All About Growing Peppers

Peppers present some of the summer gardens biggest flavors and brightest hues, and these striking fruits are simple to store and have a wealth of delicious uses in the kitchen. Plus, sweet and specialty peppers are among the most expensive produce at the grocery store, so growing peppers of your own can be a money-saving move.

Pepper Types to Try

Sweet bell peppers come in various sizes and colors, and the fruits’ colors change as they mature. They grow best where summers are long and warm.

Specialty sweet peppers include pimentos, frying peppers, and other sizes, shapes and flavors. Small-fruited varieties are among the easiest peppers to grow.

Southwestern chile peppers have complex flavors with varying degrees of heat. Many varieties bear late and all at once, so they can be a challenge to grow in climates with short summers.

Specialty hot peppers range from moderately spicy jalapeños to hotter cayennes to hottest-of-all habaneros. Most are easy to grow.

Ornamental peppers may feature spicy, brightly colored fruits, purple or variegated foliage, or both.


When to Plant Peppers

Start seeds indoors under bright fluorescent lights in early spring, eight to 10 weeks before your last spring frost date. If possible, provide bottom heat to keep the plants’ containers near 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure the seeds stay slightly moist. Seeds should sprout within three weeks. Transfer seedlings to larger containers when they are about six weeks old. Don’t set peppers outside until at least two weeks after your average last frost date, during a period of warm weather.Always harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor weather a few hours each day for at least a week before transplanting them outdoors.

How to Plant Peppers

All peppers grow best under warm conditions, but gardeners in cool climates can keep peppers happy by using row covers. Choose a sunny site that has fertile, well-drained soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5. Loosen the planting bed to 12 inches deep, and thoroughly mix in a 1-inch layer of mature compost. Dig planting holes 12 inches deep and at least 18 inches apart, and enrich each with a spadeful of additional compost. Partially refill the holes, and situate plants so they are planted slightly deeper than they were in their containers. Water well.

Harvesting and Storing Peppers

You can eat peppers when they are mature yet still green (green peppers), although the flavor and the vitamin content of peppers improve as they ripen to red, yellow or orange. Use pruning shears to snip ripe peppers from the plant, leaving a small stub of stem attached. Bumper crops can be briefly steam-blanched or roasted and then frozen, either whole (for stuffing) or chopped. Peppers are also easy to dry. Dried peppers quickly plump if soaked in hot water, or you can grind them into powders for your spice shelf.

How to Save Cucumber Seeds from Your Garden

Saving seeds from heirloom or open-pollinated cucumber varieties is a wonderful way to ensure that you can keep growing your favorite varieties year after year. Even better, you can select seeds from those fruits with the best qualities, tailoring the variety to conditions in your own garden over the years.

Saving cucumber seeds is not as straightforward as saving bean seeds, or even tomato seeds. Unlike beans and tomatoes, cucumber blossoms are not perfect -- they need to be pollinated by insects (or by the gardener) to set fruit. And, to complicate things further, cucumbers cross easily with other cucumber varieties. Professional seed savers recommend isolating cucumber varieties by 1/2 mile to prevent crossing. Since most of us do not have that type of space to work with, we have to handle isolation and pollination another way.

Isolating Plants

The first step to take if you plan on saving seeds from your cucumbers is to isolate the plants you want to save seed from. You can bag individual female blossoms (these are the ones that look like they have a tiny cucumber at the base) before they open in spun polyester or cotton bags to prevent insects from pollinating them. Do the same with a male flower. Then, tag the branch with that female blossom so you know later that this cucumber should be saved for the seeds. The other way to isolate your cucumbers is to build a cage that will enclose the entire plant or plants -- wood or PVC with spun polyester or screen over it will work.

Hand-Pollinating Cucumber Flowers

Since we can't allow those haphazard bees to pollinate the cucumbers, we have to take that task on ourselves. Use a small brush to dab some of the pollen from a male cucumber flower onto the stigma (center) of the female flower. Then bag the female blossom again, and let the waiting begin. Once a fruit forms, you'll know that your hand-pollination worked. You can then remove the bag, but make sure you keep this fruit tagged or otherwise labeled so it doesn't end up in a salad by mistake.

When to Harvest Cucumber Seeds

Cucumbers that you are growing to save seed from must be grown to full maturity, much past the point where they are no longer edible. The cucumber will be larger than usual harvest size, and will start to soften. It will also change color from green to whitish.

Harvest the fruits, then cut them in half lengthwise. Over a bowl, scoop out the seeds from the center of each half. Add about as much water t the bowl as the amount of seeds, and set aside in a warm, sheltered spot to ferment, much as you would if you were saving tomato seeds. Fermentation of cucumber seeds can occur in as little as one to three days; once most of the seeds have sunk to the bottom of the container, they are finished fermenting. Add more water to the bowl at this point to clean your seeds. Debris and bad seeds will float to the top, where you can discard them easily. The good seeds will be at the bottom. Rinse them a few more times, then strain them out and place them on paper towels or uncoated paper plates to dry. Once they are completely dry, label your seeds and store them in a cool, dry place.

Stored properly, cucumber seeds will remain viable for ten years. A refrigerator is the ideal place to store your seeds.

How Much to Feed Pregnant and Lactating Goats

If you're raising goats as part of a green lifestyle, you need an overall feeding program to keep your goats at maximal performance, but at times you need to make exceptions for certain goats or categories of goats. Pregnant goats, milking does, kids, and senior goats need special attention and modified diets.

Pregnant does
Pregnant does don't have increased nutritional needs until the last two months of gestation, when the kids do 70 percent of their growing. They also need additional water throughout pregnancy. A feeding program for pregnant goats includes:

Early pregnancy (first 3 months): Feed does to maintain their body condition or to improve their body condition if they are thin. You can meet their nutritional requirements with good hay or pasture, or some added grain for thin does. Unless they're lactating, does don't need grain in early pregnancy. Do not overfeed. Overfeeding can lead to complications such as hypocalcemia and ketosis.

Throughout pregnancy: Monitor and compensate for pregnant does' increased water consumption. Pregnant goats can drink up to four gallons a day. Monitor body condition and adjust feed and water accordingly.

Late pregnancy (last two months): Does' nutritional requirements increase greatly during this time because the unborn kids are growing rapidly. Start grain gradually (just a handful a day) until your does are eating up to a half-pound of grain a day (depending on the goat size and breed) or half to two-thirds of their normal milking ration by the time they kid, in addition to hay. Gradually replace their hay with alfalfa so they get the proper balance of calcium and phosphorus. Continue to monitor their body condition and adjust feed accordingly; does carrying multiple kids need even more calories and nutrients.

Make sure not to overfeed grain during pregnancy to avoid the risk of having the kids grow so large that the doe has birthing difficulties.

Milking does
Milking does, or does that are nursing their kids, have higher nutritional needs than other goats. You will have started your pregnant goats on grain and gotten them used to eating a substantial amount of grain during the last two months of pregnancy. Continue this feeding, even increasing it to several pounds a day, according to the doe's body condition and the number of kids she is feeding or the amount of milk she is producing. Also, make sure that she is drinking plenty of fresh, clean water.

Supplying Your Goats with Water

Whether you are raising goats as part of a sustainable lifestyle or because you like to keep them as pets, they need a consistent supply of fresh, clean water to grow properly, stay healthy, and do their best in milk production. Pregnant and lactating does have the highest water needs, and when the weather is hot and dry, all goats need more water. A general rule is to give a goat between a half-gallon to four gallons each day per goat.

You can get by without a nearby water supply, but if your barn is any distance from your house, you'll find that hauling water and equipment back and forth is a lot of work. Plan ahead, even if it means digging a water line when you put in a new goat shelter or barn.

