FoxFarm Blog

The Many Uses of Happy Frog Potting Soil

Happy Frog Potting soil has other uses it seems……including a warm napping place for other creatures besides frogs. Lilly the Cat from Brady’s Garden Center in Salida, Colorado enjoys midnight walks on the fence-top, a warm mouse with a side of cream, and a cozy nap inside a 100% Organic Bed, Happy Frog Potting Soil. Sweet Dreams Lilly, and thank you Brady’s for a great shot.

Meet Zinda Colburn, Employee of the Month for August

We're so pleased to welcome Zinda Colburn to the blog.  Each month we're asking our employees of the month to answer a few random questions, and she's up!  Here's Zinda:

How long have you worked at FoxFarm?

Since April 06

What do you do here?

I take care of our customers and add new ones.

What's the best part of your job?

Our amazing customers and staff

What's your own garden like?

Well, I travel 9 months of the year and I have no garden in America as I live in a motor home. When I am home in New Zealand my garden is 57 different Japanese Maples with NZ natives mixed in. In the past I have enjoyed a spectacular garden with exotic varieties from around the world. This is easy to do when you have a garden center!!

Do you have a favorite flower or plant?

Favorite flowers.... Oriental Lilies.  Favorite plant... Japanese Maples

What's the one FoxFarm product you can't live without?

Marine Cuisine by a mile

What's one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

I am a skydiving videographer and a Grandma

What's your idea of a perfect day?

Today

What's your dream vacation?

Most of my life is a dream vacation

If you had to get a tattoo, what and where would it be?

The last one I got hurt real bad!!

What's one piece of technology you could live without?

Alarm clocks-- definitely alarm clocks

What's one piece of technology you COULDN'T live without?

Well, if we were living a thousand years ago we would live fine without most of it!!

Who would you most like to be seated next to-living or dead-on a cross-country flight?

My sweet husband

What's your favorite thing to do in Humboldt County?

Drink Tangerine Wheat at Lost Coast Brewery

What's one website you visit every day?

Do people visit websites everyday????

Name one beverage you absolutely couldn't do without.

I'm pretty sure we would die without water.

Meet Robert Ortiz, Employee of the Month

We're so pleased to introduce you to Robert Ortiz, FoxFarm's employee of the month. He's in the hot seat this month, answering a few questions so that you can get to know one of the many great people behind FoxFarm!  Here's Robert:

How long have you worked at FoxFarm?

I have been at FoxFarm for a year and four months.

What do you do here?

I bag soil and operate equipment.

What's the best part of your job?

Working with great people.

Do you have a favorite flower or plant?

I love red roses.

What's one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

I'm very shy.

Name one beverage you absolutely couldn't do without.

I love my water.

What's one piece of technology you couldn't do without?

My car.

Meet Our Employee of the Year

Say hello to Sam Gonzalez, the FoxFarm 2008 Employee of the Year.  As you can tell from this photo, Sam is the guy who gets stuff done around this place!  We asked him to tell us a little about himself, and from his answers, you'll be able to tell that he's a man who's got his priorities in the right place.  Thanks for all your hard work, Sam.  

How long have you worked at FoxFarm?

Seven years.

What do you do here?

Production manager.

What's the one FoxFarm product you can't live without?

Ocean Forest

What's your idea of a perfect day?

Paid day off with family.

What's your favorite thing to do in Humboldt County?

Go to the different beaches with my family.

Name one beverage you absolutely couldn't do without.

Patron.

If you could do anything you wanted--and there was absolutely no possibility of failure--what would it be?

Help people.

What's your dream vacation?

Travel the world.

That is One Happy Frog!

We just love getting photos from our customers.  This one came from Ken Steigerwald of Longwood, Florida, who writes, "I have about 70 peppers growing in containers around my pool.  I started them all in Ocean Forest and put them in Happy Frog as the final mix.  I noticed my little frog friend on the pepper while watering one morning and grabbed my camera for the shot.  I thought your company might enjoy it! Thank you for producing such excellent products."

Thanks, Ken!  Be good to those frogs!

Love Your Lawn

In the middle of summer, a few easy organic steps will keep your lawn healthy and lush.  Try these strategies for a healthy summer lawn:

 

Water deeply once or twice a week.  If your irrigation system is set to water daily, you’re wasting water and training roots to grow along the surface where water is easy to find.  Instead, water deeply once or twice a week, preferably in the evening, and encourage roots to grow down in search of water.

 

Mow higher.  Set the blade higher—3-4 inches for most grasses—and enjoy a slightly taller, thicker lawn.  Your grass will develop a stronger root system and water won’t evaporate as easily. And don’t forget to leave the grass clippings on the lawn to decompose and add nitrogen to the soil.

 

Aerate.  If you’ve got a build-up of thatch, buy a simple aeration tool or aerator sandals at the garden center.  Just stroll around the lawn and break up thatch to allow water and air to penetrate.

 

Feed.  Our Peace of Mind Premium Lawn Fertilizer comes in a resealable pouch, making it easy to store and use throughout the season.    Apply according to package directions, then rake in 2-3 inches of Happy Frog Soil Conditioner.  You’ll improve the soil and green up the lawn, all without chemicals.

 

Enjoy!  Lawns are meant to be used! Have a picnic, play a game of tag, and enjoy the summer!

 

Feed Your Garden--It Feeds You.

Lots of people are celebrating the summer with produce from their backyard vegetable gardens this year.  Potatoes planted around St. Patrick’s Day are ready to harvest.  Fresh basil, tender yellow squash, and string beans are all coming into their own right now.

 

So what should you be doing to keep your harvest going?

 

Weed.  Don’t let those greedy weeds steal nutrients from your vegetable garden, choke out light, or drink up precious water in the soil.  Pull weeds when they’re young and toss them on the compost pile if they haven’t set seed.

 

Water.  Conserve water on your lawn by watering deeply once a week and setting the blade on the mower higher to hold in water.  But in the veggie garden, water is vital.  Make sure roots are getting the water they need to take up nutrients and create juicy, luscious fruit. In hot climates, the soaker hose or drip irrigation may need to run every day or two in early morning or late evening.

 

And don’t forget to keep a layer of mulch, like our Happy Frog Soil Conditioner, on your veggie garden to suppress weeds and hold in moisture.

 

Feed.  Tomatoes, squash, and peppers are heavy feeders.  They need a lot of nutrients to get the job done.  This time of year, we’re scratching in a dry organic fertilizer like Happy Frog Tomato & Vegetable once a month, and in between we’re watering weekly with Big Bloom.

 

Be sure to harvest fruit and veggies when they’re young and tender to ensure a long season.  Share with friends, neighbors, and local food banks—this is the time to celebrate the bounty!

Indoor Gardening, San Francisco Style

Come join us for the 2009 Indoor Gardening Expo on July 25 and July 26 at the Fort Mason Center In San Francisco!  It's an incredible show, and this year it's going to be better than ever.  FoxFarm has a surprise booth this year featuring a display from world famous artist and Kinetic Master Duane Flatmo.

The show runs from 12-5 each day. On Saturday it's open only to people in the industry, but on Sunday it's open to the public and is sure to be a fun day.   You'll get to  meet Willy the owner, Heather the sales manager, and our two newest recruits, Hannah and Allan in customer service and sales.

Fox Farm is happy to be a show sponsor this year.  We can't wait to see you there!

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!