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Bring it In/Heel it In/Tuck it In The frost may not quite be on the pumpkins where you garden, but the days are getting shorter. Overnight temperatures are trending downward, and your first average frost date is probably just weeks, if not days, away. To extend your container gardening season, look at three basic ways to protect your plants and their root zones from frost and freezes. Bring ‘em in… If you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse, grow tent, or lights set-up, even the most tender tropicals and houseplants will readily transition indoors. Just be sure to check for insects or disease and give them a good clean-up before bringing them inside where they may spread. Otherwise, check out one of the light meter smart phone apps to find your best indoor growing location. A sunny windowsill or countertop with a handful of one-to-three-gallon Smart Pot herbs can bring the flavors and fragrances of summer home all winter long! Water sparingly, add additional light sources if needed (full spectrum LED bulbs in an ordinary floor lamp is a simple supplement), and enjoy your herbs by lightly harvesting often. Tuck ‘em in… Harness Mother Nature’s power to overwinter your big and beautiful herbs outdoors. Larger containers provide more winter protection for your plant’s root zone through a greater volume of soil, one of nature’s insulations. You can quickly and easily add to that natural protection from harsh temperatures and winter winds by putting your larger herbs along a south facing wall where they’ll catch the sunshine as well as the radiant heat from the building. In colder climates, tuck those Smart Pots in with shredded leaves or hay wrapped in chicken wire or an old tomato cage and then cover with lightweight plastic from your home improvement store. Open up your home-made mini-greenhouse on mild days, be sure to maintain some soil moisture to prevent dry-freeze root damage and enjoy your perennial herbs through out the winter and in the coming seasons. SMART POT BONUS—no freeze-thaw winter breakage with your fabric container growing Smart Pot Gardening!! Heel ‘em in… The most labor-intensive method to overwinter your container gardens is tried-and-true but definitely requires lots of space a strong and a strong back! Heeling in is the practice of digging a trench deep enough to lay a container down at about 45 degrees, and covering the containers with soil. Primarily a commercial practice, heeling-in is commonly used in the tree industry to prevent containers blowing over and protect the root zone from winter freeze, thus holding a container tree or shrub over for transplanting in the spring season. A modified version could consist of a mulch berm, providing winter temperatures are not too severe. Regardless of which method you choose, Smart Pot containers lighten the load with durable fabric gardening to carry you through the winter season with superior gardening results!

Don’t have deep rich topsoil, loads of room for garden beds? Or the time and energy to dig deep for a garden to honor the Earth? You can still support our precious pollinators with Smart Pot gardening by enriching your environment with a wealth of beauty and a healthy harvest. Most plants benefit, or even require, pollinators to produce fruits and vegetables and to set seeds to grow the next generation. So including plants to attract and feed them will make your Smart Pot garden more productive and sustainable. The Birds and the Bees Butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds absolutely add to the magic of our gardens! Smart Pot fabric planters and raised bed gardens make it easy to plant an oasis for these magical, and essential, pollinators. Smart Pot gardening supports the byways and flyways throughout our neighborhoods. It creates green waystations for the world of pollinators and other wonders of nature around us. Attracting these pollinators is as easy as selecting a variety of plants that will “set the table” for the pollens and nectars they need to survive. Here are a few ideas: Butterflies: both caterpillars and butterflies rely on plants for survival. Adult butterflies will visit your garden to feed on the nectar from flowers and to lay their eggs on a host plant. When the eggs hatch out into caterpillars, the “cats” will consume the foliage of their host plant until maturity. They will then form cocoons and undergo their transformations to butterflies. Host plants include herbs and flowers such as rue, fennel, parsley, and dill. Don’t forget to include milkweeds for our precious monarchs! Many nectar producing flowers have a tube-like neck, or funnel shape. This shape allows butterflies to access energy-rich sugars with their long tongues. Examples include petunias, salvias, pentas, cleome, and honeysuckle, and many more. Bees: Most bees depend on pollen as a primary food source. Lacking the specialized mouth parts that allow butterflies and hummingbirds to access the nectar sources deep within blossoms, bees feed on open faced flowers like those in the composite family. Sunflowers, daisy varieties, coreopsis, roses, and most fruit and nut trees provide both nectar and pollen for bees. Greenpeace USA estimates that 70 of the top 100 human food crops are pollinated by bees! Hummingbirds: Among our most cherished garden visitors, hummingbirds visit many of the same nectar sources as butterflies. Zipping through with incredible feats of arial acrobatics and brilliant flashes of iridescent color, hummingbirds are surprisingly easy to attract. Even the smallest container of hummingbird flowers can provide crucial supplies of energy-rich nectar to speed them on their way. They will also make your pollinator friendly Smart Pots a regular stop on their route. Like butterflies, specialized mouth parts allow hummers to drink deeply from the hidden nectars of tubular shaped flowers such as salvia, lobelia, columbine, hibiscus, and so many others. Hummingbirds are particularly attracted to red, deep pinks and violets, and orange. Prepare to be enchanted! A Smart Pot pollinator garden is a win-win! Just unfold, fill, and plant. Let the magic begin!

Looking for a Sunday Funday with a sweet, sweet payoff? All it takes to start your very own strawberry patch is some soil, strawberry plants from your local garden center, and Smart Pots Wallflower hanging planters. Sturdy brass grommets on the top and bottom corners make it easy to create a hanging strawberry garden. Your fence, trellis, balcony railing, or any other place you can hang an “S” hook can be transformed into a garden of delightful berries in an afternoon! There are two basic types of strawberries, June bearing and everbearing. Like the name implies, June bearing varieties like All-Star and Sequoia will bear lots of fruit at the same time, making it them great for a sizable harvest all at once. Everbearing varieties like Ozark Beauty and Quinault will set smaller amounts of fruit for a more extended season, often into the early fall. Growers’ tags will usually identify which type of strawberry you’re looking at; it’s great to grow some of each so you have tasty berries to nibble throughout the summer, as well as a bumper crop for desserts and drinks early in the season. Once you’ve chosen your strawberry plants, the rest is a snap. Just unfold, fill, plant, and hang. Like all Smart Pot fabric planters, the Wallflower is easy to use, durable, and made in the USA. Get your Sunday Funday on and grab some fresh, green strawberry plants while they are available. With a little luck your Smart Pot Wallflower hanging strawberry patch will be loaded with beautiful and delicious juicy red strawberries before you know it! Strawberry Shortcake, anyone?

