Grab your Cubanelle seeds and get ready to grow peppers! This cultivar is a necessary component for many Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Cuban dishes, including sofrito. With sunlight, good soil, and water, your chiles will excel all summer long. Join longtime pepper grower Jerad Bryant in learning the juicy details about this unique variety. Cubanelle peppers are special additions to vegetable gardens throughout the U.S. They add ornamental charm with white flowers and lush green leaves on three-foot-tall stems. Their slight spiciness is less than a jalapeño; it’s perfect for mild spice lovers. The Cubanelle replaces bell peppers in recipes, adding a bit of spiciness to dishes. It’s a unique kind, with sweetness and heat. Roast these peppers in an oven or over a barbeque for a smoky treat—roasting them brings out their honey-like flavor. This is an easy crop to grow in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 9, though they require a jump start indoors. This is easy enough with a bright window or grow lights. Once mature, they’ll thrive outside under summer heat. What Is It? The Cubanelle grows commonly throughout Central and South American gardens. Peppers are perennial in tropical zones 10 and above, and frost tender in zones 9 and below. In grocery stores, this variety is green to yellow, but they turn orange, then red if you leave them on the vine. They look similar to banana peppers with a wrinkly, slightly curved shape. Native Area Cubanelle peppers originate from Central and South America. They’re incredibly popular in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, and for good reason! They add necessary flavor alongside varieties like ‘Ají Dulce’ and ‘Rocotillo.’ This type thrives in tropical conditions—plants appreciate consistent water, warm temperatures, and plenty of direct sunlight to match their native range. They are now common vegetables throughout the world. They may be annuals in most parts of North America, but there’s a trick to keeping them alive during the winter! Characteristics The Cubanelle plant sprouts white and green flowers like most other varieties. These attract bees, as the blossoms provide valuable nectar and pollen aplenty. If there’s a lack of pollinators, gently shaking your flowering plants helps them pollinate themselves. This trick works for eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, and most crops with bisexual flowers. After pollination, flowers morph into Cubanelle peppers. Lime green skin complements wrinkly, five-inch-long fruits. They taste freshest when this color. With age, they’ll turn sweeter and spicier. Cubanelle plants grow three feet tall, meaning you can easily fit them in amongst your other plants. One plant grows a dozen or more chiles, so plant a few to have enough for canning, sauce making, or cooking. Planting Unless you’re in zone 10 or above, you’ll want to start Cubanelle seeds indoors a few weeks before your last average frost date. This type is hard to find as transplants in nurseries, so seed starting is the best way to get a crop going. How early to start seeds depends on your plant’s hardiness zone. They need eight to ten weeks indoors, and another 80 days after transplanting to produce lots of fruits. Keep seedlings safe from frost, then bring them outside when warm temperatures return in spring or summer. How to Grow Cubanelles grow similarly to bell peppers; they’re short, stocky plants with peppers throughout their stems. Tuck them in where you would a bell pepper, or arrange them in rows for organized fruit production. They appreciate some care while they grow—give them what they need, and they’ll reward you with dozens of peppers. Maintenance Peppers need little maintenance while they grow. If they lean or fall, you can use a stake or trellis to straighten and support them. When they are young, you may choose to top prune them, encouraging bushy growth. Do this only if you have a long growing season of more than 80 days. As fall frost approaches, your peppers may stop ripening if cold reaches them. Protect them with row cover on frosty nights, and hard prune them. Hard pruning means cutting stems above ripening fruit and removing flowers along with leafy growth. This encourages the Cubanelle to put energy into ripening their fruits rather than growing bigger.

The 'Texas Pink' pomegranate is known for its bright fruits and classic sweet but tart taste. Gardening expert Madison Moulton explains the guidelines for planting and growing these trees correctly in your own garden. If you want to get as much ornamental value out of your edible garden as you do produce, pomegranate is the tree for you. They are not the most common fruit trees around, but their beauty throughout the seasons and juicy fruits make them well worth planting. ‘Texas Pink’ pomegranates are known for their vivid fruits. But did you know that their flowers and branches are also incredibly eye-catching in the garden? Plus, these trees are resilient and wonderfully low-maintenance, perfect for beginners in fruit cultivation. Once you’ve decided on growing a ‘Texas Pink’ pomegranate, follow this guide to ensure masses of fruits season after season. What Is It? This cultivar produces delicious, juicy fruits, but its popularity often comes down to its impressive ornamental value. Shaped into a shrub or small tree and growing to a height of around 15 feet, ‘Texas Pink’ is bound to stand out, whether you plant it in the ground or in a container. As its name suggests, the fruit is distinguished by its vivid pink hue, both outside and in. The arils are sweet and juicy, perfect for eating fresh or tossing into salads. The fruit’s outer skin adds a pop of color to the garden and makes great fall décor inside your home over the holidays, too. And when there aren’t any fruits to harvest, you can enjoy the orange-red intricate blooms in spring. This variety thrives in USDA Zones 7-11, making it a suitable choice for warmer regions that match their native habitats (particularly those with hot summers where other fruit trees may struggle). This pomegranate is tough, handling both heat and drought well. Planting While adaptable, ‘Texas Pink’ grows best when given a strong start in the right location. So before you make your purchase, ensure this variety is suitable for your climate and that you have an ideal spot for planting (lighting, soil). It’s also helpful to give your tree time to acclimate to your environment after purchasing and before planting, but don’t wait more than a week to get the tree into the ground. The ideal planting spot should protect the tree from strong winds, which can damage branches and prevent strong establishing soon after planting. If possible, position it near a south-facing wall or fence to provide extra warmth and shelter. The best time to plant pomegranates is in spring, giving the tree time to establish before the summer heat sets in. For those in cooler climates, wait until the soil has warmed and there is no chance of frost. Pomegranates don’t appreciate cold.

