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That is not a typo. It is not supposed to read Environmentally Responsible, although that could be used to describe Smart Pots with our recycling efforts – manufactured in the USA and using locally sourced, USA materials – but that is not what this is about. This is about Environmentally Responsive. Is your garden Environmentally Responsive or is your garden Environmentally Reactive? Let’s define what Environmentally Responsive means first. To be Environmentally Responsive is to reflect the environmental conditions that surrounds. In architectural practices, responsive architectures are designs that respond to the environmental conditions and adapt the form, shape, color, or character in an appropriate way. Well… the Smart Pot doesn’t adapt its form or shape or even color, but its characteristics are another matter. The Smart Pot adapts and is responsive to the environment giving your plants, your garden, the best advantage to grow and produce. Most containers and raised beds are Environmentally Reactive. They react to the environment. The temperature is hot, and the container gets hot and everything inside it heats up as well. When the temperature is cold, and the container and everything inside the container is cold. When it rains, the container fills up with water and we all know what too much water will do to most plants. These are the characteristics of most planters; whether a raised bed or a container. They are designed to hold your soil and that is about it. But the Smart Pot, true to its name, was designed with more thought, insight and desire to be the best container for your plants……..and you… because we all want to have a beautiful garden and a great harvest. The Smart Pot is Environmentally Responsive which means that it responds to the environment. (all the teachers out there are screaming right now because the word being defined was just used in the definition…. bear with me here) It responds to the heat, the cold and the rain. When temperatures sore in the late part of the summer, look at other types of planters. The plants look stressed and have probably produced their last flower. But the Smart Pots, when these conditions occur, responds. The Smart Pot will release the heat on these hot days. When other containers react by heating up and trapping the heat in the container, the Smart Pot releases the heat and keeps your plants cooler with less stress and more fruit and flowers. The difference between a Smart Pot Environmentally Responsive Container and the standard Environmentally Reactive Container that holds heat in could be more than 20 degrees Fahrenheit! #thatshot Environmentally Responsive properties also help in the early spring. When the winter is trying to hold on and keep the spring from fully engaging around us, the mornings can be cold. Then the afternoon comes around and winter loosens its grip and the temperature can be warm and even flat out hot on some days. This temperature swing is not your young plants and seedlings, friend. However, in a Black Smart Pot the material responds to the sun and heats up the plant and soil even in these cold mornings. Again, helping your plant grow to its potential. So, is your raised bed Environmentally Responsive or Reactive? If you are in a Smart Pot or Big Bag Bed the answer is Responsive….and the results are Harvestable………happy gardening!  

Container gardening gives you total control over your plant’s most vital resource… Soil! Here are five tips to help you get the biggest bang for your potting soil buck. 1- Choose a Slow-Release Potting Mix Many potting soil mixes are infused with either a “starter charge” or “slow-release” fertilizer. A starter charge is just that — a small amount of fertilizer that gives your plant a running start. To make things easier on yourself (and your plant) choose the slow-release option. Slow-release potting mixes feed your plants for a month or more. In contrast, a starter charge may last one to two weeks. When you’re shopping, ensure the bags you purchase aren’t waterlogged or visibly weathered. Old or waterlogged garden soil may contain excess nitrogen that was prematurely released. That excess nitrogen can harm or kill your plants, so shop with a keen eye. 2- Feed Your Hungry Plants Even if you choose a slow-release potting mix, its fertilizer won’t last forever. Your plants will voraciously devour any resources they can find. Plus, every time you water, a portion of that fertilizer is lost to drainage. So, feed your green friends! There’s fevered debate in the gardening community about the importance of organic fertilizing techniques. But everyone agrees on one thing: fertilizer is a lot like Goldilocks’ porridge. You have to get it just right. If you’re using an organic fertilizer, apply it to your plants twice a week. For synthetic fertilizers, follow the instructions on the label to a tee. Too much synthetic fertilizer can quickly burn your plants. So be careful! 3- Don’t Overdo it With Compost Composting is a great way to create highly fertile garden soil. It’s an excellent amendment that accelerate growths and contributes to plant health. But there’s a problem. Compost doesn’t drain well. So don’t do anything crazy — like filling your entire container with compost. For optimal results, compost should constitute no more than a third of your total soil volume. 4- Spice Things Up With Unconventional Nutrients Compost. Worm castings. Fertilizer. They’re all great. But what about a splash of the unexpected? Used cooking water may be just what your plants crave. If you routinely boil vegetables, save the water and use it to hydrate your plants. Boiling leaches important plant nutrients into the water, making it the perfect addition to your garden soil. But be careful! If you add salt while cooking, the resulting water is not suitable for container plants. Just like people, plants benefit from a sodium-restricted diet. If your water is salt-free, let it cool and pour at will. 5- Re-use Your Old Potting Mix Think your potting mix is spent after just one season? Prepare to save some cash. In fact, potting mix can be recycled — with a few caveats. If your plants have been attacked by insects or disease, toss that old soil. If not, mix in perlite, compost and fertilizer to restore your old soil. You don’t have to measure exact quantities, but use the following rules of thumb. Perlite should be about 10 percent to the total soil volume. Compost should make up no more than one third. And fertilizer should be used sparingly. You want to add nitrogen and nutrients to the soil, but too much fertilizer will leave your plants burned. Simply mix all ingredients in a plastic tub or trash can, and voila! You’ll have a perfectly usable potting mix. Conclusion: Modern potting mixes work wonders for your plants. In addition to delivering nutrients and fertilizer, they contain additives designed to optimize moisture. But to get the most out of your garden soil, it never hurts to show it some love. Shop carefully, add much-needed amendments, and re-use old soil to get the biggest bang for your buck. When you’re harvesting basketfuls of fresh, mouthwatering produce, you’ll be glad you did!