Looking for a bit of Sunday Funday? Plant up a Salad Bowl! Smart Pots Big Bag Beds can jumpstart a healthy and fun project whether you have a giant gardening space or a tiny spot on your driveway, patio, or balcony. Spring is in the air, and one early way to jump into the fresh gardening season is to take advantage of cool spring temperatures and soft spring rains is by starting your salad greens and early veggies in a Smart Pot Big Bag Bed. One of the three sizes is sure to fit your gardening needs: The Original, Jr., or Mini. Pick a couple of your favorite salad ingredients, a good quality container soil, and the Smart Pot of your choice and fresh salad ingredients will be at your fingertips! Red Salad Bowl, Romaine, and Spinach will provide great texture and color contrasts for eye appeal and loads of vitamins and minerals. Romaine lettuce is packed with vitamin C, vitamin K and folate — nature’s form of B-9 (folic acid), which boosts the immune system and can prevent depression. Loose-leaf greens like Red Salad Bowl, while low in fiber, adds a tender and sweet flavor and beautiful color, and is an heirloom lettuce that is slow to bolt as temperatures increase later in spring. The deep green, thicker leaves of spinach add great texture and are a super source of iron, calcium, vitamin C and K1, great reasons to include them in your Smart Pot Salad Bowl. Finally, add some carrots for color, crunch, and a super-duper source of antioxidants, beta carotene, and a blast of vitamin A! A great variety of carrots and salad greens already growing in six-packs and 4- inch pots are available in most garden centers right now for a bit of a head start or choose from a wide variety of seeds. Either way, your Smart Pot Salad Bowl will be a fast and healthy Sunday Funday project with delicious results to enjoy and share! Start your Smart Pot Salad Bowl today – Simply Unfold, Fill & Plant! Unfold Fill Plant

The grow-your-own food gardening trend is far from cancelled for would-be gardeners who don’t have a spot of soil in which to plant. All that’s needed is a container to grow in. And thanks to a range of products from Smart Pot, the fabric container alternative, hopeful gardeners with as little as a sunny patch of sidewalk or as much as a full apartment rooftop can plant and harvest as the weather permits. It’s time to unpack your milk crates from storage and put them to use. Grow a garden simply and easily within a fabric-lined milk crate. Put Milk Crates to Gardening Use The Milk Crate Liner from Smart Pot in particular is well-suited to gardening situations in urban areas or are in tight-fitting spots. As its name implies, the Liner simply fits inside a milk crate to hold the growing media, acting as the container. The crate provides the structure. And because they have a repeatable size and shape, a milk crate garden can be stacked and moved and replicated as your needs and space change. The reliability in size and shape also makes calculating the amount of potting mix needed a snap. Just determine the volume of soil based on the dimensions of the crate. Smart Pot offers two sizes of Milk Crate Liners to fit commonly used 12-in. tall crates: 12-in. x 12-in. square = 1 cubic foot 12-in. x 18-in. rectangle – 1.5 cubic feet Benefits of Growing Above Ground in Milk Crates In the case of milk crates, the benefits of growing above ground in these containers are four-fold: The crates are easy to move even when filled with soil, They fit together squarely to offer lots of growing space in a small are, The Milk Crate Liner allows for maximum drainage and airflow to the roots enabling plants to thrive, and The crate garden can be stacked on top of empty crates to limit the amount of bending and kneeling to ground level Growing above ground in general, not just in milk crates but also in raised beds, window boxes, patio containers and a range of other vessels, is good for the garden and good for the gardener. Here are just a few of the ways growing your veggies and flowers in above-ground containers can be a benefit : Garden where there isn’t any ground. Only a sidewalk, deck or driveway? Containers let you put growing soil where there isn’t a space to plant in-ground. Grow in iffy ground. Maybe your soil is filled with toxins, unknown materials or construction debris. Bring in your own and keep it separate from what’s might be contaminated. Protection from pests. Underground pests can eat away roots and cause plants to fail. Make accessing your crops that much more difficult for them. Garden with the weather. Your ability to move crate and container gardens allows you to plant your crops earlier and harvest later—just move the gardens into a protected space when the weather is too cool outside. Now that you know all about growing in containers and crates, scour your basement and unpack those books to free up your new growing containers (or order some online) and get your Milk Crate Liners today. You can be gardening before you know it!

