Yamagami's offers a huge range of pepper varieties from sweet to fiery hot. Ruben, Yamagami's vegetable buyer, is always on the lookout for exciting choices. Yamagami's is the exclusive source for Villancho, an ancho pepper, that makes an outstanding chile relleno. With thick tasty flesh and a moderate heat level, Villancho is a real winner. It has gotten rave reviews at our pepper tastings and you can only get it here! Pepper varieties will continue to arrive well into June. Check with us for any specific variety you crave.

Homegrown peppers are fun to grow, healthy for you, and packed with flavor. They taste great whether eaten fresh, roasted, dried or sautéed. Many people start with one variety and quickly discover it's even more fun to experiment and grow multiple varieties that produce a medley of flavors. You'll find peppers from around the world at Yamagami's Nursery.

The biggest mistake a gardener can make is to plant pepper plants too early. You can start them from seed indoors in early spring, but it's best not to transplant starter plants until the soil has warmed and night temperatures stay above 55-60 degrees. NOW is the ideal time to plant.

Peppers do best in well-amended soil; we recommend using Harvest Supreme to amend your vegetable bed before planting. They prefer a long, moderate growing season. If it is too cool, peppers might not quite ripen fully. Use Dr. Earth Tomato and Vegetable Fertilizer when planting and continue through the growing season for best harvest.

It's very important to water regularly without keeping soil soggy. If allowed to dry out to the point of wilt, the peppers can crack or get sun scald. If kept too wet, they can develop blossom end rot or root rot. Check your soil regularly to determine how long it takes to dry out to a depth of 2", then water. You will be able to set a schedule based on this interval. They do take more frequent watering than tomatoes. Once your peppers change to their mature color, it's time to harvest.

Come to Yamagami's for the best pepper selection around. Grow your own spice of life! The Nursery Pros at Yamagami's will help you succeed...the first time!

It's easy to see how the Matilija Poppy (Romneya coulteri) got its common name. It has huge (up to 8" across) white flowers with bright golden yellow centers at the tips of its branches. They look like giant sunny-side up eggs floating above the icy blue foliage. A California native plant, it is low maintenance and a very low water-user. Growing up to 10 feet tall, they make an impressive show. Matilija poppies spread by underground stems making large clumps. Pull or spade shoots that travel where not wanted. Hardy to 10 F, frost is not a problem.

Plant them in full sun with other low water-using plants, in an area where they will get only moderate watering until established--and then very little. They thrive on hillsides and work well as erosion control. If you want a really showy native garden, interplant them with Ceanothus (either tall or ground cover forms) for an early spring display of blue and Toyon for its bright red berries in autumn and winter.

Come see Yamagami's ever-changing array of California native plants and our California-compatible Australian native plants for low water-using garden candidates. Don't mistake this year's amazing rainfall for an average amount. Drought years are part of our Mediterranean climate cycle. Let the Nursery Pros at Yamagami's help you plan a low water-using garden.

Yamagami's Nursery was pleased to be a part of the Volunteer Day at the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden on May 1st. We sponsored Thomas Chaplain, Program Director of Dr. Earth Fertilizers, to talk about growing organic to the dozens of volunteers who came to maintain this masterpiece of a garden. At his presentation, we gave out $3 OFF coupons for any AARS award winning roses in stock. Coupons expire May 29th.

Click here for a coupon, print it and bring it in to Yamagami's to redeem.

If you haven't visited the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden, you are in for a real treat. They use Dr. Earth Fertilizer and you can see for yourself the beautiful results. Featured in the garden are the AARS (All American Rose Selection) Winners for 2011. For more SJRG news, visit the Friends of the San Jose Rose Garden online at www.friendssjrosegarden.org.

If you are seeing blackened ends on your apple or pear branches, it might be fireblight. If you look closely, it generally starts at the flower and spreads down the small branch to the larger branches on its way to the trunk. Young trees can die from the disease and older trees can be seriously damaged. If you see it, all you can do at this point is cut 8" to 12" below where you can see the damage to try to prevent its spread. If you are not able to cut that far back, try to remove as close to that amount as possible. Spray cut branches with LiquiCop for further protection from infection.

You need to disinfect the blades of your pruners after each cut. Lysol spray disinfectant works well and does not damage the steel blades like a bleach solution will. Continue watching the tree during the summer to make sure you got it all. If it keeps spreading, you will need to cut more. Next year you will need to spray with Liqui-Cop as outlined in our FREE Fruit Tree Care Calendar, available in the nursery or on our website, YamagamisNursery.com.

Note: Fireblight can affect non-fruiting apples and pears and other members of the rose family like pyracanthas and hawthorns.

When in doubt, bring 6" long samples of problems (in plastic bags) to the Info Center for diagnosis by Yamagami's knowledgeable Nursery Pros. We are here so you succeed...the first time.