‘Anaheim’ peppers are slightly spicy, flavorful, and perfect for the backyard garden. You’ll have fruit all summer when you plant one in the ground, a raised bed, or a container. In this guide, learn how to grow productive ‘Anaheim’ peppers alongside gardener Jerad Bryant. When planting a vegetable garden, growers often opt for peppers. They are prolific, compact, and easy to manage, and their beloved fruits have many uses in the kitchen. Grow chiles alongside tomatoes, onions, and garlic, and you’ll have all the ingredients for homemade salsa. ‘Anaheim’ peppers are a special choice as they offer versatility in flavor. Milder than jalapeños, this variety ranges in Scoville units from 500 to 5,000, although most will be between 500 and 2,500 units. For context, jalapeños range from 2,500 to 8,000. As ‘Anaheim’ fruits ripen, they produce more capsaicin and gain spiciness. Whether you love heat or prefer mild varieties, this type is the right one for you. Grow it alongside bell and sweet peppers for a full range of chile flavors. Learn how to grow ‘Anaheim’ pepper plants and how to preserve their fruits with this comprehensive guide. What Is It? ‘Anaheim’ peppers are of the species Capsicum annuum and have close relations to bell peppers, jalapeños, and serranos. Their fruits are green at first and ripen with deep red patches. Over time, they become bright red all over. At each stage, ‘Anaheim’ chiles gain considerable flavor, Chile Colorado, a popular Mexican dish, uses dried red ‘Anaheim’ peppers in a stew. The immature green chiles are available at most grocery stores. Use them as a seasoning base in salsas or roasts. Their mild heat and complex flavor add a delicate touch to any dish that needs spiciness. ‘Anaheim’ peppers also have the name Hatch chiles, after the Hatch region in New Mexico, where farmers cultivate them. Nowadays, the original ‘Anaheim’ variety has tons of cultivars. ‘NuMex Joe E. Parker’ is a fine one, with six to eight-inch-long fruits! Native Area Species of Capsicum anuum are native to large swaths of Central and South America. The ‘Anaheim’ cultivars originated in New Mexico and spread to Anaheim, California, by growers. ‘Anaheim’ peppers are now available at nurseries, seed retailers, and online. The story goes that Emilio Ortega, the founder of the Ortega Chile Packaging Company, brought these chiles to Anaheim. From there, he packaged the peppers and sold them, making them a global hit. Characteristics Like most other peppers, ‘Anaheim’ plants grow in full sun, warm temperatures, and with regular water. They sprout long green leaves on thin stems. They sprout white flowers that morph into skinny green chiles. The fruits sometimes grow wrinkles on top, and each differs in taste and size. ‘Anaheim’ chiles grow as annuals where the weather dips below freezing in the winter. They function as perennials where winter weather is mild and warm and survive year to year with ease. This variety also works well in a container, and you can bring it inside when fall frost arrives. Green ‘Anaheim’ chiles enjoy a wide range of uses, like canned and preserved salsas, sauces, and chile mixes. They have a mild, sweet flavor, although they can get pretty spicy as they ripen red. Smoke and dry red ‘Anaheim’ peppers for a Chile Colorado dish, or for fermented sauces. Propagation Multiply pepper plants with seeds or stem cuttings. Seeds are the most reliable method, and growing them is a fun process. Sprout peppers indoors two months before your last frost and you’ll have an indoor garden while it’s winter outside! After your seeds sprout, take cuttings of overgrown plants and root them to further multiply your crop. Read on and discover easy ways to grow your peppers. Planting Now that you’ve sprouted seeds and cuttings, you’re ready to transplant. A bit of preparation of the soil and site will help ‘Anaheim’ chiles thrive throughout the growing season. Give them the care they need, and they’ll reward you with basketfuls of fruit! How to Grow Peppers thrive during the summertime as they bask in the warmth the sun brings. Plant two or three, and you’ll have tons of fruit with little maintenance. Give them good soil, water, and nutrients, and they’ll perform endlessly until cold weather arrives. Maintenance Maintain this variety by removing diseased or dead parts of the plant. If leaves crowd out peppers on the interior, snip a few to let sunlight pass through. The fruits need warmth and sunshine to change color and develop flavor. ‘Anaheim’ chiles reach heights of 24-30” and benefit from small stakes or cages. Although not that tall, their stems bend down under the weight of heavy fruits. Adding support gives your chiles an extra boost. In autumn, as the first frost arrives, hard prune the plants so they divert their energy towards ripening. Remove stems without fruits, and cut off a third of the leaves. Cut off any new blossoms that are open or developing. This process may seem harsh, but it helps your plants focus their efforts on finishing the fruits they’ve already formed.

