Pepper Ideas, Tips & Guides

As Autumn approaches, many gardeners are putting their tools and gloves away in preparation for the long wait until spring. However, greenhouse owners are continuing to diligently tend to their plants in expectation of the harvest still to come.

Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.

Mustard pickles are a yummy treat. This recipe is quick and easy to make – and it’s oh, so, delicious.

These non-toxic solutions can wipe out the problem of garden bugs without causing much harm to the rest of your yard. Know everything about DIY Insecticidal Soap Recipes for the Garden!

If you are looking for some striking and colorful addition to your vegetable garden, here are the best Types of Ornamental Pepper Varieties for you to grow!

From sweet and mild to spicy and tangy, bell peppers come in a variety of colors and flavors that can add a unique twist to your favorite recipes. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular Types of Bell Pepper Varieties and discover what makes them so special.

Every gardener knows the routine. You spend the day outside working, and you eventually find yourself overheating. Maybe you strip down to a short-sleeved shirt. Only now, your arms are getting sunburnt an

If you are looking for an easy and cheap ways to keep you plants safe in home and yard, then do not miss this list on the most Common Items in Home to Solve All of Pest Problems!

It’s the end of June, and my vegetable garden looks rough. The heat and the insects have wreaked havoc on my once beautiful Garden of Eden. This is the perfect time to rejuvenate some of the crops using a technique call ratooning.

Silver Queen Corn is a favorite; the 8-inch tapered ears fill to the tip with 14-16 rows of tender, sweet white kernels with excellent flavor. Kernels contain moderate degrees of sugar and convert to starch rapidly after harvest; taste best when fresh.

The sweet potato is a starchy, sweet-tasting root vegetable. They have a thin, brown skin on the outside with colored flesh inside, typically orange in color, but other varieties are white, purple or yellow. You can eat sweet potatoes whole or peeled; the leaves of the plant are also edible. While called ‘potatoes’, sweet and white potatoes are not actually related. Botanically, the sweet potato belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, whereas the white potato is part of the nightshade family.

The Cranberry is one of only three native North American fruits that was an important source of food long before the Pilgrims arrived. Native Americans, who referred to cranberries as sassamanash, recognized their healthy giving properties. Cranberries were recognized by the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans as a nutrient-dense fruit. University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service.

Asparagus is known for its unique, savory taste and is a good source of folate, vitamin K, iron, and fiber. This makes it valuable during pregnancy and means it can contribute to heart health and the prevention of osteoporosis. Asparagus can be green, white, or purple.

Did you Avocados are one of those nutrient dense foods that provide nearly 20 vitamins and minerals with relatively few calories. Archaeologists have found evidence of avocado consumption going back almost 10,000 years in central Mexico. Researchers believe that humans began cultivating avocados about 5,000 years ago. Mesoamerican tribes like the Inca, the Olmec and the Maya grew domesticated avocado trees. AvoSeedo wedsite

A writer for a popular gardening magazine reached out to me recently and asked what my favorite garden tools for homeowners and small hobby farmers were. Of course, this is an impossible question to answer in just one blog post, so I have compiled my favorite weed management tools for you.

Cold Winter days call for warm, comforting soups. This is one of my family’s favorite on a cold Winter’s day! Roasting the vegetables helps to bring out their flavor, allowing for minimal added fat and salt, while not compromising on flavor. This recipe makes a hearty vegetable soup thick with tomatoes, onion, green bell peppers, mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, and barley. You can add additional broth if you prefer, and the soup also freezes well. To learn more about the safe handling of vegetables, check out HGIC 3517, Safe Handling of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. Enjoy!

Fresh South Carolina tomatoes harvested in the summer months are true delicacies. They really are at their best with bare minimum preparation. A Pico de Gallo style salsa combines ingredients that highlight a super fresh summer tomato. The following recipe is simple, easy to prepare, and packed full of flavor.

Blossom end rot is a troubling disorder of tomatoes that affects home gardeners and commercial growers alike. Numerous foliar calcium sprays are available that claim to solve this problem, but are they really the answer?

Summer, summer, summertime! Summer is the time to be outdoors, gathering with friends and family enjoying nature, and let’s not forget, food. July is the griller’s favorite time of year. Time to showcase your skills, new recipes, and let everyone know who the Grill Master is!

Peach season is here in South Carolina, adding to the abundance of fresh produce on kitchen counters. A quick and different appetizer is this tasty peach salsa. This sweet alternative to your usual salsa is a nice combination of fresh garden produce and fresh peaches. Feeling creative? Add or omit ingredients to fit your tastes.

You may be home quarantining or working from home; however, that does not necessarily mean you desire to cook three meals a day with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. August is National Sandwich Month, and sandwiches can be a delicious, nutrient-rich, and quick meal to help save time in the kitchen.

Many of our tried and true recipes and dishes can be ‘modified’ to increase vegetables, fiber, and fruits by making simple adjustments to meals we already eat. Many of us love watching chefs on TV but tend to go back to old favorites, i.e., macaroni and cheese, potato salad, beef stew, soup, fried chicken, broccoli casserole, spaghetti, etc.