Wherever on this sapphire-blue planet you live, the summer sun can dish out serious punishment. And when scorching heat mixes with low precipitation, it can spell death for your cherished plants. So it’s no surprise that creating drought tolerant gardens is a hot topic across the globe. Lucky for you, we’ve got six tips to keep your precious plants out of the hot seat. 1- Get Picky (and Prickly) To keep the summer heat from unleashing its vengeance, choose plants that can stand up to the challenge. Succulents are drought tolerant plants that are both attractive and hardy. Cacti are an excellent choice, but don’t limit yourself. Aloe vera are extremely popular for their tenacity and medicinal properties. They’re also tasty in drinks and healthy recipes. Looking for some drought-resistant edibles? Melons, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and all varieties of peppers will do the trick. 2- Thank You Very Mulch Mulch is another great addition to your drought garden. It keeps soil cool during hot, dry conditions by absorbing and radiating heat from the sun while shielding the soil below. Less heat means less evaporation, which in turn means more moisture for roots. An added tip: consider placing a soaker hose under the newly added layer of mulch. It will deliver water directly to roots. And by keeping leaves dry, it will prevent fungal diseases that are common in over-soaked foliage. 3- Water You Waiting For? A typical garden can thrive on an inch of water each week. To make sure that inch goes a mile, carve out some morning time to water your plants. Watering in cool morning temperatures prevents your drought tolerant garden from losing moisture to evaporation. If you’re not a morning person, consider installing an automatic irrigation system with a timer. Set it, wet it, and forget it. 4- Get Dead Serious About Deadheads “Deadheads” are blooms that are dead or dying. No matter how bad they look, chances are they’re still soaking up precious nutrients and moisture from the root system. “Deadheading” (the removal of dead blooms) is a fantastic way to keep your drought resistant plants hydrated all summer long. Keep an eye out for brown, curled blooms and nip them in the bud— before they have a chance to set seeds. Keeping deadheads at bay saves energy for your plants, which in turn saves valuable water. 5- Sweeten the Pot Clay and plastic containers are like a sauna for plant roots. They absorb the boiling summer heat and roast your plant’s roots like a solar oven. In response, your plants may shed foliage in an attempt to conserve water. So pitch the plastic and do away with clay. Instead, opt for fabric containers. Fabric radiates heat to keep plant roots cool. Cooler roots not only exhibit superior moisture retention. They circulate nutrients better than heat-stressed roots, meaning bigger, healthier plants in the hot season. 6- Wick it Up As any experienced container gardener will tell you, gravity is a cruel mistress. When you water your drought tolerant garden, moisture inevitably escapes from the bottom of the pot. Over time, this can leave roots dry and plants wilted. If this happens to you, use the magic of wicking to revive them. Place your container in a shallow pool of water, letting the soil and roots draw the moisture upward. Rehydrating your plants this way may take from one hour to overnight. Just be sure to remove the plant after a maximum of 12 hours to prevent the onset of root rot. Bonus Tip: Recycle Water In the hottest, driest summer months, watering restrictions are often in effect. So squeeze the most out of every drop you’ve got. That three-day-old cup of water on your nightstand? Dump it in the garden. That pot of water you boiled your spaghetti in? It’s a refreshing drink for thirsty plants. And how about the 30 seconds it takes to heat up the shower in the morning? Stick a bucket at the back of your bathtub or shower stall and collect it for your parched pals. With some careful planning and a few clever tricks, your drought tolerant garden won’t just survive. It’ll thrive!

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting your Garden of Eatin’, there are tons of berry varieties that deliver abundant, mouthwatering crops. From tart to tangy to sugary sweet, these six varieties are definitely the way to grow: Strawberries These small perennials taste great with just about anything. Layer them on your favorite ice cream, or dip them in sugar for the ultimate sweet-and-sour duo. However you savor them, strawberries are downright delicious. Another great advantage? They love growing in berry containers! With their compact structure and quick growing habits, growing strawberries in containers is a match made in heaven. For sizeable yields, hang up some Honeoye strawberries in a Wall Flower and watch them grow in any climate. Or try your hand with the Tri-Star variety, another berry container lover. No matter the type, strawberries will make a great addition to your garden and your dinner table. Blueberries Blueberries are one of the most versatile berries to incorporate into your recipe book. Sprinkle some Highbush on a slice of creamy cheesecake. Or gather some juicy Lowbush and mash them up in your favorite muffin mix. It might be hard to contain your excitement for these juicy jaw-droppers, but growing blueberries in containers is the best way to go. Why? Because fabric containers not only provide more oxygen to the plant’s root zone — they also maintain ideal moisture levels in your blueberry potting mix. Blackcurrant Rich in Vitamin C, blackcurrant is a hardy plant suitable for growing throughout the U.S. This sweet, tart berry is wildly popular in Europe and makes an excellent relish for pork or poultry. Blackcurrant in general — and the Ben Alder variety in particular — are especially high in anthocyanins. This compound is a natural anti-inflammatory useful in treating osteoarthritis and gout. Blackcurrants also have some of the highest antioxidant levels of any berry species. This super-healthy berry is sweet to the taste and great for your waist! Blackberries These delicious treats are one of the easiest berries to grow in any space. In fact, they grow a little too easily. If you’re not careful, they’ll take over your garden. That’s why growing blackberries in containers like the Smart Pot is the preferred technique. After you’ve got a plot for your pot, grow some Chesters and chuck them into a tasty cobbler. Or snack on the mouthwatering berries while using their bitter leaves to spruce up a refreshing glass of tea. Raspberries Raspberries require a little more moisture than some of their perennial peers. Growing raspberries in containers is ideal when you have the right fabric container to keep the soil damp. Once you’ve managed to wet your thistle, harvest some Boynes and mix them into your banana bread. If you’re feeling brave, try breaking up some Bristols and mixing them into a spicy jalapeño jam. Any way you prep them, raspberries are irrefutably a top-tier table-topper. Gooseberries Savory summertime pies. Heavenly crème brûlée tarts. The thought of delicious gooseberry dishes is enough to give you goosebumps. There are hundreds of varieties, and many taste like sour grapes right off the vine. That said, the Captivator and Martlet varieties are love at first bite. No need to ripen these fabulous fruits. Just pick, de-stem and enjoy! Conclusion Hardy, prolific, fast-growing berries are the ideal fruit crop for container gardeners. Start yours inside during early spring to avoid damage from late frosts. When the danger of frost passes, move your specimens outside, water abundantly, and fill your basket with luscious berries all summer long

Vertical Gardening in Smart Pots Vertical planting in Smart Pots is a simple way to break out of a gardening rut. Growing up is like adding an energetic exclamation point that punctuates patios, breaks up large horizontal landscapes and fills narrow spaces. Not only does vertical growing maximize a garden’s space, it can solve some common garden challenges. Vertical gardening gives a small garden added depth, enhances an unappealing view and hides eyesores. Gardeners can give their gardens a lift with a few new ideas in vertical growing. Think Outside the Tomato Cage Even though tomato cages are meant to corral unruly fruiting vines, they can create towers of flower power when planted with ornamental vines. Place the cage in the Smart Pot first, then plant fast-growing sweet peas, morning glories or black-eye Susan vines. These annuals will grow quickly and find their way up the climbing support, with a little help. Good-looking annual edibles like to be caged, too. Hyacinth beans and nasturtium flowers are just two ideas for vine-to-table planting. Hang a Succulent Work of Art Succulents are like living sculptures that can transform a plain fence or railing into an outdoor art museum. With their natural architectural qualities, a single succulent or combination of plants adds a new look to an old space. Plant succulents that have a hanging or draping habit, like creeping blue spruce sedum or red carpet stonecrop. For the healthiest plants, add a thin layer of gravel and fill Smart Pot Wall Flower planters with a well-draining potting mix or a cactus mix. Succulents prefer soil on the dry side, so water deeply, but infrequently. Teepee More than Peas Peas and beans are old favorites for growing on a teepee trellis, but there are plenty of other plants that like to grow up. Baby cucumbers, pint-sized pumpkins and small squashes make for attractive and edible plantings. A bamboo teepee trellis is easy to construct with several stakes and ties placed in a Smart Pot. Plant around the base of stakes and guide vines up the teepee as they grow. Colorful foliage plants that climb a trellis can disguise an unsightly view or add dimension to an empty spot. Place several Smart Pots together or fill a Big Bag Long Bed to curve around a corner. Even though sweet potato vines typically like to sprawl along the ground, these colorful vines can grow up, too. Carefully ties vines to poles as they grow. Vertical Growing Tips For the healthiest container plants, place pots in a sunny spot and plant in a loose, well-draining soil. A slow-release fertilizer at planting time gives plants a head start on their vertical growing, with one or two more applications during the growing season.

