Harvest Watermelons

Harvest watermelons when the "ground spot" underneath the melon turns to creamy yellow; the tendril closest to the melon turns brown and shrivels; and the rind loses its gloss and appears dull.

Transplanting Blueberries

The plants should be dormant when transplanted. In mild climates, you can move them in either in early spring or fall, after they've dropped their leaves. In cold regions, move them in the spring, before bud break, so they'll have the summer to get established before having to face the harsh winter weather. First, do your annual maintenance pruning. Next, make sure the new planting site is sunny with well-drained, moisture-retentive, acidic soil (pH 4.5-5). If the soil isn't this acidic, mix sphagnum peat moss into the backfill from the planting holes. Water them well after transplanting and through this coming year while their roots rejuvenate.

Getting the Heat out of Jalapeno Peppers

Mild jalapeno varieties vary in their heat levels and in their tendency to occasionally produce hotter fruit. Anything that stresses the plant will cause a mild Jalapeno, such as 'TAM Mild,' to produce hotter fruit. Keep them growing vigorously from seed to harvest and you will have the mildest fruit the variety can give you.

A very good way to reduce heat in a harvested pepper is to remove the inner seed walls. When you slice a pepper open you will notice some white membranes extending into the fruit interior. These are where the seeds are attached and where the substance that gives peppers their heat, capsaicin, is concentrated. Remove these membranes and the seeds and you will have a greatly reduced amount of heat. Boiling or roasting will not do the trick.