Patty O’Pot is here just in time! Smart Pots, St. Patty’s Day, and planting potatoes are a proven combination that yields great rewards in just a matter of weeks. Ireland, with its mild winters, peat rich soil, and generous rainfall has a centuries long tradition of potato farming. Early spring is the time for home gardeners to start their own home-grown, tender new potatoes. Kick off your spring gardening season and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by getting your potatoes started in a Smart Pot! Choosing three favorite varieties of certified seed potatoes ensures the best possible start and extends the Smart Pot potato growing season. Each variety has a slightly different maturation time. So over a period of several weeks fresh, delicate potatoes will be ready to harvest and enjoy. Your local garden center will have great choices! Red Pontiac, Yukon Gold, Fingerlings, and Purple Potatoes are all popular choices for Smart Pot growing with maturation times ranging from 80-120 days. Patty O’Pot is ready to help with three easy steps to our St. Pat’s potato planting success: Smart Pot, Soil, and Spuds. 3 Easy Steps Smart Pot – #15 Forest Green Smart Pot with handles for easy planting and harvest Soil – a 50/50 mixture of quality planting mix and peat moss replicates the rich Irish farm land Spuds – small certified seed potatoes, one variety per pot Each Smart Pot should be planted with a single potato variety so it will be ready to harvest all at once. Planting multiple Smart Pots with different types of potatoes will reward you with multiple harvests over the course of the growing season. Choosing small seed potatoes will allow you to simplify by planting the entire spud without the need to cut them into sections. Fill your Smart Pot half full and put the seed potatoes in spacing them evenly apart. Finish filling with soil and water slowly, allowing water to seep into the soil gradually until moist throughout. Put in a sunny spot and keep evenly moist, but do not overwater. Peat moss and Smart Pots will provide great drainage and aeration to help avoid wet, soggy soils that can cause potatoes to rot. Before too long, dark green leaves will begin to peek through the soil. Mark each Smart Pot with the variety you’ve chosen to plant, and the typical number of days until maturation. When you’re ready to harvest, the Smart Pot handles make it easy to simply dump out the contents and pick out your spuds! Both the soil and the Smart Pot can be reused for future plantings. Simply dust off the Smart Pot and add some nutrients to the soil for next time. https://smartpots.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Growing-Potatoes-with-Sally.mp4

Gardening above ground opens up possibilities of fresh veggies and beautiful flowers to so many new and veteran gardeners. They are turning to a range of alternatives to in-ground garden beds, such as a window box three stories up or a raised bed on the back patio, to solve a variety of gardening issues. What sorts of issues, you ask? We have rounded up a five issues that find their answers in the form of the Urban Raised Bed from Smart Pots and other above-ground gardening alternatives. Garden Where You Have No In-Ground Space Living in a condo complex, a densely populated neighborhood or a spot that offers no private sun-filled yard? Raised beds give you the ability to hold soil anywhere where there’s a surface to place it. Turn a sunny paved spot in the driveway or condo balcony into a veggie-producing garden or a flower-filled place for pollinators. Grow Where the Soil is Suspect Many soils surrounding homes—urban and otherwise—have unhealthy levels of contaminants from construction debris, previous industrial use and other reasons. Raised beds allow you to easily and safely grow in the space by holding soils of known origin. Protect Plants from Underground Pests Keep grubs, nematodes, slugs and other soil-living, plant-destroying pests at bay by cutting off underground and soil-surface access to your garden. Raise Your Garden to a More Convenient Height In-ground gardens require lots of bending and kneeling to care for the plants. The Urban Raised Bed brings the garden’s soil up 18 inches so plants are far easier to access. Garden Above Ground With the Seasons The sun moves across your space with the seasons. Where the light is strong and perfect for cool-season crops may be too intensely sunny for summer growing. Move a raised bed to the perfect spot depending on the conditions—and that might even be in garage or basement for winter growing. How the Urban Raised Bed Can Help The Urban Raised Bed addresses each of these gardening situations. Unlike the other fabric products from Smart Pots, the Urban Raised Bed is designed for a semi-rigid structure with the insertion of 1-in. PVC lengths (not included). This framework allows the Bed to hold far more soil and plants than if it was unframed. The Urban Raised Bed comes in two sizes: 24-in. by 48-in. by 18-in. tall, holding approximately 13.5 cubic feet of soil 48-in. by 48-in. by 18-in. tall, holding approximately 27 cubic feet of soil The fabric comes with sleeves into which the piping can slide for easy assembly and is ready for planting within minutes. And with its durable fabric, it’ll last for years. Growing a garden is indeed a possibility for you this season! And now that you know you grow above-ground, you can start planning and planting. Head over to your favorite garden center or online store to obtain your Urban Raised Bed and look forward to blooms and harvesting edibles in just a few weeks.

Some of my Smart Pots get the winter off, but others are used throughout the year. My husband and I grow potatoes and other vegetables in large Smart Pots during the summer, and several of these are dumped out, hosed off, and stored in the garden shed at the end of the season. Come spring, these will be filled with a mix of garden soil, bagged loam and compost, and placed in sunny areas for the summer. But some of our Smart Pots are used in the winter as well. The south-facing half of our garden shed has polycarbonate panels on the roof and windows along the side. This section is insulated and solar-heated. There is no electricity or running water, but the wall of clay pots stored against the north-wall do absorb the sun’s heat and release it into the space overnight. We’ve seen that come mid-February this space does not go below freezing, and even on a 20° sunny day, it’s toasty on this side of the shed. In October or November, when we’ve emptied out our Smart Pots in the garden, we roll down the edges of and fill three or four of them with potting soil. These are planted with lettuce and arugula seeds sometime in December. Since these are so cold-tolerant, they live, hunkered down against the lower temperatures in January and February, ready to spring up in early March. Some winters we’re able to pick greens in February, some years in March, and other times in early April according to the weather. In addition to cutting the oldest, largest leaves for our salads in the off-season, we are able to transplant these greens outside in April. This means that in our warm-Zone-6 garden we’re able to have mature lettuce, arugula and mustard greens available for harvest even as we’re seeding the first of these directly into the garden. Another way gardeners can use Smart Pots over the winter is to fill them with dry, fresh potting soil in the fall, and use these to store dahlia tubers. Dig the dahlias after the first frost and wash off the tubers, then place them in a shed or garage for a couple of weeks to dry out. Next, put a three or four inch layer of dry potting soil in the Smart Pots, and place a layer of tubers there, just barely touching each other. Top with more dry potting soil and store them in a cool basement or garage where they won’t freeze. Come spring, simply reach in and pull out the tubers and then add compost or loam to the potting soil in the Smart Pots and plant with your summer flowers or vegetables. We’ve found that our Smart Pots last for many years, and they don’t charge us overtime when we put them to work year-round! C.L. Fornari Gardener and Garden Communicator www.GardenLady.com Podcasting at www.Plantrama.com