Brent Jacobs didn’t completely ignore the advice of the extension agent who advised him against planting blueberries. He simply bagged the conventional way of planting and planted in Smart Pots instead. Blueberries need an acidic soil and that’s easier to control pot-by-pot, instead of an entire field. Smart Pots make it possible for Brent to grow 1000 blueberry plants at the family’s Owasso Christmas Tree and Berry Farm in northeast Oklahoma. In addition to 12,000 Christmas trees and the U-pick blueberries, the farm includes five acres of pick-your-own blackberries, grown the traditional way. After the bottom fell out of the landscape business in 2008, Brent was looking for a summer crop to replace landscape trees and a way to reuse his supply of 45-gallon Smart Pots. The next summer, he experimented with growing one blueberry plant in a 15-gallon Smart Pot. He says he didn’t know anything about growing blueberries, but over the years taught himself how to get bushels of berries through trial and error. He still has that first blueberry bush, too. “I’ve been more lucky than good,” he says giving credit to a special soil mix with the right amount of pH. Soil with a pH in the 4.5-5.5 range is essential for growing blueberries. For home gardeners who’d like to grow blueberries, Brent recommends filling each Smart Pot with a combination of a good-quality peat moss (40%) mixed with the smallest size of pine bark mulch (60%). This mixture creates a light, loamy and acidic soil that holds some water, but allows for good air flow to keep roots healthy. He also recommends starting with 4-5 plants and giving them time to start producing berries. His top picks are Northern High Bush blueberry varieties with staggered ripening times. This strategy allows for an extended season of harvest, from June until about the beginning of August. His choices include Reka and Duke as the first berries to ripen. Later season varieties include Patriot, Bluecrop, Blueray, and Chandler. Berries from each variety are a different size and have a different taste. The secret to growing blueberries in Smart Pots is maintaining that acidic soil. “If you keep the pH right, growing blueberries isn’t that difficult,” Brent says. While soil pH is important, it’s critical to monitor the pH level of the water used to irrigate the plants. Even if the soil is at a perfect pH, water can raise the pH level over time, reducing the soil’s acidity. Brent advises gardeners to test their water for pH and make adjustments by adding granular sulphur garden pellets to the soil once a year. Incorporate 4 ounces to each 45-gallon Smart Pot in spring when weather has warmed. Here are Brent’s other tips for home gardeners who want to grow blueberries in Smart Pots: Avoid overwatering in summer to keep roots healthy. When needed, apply a high-acid fertilizer meant to maintain acid pH. Watch plants for any problems, such as yellowing leaves, and take action. Almost 98% of the time the problem is caused by a change in the pH of the soil. Plan ahead for the harvest and use netting to cover plants to prevent birds from getting to the berries first. Monitor soil pH annually by sending a soil sample to a testing lab in fall when plants are dormant. Prevent winter damage by spraying an anti-desiccant protective coating on plants in fall to hold in moisture. Water plants in winter to keep roots hydrated. Water on days when the temperature is above 40 degrees and when there hasn’t been measurable precipitation. Brent has one more tip for aspiring blueberry growers: “A healthy plant doesn’t get diseased. Keep them happy and they’ll do well.”

Ah, winter… That magical time of year when you curl up by the fire and sip a steaming cup of hot chocolate. It’s a season of celebration, family gatherings… and ruthless destruction in your garden. But it doesn’t have to be. With careful planning, you can rescue perennial veggies and ornamentals. And you can set the stage for roaring success in the spring. Here are some helpful tips on how to prepare your garden for winter. Clean It Up While most plants won’t survive freezing temperatures, pests and parasites will. Mold, mildew and blight not only survive in freezing temperatures, but thrive in compost piles. Why? Because composting creates heat that accelerates microbial growth. Burn or dispose of any vegetation that exhibits signs of disease. Toss the rest of your garden scraps on the compost pile to create rich, organic soil for spring. Weed It and Feed It Rake up your mulch and remove invasive weeds. Try to get them by the root so they don’t return in spring. Next, add about two inches of compost. Mix it well with your topsoil, then cover it with your old mulch. Winter precipitation will filter nutrients down into the soil, creating prosperous conditions for spring planting. Protect Perennial Veggies Some of the most popular perennials can use a little winter prepping. Rhubarb needs to be “renovated” every five to ten years. And fall is the perfect time to do it. To renovate rhubarb, divide the crown with a shovel and refill the newly created hole with compost. You can use the removed portion to start a new planting. For artichoke, cut the plant down to soil level or just below. Add three to four inches of mulch on top. For added protection, you can use an upside-down box or basket filled with mulch for extra insulation. Asparagus survives best under about six inches of mulch. And horseradish? It’s as tough as they come. In all but the coldest climates, it survives with no mulch at all. Dig Up Those Bulbs When preparing plants for winter, dig up tender bulbs and tuberous plants. After the first killing frost, cut stems down to two to four inches. Then carefully dig out bulbs and tuberous structures, being extra careful not to cut or scratch them. Avoiding cuts will minimize rot over the winter. For tuberous species, get as much of the root system out of the ground as possible. Place your bulbs on a flat tray, and ensure they are not touching one another. Now it’s time to cure them. Set your trays in a building with inside temperatures of 65 degree or higher. Let them rest for two weeks, then examine them to ensure they’re fully dehydrated. Dispose of any rotting, soft or damaged bulbs. Then place them in an opaque box or sack, and label them by species. Make sure they aren’t exposed to sunlight, and you’re all set for winter. Oh, and one more super-important tip: Dig up your bulbs BEFORE the ground freezes. Once a hard ground freeze sets in, your bulbs will be toast. Frozen, lifeless, useless toast. Dream of Sunny Days to Come When your physical labor is complete, invest some mental effort into the coming season. Plan your garden, sketch out your plantings and order your seeds and bulbs. When warm weather rolls around, you’ll be set for a successful spring planting season!

