FoxFarm Blog

Winter Gardening in Mild Climates

While other parts of the country are currently shrouded in snow, we here in coastal northern California are lucky enough to be gardening outdoors during the shortest days of the year!  The mild coastal climate rarely dips below freezing, and the plentiful rain triggers the grass to green up before the new year.  For those of you who also enjoy mild winter weather, here are some tips on how to get the most out of your outdoor garden this winter.

WHAT TO PLANT: Green, leafy plants like lettuce, spinach, and chard can thrive in lower temperatures, so they are a good choice to plant in your winter garden.  Other plants that will do well include those from the Brassica family (including broccoli, cabbage, and kale) and short day onion varieties.  

WHAT NOT TO PLANT: Leave the tomatoes and peppers indoors under your HID lights.  Those plants like long days and a bit of heat; 15 hours of darkness and 31 ̊ nights, not so much! 

JUST RELAX: Happy Frog Fertilizers are a great, low-maintenance way to keep your plants healthy when there is too much rain to use liquid nutrients.  Simply mix some of this granular organic fertilizer into the soil of your new container or in-ground plantings or work some into the top inch of your soil around the base of your plants monthly. 

TAKE IT EASY: Since the days are shorter and the sun is less intense, your plants will slow their metabolism and photosynthesize less.  This means that growth will be a little slower, but it also means that you can use a bit less fertilizer than you would in the full sun of the summer.  Reduce your fertilizer application rates by 20-30% in these more harsh growing conditions.

KEEP ‘EM COZY: use our Happy Frog Soil Conditioner as a mulch around the base of in-ground perennials.  This will insulate sensitive roots from colder temperatures over the winter as well as add beneficial biology and organic nutrition to your soil.

And if your winter weather is not so mild (or even if it is), maybe it’s time to think about building a greenhouse for next year to take advantage of the best light source around!  Cheers!

What's Goin' On?

Whenever possible, we would like to recognize our retailers for their eye-catching displays and generous support. Recently, we got an enthusiastic shout from Nick and Mike at Discount Hydroponics in Rochester, NY, after we sent FoxFarm promotional material for their event.

Nice looking displays, guys!

Below: Discount Hydroponics grow tent...all grown with fox farm fertilizers!  (discounthydroponics@yahoo.com)

Need promotional material for your event? Reach us at foxfarm@foxfarmfertilizer.com

An Artist in Our Midst

Our very own Gloria (Sales Coordinator) has stolen the moment this past weekend at the Extreme Flamingo Makeover at Sequoia Zoo in Eureka, California. Her spectacular flamingo makeover won Best in Show!

As first place winner of the fund-raising art event, Gloria has the honor of naming the zoo's newest baby flamingo. Stay tuned for the big reveal!

We're proud of our talented crew doing something positive in the community. http://www.sequoiaparkzoo.net/

Nutrient Program for Fall

On a recent visit to Barrels & Branches in Encinitas, California, FoxFarm's sales rep snapped this photo of another great display by a retailer. Retailers who sign up for the Fall Nutrient Program can take advantage of incentives, and avid gardeners can turn up the juice with FoxFarm offerings!

Retailers, choose from different incentives to get your customers ready for fall–– Gardeners, if you don't see it, ask your retailer about the FoxFarm Nutrient Program and Bring Your Plants to Life!

Creative Retailing

London Bridge Garden Center is a store that promotes a balanced approach to gardening, and we here at FoxFarm are thrilled to be an integral part of their success! Check out a banner they designed to advertise FoxFarm soils.

London Bridge is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Wherever you are, ask your local garden center for FoxFarm soils and fertilizers. Always natural and good for your garden!

Grow Your Own (Oganically!)

Growing your own organic produce is beneficial for you, your community and the planet. Here are a few reasons why every family or community should start a garden. Drum roll please…

1. Better Quality   Most veggies available at the super-market are commercial varieties, grown for durability in transit and shelf life. At home, you can choose from heirloom seeds and starts that add variety, flavor, and distinction to your garden—and taste better too!

2. Fresher Food   At home, you can walk out into your garden, harvest some vegetables on the spot. You can be sure that the vegetables were allowed to ripen naturally instead of being artificially ripened with ethylene gas. Taste the difference in your vine-ripened tomatoes with every bite.

3. Smaller Carbon Footprint   Current estimates put the distance that supermarket food travels from its source to your table at 1,500-2,500 miles. It is so satisfying to walk 15 feet to grab some potatoes and garlic for tonight’s dinner—without having to start the car!

4. Cleaner Air & Water   Backyard organic gardens are much less dependent on pesticides, fertilizers, and fuel required for growing crops. Because of this, home gardeners can be sure they are preventing the pollution of water and air by reducing agricultural runoff.

5. Landfill Waste   It seems like everything from tomatoes to blueberries comes in its own plastic container nowadays. Though many are recyclable, tons of packaging debris ends up in the landfill. Keep those unnecessary pieces of packaging that are non-recyclable from ending up in your trash.

6. Healthy Choices   Frequently consuming local organic vegetables is better for your health than eating processed foods that are high in fats, sugars, and preservatives. Feed your body the right foods, and you will enjoy improved health.