People in the south don’t like changes to traditional grits, and I’m one of them. I love grits in their most basic form: cook in water and then add a good helping of butter, salt, and pepper. However, since October is the month of adding pumpkin to just about everything, I decided to give this recipe a try.

This broccoli, apple, pecan salad combines many of our favorite Fall foods. Enjoy for a quick and easy fall salad!

It may be cold outside, but you can help take the chill out of winter with a warm bowl of your favorite soup to enjoy with your family and friends.

This will be the final update of 2020. We will pick it back up on 1/4/21. Be sure to keep an eye on the upcoming events tab, and give us a call if you need anything. Happy Holidays from the SC Grower team! We hope everyone takes some time to enjoy the season, and may 2021 bring you good health, great family time, and as always…prosperous fields!

Traditional beef rouladen is a German dish in which thinly sliced beef is wrapped around varying vegetables and then cooked until tender. When I was in high school, my mom and I found a recipe for beef rouladen in our church cookbook. We quickly fell in love with the recipe, and it became a family favorite. I lovingly and jokingly named it “Pickle Steak.” When I went away for college and then moved from home, I always asked my mom to make “Pickle Steak” when I came home to visit. I now frequently make the recipe for my own family. However, one day I was in the mood to make the recipe but did not have the top round steaks needed. I did, however, have stew beef! So, I created the Pickle Steak Stew! It tastes exactly like the original recipe without taking the time to roll the steaks and vegetables hence the nickname lazy beef rouladen. It’s incredible comfort food, and it freezes well too. I hope you enjoy it!

Rob Last reports, “Crops in the area continue to develop well, and I expect this to continue after some welcome rainfall over the weekend. Following the rain over the weekend and returning to warm temperatures, keep scouting for diseases in crops and ensure fungicide applications are made promptly. Spider mites show activity in a range of crops from strawberries to peppers, tomatoes, and blackberries. Cucumber beetles are beginning to be found in sticky traps. Currently, no damage is being seen to crops.”

Rob Last reports, “Given the rainfall and humidity levels, we are seeing increases in foliar and fruit diseases on a range of crops. This includes cottony leak in cucumbers, anthracnose in peppers, tomatoes, and cucurbits. Also, please be aware cucurbit downy mildew is very active now. As a result, it is going to be really important to maintain fungicide programs in both a timely manner and to be robust. That being said, we have some great quality melons, both cantaloupe and watermelons, coming to harvest, as well as good volumes of quality peaches, blackberries, and a host of other vegetable crops.”

Rob Last reports, “After some welcome rain in the area over the weekend, crops are looking good. However, given the humidity and rainfall, we are likely to find disease pressure increasing. Strawberries are all over. The wet, humid conditions have spiked infections of botrytis and water-soaked berries. Blueberries, blackberries, and peaches are all coming to market with good quality and volumes, with few insect or disease pressures being seen currently. Watermelons and cantaloupes are developing well, with some early planted crops coming to harvest. In response to rainfall and increased humidity, keep an eye out for diseases such as bacterial spot in pepper and tomatoes. In addition, some cantaloupe crops are beginning to show Alternaria leaf spot. Make sure fungicide timings are good using a robust program.”

Zack Snipes reports, “Summer crops like okra are still coming in and looking good. We’ve had a lot of rain, and some fields are soggy. More rain is coming. Some growers have started planting peppers and tomatoes. Remember to get out in the fields and destroy spring crop residue. Nematodes and other pests can really thrive on that old residue.”

Justin Ballew reports, “We had beautiful sunny weather last week that really helped dry things out. Strawberry transplants are due in this week and growers will start getting them in the ground as soon as they can. We have heard some reports of anthracnose coming from nurseries, so be sure to closely examine your plants and do not plant any that look weak. Since we are planting a little late, proper planting is all the more important. Be sue crews are planting transplants at the proper depth. Supervise them closely. Using row covers to push growing degree days may also be helpful this fall since most folks are planting a week or more late. There is a good article in this month’s NC Strawberry Association newsletter (pages 6-8) about using row covers in the fall.”

Justin Ballew reports, “We’re getting a little dry here in the midlands, and folks have been running irrigation a lot. Last night (9/6), we got a shower at my house, but it didn’t amount to much. Our fall crops are looking really good right now. The dry weather is holding down disease though we are still seeing some insects, mainly caterpillars. Squash, zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, turnips, and other brassicas are all growing pretty well.”

Rob Last reports, “In our area, pest and disease pressure have reduced in response to cooler dryer conditions. Keep an eye on soil moisture and continue to regularly scout crops.”

Worldwide: There are reports of quail being used for food as far back as 960 AD, where there is a reference to fried quail at a country fair trade. During the eighth and sixteenth centuries in Japan, quail were semi-domesticated as pets and singing birds. However, by the early 1900s, they were beginning to be consumed for meat and eggs in Japan and many other parts of the world, including the United States.