The spring planting season is right around the corner. Time to stock up on garden supplies and get your plan ready for some edible gardening. Need extra motivation? Close your eyes and fantasize about the sweet aroma of fresh herbs. Imagine the intoxicating taste of juicy tomatoes, crunchy lettuce and fiery peppers. Stomach rumbling much? To start edible gardening, the formula is pretty simple. Plant seeds, water regularly, provide light, collect veggies. But there are a few tips and tricks that can maximize your yields. Let’s take a look at some of the unexpected things you need to start a vegetable garden. Critter Fencing and Crop Cages Depending on your garden’s location, it might be prone to theft from furry friends. Rabbits, moles, raccoons, deer and numerous other pests can wreak havoc. If local wildlife is snacking on your crops, try critter fencing or crop cages. Fencing can be built from sturdy plastic or metal poles surrounded by a soft polyethylene mesh. If you’re battling deer, make sure to leave a generous gap between the fence and your garden. You don’t want those long deer necks stretching over and gobbling down your lettuce. Crop cages completely enclose the plant, keeping it pest-free. Insect Barriers Made from translucent fabric, insect barriers keep hungry bugs from munching on your crops. They’re inexpensive and can be cut to any size. Insect barriers are made from breathable fabric that causes almost no heat build-up. And they’re designed to transmit at least 95% of the sun’s light to your growing plants. Insect barriers are an inexpensive way to keep six-legged pests at bay. Fabric Raised Beds & Containers While we’re on the subject of pest control, fabric raised beds do a fantastic job of fending off burrowing pests. Ground squirrels, gophers, voles, moles and chipmunks can do a number on your plants. The Big Bag Bed® or Smart Pot® discourages burrowing pests from nibbling on delicate roots and shoots. But the benefits don’t stop there. Fabric containers are excellent for edible gardening. They provide superior drainage to prevent root rot, and they’re proven to promote explosive root growth. That’s super-important, because larger root masses translate to larger harvests. When it comes to vegetable yields, fabric containers blow clay and plastic pots clean out of the water. And if you’re into organic farming, you’re in luck. Smart Pots and Big Bag Beds are 100% BPA-free. So they’ll never leach harmful BPA into your soil. It’s reassuring to know your crops will be free of this endocrine disrupting chemical. Soaker Hose with Timer Vegetable crops best thrive in fabric containers. And if you’re opting for fabric, do yourself a favor. Add a soaker hose and timer to your list of garden supplies. The Bed Wetters™ Soaker Hose is a great choice. Designed specifically for raised beds, it conserves up to 70% more water than traditional methods. Allowing water to slowly drip into the soil, it keeps your plants’ foliage dry. Wet foliage is a major source of disease transmission. Keeping those leaves high and dry will reduce plant pathogens. And if you add a programmable timer, watering is literally effortless. Cloches Cloches are essentially mini-greenhouses that can be placed over the tops of your plants. They can be purchased inexpensively at your local nursery or made from household materials like milk jugs. In spring, cloches create a micro-climate, keeping newly planted seeds warm and moist. That means you can plant seeds earlier and get a jump on the growing season. Cloches protect seedlings from spring frost, hail and heavy rains. In the fall, use cloches to keep plants warm, extending your growing season by a month or more. So there you have it. Five edible gardening contraptions you never knew you couldn’t live without. Use these products with a premium mix, organic fertilizer and all-natural pest repellant for appetizing results. And if you just can’t help yourself, add some beneficial mycorrhizae to the mix. With a green thumb and the best garden supplies at your disposal, it’s gonna be a tasty summer — and fall!

Fall is upon us and temperatures are plummeting — especially in northern climates where the growing season is shorter. But that doesn’t mean you’re doomed for a frosty reception in the garden. With a little planning, you can grow vegetables and ornamentals to your heart’s content. Here are five tips for cold climate gardening. Get in the Zone When you’re gardening in cold climates, consult the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. This invaluable information will help you identify suitable varieties for your location. Once you’ve identified your hardiness zone, the next step is choosing cold tolerant plants that are right for your geography. Hmmmm. If only there were someplace where all the world’s information were stored in searchable form… Keep It Local In sports, there’s a famous phrase: “train like you play.” That goes for plants, too. Purchase cultivars that have been raised in the same conditions they’ll be grown in. Those glamorous online photos can make your mouse finger itchy. Don’t do it! Buy from local nurseries when possible to give your plants the best chance to thrive. Be Picky If you’re growing vegetables in cold weather, pick the right varieties for the job. Select cold tolerant plants that can survive AT LEAST a mild frost. These include corn, cowpeas, cucumbers, eggplant, melons, okra, peppers, squash and tomatoes. For a harder frost, you’ll need hardier crops. Select varieties like these that survive down to 22° F: arugula, radishes, celery, cilantro, fava beans, Russian kales, kohlrabi and winter cress. Craving lush, beautiful ornamentals to brighten the colder months? Try brilliant calendula, vibrant dianthus, glowing snapdragons or sweet alyssum. Mulch with Compost Sure, mulch looks great. But it’s also a functional addition when you’re gardening in cold weather. Because winter air tends to be dry, bare soil dehydrates much faster in cooler months. Mulch traps daytime heat in the soil and locks in moisture. And don’t forget — decomposing compost creates heat. It’s not as effective as a greenhouse, but it adds a layer of protection. And in the spring, all that organic matter will kick your garden into overdrive! Use a Cold Frame Not everyone has the space or budget for a green house. A cold frame is a smaller and cheaper alternative for growing vegetables in cold weather. The idea is the same. Cold frames use a translucent or transparent top to trap heat inside the growing area. You can build them from a wide variety of materials — even straw bales! To keep your plants healthy, remember to vent your cold frame frequently. And keep an eye on the heat. On warm days, temperatures inside your cold frame can soar, harming your precious crops. Hang a thermometer in your cold frame to keep an eye on temps. Cold weather is on the way. But there’s no reason to give your garden the cold shoulder. With a little elbow grease, you can keep on keepin’ on with cold tolerant plants. The weather may be frightful

Don’t look now, but autumn is fast approaching. Those sunny summer rays get a wee bit shorter every day. If you have a healthy addiction to gardening, don’t despair. There are plenty of crops to grow in your fall vegetable garden. Here are 5 fall gardening tips to help you sow the seeds of success. 1. Stock up on seeds. As fall approaches, it may be difficult or impossible to get seeds for your fall vegetable garden. Lawn and garden stores often sell out during the spring and summer planting frenzy. Don’t get left out in the cold. Plan ahead, and get your fall garden seeds early. 2. Grab an almanac. Frost is the arch enemy of vegetable crops. So you’ll need to plan your harvest time with a little room to spare. Plan to harvest your fall vegetable garden one to two weeks before the first predicted frost. If you see frost in the forecast, you’ve got two choices: Harvest early. Transplant your crops inside. Depending on the size of your fall garden, this might not be an option. Whatever you do, keep an eye on the weather forecast. Who knows, you might get lucky and enjoy a few extra weeks of frost-free weather! 3. Tweak your timing. As daylight hours grow shorter, your crops will take longer to mature. As a rule of thumb, you’ll want to add two to three weeks to the expected maturity date to allow for slower growth. 4. Choose cultivars carefully. As you’ve probably noticed, gardening in the fall takes meticulous planning. And selecting the proper crops is no exception. Here are just a few varieties that work especially well for the fall garden: Leafy greens including lettuce, kale, collards, arugula, spinach and Swiss chard. Other cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Root vegetables such as parsnips, beets, turnips and radishes. Pod varieties like beans and peas. This list is a great start, but there are tons of herbs and veggies that are perfectly suited for your fall vegetable garden. So get busy on Google, or grab your almanac and do some quick math! 5. Compost and water. You’ve spent your spring and summer harvesting delicious crops. By fall, your garden soil may be depleted of much-needed nutrients. So… show it some love! Before you plant, enrich your soil with a high-quality compost. Start by digging two to four inches into the soil. Mix the compost in and rake the soil back into place. After planting, water thoroughly. Don’t let the cooler days of autumn fool you. Your plants are still thirsty, and the stakes are even higher. If you let your fall garden crops stagnate through dehydration, they might not mature before the first frost. Keep a keen eye on hydration levels, and it’ll be smooth sailing. Start planning your fall vegetable garden today! With seeds to buy and plantings to schedule, there’s no time to waste. Grab a calendar, schedule your plantings and get ready for a bountiful fall. With planning, pluck and a little luck, your fall vegetable garden will keep you stocked all winter long!

Cleaning out your garden is a labor of love. But it’s not just about beautification. Those layers of leaves and debris can harbor disease pathogens and insect parasites. Sprucing things up will enhance your landscape, protect your plants and give you a sense of accomplishment. Oh, and one more thing. Recycling your garden scraps into compost can yield rich, organic soil for your garden. The Benefits of Composting Approximately 20 to 30 percent of all landfill space is consumed by yard waste, garden scraps and kitchen scraps. As that organic material decays, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide. But composting isn’t just great for the atmosphere. It’s awesome for your garden and landscape because it: Decreases soil erosion Suppresses plant diseases Supports beneficial organisms Creates rich soil for your garden Saves money How to Start Composting with a Compost Sak: You don’t need a fancy compost bin to start the process. Give the Compost Sak a try. It’s lightweight, foldable and reusable year after year. This high-tech composting container has numerous advantages over wood and plastic options. Here are some composting tips for your Compost Sak. Let it flow. The Compost Sak is made from the same rugged, top-quality geotextiles as the Smart Pot®. This permeable bag lets air and water flow through the container to prevent overwatering and aerate the composting material. Maintaining the proper balance of air flow and moisture is crucial to creating nutrient rich compost. Because it’s lightweight, the Compost Sak is easy to move. Constructed from resilient materials, you can drag it, yank it or haul it around in a wheel barrow. The Compost Sak is convenient and built to last. Get rolling. To set up your Compost Sak, unfold it and find a suitable spot in your yard. You’ll want a location that gets both sunlight and rain. When it’s firmly in place, anchor it with your first load of garden scraps. Wet leaves are a great addition because they’re heavy and bulky. Pile it up. Heap up leaves, lawn clippings, weeds and other garden scraps on top of your initial layer. And don’t leave kitchen scraps out of the party. Vegetables and fruit scraps, coffee or tea grounds and egg shells make great additions. Just remember the four no-no’s: meat, bones, dairy and poop. (Cattle manure is fine, but pet poop can introduce pathogens and parasites.) Remember, you’ll be handling your compost by hand. So don’t toss poison ivy or sumac into your pile. Give it a whirl. Every once in a while, stir your Compost Sak with a shovel or hoe. This aerates the mix and speeds up the composting process. But it’s not absolutely necessary. If speed isn’t important, just set it and forget it. Dump it out. The Compost Sak has a 117-gallon capacity. But you won’t want to fill it more than halfway. Remember, compost is rich, organic soil. It’s heavy. Once your bin is half-full, let it rest for a few months. If you don’t get much rain, water it every couple of weeks to keep beneficial organisms digesting your garden scraps. When it’s ready, use your composted garden scraps as a soil amendment, mulch or top dressing for your lawn. Begin again. The Compost Sak can provide an endless supply of rich, nutritious compost for your garden. When you’ve cashed in your compost stash, why wait? Start the process again, and you’ll have a steady source of “black gold.” With help from the rugged, resilient Compost Sak, your garden will be looking great for years to come!

What do you do with kitchen scraps? Toss them? Banish them to the compost pile? Here’s a better idea — turn them back into vegetables! A surprising variety of veggies will regrow with very little effort. All they need is water, soil, light and some TLC. Here are the top five veggies to regrow from kitchen scraps. Green Onions This is our top selection for one simple reason. It’s effortless. To regrow green onions, cut the bulbs, drop them in a jar, and shake them a little until the roots are pointing downward. That’s it. Set them in the windowsill, change the water every few days to prevent rot, and voilà! An endless supply of fresh, free, organic green onions. Give them about a week to grow. Then eat and repeat. Leeks The process for regrowing leeks is almost identical to the green onion method. But there’s one important extra step. Leeks are much thicker and heavier than green onions. So you’ll want some extra stability. Begin by removing the leaves and chopping off the stalk. Discard the leaves and use the stalk in your recipe. Insert three toothpicks evenly around the edge of the remaining bulb. You want them sticking straight out from the bulb, parallel to your growing surface. Place the bulb in a glass of water. Use the toothpicks to suspend the bulb just above the water’s surface while letting the roots dangle into the liquid. Soon, the stalk will begin to regrow. Trim as needed for your recipes and change the water a couple times per week. They just keep growing and growing. Herbs Cilantro, basil, mint… Just about every herb you can buy at your local grocer can be regrown in the comfort of home. Take a small cutting from the bottom of the stem, and leave a few leaves attached. Place the stems in water and set them in a bright window sill. After a couple of weeks, you’ll notice robust roots growing in the glass. Now, it’s time to transplant. Place your new growth in a pot of rich soil. In a few weeks, you’ll have healthy bunches of super fresh herbs. Grow a wide variety of fresh herbs for a zesty addition to any meal. Lettuce Regrowing kitchen scraps can yield a bounty of fresh produce. Need proof? Let us turn our attention to lettuce. To regrow lettuce from scraps, cut away the leaves about an inch above the base or stem. Place in water in a sunny spot. (Notice a trend here?) Next, transplant your lettuce into soil — inside or out. With five to ten heads of lettuce, you can grow crops for the entire season. Potatoes This one takes a tad more planning. (Or laziness, depending on how you look at it.) Set a few potatoes aside and wait for them to produce eyes (those little roots that sprout from the sides). Chop them in half and bury them about four inches down in the soil with the eyes facing upward. You’ll have plants in a few weeks. Bonus tip: If your peels have eyes on them, you don’t even need the potato. Just use the skin. But bear in mind, the skin is the most nutritious part of the potato. So leave it on, and chow down! If you want to grow vegetables from kitchen scraps, the possibilities are endless. From ginger to celery, carrots to garlic the ideas are virtually limitless. The next time you whip up a gourmet meal, don’t just clean up your kitchen. Clean up on grocery savings with fresh-grown vegetables from kitchen scraps!

When you think high performance, what comes to mind? A championship race car? An elite athlete? A world-class opera? When every part works in perfect harmony, the results can be jaw-dropping. Now ponder this: Can you expect world-class performance from your garden? The answer is a resounding “YES!” A Performance Garden starts with the right ingredients: soil, seed, and fertilizer. But there’s one more component that can make or break your garden – the container. Even with the best soils, seeds and fertilizer, a subpar container can deep-six your entire project. So, what kind of container should you use? Smart Pots and Big Bad Beds are the ultimate Performance Garden containers. The Smart Pot is a breathable, porous fabric container. Unlike plastic containers, it’s permeable to air and moisture. So it doesn’t retain excess water. And with plentiful air flow moving through the root zone, it prevents heat stress and root circling. Just imagine how your plants will flourish when everything is just right. Your tomato plants will grow fuller and taller. Rosemary, mint and basil will display deeper, richer colors. Kale will sprout again and again. With the right tools in place, your plant performance will be off the charts. Worried you don’t have a green thumb? Don’t sell yourself short. You just need the right tools for the job. With Smart Pots from High Caliper Growing, expect championship performance from your garden!

