FoxFarm Blog

Wake Up!

Have you noticed that all your perennials are leafing out and getting ready to bloom?  Lilacs, apple trees, hydrangeas, roses—everything’s waking up and enjoying the longer days and warmer temps.  Give your mature, established garden plants the boost they need with a top-dressing of fertilizer and soil conditioner. 

 

Here’s what we like to do.  Clear the ground of weeds, then sprinkle on your choice of our Happy Frog organic all-purpose fertilizer, or, for a time-release option, choose Marine Cuisine for evergreens, acid-loving plants, and vegetables, or American Pride for roses, flowering trees, and shrubs.  Apply according to package directions, water well, then mulch with 3-4 inches of Happy Frog Soil Conditioner to add nutrients, smother weeds, and hold in moisture.  Then stand back and watch the garden bloom! American Pride and Marine Cuisine have staying power. Marine Cuisine can be used 1-2 times per year and American Pride 2-3 times per year. It really is that simple.

 

Have you envied your neighbor’s breathtaking roses? Well, American Pride is the best rose fertilizer you will ever use. It encourages healthy root growth, provides feeding for dark green foliage, and has a perfect balance of nutrition for award winning blossoms. In fact, we know many members of the American Rose Society that swear by it.

Great Soil Prep

Now that the garden centers are bursting with spring blooms, it’s time to think about—dirt.  Okay, so maybe dirt’s not as glamorous as tropical red hibiscus or those tantalizing jasmines in full bloom.  But getting things right with your soil is the first step toward a lush, gorgeous garden.

 

Most experts recommend that you skip back-breaking double-digging and instead lightly turn over the soil with a spading fork, clearing weeds and breaking up hard clay.  Adding lime to clay soils will not only raise pH levels, but it will help in breaking up the clay. Then spread compost on top and let nature do the rest.  It really is that easy!  Top-dressing with a high-quality compost or mulch will add plenty of nutrients to the soil and give young plants everything they need to get growing.

 

All it takes is 3-4 inches of our Happy Frog Soil Conditioner or our classic FoxFarm Original Planting Mix.  Spread it around, water well, and get ready to plant.  Young flower and vegetable seedlings will benefit from a dose of Peace of Mind Starter or Happy Frog Jump Start fertilizer mixed into the planting hole when you get ready to plant.  That’s all you need to wake up your soil for spring!

The Joys of Big Bloom

We were thrilled to open up the Sunset Western Garden Book and see that our Big Bloom fertilizer was featured in their section on organic fertilizers. While the Big Bloom name implies that it's a great fertilizer for flowering plants --- and it is -- we found so many more uses for it in our gardens and greenhouses over the years.

 

As an organic, low NPK fertilizer, it won't burn plants or overload the soil with unnecessary nutrients. For this reason, we use it on young seedlings after two or three sets of leaves have emerged, and we also use it as a drench on stressed plants that have been impacted by adverse weather, pests or disease, or other problems. We have also found that it is indispensable during transplanting -- adding a little Big Bloom to that first watering after new plants go on the ground can really help get them off to a great start.

 

And remember, Big Bloom is about so much more than NPK.  It’s a live culture of vitamins, amino acids, natural growth hormones, enzymes, and beneficial organic microbes. We add earthworm castings, bat guano and other delicious organic ingredients like Norwegian kelp for nutrient uptake and higher yields, plus rock phosphate, which helps transfer energy from one part of the plant to another, delivering bigger buds and more fragrant flowers. 

 

Use Big Bloom on every plant you own, every time you water. It is actually the only fertilizer that can be used over its recommended dosage. In fact, we say the more the merrier. Your plants will love you for it! Give it a try this spring and watch your garden thrive.

A Vegetable in Every Backyard

Seems like everybody’s getting into vegetable gardening this year.  Even the White House has a snazzy new kitchen garden to supply fresh veggies to the First Family.  If this is your first year to put in a vegetable garden, trust us:  it’s easier than you think.

 

First, choose a spot that gets full sunlight.  Check the location throughout the day to make sure it’s not shaded by a house or trees for part of the day.  Clear out the weeds and pile on the compost.  If you’ve got access to weed-free compost or aged manure, great.  Mix that with our Happy Frog Soil Conditioner—or just use Happy Frog—making sure to spread at least 4-6 inches over your new garden. 