Tuberous begonias have scrumptious blooms in rich hues, from pastel to bold. Their leaves add interest and contrast with unique shapes and deep shades. Enliven the shade collection with these floriferous tropicals, just in time for spring planting. Tuberous begonias are standouts among the group with decadent blooms in vibrant colors. Laden with flowers, they bloom from late spring through frost to brighten shady zones. Lightly fragrant, their full flowers delight the senses and draw pollinators. With pendulous blooms and forms that trail, they’re ideal in hanging baskets, window boxes, and pots. Upright and standard selections make a striking border planting and filler feature in container arrangements. Distinct leaf colors and forms among varieties heighten visual interest and add surprise among shade-loving plants. What Are Tuberous Begonias? Tuberous begonias are a class of begonias native to tropical regions of South America and southern Africa. In frost-free USDA zones 9-11, they grow outside all year, and in cooler zones, they perform as annuals or overwinter by storing their tubers. They rose to popularity in the 1850s Victorian era for their large, luscious blooms and conservatory-worthy features. When the floriferous tropicals begin blooming, they flower continuously for up to four months or until temperatures drop. They prefer climates with mild summers and suffer in high heat and intense sun. In southern climates, treat them as spring annuals for a scrumptious display and early pollinator attractor. Tuberous selections bridge the transition from winter to spring beautifully in the South and make a pleasing spring welcome. As temperatures rise, try placing them in the coolest shade spot available. In more northern climates, they flower with spring’s warmth and go through fall’s frost. As with other begonias, their long bloom time and ability to flower in shade are unique qualities. Pair them with the dynamic foliage of caladiums, coleus, heuchera, hosta, and ferns. Impatiens and fuschia make lovely blooming counterparts. Characteristics The substantial blooms on tuberous varieties are single, double, or ruffled and often appear in pairs or clusters of three. From sunset apricot to blush pink, orange, red, white, and bicolors, the spectrum of hues brings a glow to shady garden spots or patio plantings. Many are picotee, where a delicate edge contrasts the main petal color. The fully-petaled flowers can reach six inches across and set them apart from other begonia classes. It’s their tuberous roots, though, that define the group. The American Begonia Society divides the genus into informal categories, including fibrous-rooted, rhizomatic, and tuberous. Due to 1800-plus species and hybrids, distinct grouping is a challenge. The tuberous class has fleshy, starchy, modified stems that form root-like structures. Roots and shoots grow from the same bud (like a potato). The Tuberosa Group is then further classed based on form (standard, trailing) and flower (rose, carnation, camellia). Foliage is dynamic, often serrated and pointed, and in deep green to mahogany, depending on the variety. Some have striking leaf patterns, and forms vary between trailing, upright, and standard. Tuberous begonias are monoecious, meaning each plant contains both male and female flowers. In clusters, the male is the prominent bloom, often larger and with more petals. The female flowers are smaller, and some gardeners remove the female blooms to direct energy to the larger male ones for display purposes. Native Area Parent tubers to today’s hybrids came from tropical Bolivia, Peru, and the lower Andes Mountains, as well as tropical zones in southern Africa. Their natural growing conditions experience mild temperatures, humidity, organically rich soils, and regular moisture accompanied by periods of drying out. They enter dormancy in cool months, where tubers store moisture and nutrients for the growing season. Planting Plant the tropical beauties in containers, hanging baskets, window boxes, and beds in bright shade, where you’ll enjoy their added color and texture. They’re available as potted specimens from nurseries in early spring and also grow from tubers. Plan for air circulation between plants to prevent fungal issues, usually with a spacing of 8 to 12 inches, depending on the variety. Shelter them from winds, which can break stems, and provide protection from afternoon sun.