Even better is a sink and faucet with hot water. You can wash feed bowls and buckets without schlepping them to the house. And with dairy goats and the equipment they require, it's even more useful.

At a bare minimum you need a hose that reaches the barn or area where the goats hang out. Even with just that, if you don't want to be at the beck and call of your goats or if you actually have to leave the farm once in a while, you can use a stock tank and buy a float valve to attach to the hose. When the water is low, the valve opens to allow enough water through to refill the tank. Rubbermaid makes an inexpensive one that livestock supply stores carry.

Some people are fortunate enough to have a creek or a pond that goats can use for a water supply. Both are convenient but have the disadvantage of being more liable to become contaminated from urine, feces, and debris or from becoming stagnant. If you plan to use either of these sources, get the water tested first to determine whether it's safe for drinking. If you're on a city water source, talk to your water supplier about how to do this. If you have well water, you're responsible for its safety and can contact your local health department for information on getting it tested.

How to Train a Goat to Walk on a Lead

Lead training your goats is essential if you're planning to show your goats. A jumping, fighting, or recalcitrant goat doesn't fare well in the show ring. Even if you don't show goats, teaching them how to walk on a lead makes them easier to manage.

When you lead train, try to recruit a helper to push the goat from behind when it stops walking. To lead train, take the following steps every day for at least 10 minutes:

1. Put a collar on the goat.

Make sure it isn't too tight or so loose that it slips over the goat's head.

Attach a lead and position the collar.

The collar should fit at the top of the goat's jaw area and behind the top of the head.

Walk forward a few steps, pulling slightly on the lead.

If the goat follows, continue walking. Stop every few steps and reward the goat with a small treat or praise. Then start again. Gradually increase the distance the goat has to go to get the treat.

Do not drag the goat or pull too hard on the leash because it can block the windpipe and cause the goat to collapse. The goat will drop to his knees, sometimes exhibiting what appears to be a seizure, but will recover quickly.

Stop after a few steps if the goat stops, and then try again.

Use a treat such as peanuts, apple chunks, or corn chips to encourage the goat to walk.

Lead the goat; don't let the goat lead you. If the goat is leading well but tries to go past you, say "Stop" or "Get back," then stop and turn in the opposite direction. When the goat is stopped by the rope, wait a second, and then start to lead in the direction you turned.

When the lesson is complete, lead the goat back to the herd and remove the collar and lead.

After a goat is more comfortable walking on a lead, you can practice less frequently. Use this method to get the goat to the stanchion for routine care or just take her on an occasional walk on a lead.

How to Train Your Goats for Packing

If you're raising goats as part of your effort to live a green lifestyle, you may want to train them for packing. Although you can train almost any goat to pack, you're better off looking for a goat with certain qualities:

Large: Dairy wethers are the most highly valued goats for packing. The bigger they are, the more they can carry.

Friendly and energetic: Pack goats have to work with you as a team, so they'd better like humans. They also need to be able to take on the task of walking and carrying supplies.

Intelligent and curious: Intelligence and curiosity are good indicators that the goat can be successfully trained to pack. They will be in new and different situations where curiosity, rather than fearfulness, is important.

To train a goat to pack, first make sure that he is accustomed to being handled and is calm. The basic steps for pack training are:

1. Teach your goat to accept being tied.

This is important because the goat will need to be tied when you stop to camp, eat, or just rest.

Make sure your goat has a sturdy collar that isn't too loose. Tie the goat to a gate or fence at back height with a rope or lead that is a foot to a foot-and-a-half long for a short period of time.

Stay nearby to ensure that your goat doesn't get hurt. If the goat starts to get tangled up, calmly untangle him and tie him to the fence again.The goat should accept being tied up after only a few sessions.

2. Teach your goat to follow you.

You will be leading your goat when you pack.

3. Teach your goat to stand.

Your goat will need to know to stand when you're putting the pack saddle on him, or at other times on the trail.