 

When it comes time to plant, add a little Happy Frog Jump Start organic fertilizer in each hole and water well.  Mixing Big Bloom and Grow Big liquid fertilizers together is a great option for young plants just getting started all the way through vegetation. As they get ready to bloom, you can switch to a mixture of Big Bloom and Tiger Bloom.  Weekly waterings of liquid fertilizer according to package directions will give you crisp snap peas, juicy tomatoes, and tender lettuce in no time. Those of you gardeners growing delicious strawberries for those shortcakes, use Big Bloom if nothing else. It will give your strawberries that sugar drenched flavor you want, naturally.

 

Really, there’s not much more to it!  Use drip irrigation or a soaker hose to make watering easy and avoid overhead watering, which can spread disease.  Pull weeds and pick off insects if you see signs of an infestation.  But most of all, enjoy yourself.  There’s nothing more rewarding than fresh fruits and vegetables from your own backyard.

Potting Soil 101

Here at FoxFarm we get a lot of questions about our potting soils. Now that it's spring and everyone is transplanting their seedlings and filling up their containers, it's a good time to think about choosing the right potting soil for the job.

 

We put a great deal of thought into our soil blends, mixing in organic nutrients and making sure the pH level has been adjusted so that plants are able to fully utilize all the nutrients in the soil. Adjusting the pH level also means the plants won't get stressed by having to adapt to a soil that is too acidic or too alkaline. All of our soils are pH adjusted between the ranges of 6.3-6.8. This ensures an optimal growing environment.

 

Helpful Hint: testing for pH in soil is very different than when you test in water. Testing the runoff from a container is not always accurate as the water just drains out nutrients. If you want to use your current pH instrument instead of one calibrated for soil, you must test your pH with a slurry test. Take ½ cup of soil and mix with 1 cup of water. Let it sit for 30 minutes and test away. We recommend that everyone test their pH as it is a top cause for many plant problems, but spend the extra money on a better meter and keep the tip clean.

 

Our soils have enough nutrients already in them to get your plants through at least their first month of growth. If you are in a dry environment that requires heavy watering, and your plants are already blooming or setting fruit, you will need to begin adding supplemental fertilizer after two weeks. For seedlings and young plants that are still growing, begin supplemental feeding after four weeks. For plants with a fast crop like tomatoes, we recommend that you begin feeding with Big Bloom after planting, and then incorporate Grow Big after 1-2weeks. If you are a dry fertilizer kind of gardener, we suggest amending either Happy Frog or Ocean Forest with either American Pride (for flowers) or Marine Cuisine (for shrubs, trees, ornamentals and veggies) before planting.  You only need to add them to the soil 1-2 times per year and you can continue with any other liquid fertilization program if you like.

 

We call Ocean Forest “the ultimate potting soil” for a reason.  Into one bag we’ve put everything we think plants need, including premium earthworm castings, bat guano, and Pacific Northwest sea-going fish and crab meal. A light, aerated texture is important in a potting soil to ensure that it both holds moisture and also allows for good drainage, so we use composted forest humus, sandy loam, and sphagnum peat moss, and a larger grade of perlite for aeration and drainage.

 

Our Happy Frog Potting Soil has the added benefit of soil-dwelling microbes and fungi that help break down organic matter and feed the plant roots. Happy Frog has the same earthworm castings, bat guano, and composted forest humus that make up all our fine soil blends.  And as always, there are no cheap fillers, no topsoil, and no sludge. It’s nothing but the best.

 

Once you’ve made an investment in great potting soil, you’ll find that the rest takes care of itself. We'll be back soon to talk about one of our favorite fertilizers for spring.

Indoor Flowering

If you’re lucky enough to have plants that are ready to bloom indoors this month, it’s time to think about their soil and fertilizer needs.  Here’s what we do to keep plants blooming:

 

• Carefully monitor moisture levels.  If plant roots are waterlogged, their oxygen supply has been cut off.  And if they’re not getting enough water, they can’t take up the nutrients in the soil.  While you can buy a moisture meter to measure moisture levels in your plants, it’s also easy to check yourself. Just make sure soil is about as damp as a wrung-out sponge.

 

• If you haven’t re-potted indoor plants in a while, carefully lifting them out of their pots, brushing off old potting soil without disturbing the root ball, and repotting with our premium Ocean Forest Potting Soil will help replenish depleted soil.  While you have the plant out of the pot, make sure drainage holes are clear.

 

And of course, use a flowering fertilizer like Tiger Bloom or Big Bloom.  The phosphorus in flowering fertilizers encourages the development of buds and flowers. 

Start Gardening Now--Indoors!