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) hails from the ginger family and is most commonly grown for its seeds, which are used as a pungent, aromatic spice. This herbaceous perennial grows from thick, knobby underground rhizomes to produce an evergreen plant with erect, 6 to 15 cane-like stems with glossy, 24-inch, lance-shaped, dark green leaves. In late spring or summer, leafless flowering stems emerge from the plant base to form 2-inch and yellowish-white flowers. The blooms are reminiscent of orchids, with lilac-purple veins and pink or yellow margins. The flowers and stems are not scented but will produce pale yellowish-green 3/4-inch fruit pods. The pods contain 15 to 20 aromatic black to reddish-brown seeds, commonly used in Asian, Middle Eastern, and Scandinavian dishes and drinks. How to Plant Cardamom When to Plant This rainforest native grows in the tropical areas of India, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka, typically places that receive about 150 inches of rain per year and temperatures that rarely dip below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant outdoors when temperatures reach at least 70 F, depending on your region. Bring the plant indoors when temperatures dip below 70 F. However, if you bring the plant indoors, it rarely flowers or produces seed pods. Selecting a Plant Site Plant cardamom in an edible garden with other shade-tolerant herbs, greens, or vegetables or in a rain garden where it will tolerate wet soil. The plants prefer rich, slightly acidic humus soil. Hardy in USDA zones 10 through 12, this herbaceous perennial is also suitable for growing in containers. Spacing, Depth, and Support If planting outdoors, plant your seeds 1/2 to 1 inch apart, about 1/8 inch deep, in a partially shady place. Alternatively, plant cardamom seeds in a pot to bring the plant indoors to overwinter. Staking is only needed for young plants if heavy rains or floods are expected, potentially washing the plants away. Cardamom Plant Care Light Cardamom prefers part to full shade. Avoid planting in direct sun. Consider planting under tall trees in tropical conditions akin to its native rainforests. Soil Cardamom grows best in fertile, loam-based potting compost. If planting in bright, unfiltered light with high humidity, add leaf mold or granulated bark to the soil. Because cardamom needs tropical conditions to produce the optimal amount of fruit, it can thrive exceptionally well under glass. In the garden, it prefers acidic conditions (5.1-5.5 to 6.1-6.5). Water Mist cardamom frequently with rainwater; water regularly but do not overwater. Cardamom does best in sites where conditions are stable year-round, without much change to the climate, soil moisture, or natural light exposure. Temperature and Humidity Flowers and fruits will only grow in tropical conditions, so plant cardamom, where daily temperatures rarely go below 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant growth will suffer most dramatically if temperatures reach below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In semi-tropical or temperate climates, grow cardamom in a heated indoor greenhouse or a hot, steamy bathroom. While flowers and fruit rarely grow indoors, cardamom can make a lovely houseplant. Set the plant on a dish of consistently moist pebbles. The houseplant will grow much smaller than outdoors, to a humble 2 to 4 feet tall. Fertilizer Give the plant organic, high-phosphorus fertilizer twice a month during the growing season. Apply after heavy rain, never before. Supplement with compost once a year. Pollination Bees and other flying insects commonly pollinate cardamom plants. In places where bees are scarce, hand pollination is necessary. However, timing is crucial since flowers only stay open for about one day. Farmers use a small tool or brush to transfer pollen grains from the male anther to the female stigma. Signs that fertilization was successful include the flower wilting and the ovary swelling. Types of Cardamom Cardamom comes from the ginger family but has two main genus lines: Elettaria and Amomum. Lanxangia is a less commonly cultivated genus, more closely related to the Amomum genus. Green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum): Also called true cardamom, Siam cardamom, or white cardamom, this type is native from India to Malaysia. Black cardamom (Amomum subulatum): Also called Indian cardamom, this type is native to Nepal and China. Lanxangia tsaoko (formerly Amomum tsaoko): Also called black cardamom, this Chinese and Vietnamese native plant is commonly used in Sichuan cooking. Green Cardamom vs. Black Cardamom Green and black cardamom are used for flavoring foods, although green cardamom will also be used in sweets. Green cardamom has a