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This Mother’s Day, plant a Loving Herb Farmacy for yourself or a loved one! This charming little herb garden is the perfect way to add fresh flavor to any meal, and it’s surprisingly easy to create using a milk crate and our trusty Smart Pot Milk Crate Liner. Milk Crate Gardens offer a ton of benefits Compact and portable: Place them anywhere, indoors or outdoors – on patios, driveways, rooftops, or even basements Easy to maintain: Smart Pot Milk Crate Liners provide excellent drainage and hold in soil, making watering and care a breeze Intensive planting: Maximize your growing space with a variety of herbs in a single container Sustainable: Repurpose a milk crate and grow fresh herbs without waste We’re not the only ones who love Smart Pot Milk Crate Liners. Even the Boston Red Sox use them to grow fresh produce from their rooftop garden, Fenway Farms. They use the bounty from Fenway Farms for chef cuisine at the suite level and in their concessions. Let’s get started on your own edible pharmacy! Here’s what you’ll need: Milk Crate (repurpose or purchase a crate) Smart Pot Milk Crate Liner (12”x12”x12” or 12”x18”x12”) Herbs of your choice (we’re planting chocolate mint, thyme, rosemary, Swiss mint, oregano, and Greek oregano) Quality soil (add compost for best results) Planting Your Herb Farmacy 1. Plan Your Herb Layout Arrange your chosen herbs in the configuration you’d like them planted in the crate 2. Unfold & Liner Up Unfold your Smart Pot Milk Crate Liner and place it inside the milk crate. Press the liner into the corners and flatten the bottom for a secure fit. Fold any excess liner over the edges of the crate 3. Fill Your Milk Crate Liner Fill the liner with a mixture of good quality potting mix and compost (optional) up to 2 inches from the top. Water the soil thoroughly until it reaches the consistency of brownie mix 4. Press Your Guide Using the pots of your herbs as a guide, press them gently into the soil to create indentations for planting. This will help when digging your planting holes 5. Planting Party! Remove the plants and carefully dig holes in the soil according to the root depth of each herb. Plant your herbs in the prepared holes and backfill with soil 6. Water Your Farmacy Give your Loving Herb Farmacy a good watering to settle the soil around the plants. For optimal growth, place your herb farmacy in a location that receives plenty of sunlight 7. Care Fertilize your herbs as needed according to the specific fertilizer program you choose. Smart Pots work with all fertilizer types Milk Crate Gardens can be placed almost anywhere, both indoors and outdoors – directly on the ground, on patios, driveways, rooftops, or basement floors. The Smart Pot Milk Crate Liner is a porous fabric, so place a tray or saucer underneath the milk crate when gardening on a valuable surface. This is a gift that will keep on giving throughout the season. it’s a thoughtful & sustainable alternative to traditional bouquets for Mom. With a little time and sunlight, your Milk Crate Herb Farmacy will soon be overflowing with fresh, flavorful herbs ready to elevate your culinary creations. Using Milk Crate Liner Smart Pots for Small Space Gardening Read More Using Milk Crate Liner Smart Pots for Small Space Gardening How to Care for Norfolk Island Pine – Lifelong Houseplant Read More How to Care for Norfolk Island Pine – Lifelong Houseplant Planning a Smart Pot Garden Read More Planning a Smart Pot Garden

