New Mini Peppers

When we were in Kauai, we went to Costco and found some red and yellow mini peppers. Saved some of the seeds- just for fun. Brought some home and last summer grew some of the seeds in the garden. They were great. They ripened well, they tasted sweet. We loved to toss them in some oil and maybe some herbs or seasoning- throw them on the bbq. Roasted mini peppers. They produced well, at the end of the season. barbeques some extras and put them in the freezer. Could have used a lot more during the winter.


Any way, the other day found some mini's at Costco again. Not exactly the same. These ones are mini-bell shaped; the others were more pointed. Well, let's try growing a few of these this year to see what happens.

Any way, the other day found some mini's at Costco again. Not exactly the same. These ones are mini-bell shaped; the others were more pointed. Well, let's try growing a few of these this year to see what happens.

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Too much salt may increase your blood pressure

Salt can be an interesting thing to look at in its crystalline form. It does a good job of melting snow and ice and thus keeping us safe on the roads and upright on our walks, steps and porches. Salt on the lawns however is not a good thing.

Excess salt will kill the lawn. This means that seeding must be done in the spring to fill the bare patches. (more work!!- always raises my blood pressure!!)

To reduce damage to the lawn- use an ice melting product that does not contain regular salt. Don't use more than is required. In areas where salt damage is prevalent, use gypsum in the fall and spring to help to neutralize the effects of salt. Apply at about 8 lbs per 100 square feet on clay soils. Sandy soils need about half as much.

More info on ice melting products. (not an endorsement by any means)

Grass types can reduce insect damage

Grass seed- we are looking at a new grass seed supplier. We were discussing the different mixes. We wanted to make sure that the new mix included some endophytic perennial rye grass seed.

What does "endophytic" mean for the lawn? Endophytic grasses reduce chinch bugs and other lawn pests. They contain materials that are either toxic to the insects or that cause the pests to avoid these plants. Perennial rye grasses have been developed to reduce the chances of insect damage. Never use endophytic lawn grasses in pasture areas as the endophytic grasses are harmful to horse and cattle. Our mix uses a "turf-type" perennial rye grass. This designation is to distinguish between fine textured varieties that are suitable for lawn use from those varieties that have coarse, unsightly leaf blades.

Mixes with Annual rye grass are generally not recommended. The annual rye grass is useful in some situations as it germinates rapidly. However, it is not long lived. Generally, turf-type perennial rye grasses will do the same job of germinating quickly and thus providing some cover and protection for the slower germinating grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass.