Gardening is really easy if you know what to do. Here are some great tips on what to do to keep tomatoes, chili peppers and other plants looking healthy.
Pick a good location. A west location as this side will get a lot of sun. Most vegetables like a lot of sunlight. Especially green chiles, japapenos, and other southwestern chiles.
Vegetables and plants from Chile love the long southwestern sun, which is ideal for productive and abundant crops.
Roto till the land or at least dig the ground with a shovel to loosen the earth/earth.
Clear the site or location of any large rocks, grass, or brush that may be in the area.
Choose a good vegetable fertilizer and apply it on the ground.
Chili peppers and vegetables do NOT like cooler temperatures. Plant them when temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit overnight.
A good fertilizer will have the following nutrients: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K) are the three nutrients that most gardeners are concerned about. Calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) are also needed. A good fertilizer will have a 5-10-5 mix. Apply about 2 tablespoons per 50 square feet.
Consider growing chili vegetables and seeds that are suitable for your area. Call your local nursery for information on what will grow well in your area. Many nurseries already have vegetables and peppers planted as seedlings. These types of plants will be best for the novice gardener as they are already ready to plant and grow!
Remember that it’s YOUR garden that decides if you want vegetable seeds or container grown plants?
Water is essential for your garden. Use a good drip system or hose down water daily, especially in the desert Southwest. About 1.5″ of water per week should be enough.
Vegetables like low acidic PH levels in the soil. You can always amend the soil with nutrients at a later date.
The weeds will absorb all the nutrients from the soil. So remember to pull out all the weeds whenever possible.
DO NOT over-water or have standing water for a long period of time. Overwatering is just as bad as having little or no water at all!
Try to buy tomato and pepper seeds or plants that are resistant to “VFN.” What is “VFN”? The following is what this means: V = Verticillium F = Fusarium and N = Nematodes. These are fungi that cause plants to wilt.
Most vegetable plant seedlings will have a label with the information “VFN”.
Pablo and Gary Guzman