Green Bell Pepper

The sweet varieties of peppers, especially the bells may be short and blocky. Long and skinny, tart or hot and available in all the colors- green, yellow, red, orange, lavender and white, even chocolate brown.  They are eaten green or ripe and are used for salads, stuffing, soup, stews, relishes and pickling.

Give peppers a warm and sunny spot.  Peppers need well-drained, fertile soil with adequate phosphorus and calcium and not too much nitrogen.

Peppers are best started from seeds indoors in late winter and then transplanted into the garden after the soil and air have warmed in the spring.

Set transplants 18 to 24 inches apart in the row, or 14 to 18 inches apart in all directions in beds.

For increased flower and fruit production, simply follow this. As soon as the first true leaves appear, transplant them into 4-inch (10 cm) pots and lower the soil temperature to 70 degree F, 60 degree F at night. When the third set of true leaves appear, lower the night temperature to 55 degree F (13 degree C) for four weeks. At the end of fourth week, grow plants at 70 degree F ( 21 degree C day and night until it is time to put them in the garden.

Peppers are very good container plant. Most of peppers are special needs have something to do with temperature. They are sensitive to frost and do not grow well in cold, wet soil. They like relatively high temperatures for germination and for growth outdoors.

Soaking the seeds overnight is said to help by removing germination inhibitors and so may speed germination.

Peppers like a deep, loose soil that is fairly rich in all of the plant nutrients, but especially magnesium.

Peppers are somewhat drought tolerant, especially hot peppers, but lack of water can affect fruiting, so they need to be kept moist for best production.  Sweet peppers are vulnerable to water stress, so keep the soil evenly moist. If not given enough water, the fruits can develop slightly bitter flavor.

Sweet peppers take 4 or 5 weeks to reach full size from pollination and another 4 or 5 weeks to get fully ripe. The fruits can be harvested anytime after they reach full size and this is the way to get highest yields.

Sweet peppers can be stored in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator for several weeks. For long term storage the fruits can be chopped and frozen. 

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Carrot

Carrots are very nutritious. Carrots are famous for their high content of beta carotene. There are also a good source of potassium and contain calcium pectates, which can lower blood cholesterol.

This cute, round, golf ball sized Carrots (Daucus carota) are great fun to grow. It is popular cool-season, root vegetables to grow in home gardens. 

Carrots can germinate in a week with a soil temperature at 75 degree F ( 24 degree C). The other key to good carrot germination is moisture. Carrot seeds  won’t germinate in dry soil.

Sowing carrot seed is tricky because it is so small. If you  mix the small seeds with sand, that will make it easier to distribute them evenly.

The right spacing depends on the fertility of the soil, the type of carrot and the size of product you want. A wider spacing results in large roots.

Prompt weeding and thinning are the key to growing good carrots. The initial thinning is done when the seedlings are about 2” tall  and should leave the plant about an inch apart. Second thinning and weeding should be 2 to 4 weeks later.  It is important to remove all of the uprooted plants from  the area after thinning, as the smell of damaged foliage can attract the Carrot Rust Fly.

You thin on cool cloudy days, or on late evening and water afterward to reduce the smell of Carrot.

Carrots need a steady and even supply of moisture for good growth.

Too little water will result in excessively hairy roots or woody roots. Too much water may cause the roots to split, encourage too much top growth or result in poorly flavored roots.

In loose soil, you can harvest carrots by pulling them from the ground by their tops, but if the tops break, loosen the soil first with a garden fork.

The deficiency of boron or manganese may cause the center of the carrots  to turn black.

Carrots need full sun for best production, though they may do okay in part aside. They also like a fairly warm soil.

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White Cosmos Plant

White means kindness.White is the color of purity. It also  symbolizes innocence, love, elegance and simplicity. White flowers in the garden bring a sense of serenity and classical elegance.

White flowers will do wonders to brighten up a shady area of the garden and create a calm and fresh feeling to any garden. White flowers can also add interest to the garden in the evening, as they reflect the moonlight and other lights and make the garden come alive. On hot sunny days, they provide a sense of coolness to a yard.

Wonderful, dwarf or tall, self-supporting, Cosmos Plant give a bright, airy, cheery look to the garden. They make for good decorations in flower arrangements and also attract birds, bees, and butterflies to your garden.

Dwarf varieties are perfect for containers, or use in beds or borders. Tall varieties are terrific background plants in large borders, and their flowers are excellent for cutting.

Sow White Cosmos seeds in average soil in full sun after danger of heavy frost. Sow about 4” apart and cover with 1/4” of fine soil. Firm lightly and keep evenly moist. Seedlings emerge in 7 – 10 days. Thin to stand 8 – 10’’ apart when seedlings are 1” high.

White Cosmos plants are very easy to grow. Blooms in summer. 

In order to prolong flowering, you should remove the dead/faded flowers from plant. Water regularly, but make sure you don't over-water the plants. Over-watering and over-fertilization can lead to plants with fewer flowers.

Heavy-blooming 4-5 foot tall plants produce large, 4 inch white flowers.

Cosmos have extremely long, summer to fall flowering seasons.

You can cut the blossoms off anytime after blooming, but it is  best to pick some right when the petals have opened.

If you cut the flowers on good stems when they first open, they will last more than a week in water.

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Green Cayenne Peppers

The cayenne pepper is one of the most versatile members of the chili pepper family, also called the bird pepper or Guinea pepper, is a popular hot chili pepper used for flavoring in Pineapple Kebabs, Moroccan Chicken, Cheesy Tomatoes, etc., and medicinal purposes.

This Long Cayenne hot twisted fruit, about 5 inches long, is a deep green when young and ripens to a brilliant red. Cayenne peppers can be harvested at any time during this process, although the color of the pepper will affect its flavor and heat level.

Starts seed indoors 8 weeks before planting outdoors. Keep seed moist in full sunlight or sow directly in garden in sunny location. Plant 2 seeds every 18 inches. Thin or transplant to 1 plant every 18 inches when 3 inches tall.

Use a balanced fertilizer when 6 inches tall to increase production. Cayenne peppers are easy to grow; depending on your climate, they can be grown as annuals or perennials.

Green cayenne peppers are ready to pick once they reach full size, which is about 4 or 5 inches long. They should be firm, medium- to dark-green, and have a slightly waxy texture. Normally, peppers are ready to pick 75-90 days from planting.

To get  hotter pepper, cut back on watering and fertilizing once the peppers are visible.

A mature and fully ripened cayenne pepper should be able to be picked easily. They can be pulled from the plant with just a slight twist of the wrist. Be sure to hold the plant when picking cayenne peppers to avoid damage.

Pick Peppers regularly  for increased yields.

Cayenne peppers will continue to mature slightly for a few days after being picked; the process can be accelerated by placing the picked peppers in a paper bag.

Cayenne peppers grow like wildfire. Once you harvest a pepper, another flower will grow in its place, later being replaced by another pepper. One plant can produce fifty to a hundred peppers.

Store fresh cayenne peppers in  ziploc bags in the refrigerator.  Cayenne peppers also freeze well. They can be pickled or frozen for long-term storage.  Cayenne peppers can be pickled fresh or roasted and then pickled.

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