sweeter, eucalyptus-type flavor, while black cardamom has a more robust, smokier flavor. With rich camphor or more menthol-like notes, black cardamom is best used in savory stews and curries. Harvesting Cardamom The best way to harvest this plant is to hand-pick each seed pod or fruit. Harvest when the seed pod is beginning to split. You also know it's ready for picking if the seed pod pulls away easily from the plant when you tug at it. Cardamom is the third most expensive spice by weight, just behind saffron and vanilla.1 There is a long history of trade and consumption for more than 1,000 years. In the early 1900s, German coffee planter Oscar Majus Kloeffer introduced cardamom to Guatemala. Until about 1980, India was the largest producer and exporter of cardamom until Guatemala took the lead. While cardamom is used around the globe, some of the main consumers are Middle Eastern countries, where the spice is often added to warm beverages, and Scandinavian countries, where it is often added as flavoring to cookies and cakes. As the primary ingredient in curry powder, cardamom can flavor rice, meat, vegetables, liquors, and ice cream. Guatemala and Mexico now use it to flavor chewing gum. In addition to culinary uses, cardamom is also used in cosmetics and perfumery. When storing cardamom, prevent air and oxygen exposure by keeping it in airtight containers, such as tight-fitting lids or vacuum-sealed bags. These methods preserve the freshness and potency of cardamom longer. Also, keep cardamom cool and dry, away from sunlight or heat sources. How to Grow Cardamom in Pots Cardamom grows well in pots. Start seeds with very moist soil. Plant them at least 1 inch apart. Each plant needs a pot at least 1 foot deep and 6 inches wide. If you plant multiple seeds in each 6-inch pot, only keep the strongest seedling and remove the others. Since this plant gets stressed during transplanting, it's best to grow it in a pot that is 12 to 14 inches wide to accommodate its full growth indoors. Ensure the container has ample drainage holes. If you live in a climate that gets wintery cold weather, bring the plant inside when temperatures drop to the 60s F. Most people grow the plant in the most humid part of the house, often the bathroom. When grown indoors, the plant rarely grows past 4 feet tall unless grown in a greenhouse. Pruning Cardamom doesn't need pruning, although removing dead or damaged leaves is fine by cutting the withered or old flower stems. Also, if the plant is growing larger than you like, trim it down to a size you prefer. Propagating Cardamom Propagate by dividing the rhizome root structure or by sowing seed. Consider dividing every three years so the rhizome does not overgrow its container or plot. To divide, here's how: Loosen the soil around the parent plant using a trowel and hand rake. Lift the rhizomatous roots from the ground. Use a sharp knife or a root saw to separate or split off a rhizome segment with at least four to five leaf shoots. Plant the segment elsewhere and replant the parent plant where it was. How to Grow Cardamom From Seed Purchase cardamom designed explicitly for planting, or if you have a mature plant that produces seeds, let the seed pods dry on the plant, then break them open to collect the seeds. Sow them as soon as you collect them from the plant. Presoak cardamom seeds overnight before planting. Plant the seeds in a warm, partially shady spot in loamy, rich soil. Expect germination to take about 30 to 40 days. Potting and Repotting Cardamom Cardamom gets stressed from transplanting, so it's best to grow cardamom in the container it will mature in. However, cardamom grows from a rhizome that can grow large and be divided after three to four years. To transplant a segment of the cardamom rhizome, get a similarly sized container and use moist, loamy soil to repot a piece of the cardamom with several leaf sheathes. Overwintering If your plant is kept outdoors during the warm summer temperatures, bring the plant indoors when the temperatures drop between 60 to 70 F. The plant gets stressed in cold temperatures and will die. Bring cardamom plants indoors during the late fall, winter, and early spring, and keep the plants in the most humid part of the house with filtered light. Bathrooms are one of the best spots for cardamom plants. In the colder months, from October to March, withhold fertilizer—also, water only when the soil is dry. The plant requires humidity, so keep the plant moist by misting, if necessary. Common Pests and Diseases While the cardamom plant is generally free from pests and disease, it may be affected by thrips or cardamom mosaic virus. Aphids spread the virus, so prevent the virus by keeping aphids away with a forceful water spray, insecticidal soap, or neem oil.