Did you know you don’t need a green thumb to grow beautiful houseplants? If you have any kind of thumb you can grow healthy houseplants in Smart Pot indoor containers. The reason houseplants grow so well in Smart Pots is that plant roots really like fabric containers. Unlike hard plastic pots, fabric pots are porous and they encourage root growth for stronger, healthier plants. Here are four more ways you can grow a lush garden of indoor plants in Smart Pots: 1. Water Houseplants on Their Schedule Instead of watering your houseplants on a set schedule, wait for plants to tell you when they need watering. Some plants, like Sansevieria, need the potting mix to dry between waterings. Overwatering can cause roots to get soggy and can be inviting to indoor insect pests. You can place a watering gauge in your Smart Pot to remind you when to water your houseplants or you can use a simpler tool – your index finger. Simply stick your finger into the top 1-3 inches of potting mix. If it’s cool and moist, wait to water. Another signal for watering is to watch for plant drooping or wilting. Check the potting mix to make sure it’s dry before watering. Wilting can be a sign of a different kind of houseplant problem, such as overwatering. Add water slowly to make sure the potting mix is thoroughly moistened. Empty excess water that drains into the plant saucer. Don’t let plants stand in water to prevent them from getting waterlogged. Adjust Lighting for Houseplant Health When houseplants aren’t getting enough light, they’ll let you know. They may grow long thin stems that are reaching toward the light, leaves may turn yellow or start to drop, plants stop flowering or green and white variegated leaves may revert back to green. If you see signs of light deficiency in your houseplants, move the Smart Pot container and saucer to a brighter window or add supplemental lighting, like fluorescent tube lights or LED grow lights. Check Indoor Temperature and Add Humidity The majority of houseplants like a warm and consistent environment, somewhere between 60- and 70-degrees Fahrenheit. Because plant needs vary, read about your specific plant and give it what it requires to stay healthy. Chilly indoor wintertime temperatures can harm a plant’s health, so move plants away from areas with cold drafts. Keep leaves from touching windows and, if possible, close curtains at night. Hot air can be bad for plants, too. Avoid placing your Smart Pot houseplants near fireplaces and furnace vents. Many houseplants are tropical in nature where they grow in humid conditions. If the air is dry in your home, you might want to increase the humidity level for your plants. Portable humidifiers can add humidity, so can putting plants on saucers or trays of gravel that need to be kept moist. Misting plants can help, too, but the benefits aren’t long-lasting. Wait to Fertilize Houseplants If you planted your houseplants in a potting mix that included a slow release fertilizer, you can wait several months before using an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer or a plant-specific fertilizer. Follow label instructions. Watch for New Houseplant Growth With the proper light, temperatures, humidity and care, your houseplants will not only survive, but thrive. Keep an eye on your plant’s progress and watch for new shoots to poke up through the potting mix. Once you’ve mastered the care and feeding of one houseplant, it’s time to find another and get started planting. Jodi Torpey is an award-winning vegetable gardener, master gardener and garden author in Denver, Colorado.

Jodi Torpey, a garden writer, certified master gardener, and author of “The Colorado Gardener’s Companion: An Insider’s Guide to Gardening in the Centennial State,” offers valuable insights on keeping houseplants in Smart Pots. Read her tips in the article “Houseplant How-To With Smart Pots - by Jodi Torpey”

Here’s a new take on an old saying: “You can count the number of seeds in one tomato, but you can’t count the number of tomatoes in each seed.” That’s especially true when planting in a NoCoco Liner. One tiny seed grew into a beautiful tomato plant that draped over the edge of a hanging basket and produced cherry-sized tomatoes almost nonstop since the end of July. The special Smart Pot liner replaced an ordinary coconut fiber liner for a countless number of Litt’l Bites cherry tomatoes. Litt’l Bites is a windowbox tomato (from Renee’s Garden seeds) that’s perfect for a hanging basket fitted with a NoCoco liner. Planting the NoCoco Liner The tomato-growing process began in April when the tiny seeds got their start indoors. After sprouting, they grew into sturdy plants while basking under lights until transplanting time in late May. A green 14-inch NoCoco Liner (provided by Smart Pots) held a good-quality potting soil mixed with a slow-release fertilizer to give this plant a healthy start. A hanging tomato means there’s no need for a trellis. Tomato plants will grow up and the weight of the vine and green tomatoes will let it gently lean over when it’s ready. Watering the NoCoco Liner Deep watering helped the little plant start growing and growing. The NoCoco Liner is made of Smart Pot’s porous fabric that encourages plants to form strong roots. Instead of becoming root bound in the container, the roots grow into the sides of the liner, prune themselves and form new roots. Air pruning doesn’t happen in a coconut fiber liner or in a plastic hanging basket. During the hottest part of the summer, the tomato basket needed daily watering with a hose and nozzle. With so many healthy roots, the best way to water was slowly and deeply to make sure the potting mix was thoroughly moistened. A good sign is when water drains freely through the bottom of the basket. Fertilizing the NoCoco Liner The slow-release fertilizer in the potting soil lasts one to two months because some drains away during watering. When the tomato plant started flowering and setting fruit, a water-soluble fertilizer added to the watering can every 7-10 days gave the plant a boost to help with tomato production. Harvesting the NoCoco Liner It’s hard to wait for those first green tomatoes to ripen to a deep red. It took until the end of July, but once the tomatoes started, they kept going in cascading sprays of perfectly round cherry tomatoes. Each delicious jewel clipped (not pulled) from the vine held a burst of classic tomato taste. Some even made it into the kitchen. Winter Care for the NoCoco Liner With warm fall weather, the tomato plant will keep producing fruit until the temperature takes a big drop. After the first fall freeze, it will be time to remove the plant from the NoCoco Liner, empty the soil into the composter and brush away any soil and roots clinging to the sides. Unlike coconut fiber liners that last only a season or two, NoCoco Liners can be reused for many seasons. Simply clean with a damp sponge and a mixture of baking soda and water. When dry, the liner can be folded and stored with the hanging basket, until it’s time to plant something wonderful for the next growing season. Jodi Torpey is an award-winning gardener and writer from beautiful Denver, Colorado. Her books include The Colorado Gardener’s Companion and Blue Ribbon Vegetable Gardening. Jodi and her books can be found at here.

As my strawberries are growing and ripening, I’m looking at and thinking about the rhubarb that’s growing a few feet from them. I do this every year and wonder why I never use it? Most people associate rhubarb with strawberry- rhubarb pie, as do I but it’s been years since I’ve had any. I enjoy baking and every year when my rhubarb is at its peak along with the strawberries, I intend to make a pie or a rhubarb dessert, but it hasn’t happened yet. Maybe this year? Rhubarb is a hardy perennial, that’s low maintenance, and grows very well in the right conditions. It needs winter cold, full sun but will tolerate light shade, prefers slightly acidic soil that has a healthy amount of organic matter and likes to be fed. Most folks think of rhubarb as a fruit because its typically associated with desserts, but it is a true vegetable. The celery like stalks are eaten but never the poisonous leaves. It can be eaten raw but it’s extremely tart, so it’s often paired with sugar. Crowns are planted either in the late fall or early spring, and the plants will continue to grow practically forever because rarely are they bothered by disease, insects or deer. Rhubarb isn’t a showy plant. It has no eye-catching flowers, tempting fruit, or striking foliage but its dependable, consistent year after year. My rhubarb has been growing in my garden for at least 7 or 8 years and during this time the plants were relocated twice to different areas. What’s interesting is each time they received a new home, the plants’ response was significantly different. At first, I planted the rhubarb in a seven- gallon Smart Pot where it did well and thrived for several years. I used a planting mix that contained a good deal of peat moss (organic matter), fertilized several times a year, watered when needed. The Smart Pot provided a good home – drained exceptionally well, stayed cooler in the hot weather and promoted a well-developed, robust root system. In other words, the plants were happy and doing well. Several years later, the Smart Pot Long Beds came along. I placed several in my garden, moved a few containers around and transplanted the rhubarb into the Long Bed. Fast forward one year later. The difference between the rhubarb grown in the seven-gallon pot and the Long Bed was astonishing. Hard to believe these are the same plants. The plants are “super huge”, stalks as well as foliage. Take a look at the comparison photos and see for yourself. Keep in mind the only thing that changed was the size of the container. Same location, same growing mix, same nutrient and watering regime. For two years the rhubarb did amazingly well growing in the “Long Bed”, but now I needed the space to grow blackberries. Once again, the rhubarb was relocated and this time I transplanted it outside the garden, along a fence and directly into the soil. Now, the rhubarb has been in the ground for two years and it’s doing okay but hard to believe the plants are the same ones that grew in the Smart Pot and Long Bed. The plants are healthy but are so much smaller In their present location. The plants do receive a little less sunlight but not enough to make such a profound difference. I’m certain the contributing factor that’s responsible for the very visual differences in plant growth is the area surrounding the plants’ roots. The Smart Pot Long Bed provided the plants’ roots with an ideal, stress free environment – great drainage, proper moisture level and no compaction and the in-ground location does not. In most instances, container or raised bed gardening allows plants to outperform those grown directly in the ground. Above ground growing provides plant roots with a better, more hospitable, environment than found in ground soil. Containers or raised beds provide better drainage, proper pH, improved air to water ratio, no compaction, etc. And it’s been my gardening experience for many years that quality, fabric containers and or raised beds are preferable to plastic, wood or other hard -sided containers. They are so much more forgiving and your plants’ root systems will love them. by Marty Gottlieb

When working with transplants have you ever ended up with more root ball in your hands than on the plant? Then you’ll appreciate the special design of Smart Pot Transplanters. These reusable, soft-sided planters have a flap on one side that makes it easy to open and remove plants for transplanting. No more harming plants when trying to get them out of their plastic containers or cutting through hard plastic to get plants out of their pots. Another improvement over plastic pots, these cloth Transplanters encourage strong root systems for healthier plants because they’re made with the same high-quality materials as other Smart Pot products. Transplanters are Transporters The Transplanters could actually be called “transporters” because they’re made for moving plants from place to place. Sometimes they’re used to transport plants from one part of the yard to another. At other times, from one garden to another. One gardener used her Transplanter pots to save plants from a relative’s yard before he sold his house. Together they dug up several favorite perennial plants and potted them in Transplanters to transport and replant in her garden several hundred miles away. She kept the plants watered until it was time to transplant them into her garden. The side openings made it easy to fold back the Transplanter and remove plants with their hardy rootballs. The roots of each plant had grown into a such a strong root system, they held together during planting, reducing transplant shock. Other Transplanter Ideas Sharing plants is just one way to use Smart Pot Transplanters. Here are some other ideas for planting and transplanting: Plant flower or vegetable seeds to start the season. Take cuttings from other plants to grow for transplanting. Move self-seeded or volunteer plants to other spots in the landscape. Experiment with growing kitchen scraps like garlic cloves, celery and green onions. Dig annuals in fall, like geraniums and begonias, to overwinter indoors. Thin overgrown perennials to transplant or to pass along in spring. Divide Perennials for Transplanting When dividing perennial plants, like yarrow, daylily and coreopsis, water them the day before and prepare the new planting spot in advance, if replanting. Dig the planting hole as deep as the plant’s root ball; avoid planting deeper or shallower. Gather materials and tools like Smart Pot Transplanters, potting soil, a garden trowel or shovel and gloves. Dig up as much of the plant and its root ball as possible by digging all the way around the plant, several inches away from the plant. Divide the plant into two by carefully separating roots with the trowel or shovel. Place each plant with its roots in a Transplanter, add more potting soil as needed to fill the pot and gently firm it around the roots. Water to keep soil moist, but not soggy. Replant as soon as possible or share plants with gardening friends to keep the growing going.

It’s time to compost last season’s coconut fiber basket liners and try something new. Smart Pots NoCoco Liners will change the way you plant and care for your hanging baskets this season. NoCoco Liners are smooth and attractive alternatives to lining hanging baskets with coconut fiber (also called coir liners), burlap or landscaping fabric. Because the liners are preformed to a round shape, and fit three sizes of baskets, gardeners won’t have to do any cutting, trimming or poking holes in the fabric to aid drainage. They also hold together without fraying, splitting or cracking. Hanging planters are a great way for small space gardeners to add vertical appeal to their outside plantings. The choice of liner colors – black, natural and forest green – means gardeners can mix or match liners to their baskets. More than a soil holder for hanging baskets, Smart Pot NoCoco Liners grow healthier plants because the porous fabric helps plants grow strong root systems. As roots grow into the sides of the NoCoco Liner, they’re forced to prune themselves and form new roots. More roots mean healthier plants. In plastic hanging baskets, roots continue to grow and grow. Without being able to prune themselves, roots run out of room and that limits plant health and growth. The soil in containers with root bound plants also dries out more quickly in hot weather. How to Plant a NoCoco Liner The reusable NoCoco liners make quick work of planting. Simply place the liner in a hanging basket and fill to 1-2 inches below the rim with a potting soil made for container planting. Select a potting mix that includes a slow-release fertilizer or mix in your favorite fertilizer for containers. Add water to moisten the potting mix thoroughly and then plant with your favorite hanging basket combinations or something new to you: Succulents and small cacti, including those meant to trail over the edge of the basket Annual flowers like Supertunia petunias and Superbells calibrachoa Everbearing strawberries for more strawberries over the season Cherry tomatoes with long vines like Tumbling Tom, Tumbler and Sungold among others Vining vegetables like peas, green beans and miniature cucumbers Herbs such as basil, cilantro, parsley and chives Care for Hanging Baskets After planting, add a thin layer of mulch over the top of the soil to help hold in moisture. Mulch for containers can include dry, untreated grass clippings, dried and crushed tree leaves, shredded newspaper or another kind of organic mulch. Be sure to check the soil every day and water as needed to keep soil moist, but not soggy. Add a liquid fertilizer to the watering can every two weeks to help keep plants flowering and vegetables fruiting through the summer. Reusable NoCoco Liners After the gardening season is over, save your NoCoco Liners for next year. Because these liners are durable and reusable, simply empty soil from the container, brush away any soil or roots and fold for easy storing. You’ll get many years of hanging basket enjoyment with Smart Pots NoCoco Liners. To order the Smart Pot NoCoco Liner, please visit Gardener’s Supply’s website – https://www.gardeners.com/buy/smart-pot-nococo-liners-for-hanging-baskets/8600089VS.html Petunia in basket

Smart Pot Spring Garden Checklist After all the time spent dreaming about the spring garden, it’s time to get ready for the actual planting. Despite all the advances in garden technology, those colorful containers of flowers and beautiful tomato plants won’t plant themselves. Some dread the task of garden preparation for the spring but planting in Smart Pots helps streamline the process. Getting containers ready for planting takes less time and energy than hauling out the cultivator or using a shovel to prepare a typical garden bed. Because the containers are lightweight and portable, you can place them where other gardens can’t grow. The basic spring garden prep work for Smart Pots includes selecting the soil, preparing the fabric containers, arranging the containers, and filling or refreshing them. Selecting the Soil The best soil for container gardening is a light-weight, soilless potting mix that easily drains excess water. This type of soil helps keep plant roots hydrated and healthy. Look for a potting soil meant for containers and one that includes a slow-release fertilizer or vermicompost for added nutrients. You can also make your own potting mix and adapt the recipe to fit your specific growing needs. Never use ordinary garden soil in your Smart Pots. Garden soil is typically too dense for good drainage and it can also harbor insect pests that may have overwintered in the garden. Preparing Fabric Containers For new Smart Pot containers, simply remove any paper tags, unfold pots and they’re ready to use. For previously used fabric containers that were stored indoors for winter, take them out of storage to prepare for planting. If necessary, these Smart Pots can be machine washed to sanitize and then left to air dry. For Smart Pots that spent the winter outside, wait for the soil to dry before working in it. In the meantime, use a soft-bristled scrub brush and a solution of baking soda and water to clean the outside of caked salt or moss. Let dry. Arranging Containers It’s a good idea to place Smart Pots before filling them with soil. Arrange larger Smart Pots, like Long Beds and Big Bag Beds, where you’ve planned your garden. Your back will thank you for arranging the containers before filling them with soil. Filling or Refreshing Containers There’s no need to place rocks or broken pottery in the bottom of a Smart Pot to improve drainage. Anything other than the potting mix will hinder drainage and hamper root growth. Fill containers with potting soil to about once inch below the rim of the pot. Some settling may occur after watering, so be prepared to add more soil before planting. For containers that are already filled, remove some soil from the center of the container, loosen the soil with a hand spade, trowel or other garden tool and refresh with new soil. If plants in the container had insects or plant diseases the previous season, it’s best to empty the soil into the compost bin, clean the containers and refill with fresh soil. Water the potting mix slowly and thoroughly. This step may take time to get all the soil saturated. The end result should be a moist, well-drained soil that’s perfect for spring planting.