Fall is a great time to start a new garden or revitalize an old one. The weather is cooler, the days are shorter, and the soil is still warm from the summer sun. This makes it the perfect time to plant cool-season vegetables, herbs, and flowers.Invented in 1984 by a US Veteran, Smart Pots are fabric grow bags that allow air and water to circulate freely around the roots of your plants. This helps to prevent root rot and other problems, and it also encourages air root pruning. This has proven to greatly improve any plant’s health by allowing for maximum nutrient and moisture uptake. Smart Pots are also lightweight and easy to move around, so you can easily adjust them to the changing sunlight and temperature conditions. What to Grow in the Fall There are many vegetables, herbs, and flowers that can be planted in Smart Pots in fall. Here are a few suggestions: Cool-Weather Vegetables: Lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, garlic, radishes, turnips, peas, beans Herbs: Parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, lavender Flowers: Mums, asters, pansies, snapdragons, zinnias, cosmos When to Plant The best time to plant in Smart Pots in the fall depends on your climate. In general, you should wait until the weather has cooled down and the ground has started to cool. In some areas, this may be as early as September, while in others it may be closer to October or even November.For specific planting dates in your area, visit Farmers’ Almanac, the annual American periodical that has been in continuous publication since 1818. Their online Planting Calendar is an essential tool for any gardener. Simply enter your Zip Code or Location and receive a comprehensive planting calendar tailored to your location.Check out the Almanac Planting Calendar here: https://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-calendar How to Plant When planting in Smart Pots, it is important to use a high-quality potting mix; the plant’s roots will uptake any available nutrient that is in your Smart Pot Aeration Container. We also recommend adding compost or other organic matter to the mix to improve drainage and fertility. Harvest your own backyard Black Gold with a Smart Pot Compost Sak! Caring for Your Fall Garden in Smart Pots Once your plants have started to grow, you will need to fertilize them every few weeks and water regularly. We recommend closely monitoring moisture levels in your Smart Pots for the first week as watering schedules will differ from traditionally containers. Plant’s roots in Smart Pots are vigorous and fibrous due to the pot’s ability to air prune. This allows for maximum nutrient and water uptake. You may also need to stake taller plants to prevent them from toppling over.In addition to watering and fertilizing you will also need to keep an eye out for pests and diseases. If you see any problems, take steps to correct them immediately. With a little care and attention, you can enjoy a bountiful fall harvest from your own Smart Pot Garden! Here are Some Additional Tips for Fall Gardening in Smart Pots: Choose a location that receives full sun Water the pots regularly but avoid overwatering Protect the pots from frost if necessary (e.g., Cold Frames) Visit your local extension office for tailored lists and tips for fall gardening crops in your area Play Grow Lettuce in Smart Pot NoCoco Liners for Pest-Free, Healthy Plants 3 Basic Ways to Overwinter Your Container Garden Planting a Salad Bowl Composting Tips for Fall to Spring

Summer is in full swing, and that means it’s time to start thinking about pests. As the weather gets warmer, insects like aphids, beetles, and caterpillars start to become more active, and they may be looking for a place to call home; Your Smart Pot Garden is the perfect place for them, as it’s full of food and water. Companion planting is the practice of planting certain plants together to deter pests or attract beneficial insects. For example, marigolds are a great companion plant for tomatoes, as they help to repel nematodes, which can damage tomato roots. Garlic and chives can also help to deter pests, while mint attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs, which eat aphids. When choosing companion plants, it is important to consider the needs of your plants. For example, tomatoes need full sun and well-drained soil, while cucumbers prefer partial shade and moist soil. By matching your plants’ needs with the right companion plants, you can create a healthy and productive garden that is resistant to pests. In addition to deterring pests, companion planting can also improve the health of your plants by: If you are looking for a natural way to protect your garden from pests, companion planting is a great option. By planting the right plants together, you can create a healthy and productive garden that is resistant to pests. Here are a few of the best companion plants for deterring pests: MARIGOLDS Marigolds are a great choice for companion planting, as they have a strong scent that deters many types of pests including aphids, beetles, and whiteflies GARLIC Garlic is another great companion plant, as it contains sulfur compounds that repel pests ONIONS Onions are another member of the allium family, and they have similar pest-repelling properties to garlic and chives CHIVES Chives are similar to garlic, and they also have a strong scent that deters pests MINT Mint is a popular herb that can also be used as a companion plant. Mint deters many types of pests, including ants, mosquitoes, and slugs ROSEMARY Rosemary is a fragrant herb that can be used to deter pests such as cabbage moths and tomato hornworms DILL Dill is a member of the carrot family, and it attracts beneficial insects such as ladybugs and hoverflies, which help to control pests BASIL Basil is a popular herb that can also be used as a companion plant. Basil attracts beneficial insects such as bees and wasps, which help to control pests By planting these companion plants in your Smart Pot Garden, you can help to deter pests and keep your plants healthy. In addition to companion planting, there are a few other things you can do to protect your plants from pests: Inspect your plants regularly: Inspect your plants regularly for signs of pests, such as holes in leaves, insect eggs, or droppings Remove any infested plants: If you find any infested plants, remove them from your garden immediately Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil: If you see a serious infestation, you can apply insecticidal soap or neem oil to your plants. Be sure to follow the directions on the label carefully Attract beneficial insects: Beneficial insects, such as ladybugs and lacewings, help to control pests. You can attract beneficial insects to your garden by planting flowers that they like, such as marigolds, dill, and fennel By following these tips, you can help to keep your garden pest-free and healthy!

The Smart Pot Urban Compost Sak is a small, lightweight, and portable composting bag that's perfect for small space gardens. It's made from durable, breathable fabric that allows air and water to circulate freely, which helps to speed up the composting process. The Urban Compost Sak also comes with a fitted cover to help keep out pests and moisture.

Do you live in a small space? Do you dream of growing your own fresh vegetables and herbs, but don't have the room for a traditional in-ground garden? If so, the Smart Pot Lil' Shorty Raised Bed Planter is the perfect solution for you!

April showers bring May flowers, but that’s not always the case. Often times May and June bring severe weather and storms that can damage all your hard work. If your blooms are already full and bright, you can harvest them to enjoy indoors and save them from the harsh springtime weather. Start by cutting those beautiful peonies, mums, daisies and more. Then, strip the lower leaves to prevent them from being submerged in your vase where they will rot and create bacteria in the water. Make a fresh cut on the stem end, holding it underwater in the sink right before placing the bloom in a clean vase full of clean, room temperature water. Change your vase water daily to keep flowers fresh longer. What about those fruits and veggies? If your equally concerned with your fresh produce, it’s okay to pick them as many will continue to ripen indoors if picked before the storm. Just pick those tiny, tender peas, smaller greens, green beans and slightly green tomatoes right off the vine. After all, getting those mini fruits and veggies now are sure better than none at all! These delicate early produce can be your first taste of success, and more will set and mature long after the storm is passed. Whether you’re worried about those beautiful flowers in your front yard or concerned about saving those tasty fruits and vegetables, you can protect them all from the harsh weather that often comes in Spring. Don’t let the harsh elements ruin all your hard work!

Intrigued by community gardens, but worried about getting in over your head? It can certainly seem daunting and ambitious, but thinking of it as “gardening in community” and taking it just one step at a time may make it easier to get started. Consider these three easy steps to jump start your spring planting: Step One: People • Gardening in community can be as simple as a small group of friends, neighbors, or colleagues who are interested in pooling resources and sharing the gardening experience with others. Nobody needs to be an expert. It’s more about enthusiasm and willingness to work than horticultural degrees. Tons of information is out there to help you succeed, and good gardeners learn by doing. Step Two: Places • You don’t need to have a giant fertile field, big equipment, and row after row of field crops to succeed. Think outside the box. Manage your expectations (and increase your odds of success) with container gardening. Driveways, parking lots, roof tops, vacant lots, you name it! Container gardening gives you complete control of your soil and watering. If it’s sunny, it works. Portable containers Smart Pots and Big Bag Beds give you the ultimate flexibility to manage your space for maximum yields, especially when there’s a wide variety of sizes that allow you to use every nook and cranny for planting. Step Three: Plants • Here comes the fun part! What do you like to eat? Visit your local garden center and see what’s available in young veggie starts and seeds. Do you want tons and tons of tomatoes for home grown, vine ripened summer salads and sandwiches? Add some peppers, cilantro and onions for a salsa garden and you have a dream kitchen garden—even if the only space you have is a friend’s driveway. Don’t forget herbs and a few flowers for the butterflies and bouquets. Now you’re living the good life!

Tapping Into Opportunity Anna Haupt was the manager at Fifth Season Gardening Company in Charlottesville, Virginia. For years, she sold flowers and vegetable plants in standard plastic nursery pots. But there was a problem. The plants dried out quickly, their roots tended to bind and they would ultimately tap through the holes in the bottom of the plastic pots. All of these factors prevented plants from thriving as they should. That’s when Anna discovered Smart Pots. A Revolutionary Discovery Fifth Season Gardening obtained samples of the Smart Pot and began experimenting with various vegetables. They quickly discovered that virtually every species thrived in Smart Pots. Soon, they were growing tomatoes, eggplants, hops, potatoes, peppers, herbs, melons, sweet potatoes, aloe and more in these fabric aeration containers. Taking it to the Street The plants grown in Smart Pots were so vigorous, Anna decided to display specimens outside her store. She filled the parking lot with flourishing vegetable plants to attract customers as they drove by. Despite the fact they were sitting on black asphalt, the plants flourished, and customers started to take notice. “They would literally take me outside, point to the Smart Pot and say ‘Where can I get one of these?'” Anna recalls. Fertile Ground for Sales As sales grew, so did unexpected benefits for the store. “Once people try Smart Pots, they’re hooked. It leads to repeat sales, and the profit margins are higher,” Anna noted. When customers buy Smart Pots, they load up on related products like soil and fertilizer, further increasing store revenues. Customer Service: The Cherry Tomato On Top Sales and marketing advantages weren’t the only things that stuck out in Anna’s mind. Throughout her relationship with High Caliper Growing, she appreciated the excellent customer service she received. “I had great experiences with all of them. Even past sales reps were always there to help out when I needed. They’re a wonderful bunch of people.”