7. Food Security   We try not to think about the “What If”, but what if your car won’t start, or a storm closes roads, or there’s an E. coli or salmonella outbreak? It’s comforting to know you could pick some lettuce, squash, or beans, dig up some carrots or onions and be sustained.

8. Good Economics   Okay, it costs money to have a garden, but there are ways that it can save you money as well. Time spent shopping can also be spent tending a garden. Furthermore, if a packet of squash seeds costs $2.00 and you grow 30 squash, that’s 7 cents per squash!

9. Personal Gratification   Rather than sitting on the couch watching TV, you can enjoy childish pursuits like digging in the dirt and playing in the sprinkler while watching your efforts turn bare ground into a bountiful garden!

10. Making a Difference   Whether you are feeding yourself or an entire community, knowing about plants and how to grow your own organic produce is an important step towards developing sustainable, educated, and healthy communities. Enjoy!

Joe Says: "Contain Yourself!"

The other week I was driving down the street, saw a garage sale, jumped out and started perusing the artifacts of some local college students’ leftover goods. I saw a beautiful blue-green, vase-shaped object which turned out to be a hand drum with no head on it. I thought “Planter!” and bought it for ten bucks. That was the start my latest gardening craze: finding and re-using cool containers. This is an environmentally friendly and fun activity for the whole family. Salvaged container opportunities have shown themselves at thrift stores, garage sales, and of course “Discount” sections at nurseries. Container options include fine glazed stoneware, whiskey barrels, assorted cookie and tea tins, window-boxes, plastic pots and the list goes on and on, from the whimsical to the elegant.

 

Container gardening offers opportunities to grow plants that may not otherwise do well in the landscape such as tropical plants (which can be brought inside during cold weather), cascading plants, or succulents that require specific soil conditions. I have recently started experimenting with bonsai by buying tree starts for $2 and planting them in anything, them pruning as I see fit; no mistakes, just happy little accidents!

The variations are almost endless, and once you get into it, you may have trouble containing yourself! If the container does not already have drain holes to prevent standing water, you can try to make holes in it, or you can insert another container inside the chosen one and drain the collecting water from time to time. Like normal garden soil, container potting soil should drain well to prevent water-logged roots.

Care & Maintenance of Contained Plants

Other things to be aware of when choosing a container are the drying tendency of terra cotta, the warming tendency of dark colored containers which can bake plant roots in the hot summer sun, and the size of the container according to the size of the plant.  Also, because containers have limited amounts of soil in most cases, fast growing plants will often dry out more often and require more watering. This also leads to more leaching of fertilizer, so more frequent applications may be required. Choosing a slow release granular fertilizer (such as our Happy Frog All Purpose 5-5-5) is an easy, low maintenance option as a nutrient source.

Joe Says:

"Keep your eyes open, and have fun with this hip gardening trend!"

-Joe is FoxFarm's Lead Product Specialist

Nice FoxFarm Jugs!

Daniel at UltraGreen Hydro in Westland, Michigan, proudly shows off his full line of FoxFarm products. Stop by if you are in the neigborhood on July 28 for a store Community Event.

Looking Good & Tasting Good!

The sights and smells of a garden in full bloom offer such brilliant rewards, why not take it a step further and remind yourself of nature’s bounty as you eat the FLOWERS that you grew! Many flowers in your garden can be eaten (some cannot) and they make tasty and colorful additions to your salads, teas, deserts and more.

Frequent garden bloomers such as Nasturtium, Calendula, and Borage can be refreshingly sweet and spicy additions to salads. Try candying Violets, Lilacs, and Rose petals for a tempting floral desert garnish. Hearty blooms such as squash flowers and Lily blossoms can be baked or even stuffed as appetizers! One of our new favorite edible plants is Tulbaghia violacea (Society Garlic) which has lightly garlic scented flowers that can be used as a garnish to a stir-fry or garlic mashed potatoes. Why not finish off your organic floral smorgasbord with some Lavender or Mint ice cream? Of course, we can’t forget the soothing Chamomile and Jasmine flowers as ingredients for our evening teas.

Feed your flowers with some Big Bloom every week, and they will return the favor. The organic nutrients in Big Bloom are the key to healthy soil, healthy plants, and delicious edible flowers!

Harvest in the morning for peak freshness, and avoid the aging blossoms. Also be sure to remove the sepals from most flowers, avoid anything that has been sprayed, and slowly introduce flowers into your diet to avoid any potential allergy issues.

The Colorado State University extension has more information about which flowers (and flower parts) are edible; Colorado State University - Edible Flowers.

 

PROOF

Allison Peers of Blue Ridge Nursery & Landscape Center responded to her customer returning a sickly Crepe Myrtle he had bought last season. Allison bet the guy $50 she could bring it back to life with FoxFarm products. She repotted into Ocean Forest Soil and applied Big Bloom Liquid Fertilizer.

Just 5 weeks later the Crepe Myrtle looked so good, the customer offered to buy it back! In other words, Allison won the bet with ‘a little chicken soup’ for a struggling plant—and proof that “This stuff really works!”

Big Bloom is an organic, predigested liquid allowing immediate absorption of nutrients for plants at any stage of life. Our thanks to Blue Ridge Nursery at 308 Scenery Drive in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania.