before planting out, set plants out into warm soil and full sun, water evenly, and cut the pods when they reach full size. Each step, from university extension guidance. 10 min read
Pepper companion plants: what helps and what to keep away Basil, onions and flowers are easy neighbors for peppers. Corn, potatoes and black walnut are not, and marigolds only fight nematodes when grown first. 6 min read
When to harvest peppers: bell, banana, jalapeño and hot types Pick peppers at full size and firm, either green or once colored, 35 to 45 days after flowering. Size and color cues for bell, banana, jalapeño, serrano, poblano, Anaheim and habanero. 7 min read
When to plant tomatoes: dates by state and soil temperature Plant tomatoes out once frost has passed and the soil reaches 60°F, usually one to three weeks after the last frost. Safe dates for every state, from NOAA. 9 min read
When to plant peppers: sowing and transplant dates by state Start pepper seeds 8 to 10 weeks before you plant out, and plant out once frost has passed and the soil reaches 60°F. Dates for every state, from NOAA. 10 min read
Determinate vs indeterminate tomatoes: which one you have, and what changes One stops growing, the other does not. How to tell from the seed packet or the plant itself, and what the answer changes about pruning, supports, spacing and when you harvest. 5 min read
Cherry vs grape tomatoes: what actually separates them Shape, not size, is the reliable difference. What each one tastes like, which holds up better in a lunchbox or a hot pan, and why the categories blur in both the supermarket and the seed catalogue. 4 min read
Pepperoncini vs banana pepper: the jar is what confuses everyone They are two different peppers with almost the same heat. What separates them is shape, wall thickness and how they are sold — and the spicy one you remember is probably a third pepper entirely. 5 min read
Blossom end rot on tomatoes: cause and the real fix The sunken brown patch is a calcium transport failure, not a soil shortage. Why eggshells and Epsom salt do not work, and the 3 changes that do. 7 min read
How to store tomatoes: counter, freezer and drying Below about 55°F a tomato's flavor and texture start to deteriorate, so the fridge is a last resort. How long each method keeps a crop, and which varieties hold longest. 6 min read
Tomato blight: early, late, and what to do about each Early blight creeps up from the bottom leaves over weeks. Late blight can strip a plant within two weeks. How to tell them apart and what each one needs from you. 7 min read
When to pick tomatoes, and how to ripen green ones Harvest tomatoes at the breaker stage, when colour first shows and the fruit gives a little. 8 min read
Fertilizer for tomato plants, and 4 myths worth dropping Soil test first, fertilizer worked in before planting, then light nitrogen side dressings. Plus what eggshells, coffee grounds, Epsom salt and baking soda actually do, with the evidence. 6 min read
How to grow tomatoes in pots: size, soil and water A 5-gallon pot is the working minimum and 10 gallons is better. Container sizes by growth habit, grow bags, buckets, and the watering that decides the crop. 8 min read
What is an heirloom tomato, and should you grow one? Heirloom, open-pollinated and F1 hybrid explained in plain terms, plus how to pick a variety for your space, your season and what you will do with the fruit. 6 min read
How often to water tomato plants In the ground: 1 to 2 inches a week, in 2 soakings. In pots: every day in summer. How to check, when to water, and what irregular watering costs you. 7 min read
How to save tomato seeds for next year Ferment the pulp for a few days, rinse, dry, label. Which varieties come true, which never will, and how long saved tomato seed stays viable, from extension sources. 7 min read
How to prune tomato plants, and when not to Prune indeterminate tomatoes, leave determinate ones alone. What a sucker is, where to cut, when to top a plant, and what pruning costs you if you get it backwards. 7 min read
How to grow tomatoes from seed: a sowing calendar Start tomato seeds 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost, in 75 to 85°F soil. The full calendar from sowing to transplant, with the numbers at each step. 8 min read
Tomato companion plants: what helps and what is folklore Basil, marigolds, garlic, carrots: which pairings have research behind them, which are tradition, and the 4 neighbors worth keeping in another bed. 7 min read
How to support tomato plants: stakes, cages, strings How tall tomatoes actually grow, what each support costs and holds, and how to tie a stem so it does not girdle. Pick the support in May, not in July. 8 min read
Yellow leaves on tomato plants: how to tell what is wrong Work from the bottom of the plant up. 8 causes of yellowing tomato leaves, how to tell them apart by pattern, and what to do about each one today. 8 min read

Browse every variety →