Got the itch to get dirty? Too cold to plant outside? Don’t forget you can start many of those popular fruits and veggies growing indoors while this Spring weather starts to warm up. Fabric aerations containers are great for growing plants, fruits and vegetables inside. It’s easy to get your seeds started so that you have beautiful, abundant plants already growing by the time that warm sunshine becomes a daily thing. https://smartpots.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/19545-HCG-Tomatoes-SD.mp4 With hydroponic growing, you don’t need expensive fancy lights to sprout seeds. So if you’re new to this type of growing, keep in mind that florescent lights in your house will do the trick until it gets warm enough. Once warm weather decides to stick around you can simply take your plants outside and replant them. If your hydroponic plants outgrow your current pots before you’re ready to take them outside, you can simply place them in a larger size container to keep them growing nice and full.

When potato planting time arrives, don’t turn over the soil — fill up a Smart Pot instead. You should grow potatoes in Smart Pots. Here is why: Planting potatoes in fabric planter bags makes growing potatoes super simple. Not only are the spuds easy to plant, when the growing season ends, they’re also a snap to harvest. There are many great reasons to grow potatoes in Smart Pots. A large number of potatoes can be grown in a relatively small space. The high volume of soil held in a Smart Pot gives potatoes plenty of room for growth and requires less watering than other containers with a smaller soil volume. Smart Pots are inexpensive and can be used for many years. It’s easy for gardeners with small yards to move lightweight fabric planter bags around to maximize sunlight exposure. The soft-sided fabric of Smart Pots keeps the soil aerated and well-drained, helping to prevent water-logged soils that can lead to potato rot. There’s no need to build raised beds or till up a garden. You can grow potatoes just about anywhere with Smart Pots. https://smartpots.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/019545-ADDED-GFX-Growing-potatoes-in-Smart-Pots-HD-SD.mp4 10 Potato planting tips When planting potatoes in Smart Pots, first consider how many potatoes you’d like to grow. Each pound of planted seed potatoes yields between five and eight pounds of mature spuds. During good growing seasons, you may get up to ten pounds. Next, determine which size Smart Pot is needed. To reduce watering needs and provide enough room for good tuber production, chose the largest sized container you can. A pound of seed potatoes will produce a good crop of tubers in either a single 30 or 45 gallon Smart Pot, or two smaller 20 to 25 gallon fabric planter pots. For smaller harvests, plant a quarter- or half-pound of seed potatoes in a 10 or 20 gallon container respectively. To prepare seed potatoes for planting, cut the larger seed potatoes into one- to two-inch chunks, each containing at least one “eye” (or growing point). Leave any smaller seed potatoes intact. Let the cut potatoes sit on the kitchen counter overnight; this encourages the formation of callus tissue and prevents the tubers from rotting in the ground before they sprout. Fill the Smart Pot with four to six inches of high-quality potting soil mixed with a few shovels full of finished compost. The added compost improves water retention, and adds nutrients and beneficial soil microbes to the container. Next, nestle the seed potato pieces into the potting soil, spacing them approximately six to eight inches apart. Cover them with four to six more inches of the potting soil/compost blend and water the container well. As the plants grow, add more potting mix/compost to the Smart Pot, a few inches at a time, burying the growing potato shoots deeper and deeper until the pot is completely filled and the plants are growing out the top. Allow the plants to grow, keeping them regularly watered. Never let the container completely dry out or the plants will become stressed, resulting in reduced yields. Eventually, the plants come into flower. A few weeks later, the shoots start to slowly turn yellow and die back. Once the potato plants are completely brown, stop watering and ignore the pot for two weeks. The potatoes are curing during this time; this curing process increases their shelf life and thickens the skins. When the two weeks have passed, it’s time to harvest the potatoes. To do so, simply dig through the container with your hands, sifting through the soil to find the tubers. Or, tip the Smart Pot onto its side and dump out the contents. As you search through the spilled soil, the potatoes are revealed. Planting potatoes in Smart Pots is both practical and productive. In fact, potato planting has never been easier!

Planting spring vegetables is a task many gardeners relish. After spending a long winter indoors, gardeners are anxious to step outside and get their hands in the dirt. But, early spring veggies don’t just offer an opportunity to exercise green thumbs, they’re also among the most delectable treats the garden has to offer. Here are five vegetables that thrive in the cool weather of early spring, going from seed to harvest well before the summer temperatures soar. https://smartpots.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/019545-ADDED-GFX-Five-early-spring-veggies-you-can-plant-now-HD-SD.mp4 Snow Peas Like their shell and sugar snap cousins, snow peas are cold-weather veggies best planted the moment the soil can be worked every spring. They germinate best when soil temperatures are between 50 and 60 degrees F, and the plants shrug off spring frosts like a champ. To grow snow peas, sow the seeds directly into the garden four to six weeks before the last expected spring frost. Applying a granular beneficial soil bacteria known as pea inoculant to the seed rows when planting helps the plants acquire nitrogen and typically results in improved yields. Seeds are sown a half inch deep and one to two inches apart. Because many snow pea varieties grow tall, erect a fence, trellis, or garden netting for the vines to climb. If shorter plants are desired, select a bush variety of snow peas, such as ‘Oregon Sugar Pod II’ or ‘Short N’ Sweet’. Most varieties are ready to harvest just 60 days after planting Snow peas should be picked young, when the pods are still flat and the peas inside have just started to swell. Lettuce Lettuce is among the easiest early spring veggie to plant. While you can purchase starter plants from your local nursery and transplant them into the garden, it’s far less expensive – and easier – to start your own plants from seed. There are thousands of different varieties of lettuce, each offering a subtly different flavor, leaf color, texture, and shape. But, no matter which varieties you choose to plant, seeds can be sown directly into the garden as early as eight weeks before the last expected spring frost. For a continual crop of lettuce, sow more seeds every two to four weeks until summer temperatures arrive. Space lettuce seeds approximately a half-inch apart, at a depth of a quarter inch. If full-sized lettuce heads are desired, thin the seedlings to six inches when they form their first true leaves. If you plan to harvest baby lettuce greens, there’s no need to thin the resulting seedlings; simply snip off the young leaves as you need them. For more abundant lettuce try starting your seeds in the Big Bag Bed Mini or 7 Gallon Smart Pot. Not only will you grow more lettuce, you’ll find the process simple and easy to do. Kale Often called a “superfood” for its nutritional punch, kale is a great early spring vegetable to plant. It isn’t the least bit bothered by the cold temperatures of spring and will produce edible leaves just a month after planting. To grow kale as a spring vegetable, sow seeds directly into the garden as soon as the soil temperature reaches 40 degrees F. Bury the seeds one-half inch deep, and space them an inch apart. Unless you plan to harvest only the baby greens, thin the seedlings to six to eight inches apart. Kale leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in stir fries and soups. Try some fun-colored or frilly-leaved varieties to bring a unique touch of color and texture to the kitchen. Radish This is another spring vegetable well worth growing, especially because store-bought radishes pale in comparison to homegrown roots in the flavor department. With their spicy flavor and crisp texture, radishes come in a surprisingly diverse array of colors and shapes. For good root formation, radish must be planted in the very early spring or late in the fall, when temperatures are cool. Ready to harvest in just three to five weeks, radishes seldom disappoint. For continuous production, plant a row of radish every two weeks throughout the spring and harvest the roots while they’re still small. Sow seeds a half-inch deep and one inch apart. Thin the seedlings to two inches as crowded plants do not result in superior roots. Do not apply nitrogen-rich fertilizers to areas where radish or other root crops are planted as the plants will produce excessive green growth at the expense of high-quality roots. Broccoli Like many other members of the cabbage family, including cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts, broccoli is an excellent early spring veggie. While you can grow broccoli by directly sowing the seeds into the garden, the plants require more time to mature than some other spring vegetables and may not produce quality heads before hot weather arrives. To accommodate for this, broccoli is best grown from starter plants purchased at your local nursery, or by starting the seeds indoors, under grow lights, about four to six weeks before they’re ready to be transplanted outside. Regardless of whether you grow your own plants or purchase them from a nursery, young broccoli seedlings can go out into the garden four to six weeks before the last expected spring frost. Space plants one to two feet apart for maximum head size. Broccoli grows best when temperatures are in the 60s; hot temperatures can promote premature bolting (flowering) and a slightly bitter flavor. The plants are tolerant of frosts, and if you live south of USDA Zone 7, fall-grown broccoli plants will often survive the winter and produce a secondary crop. Planting early spring vegetables brings both sanity to the winter-weary gardener and homegrown goodness to the kitchen.