When you are lead training and you come to a halt, say "Stand" or "Stop." Pull up on the lead rope if your goat doesn't stop. Practice this repeatedly, rewarding your goat when he complies, until he gets it.

4. Teach your goat to wear a pannier.

He will need a pannier to carry gear. Otherwise your goat will just be hiking, rather than packing.

First, show your goat the pannier and let him examine it. Gently place the pad and saddle on his back. Tighten the cinch strap, then fasten the breast collar and, last, fasten the rump strap. Check to make sure that two fingers fit between the goat and the cinch strap.

Let your goat get used to wearing the pannier while it's empty and to go through steps one through three. Take him hiking with it empty. Before you load up the pannier to go on a hike, determine how much weight your goat can safely carry. Overloading a pack can injure the goat.

A yearling pack goat can carry 10 percent of its body weight in a pannier. An older goat can carry up to 15 percent of its body weight.

Tsurcana Sheep

The Tsurcana may have descended from the wild Ovis vignei arkar. Since prehistoric times it has been domesticated in the Carpathians Mountains where it was established as a breed. It spread with the movement of flocks through the Alpine grazing areas to all Central European countries. The Tsurcana and its varieties are widely spread over Romania. Known as Valachian Zeckel it can also be found in southern Ukraine, Moldavia (Tushka), Greece, Albania, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Bosnia-Hertzegovina, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. The greatest density of population, over six million, are found in Romania, mostly in mountainous regions. There are three varieties: white, grey and black. The white Tsurcana is the most numerous and highly selected.

Average height, long-limbed and medium-limbed, at maturity the ram weight averages 60-80 kg and the ewe weight 40-55 kg. The Tsurcana exhibits a narrow, straight head.  The rams are horned as are 50% of the ewes. The color can be white, brownish-black or grey, depending on the variety. In white sheep there are frequently spots around the lips, eyes and on the face and limbs. The trunk is medium; the well-developed barrel allows the attachment of a globe-shaped and well-developed udder. The breed is easily recognized by its coarse rough wool with a staple length of 20-30 cm. This breed has a harmonious body, a lively temperament, very quick in searching food. During mild winters it can be feed on the pasture only.

Tsurcana is highly adapted to mountainous conditions but it also spreading well received in  hill and plains areas.

It is a hardy breed, remarkably well adapted to bad weather due to its highly water resistant fleece and ability to cover long distances in search of forage. The breed is also very disease resistant. In autumn it develops 5-10 kg of internal fatty deposits, which is used as energy supplies during the winter and dry-lot period. The winter feeding costs are typically  2-3 times less in comparison with the finewool breeds.

It is a dual-purpose breed raised for milk, meat and wool production (Sibiu, Brashov, Caransebesh, Alba, Hunedoara, Gordge); milk, fur of young lambs and wool (Moldavia) depending on ecotype and the breeder's speciality.

Milk: medium production for primiparas 100 ± 40 kg and for pluriparas 150 ± 50 kg is obtained in 220 lactation days. The fat percentage is 7-8% and 6% in protein in milk. The milk is very good for feta, yoghurt, Swiss cheese, cheese for pizza.

Meat: newborn lambs weigh 3-4 kg and then their weight increases as follows: 9-10 kg (30 days old lambs), 20-25 kg (90 days old lambs), 30 kg (150 days old lambs). Suckling lambs with supplemental feeding from the age of ten days reach 15-17 kg at 45 days, gaining 150-275 g daily. If best conditions are provided, weaned lambs at 2.5-3 months and fattened intensively reach 40-47 kg at the age of 7 months.

Wool: 2-4 kg in ewes, 4-6 kg in rams, the wool strand has long and thick fibers (is 25 cm, 50-100 µ respectively), intermediate (12-15 cm and 35-45µ respectively) short ones (9 cm, 25 - 35 µ respectively). It is used for oriental carpets.

Fur of young lambs: the black and gray varieties are good for cross-breeding, with Karakul breed, having as a result 70-80% good quality Karakul fur.