In an era of pesticides and genetically modified foods, the idea of homegrown produce is going mainstream. Hobbyists and professionals are warming to the idea of hydroponic food. Hydroponic farms provide several distinct benefits, including: Water efficiency Hydroponic food consumes only about 10% of the water required by soil-grown food. Organic growing Hydroponic farms grow food rapidly with little or no soil. This virtually eliminates the problem of weeds and invasive plants, particularly if your farm is indoors. The result? No herbicides to contaminate your food. Year-round growing Indoor hydro farms aren’t vulnerable to harsh weather and fluctuations in precipitation. And because the roots are suspended in a nutrient-rich medium, there’s no need to amend the soil or let it recover. Once you harvest a crop, you can start the next one immediately. Starting Your Hydroponic Farm There are several important factors to consider when starting your hydroponic farm. Indoor and outdoor setups have different requirements. Today, let’s look at the most important ingredients for an indoor flood table system. It’s great way to get maximum yields with minimal effort. So… What’s a Flood Table? Also known as a flood tray or grow table, a flood table is a raised structure topped with a broad plastic tray with raised sides. Located just beneath the tray, a tank or reservoir filled with nutrient solution is connected to the tray through one or more hoses. Periodically, a pump lifts the solution from the reservoir, “flooding” the tray along with the plant containers situated inside it. After a delivering a dose of nutrients, the pump drains the solution back into the reservoir, allowing the plant containers to drain. Depending upon the crop, this process is repeated for days or months until the plant reaches maturity. Flood tables, along with required hoses and pumps can be purchased through numerous retailers, and flood tray liners can be found here. Lighting There are several options for indoor lighting, and each comes with pros and cons. Let’s take a look at the basic options. T5 Fluorescent This option provides two basic benefits: price and heat profile. T5s are inexpensive and don’t produce much heat. That’s good, because excess heat can stress or kill your plants, particularly in an enclosed space. On the negative side, T5s don’t produce the spectrum required for fruiting and flowering plants. If you’re focused on growing leafy greens like lettuce or herbs in your hydro farm, T5s will work fine. If not, you’ll need to step it up to HID or LED lights. High-Intensity Discharge (HID) HID lighting produces the intense, full-spectrum light required by fruiting and flowering specimens. On the other hand, they’re much more expensive to purchase and operate. Plus, they produce a lot of heat. That’s fine if you’re growing in an open space. During colder months, it may even be an advantage. But if you’re growing in an enclosed space, you’ll need to consider venting options. And that’s a whole different can of worms. LED Until recently, LEDs were a pariah in the hydroponic farm movement. They were extremely expensive and incapable of producing the necessary light spectrum for optimum flowering and fruiting. But times have changed. LEDs have dramatically improved and offer two main benefits. First, they produce very little heat. So roasting your plants to death isn’t a problem. Next, they consume very little power, and their maintenance costs are extremely low. On the other hand, LEDs remain the most expensive grow lights on the market, and numerous poor-quality models are sold on sites like eBay. If you’re going to invest in LED grow lights, make sure you do your homework and find reviews from reputable sources. Growing Containers Once you’ve got your table and lighting set up, you’ll need containers, and material is an important consideration. Today’s hydro growers can choose containers made from plastic, fabric, and even coconut fiber. Fabric bags offers distinctive benefits that make them an especially smart choice. Unlike plastic pots, fabric discourages root circling, an undesirable condition in which plant roots become tangled inside the pot. Through a process known as “root pruning,” fabric bags prevent root circling and encourage healthy root structures. The result is healthier plants and vastly superior yields. Fabric grow bags offer several other notable advantages, including: Allowing the nutrient solution to flow freely among the roots while keeping the growth medium from escaping the container. Prevent the growth medium from clogging hoses that connect the table and reservoir. Aerating the plants roots to promote beneficial bacteria growth. Excellent drainage to prevent root rot and moisture-related diseases. Releasing heat to keep plants free from stress. It’s no wonder fabric pots are among the most popular growing containers in hydroponic farms across the world. Final Notes Of course, these are just the basics. You’ll need to fine-tune your nutrient solution, ventilation needs, pest control and PH balancing to get your hydroponic farm in tip-top shape. But with a little research and a heavy dose of elbow grease, you’ll be eating your own farm-to-table vegetables in no time!

As a gardener, nothing is more frustrating than watching your plants succumb to disease. Just when your garden is starting to flourish…. BOOM! A nasty case of mildew sends you back to square one. If you’re not careful, common plant diseases can become a persistent problem, turning your green thumb an ugly shade of brown. In this blog, we’ll break down four common plant diseases and what you can do to nurse your garden back to health. Powdery Mildew — This bugaboo is among the world’s most common plant diseases. There are thousands of strains of powdery mildew, and most are host-specific, meaning they only attack one species or family of species. The disease typically presents as white or gray splotches that may turn red or purple as the disease progresses. As the name suggests, it has a powdery appearance, so it’s easy to spot. To prevent powdery mildew, choose resistant cultivars from your local nursery. The disease thrives in crowded conditions with poor air circulation. To combat these conditions, space plants appropriately and prune to improve air flow. Commercial fungicides can be applied as a remedy or preventative. Rust — Like powdery mildew, there are thousands of species of plant rust. To identify it, look for yellow or white spots forming on leaves. Small nodes, called pustules, may appear on the undersides of leaves accompanied by orange or yellow streaks. These are reproductive bodies that eject spores and infect nearby plants. Unfortunately, rust is a persistent and highly infectious disease. To keep this plant disease from spreading, prune all infected areas and burn or bag them. Absolutely do not compost rust-infected plant matter, and rake frequently beneath the plants to remove infected foliage. To prevent rust from spreading, space your plants well. Avoid watering the leaves of infected or uninfected plants, as wet surfaces are required for transmission. Finally, resistant cultivars and highly effective fungicides are available at most lawn and garden centers. Root Rot — Root rot is the most common killer of house plants, but it does occur in outdoor beds as well. Overwatering is generally the culprit, and plant disease symptoms most frequently manifest as yellowing leaves and stunted growth. Root rot occurs when plants are watered too frequently or placed in containers that offer poor drainage. In outdoor beds, poorly draining soil can invite an infection as well. Under these conditions excessive moisture encourages fungal growth which infects and feeds upon plant roots. If the plant still has viable roots, it’s possible to prune away the infected portions and re-plant the specimen. Simply dig a hole approximately twice as big as the root ball and fill it with highly organic material. It’s also wise to loosen the soil around the plant to promote additional drainage. For potted plants, migrating to a fabric container can prevent excessive moisture and restore your plant to health. Black Spot — Dreaded black spot is the most common and serious plant disease for ornamental roses. Because roses take years or even decades to fully mature, stopping black spot in its tracks is a high priority for gardeners. This fungal pest is easily identified by the dark circular markings that afflict contaminated leaves. Left untreated, black spot can cause a rose bush to defoliate completely, leaving it susceptible to winter stress and other fatal diseases. To treat black spot, remove affected leaves and prune affected canes six to eight inches below the infection. Prune only in dry weather, as spores germinate in wet conditions. Disinfect pruning shears with bleach or alcohol between cuts to avoid spreading the infection. As always, try to prevent black spot by choosing resistant cultivars, and consult your local garden center for preventive and remedial treatments. With tens of thousands of plant diseases in the wild, this list just scratches the surface. But some basic principles apply to preventing most plant diseases. From the start, choose resistant cultivars. This is your best bet for preventing common plant diseases. Ensure your plants have plenty of space for light and air to penetrate between them. This is crucial for preventing most fungal diseases. And finally, water properly. Make sure you don’t over-water your plants, and water at the root to prevent pathogens from splashing from one infected leaf to another. With some smart planning, a keen eye, and a little luck, you’ll enjoy a healthy garden for years to come!