Cherry trees are surprisingly easy to grow for a home gardener and lovely trees to have as ornamental plants. In summer, your reward is the glistening, dark red fruits forming in clusters on long stalks. The fruit is sweet, firm, and ready to eat straight off the tree or harvested and baked into a cherry pie. In this article, gardening expert Wendy Moulton gives you tips on growing ‘Lapins’ cherry trees! Cherry blossoms on a spring day are a beautiful sight in any garden. The ‘Lapins’ cherry tree is ideal for its flowers, sweet fruit, and autumn foliage. Trim it for a compact tree that’s perfect for small gardens. Unlike many fruit trees, it’s self-pollinating. You only need one to grow delicious fruit! ‘Lapins’ cherries make excellent medium-sized trees for pots and containers, too. In this article, we break down the necessary planting and care notes. Then, all you need is the tree! What Is It? Prunus avium ‘Lapins’ is a hybrid cherry developed to increase the number of self-fertile hybrids on the market. It was named for and developed by Karlis Lapins, an immigrant from Latvia. While working at the Summerland Research Center in British Columbia, Canada, he developed the cherry into a late-maturing cross of ‘Van’, a hardy variety and prolific bearer of fruit, and ‘Stella,’ a cultivar used as a universal pollinator of other cherry trees. It was developed in 1971, but only released in 1983 after Lapins’ retirement. The tree, named in his honor, is more productive than many other commercial cultivars. Native Area Prunus avium, often called wild cherry, sweet cherry, or bird cherry, originated in Europe, Asia, and North Africa and became naturalized in North America. The ‘Lapins’ cherry was developed in an agricultural research center in British Columbia. You can also find it under the label ‘Cherokee’. Characteristics ‘Lapins’ is a vigorous grower and a productive tree that makes sweet, even-colored red cherries immune to splitting. The fruit has a mild, sweet taste that is good for fresh eating and cooking for jams and sauces. At the height of the harvesting season, the trees can produce 15-20 gallons of fruit. In spring, it further enhances the garden with fragrant white blossoms. This cherry was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Award of Garden Merit, one of only eight cultivars of cherries that have had the honor for their hardiness and general excellence in a fruit tree. This low-maintenance plant tolerates temperatures to -10°F (-23°C), and is considered hardy, and once established, is quite drought-tolerant. This tree is self-pollinating and doesn’t require any other cherry trees to set fruit. However, more than one cherry tree will increase yields. Planting Set your cherry trees into the garden in either autumn to set it up before spring or in spring to get a harvest the following season. Choose a position with enough space for the cherry to grow. It will grow up to 40 feet high if it is not pruned down to keep it compact, but in general, it will grow 15-20 feet high with a spread of 10-15 feet wide. Make sure that there are no other competing trees or buildings that will confine the space. The fruit will need sunlight in all parts of the tree to produce the best fruit. Dig a hole at least twice the width and at the same depth as the root ball. Enrich the dug-out soil with a load of compost mixed in. Plant the tree so the graft union is 2-3 inches above the soil and backfill with the enriched soil. As you add the soil, press the soil firmly down to remove any air pockets. This helps prevent any bacterial infections from getting to the roots. Make a basin around the tree to help direct water to the roots where needed most. Give the tree a good watering after planting before adding a layer of mulch to the area, making sure not to touch the tree trunk, which could cause infections.