Planning a Smart Pot Garden Have you heard the saying, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”? That adage is especially true when it comes to planting a garden. If a gardener wants to grow fruits, flowers, herbs or vegetables, they’ll find a way to make it happen. With a combination of Smart Pots fabric containers and a few hours of sunshine a day, it’s possible to grow a garden just about anywhere. Whether on a rooftop, balcony, patio, deck, porch, front stoop or alleyway, all it takes is a little planning to get your garden growing. Plan for Sunshine No matter what you want to grow in your garden, you’ll need to plan for at least a few hours of sunshine a day. If you want to grow most flowers and warm-season vegetables, you’ll need about 8 hours of sunlight; herbs and cool-season edibles will grow with less sunshine. The easiest way to find the best spot for your plot is to do a simple sun survey. This method uses paper, pencil and three observations over the course of one day. The ideal time to take a sun survey is in early- to mid-spring, when trees are starting to leaf out and when you’re able to see the path of the sun as it crosses your preferred planting area. Draw the outline of your planting space on a piece of paper and include shade trees or other shade-producing features. Then observe the area at 8:00 a.m., 12 noon, and 4:00 p.m. After each observation draw a circle on the paper to show the area of sunlight. Where the three circles intersect is the place in the yard that receives the most direct sunlight. With this survey you can prioritize your planting space. Fruiting vegetables, like tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and melons will prefer the sunniest spot. Other vegetables and culinary herbs will do just fine growing with less sunlight or in partial shade. This list includes lettuce, kale, spinach, radish, bush beans, peas, carrots, beets, green onions, turnips Swiss, chard and many herbs. Plan for Smart Pots The next step is matching the Smart Pot container to what you want to grow. Fortunately, there’s a pot to fit every spot. Small-space gardens can fit a number of different sizes of round Smart Pots, liners for square milk crates or two kinds of Wall Flower hanging containers for vertical gardening. For larger areas, the round Big Bag Beds offer a way to place a raised bed in the middle of the yard or the rectangular Long Beds provide planting options along fences and walls. Placement is unlimited, depending on your garden vision. Plan for Irrigation Every Smart Pot garden will need some type of irrigation to keep plants watered. Many gardeners prefer to hand-water with a hose or watering can; others like the convenience of a raised bed irrigation system like the Smart Pot Bed Wetter slow drip watering system. For the healthiest garden, avoid using sprinklers that spray plant leaves instead of watering at soil level.

Early Vegetables for Spring, Plants to Grow in The Spring Even when the weather is too chilly to sit in the garden, you can plant a spring garden of early edibles. These are vegetables that can be sown, grown and enjoyed earlier than others. The earliest of the garden vegetables are hardy enough to keep growing in spite of frosty temperatures. These cold-tolerant vegetables prefer cool daytime temperatures that start at 45 degrees Fahrenheit. They can survive 40-degree days and frosty nights if covered. The vegetables in this group include radishes, cabbages, lettuce, kale, spinach and peas. All of these cold-loving edibles grow well in Smart Pots, either on their own or in combination with others. For example, radishes and spinach plants make good growing companions. While radishes are sending down their roots, the spinach leaves are growing up to fill the container. Another benefit of this spring planting is being able to harvest spinach leaves when they’re about an inch tall. Use small scissors to clip leaves from the outside of the plant and let the inner leaves keep growing. Lettuce is another easy-to-grow spring vegetable crop. It’s simple to broadcast or sprinkle the seeds of loose-leaf lettuce varieties over the top of the container’s potting soil and cover lightly with soil. Keep the soil moist and lettuce can be ready to snip in 60 days or less. Garlic is a vegetable that’s usually planted in fall; however, spring-planted garlic is another growing option. While plants won’t produce large garlic bulbs, plants can be harvested and eaten like green onions. To find the earliest vegetable varieties for your containers, look for those with the shortest number of days to maturity, either by planting seeds or transplants. Match similar maturity times for the vegetable combinations you’d like to harvest and cook together. For best results, plant cold-hardy vegetables about two weeks before the average date of the last frost for your area. Because this date varies, county extension agents and master gardeners can offer advice or consult the Old Farmer’s Almanac as a guide. Fill Smart Pots with a soil-less potting mix and water to get soil moist, but not soggy. Plant seeds directly in the pot following the instructions on the seed packets. You can also start seeds indoors for transplanting or buy your favorite cool-season transplants from a garden center. After planting, and when seeds start to sprout, keep soil temperatures on the cool side with some mulch placed around plants. Dry crushed leaves, untreated grass clippings, straw or strips of plain newspaper all make suitable mulches. As plants grow, be sure to thin root vegetables to leave room between plants. Use these plant thinnings on salads or in soups. Semi-hardy vegetables include carrots, beets, potatoes and parsnips; cauliflower, Swiss chard, arugula and parsley. Plant these cool-season edibles when daytime temperatures are slightly warmer (50 degrees) and plan on covering them at night with frost blankets, buckets and milk jugs or plant them in a cold frame.