 Spring might not be here yet, but that’s no reason to put off getting your hands dirty.  February is the perfect time to start seeds indoors for spring flower and vegetable gardens.  Here’s what you need to get started:

 

1. A strong light source.  Shop lights with fluorescent tubes, available from hardware stores, are an easy and affordable option.  A combination of warm and cool lights works perfectly for seed starting.  Just make sure that lights are suspended from chains so they are easy to adjust—the light source needs to be 1-2 inches above the seedlings.  Placing the lights too far away from the seedlings will result in thin, leggy plants that won’t mature properly.

 

2. A good heat source.  If you’re starting plants in a chilly attic or basement, you’ll need a little heat.  Many summer vegetable seeds simply won’t germinate if temperatures are cold.  Garden centers sell heated mats that fit perfectly under a seedling flat.  It’s a worthwhile investment.  When you use a heat mat, you lose a lot of moisture.  So get a clear dome to put over your seedlings to keep moisture in.

 

3. A great seed-starting mix like Light Warrior.  Seeds germinate best in a grow medium that stays uniformly damp and is light enough to allow easy root development.  Light Warrior offers the added benefit of beneficial microbes to stimulate root growth and enhance fertilizer uptake, humic acid to help in seed germination, and earthworm castings to help plants thrive.

 

4. Grow Big Liquid Plant Food to nourish seedlings once they start to germinate.  Young plants need a complete nutrient solution to get them off to the right start, so stock up now and plan to start feeding seedlings about five days after you plant them.  For seedlings, use a lower dose than package instructions.

 

That’s it!  Follow directions on seed packets to make sure you plant seeds at the right depth.  We’ll be back in a month to talk about what young plants need after their first few weeks.

 

New Digs in the New Year!

Everybody's ready for a little good news in 2009, so here's ours!

FoxFarm has continued to grow and expand, thanks to the loyal support of our customers and retailers. This has allowed us to move into a much larger and more comfortable location. We're still in Humboldt County, staying true to our northern California roots, but with expanded warehouse space and more offices for our growing staff. It wasn’t easy corralling our mad scientists, magic cauldrons, bat guano hunters, and herds of trained earthworms, but we eventually rounded them all up and they’ve settled in to their new offices just in time for the new year.

Stay tuned to this blog, where we'll introduce you to some of our new employees and put a few of our long-term staffers on the spot with some intriguing questions. The earthworms, at this time, are not available for interviews, but we’re working on that.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are happy to be settled in at our new location, and we look forward to 2009!

Bareroot Season is Here!

Walk into any garden center and you’ll see tubs of dirt filled with little twigs. Why is this so exciting? It means that bareroot planting season has finally arrived. Those little twigs are attached to the healthy root systems of roses, fruit trees, asparagus crowns, and other ornamental and culinary delights. Now is the time to get them in the ground. Here’s our recipe for success:

1. Keep the roots wrapped or covered in soil until you are ready to plant. Even short exposure to sunlight can shock the root system.

2. Now get out your secret weapon: Big Bloom Liquid Organic Fertilizer. That’s right—it’s not just for flowers. Big Bloom is actually a great root drench that will get bareroot plants off to an amazing start. In a bucket, mix 1/4 cup of Big Bloom per gallon of room temperature water. Soak the roots in the mixture for 1 hour prior to planting, being sure to keep the roots out of sunlight.

3. While your roots are soaking, dig a hole 2-3 times the size of the root ball when it’s spread out. Fill with a mixture of FoxFarm’s Original Planting Mix or Happy Frog Soil conditioner, combined with native soil.

4. Mix with our dry Peace of Mind Starter Organic Fertilizer according to package directions.

5. After your roots have finished their spa treatment, carefully place each bareroot plant in its hole, making sure to spread the roots out and cover them well. Water immediately. That’s all you need to do until you start to see new growth in the spring. To get the most out of those bareroot plants, start a regular feeding schedule with American Pride, our time-release fertilizer for roses and other flowering shrubs and trees, or Marine Cuisine, the time-release blend that works best for blueberries, trees, and evergreens.

Kelp Meal

What does seaweed have to do with your garden? Have you ever noticed how a free-floating piece of kelp can regrow in the ocean? Powerful plant growth regulators and hormones give kelp the ability to flourish and regenerate. 

One of the not-so-secret ingredients in many of our products Norwegian kelp meal. Organic gardeners know that kelp meal is packed with plant growth regulators, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids that help plants flourish. Best of all, kelp meal is a long-term, slow-release fertilizer that feeds plants all season long. By adding it to products like our Grow Big liquid fertilizer and our Fox Farm Original Planting Mix, we make sure that your garden reaps the extraordinary benefits of this seafaring plant.