To have a successful garden, your plants need life-giving water. But have you ever considered how much water you waste? Or how much time you spend irrigating thirsty plants? There’s got to be a better way. And… (spoiler alert!) there is definitely a better way. The Bed Wetters™ soaker hose will change the way you look at irrigation. Whether you’re watering raised beds or containerized plants, Bed Wetters deliver water exactly where it’s needed. Even better? It saves on time! And your plants will thank you for giving them precisely the volume of water they need. Bed Wetters Save Serious Water Sprinklers, hose nozzles and wands are popular watering implements. Unfortunately, they have some major drawbacks. While your plants receive plenty of water, so do weeds and unwanted grass. You may even be watering concrete and wood surrounding your garden. But there’s a solution. The Bed Wetters soaker hose delivers a slow, steady drip directly to the root zone. No more wasting water or nutrients caused by water runoff. The Bed Wetters soaker hose reduces water use by as much as 70%! A Stitch in Time… Gardening should be enjoyable, even therapeutic. But for busy gardeners, watering can be a time investment, especially if you’re hand watering with a hose. Depending on its size, watering your garden might eat up 10-15 minutes of your time — even more if you have a hefty garden. In the dog days of summer, you should water often. Instead of wasting your leisure time watering, you could be checking plants for pests or disease — or even kicking back in your lawn chair! Here’s a better idea. Put a Bed Wetters soaker hose in your raised bed. It’s a one-and-done solution. No more watering for hours upon hours each week. Add a timer into the mix, and the process becomes effortless. Now you can enjoy more time in your garden, and less time dragging around that pesky water hose. Make Your Garden A Blooming Success Using Bed Wetters can improve plant health. Unlike sprinklers and water hoses, Bed Wetters utilize drip irrigation, so they don’t get plant foliage wet. Instead, they deliver water directly to the root zone, keeping foliage dry and helping to prevent disease. And thanks to the slow, constant drip, your plants will be less stressed and more productive. Made in the USA, Bed Wetters meet the lead-free standard under the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act. So you can rest assured Bed Wetters won’t leach harmful chemicals into your garden. Want healthier plants, hassle-free gardening, and more leisure time on your hands? The answer is simple. Get your Bed Wetters soaker hose today! Visit our product page and find a retailer near you!

An Oasis in the Concrete Jungle The urban gardening movement has exploded over the last two decades. With accelerating urbanization throughout the globe, that’s not likely to change soon. Urban gardens create community space, improve food security, slash carbon emissions… Heck, they even reduce noise pollution. They’re also a welcome change of pace from frenetic city life. If you’re ready to up your urban gardening game, it’s time to consider Smart Pots. Check out these three powerful tips to make Smart Pots work for you. Win the Race for Space In metropolitan areas, gardening space is at a premium. That’s especially true for rooftop gardens. So making the most out of limited square footage is a top priority. Smart Pots help you maximize available space by dramatically improving plant yields. Whether you’re growing edibles or ornamentals, Smart Pots can help you grow healthier plants while producing higher yields. The key is a process called air pruning. In a plastic pot, a plant’s roots will circle the container, becoming a thick, tangled mass. The resulting knotted root ball isn’t efficient at delivering nutrients. Unlike plastic, Smart Pots are permeable to both air and water. When roots detect the presence of oxygen in the soil, they don’t circle the pot. Instead, they branch to form dense, fibrous root structures. All those healthy roots deliver a potent dose of water and nutrients. They resulting plants are dramatically larger and healthier than plastic-grown plants. For best results, plan the layout of your garden before you put seedlings in pots. Group full-sun plants together and use walls or other structures to create shade for partial-sun species. To help your plants get exactly the right amount of light, you can even take a time lapse with your phone or camera. It’ll help you determine where the highest and lowest intensities of light occur throughout the day. Keep it Organic A huge advantage of rooftop gardening is knowing what’s in your food. Unlike knockoff fabric containers, Smart Pots are 100% BPA-free. They’re also chemically inert — so you know nothing is leaching into your soil. Keep your vegetables healthy by using natural, homemade pesticides. To deal with pests, consider an all-natural pesticide like Green Cleaner from Central Coast Garden Products. This safe, nontoxic product is effective against spider mites, broad mites, and russet mites, killing both adult bugs and their eggs. It also destroys the powdery mildew (PM) fungus, a prevalent plant disease throughout North America. Green Cleaner hits powdery mildew with a one-two punch. First, it coats the PM with active oil, limiting spore reproduction. Then, a combination of alcohol and citric acid dehydrates the mildew while simultaneously killing with its natural anti-fungal properties. For other garden pests, give diatomaceous earth a try. It’s incredibly effective and inexpensive. Diatomaceous earth is made from fossilized algae. When these fossils are crunched into power, they form sharp microscopic structures. When bugs are exposed to the powder, it punctures the exoskeleton, resulting in death by dehydration. Diatomaceous earth is non-toxic to humans and animals. Sprinkle it on the ground around your plants and put some directly in the pot. You can even sprinkle it on the plant itself to annihilate pests. Rinse and Repeat In urban gardening, sustainability is the name of the game. Smart Pots do their part with extraordinary durability. Unlike plastic pots, which eventually crack, disintegrate and end up in oceans, Smart Pots are incredibly long-lived. In fact, they have a conservative life expectancy of three to five years, depending on your level of care. To keep your Smart Pots in tip-top shape, wash them out at the end of the season, fold them up and store them inside. You’ll have high-quality rooftop garden containers for years to come. Across the globe, urban gardeners are on the cutting edge of innovation. With growing demand for scarce urban space, there’s always an incentive to improve. If you want more from your urban or rooftop garden, give Smart Pots a try. When you see huge plants and jaw-dropping harvests, you’ll be glad you did.

4 Tips for Cultivating Soil Bacteria and Garden Microbes Plants and microbes have evolved together for hundreds of millions of years. Their connection is a basic building block for earth’s terrestrial ecosystems. Today, scientists recognize microorganisms as key contributors to plant growth and health. In the garden, all those invisible microbes can make or break your growing season. Today, we’ll look at four ways you can promote a healthy ecosystem at the microscopic level. Be a fun-guy. Use mycorrhizal inoculant. Mycorrhiza are tiny fungal filaments (known as “mycelia”) that weave themselves throughout a plant’s roots. Technically, fungi don’t have roots, but mycorrhiza are structurally and functionally similar. These tiny fungal fibers wrap around roots, helping them extract water and nutrients from the soil. They also protect roots from predators, and in return receive plentiful carbohydrates from the plant. It’s a marriage made in heaven, and you can use it to your advantage. Mycorrhizal inoculant is available from numerous online sources and probably at your local lawn and garden store. Look for Rhizophagus irregularis. It’s a popular variety and works well with most domesticated plants. To apply it, rub the powder on the root ball or sprinkle it in the hole. You can also mix it directly with seeds before planting. If you want to grow beneficial garden microbes, placing them directly into the soil is a good start. Mulch it Up Adding a layer of mulch can work wonders for garden microbes, especially if you use compost. Mulch repels the sun’s rays, cooling the soil on hot days. It also acts as a moisture barrier, trapping humidity below the surface during summer months. Compost is an especially effective mulch because it leaches beneficial nutrients into the soil. It’s also teeming with (you guessed it!) beneficial plant microbes. In fact, compost contains a diverse array of plant bacteria not found in commercial inoculants. If you want to colonize your garden with soil bacteria, start by spreading a thick layer of “black gold.” Whip Up Your Own Probiotics It’s entirely possible to brew your own garden microbes using a few simple materials. All you need is a jar, some molasses, a little water and some dirt. Homebrewed microbial mix can be spray directly onto plant foliage or diluted in water to increase its volume. Remember, the idea is to colonize the garden with healthy, biodiverse soil bacteria. Translation: More isn’t always better. If you’ve always wanted to try home brewing, start with a cocktail — of thriving plant microbes! Open a Can of Worms If compost is black gold, worm castings are black platinum. They’re plentiful in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and numerous micronutrients. They are also bursting with a vast array of garden microbes. Want to get access to an endless supply? Build your own wormery. Begin by purchasing an opaque plastic box. A typical closet organizer will do the trick. Next, drill 20 to 30 holes in the bottom to promote healthy air flow. You’ll also want air holes around the top and sides to allow oxygen to flow in. Layer the bottom with several sheets of newspaper, and cover it with 3-4 inches of moist compost. Finally, add some worms. Red wigglers are a great choice and can be purchased inexpensively. Depending on the size of your bin, 300-500 worms is a good start. Keep your worms healthy with a diet of vegetable scraps and peelings. Meat, bones, grease and eggshells are a no-no. Monitor the moisture levels in your soil, adding water when you no longer see condensation on the inside of the lid. Oh, and about the lid… You’ll want to keep it on to retain moisture and block sunlight. Keep the box out of direct sun, so you don’t cook the poor buggers. Within several weeks, you’ll have a rich and inexhaustible supply of black platinum. (Black platinum. You heard it here first.) Step Up to the Culture Plate Colonizing your garden with beneficial microbes may sound like a fancy, complicated, scientific endeavor. In reality, it’s a simple and sensible way to boost plant health and productivity. Whether you’re a novice or a master gardener, put soil bacteria to work for you. Plants have been doing it for millions of years. Who knows? Maybe they’re onto something.

There’s something in the air. You can feel it in your bones. Yep, it’s planting season again. This year why not try something a little different? Shake things up with unexpected combinations that will make your garden pop. Here are three of our favorite spring garden ideas that serve up some serious eye candy. Tulips with Allium. Available in a wide variety of fiery colors, tulips are hard to beat. Spice up your garden with exotic varieties like Fosteriana, also known as the Emperor Tulip. These beautiful cultivars produce huge blossoms six or more inches across. Or add some Parrot Tulips to your plot. This dramatic variety produces blazing stripes that are mesmerizing to the eye. Famous for their giant purple spheres, alliums can make you feel like you’re in Willy Wonka’s factory. But don’t be fooled. These enormous flowers come in eye-catching reds, blues, whites and spotted varieties. They’re excellent for adding some marvelous color to your garden. Tulips bloom in April and May while Alliums prefer June. By planting them together, you’ll have hypnotic spring flowers blooming for months. If you want their flowering cycles to coincide, look for late-blooming tulip varieties. Late-blooming tulips will overlap with your alliums for several weeks in early June. Dahlia with Gladiolus. Dahlia is a truly spellbinding species. Named the national flower of Mexico in 1963, it comes in a number of radiant varieties. The Anemone-flowered, Waterlily, Ball, Pompon, Semi cactus, and Single Orchid cultivars are especially striking. Once grown as a food crop by the Aztecs, Dahlia’s flowers spring up from tubers. They grow naturally in frost-free climates, so be sure to plant them when the risk of a hard frost has passed. Gladiolus is a perennial from the iris family. Native to the Eastern Hemisphere, it’s available in hundreds of colors and varieties. Most cultivars grow tall, narrow stalks that sprout vertical columns of blooms. Both of these spring plants grow fairly tall — up to five feet for Dahlia and six feet for Gladiolus. They also both enjoy full sun. So the best match for these companions is a side-by-side planting arrangement. Make sure they get at least eight hours of full sun a day, and feast your eyes on a polychromatic extravaganza. Hydrangea with Rhododendron. Hydrangea is a flowering shrub that starts small and grows to massive proportions. Depending on the variety, these spring plants can reach up to 20 feet in height. They produce large bouquets of clustered blossoms in a range of eye-catching hues. But there’s no need to worry about them taking over your garden. Hydrangeas are easily pruned. For maximum blooming power, they need two to three hours of morning light with dappled light or shade in the afternoon. Lovely Lacecap, L.A. Dreamin’, and Peppermint Swirl deliver splashes of beautiful pink and purple. Rhododendrons vary greatly in size, from small shrubby plants to full blown trees. Compact varieties include Pink Sherbet, Ramapo and Wee Bee, all of which produce vibrant blooms. Like hydrangeas, rhododendrons prefer partial shade, making these two spring plants ideal partners. When planting Rhododendron and Hydrangea together, consider your available space. If you have a generous swath to work with, consider spacing your plants out over a large area and letting them fill in over several years. If you’re working in a smaller space, choose compact varieties and keep them pruned according to schedule. Whatever your strategy, you’re sure to enjoy a spectacular spring show. As spring casts its annual spell, consider some new and fantastic combinations. With your green thumb and a little imagination, your spring gardening ideas will reward you with an awe-inspiring display of color.

A decorative pond is a glorious addition to any landscape. And aquatic plants add a touch of class that can really put your pond over the top. If you’re currently growing aquatic plants in plastic pots, perhaps it’s time to consider fabric Pond Pots. With distinct advantages for your fish and plants, the benefits of Pond Pots are hard to overstate. Cleaner, Clearer Water Fabric Pond Pots are permeable to air and water. So moisture can flow in, but soil can’t flow out. That keeps your water free from sediment that can escape from plastic pots. But here’s an even bigger benefit of pond pots — plant roots can grow through the fabric without tearing it. Submerged roots filter the water by absorbing nitrogen. They give your pond a crystal-clear appearance without expensive filtering mechanisms. Healthier Plants Plastic pots promote root circling, an unhealthy condition in which roots circle the container, becoming a tangled mass. That’s extremely unhealthy for plants because tangled roots can’t circulate moisture and nutrients properly. Left untreated, root-bound plants will eventually die. Pond Pots solve this problem by eliminating root circling altogether. When roots reach the boundary of the Pond Pot, they branch instead of circling. They form a dense mass that supercharges growth and circulates nutrients efficiently. Growing aquatic plants in Pond Pots delivers bigger, healthier specimens. A Safer Environment for Fish Over time, plastic pots become brittle and cracked. The exposed, jagged edges of the pot can cut and injure your fish — not to mention visiting birds, frogs and turtles. Fish and birds are also prone to eating bits of plastic. In birds, plastics build up in the gut, leaving little room for food. By growing aquatic plants in Pond Pots, you’ll protect our feathered friends and avoid scarring expensive fish. Extraordinary Durability Pond Pots are made in America from highly resilient geotextiles. They’re tough, they’re durable, and they never rot. Environmental Safety Contrary to common belief, plastics are anything but inert. When they’re exposed to sun, water and shifting temperatures, plastic containers can leach harmful chemicals into the soil or water. Bisphenol A (or BPA), vinyl chloride, and phthalates are just a few examples, and they are all hazardous to human and animal health. Fabric pots are BPA-free and chemically inert. They never leach harmful chemicals into the surrounding environment. Pond Pots Stay Put! Hard plastic containers are prone to floating around. Pond Pots conform to their supporting surface, keeping them firmly rooted in place. Whether your surface is flat, sloped, or uneven, Pond Pots stay where you put them. When you’re growing aquatic plants, Pond Pots can’t be beat. Give them a try today and see the amazing results for yourself. With bigger plants, healthier fish, and clearer water, you’ll be glad you discovered the amazing benefits of Pond Pots.