Composting 101 When to compost? If you’ve been looking for a way to take your gardening to the next level, here’s a tip for you: Start composting this fall. Take the first steps now, and by spring you’ll transform kitchen and garden waste into a rich, organic material that will help you grow healthier plants. Compost is the key to a beautiful and bountiful garden because it can solve so many gardening dilemmas. It loosens clay soil by changing the texture for better draining. It also improves the water-holding ability of sandy soil. Compost boosts soil fertility because it hosts microorganisms that support all forms of plant and animal life. The secret to composting success is balancing four essential elements: nitrogen (green things), carbon (brown things), moisture, and oxygen. Although it might sound complicated, composting is simply managing a process that would happen naturally if you just threw everything in a pile and walked away. Fortunately, there’s a less messy method for getting started. The Compost Sak is a large fabric container, similar to a Smart Pot, that takes the guesswork out of composting, even for beginners. The top benefits of these porous, breathable fabric bags are that they neatly contain the composting materials. Plus, they allow air to circulate and water to drain for faster results. Here’s how to get started: Place the Compost Sak in an open, sunny spot where it will get enough moisture to keep the contents as moist as a wrung-out sponge. Water from rain, snow or a hose is essential to the composting process. What to put in a compost bin? Start with dry and crushed leaves, crumpled paper or shredded cardboard for drainage at the base. This layer is the brown, carbon-rich layer. Add green waste, such as lawn clippings, coffee grounds, eggshells, and vegetable peelings to the Compost Sak. Don’t add more than 6 inches of green waste at a time and dig kitchen scraps into the pile. Turn the compost occasionally to speed the composting, if desired. Use a shovel, pitchfork, hoe or long broom handle to mix the materials. Don’t let the compost dry out. Chop materials before adding them to the Compost Sak so they break down quicker. Use a mulching lawn mower, shovel or clippers to cut material into about 2-inch pieces. Add soil or a compost activator for even faster results. Keep adding brown material (dead leaves, shredded paper, straw, lint) with green materials (grass clippings, leaf trimmings, vegetable peelings, egg shells, coffee grounds). Avoid composting meat, cheese, fat, bones or chemically treated yard waste. Even though these bags are lightweight, they get heavy as materials breakdown. When the Compost Sak is just over half full, give it some time to decompose to a finished 12 cubic feet of compost. Start a second Compost Sak to have an even bigger batch of compost in spring. Should I use compost in my garden? Yes! Use the compost to prepare vegetable and flower beds before planting, top dress the lawn and mix into Smart Pot containers. Compost is the result of turning everyday household waste into rich, crumbly material for improving soil structure and growing healthier plants. Adding this organic matter to the garden means more beneficial soil microbes, healthier plants and bigger crops.

Caring for your Smart Pots this winter If you’ve been planting in Smart Pots for awhile, they’re bound to show signs of wear and tear. While those sweet bell peppers were growing inside the containers, some green stuff might have been growing on the outside, too. Fabric containers are meant to hold their shape and last for many years, but they can’t look brand new forever. Regular use over several seasons might require some Smart Pot TLC. Common indicators are white build up caused by excess salts leached from fertilizers, green algae or moss from too much moisture, or mildew forming on the outside of the pot. There are several approaches to caring for Smart Pots, depending on whether you leave them outside year round or empty and store them for the next gardening season. Some gardeners leave their Smart Pots outside because they don’t want to move them. (And storage space can be an issue!) The exteriors of these containers can be cleaned while the pots are still full. Fill a small bucket with a solution of baking soda mixed with water. Use a soft-bristled scrub brush to lightly scrub the pot, removing build up or stains. Then let the container air dry. Other gardeners choose to empty their Smart Pots and store them indoors during the off season. The easiest way to store containers for reuse is to scoop out the soil and let the bag dry completely. Used soil could be added to the compost pile, spread around the perennial bed or recycled elsewhere in the garden. After the pot is dry, gently brush off any dust and small roots or rub the sides of the container together to clean the interior. When the pots are dry and clean, simply fold and store them in a protected space like the potting shed, garage or basement. If the exterior has mineral build up or appears dirty, you can easily wash your Smart Pots to clean and sanitize the containers. OxiClean or a laundry detergent with non-chlorine bleach can do the job. Sterilizing kills any bacteria that remain in pots to keep them fresh for the next season. Like other washable fabrics, Smart Pots can be machine laundered, hand washed in a tub or soaked in a large bucket of cleaning solution. Be sure to rinse each pot thoroughly. Allow them to air dry only. To maintain their rigidity and shape, keep your Smart Pots out of the dryer. Check out our FAQs for additional information. When your pots are completely dry, fold and store them in a clean, dry space. When the next gardening season rolls around, your Smart Pots will be ready to fill and plant. With a little extra care at the end of the season, your Smart Pots can be reused for many years of growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, annual flowers and much more.

Planting perennials this fall for a spring/summer bloom It may come as a surprise, but some plants don’t mind spending the winter in their Smart Pots. These cold-hardy perennials lie dormant through the chilly winter months and know when to start growing again in spring. Instead of pulling up plants at the end of summer, try overwintering them in their containers. Planting perennial herbs, like chives, mint, lemon balm and certain onion species are a few that can last for many seasons in their Smart Pots. Other culinary herbs, like thyme and sage can also survive winter in their containers with a little extra protection. Cover the soil-filled containers with a layer of organic mulch, like straw, shredded bark, dry leaves, or pine needles. Mulch keeps the soil moist, regulates soil temperature and prevents root damage caused by soil freezing and thawing. Larger Smart Pots are the best winter option because they hold more soil. Here’s another overwintering tip: Move containers to a partially sheltered area to avoid drying winds that suck moisture out of the soil. Position containers next to a fence, wall or house to shield them from the fierce winter wind. If you’re overwintering multiple Smart Pots, group them together to provide for even more protection. Ensure your containers are located where they get moisture from precipitation or an occasional hand watering. It’s important to keep plant roots hydrated, but be careful! Too much of a good thing can harm your precious plants. Avoid over-watering or creating soggy soil conditions. If you’re an adventurous gardener, you might want to add to or replant your Smart Pots with perennials before the end of September. Warm days and cool nights help them grow the roots they’ll need to carry them into spring. What flowers can I plant now? Shop for bargains while garden centers are clearing out stock for fall. The selection may be limited, but look for perennial plants that grow in spring and finish blooming in early summer. These plants will start growing roots while the weather is still warm instead of working to grow flowers. Pay special attention to hardiness zones, and plant one zone lower than your own. For example, if you garden in Zone 5, select the perennials that are hardy to Zone 4. Hardy succulents, like sedums or hens and chicks, may overwinter in containers. Other perennials are hardy in colder climates, too. Wormwood, sweet Annie, valerian and catnip are interesting choices for planting perennials in pots. To give perennial plants a good start in their Smart Pots, water them before planting and add mulch. Keep them watered until they take root, then slowly reduce the amount of moisture.