FoxFarm Blog

Get a Jump Start on Tomatoes

Those tempting tomato seedlings are turning up in garden centers this month.  Gardeners on the coast should be sure to wait until the days are warm—tomatoes will just sulk in 50 and 60 degree weather, and they’ll let you know it, too—if the leaves turn purple, the plant is too cold.  But inland gardeners and those with protected, sunny spots can get started now.  Just remember:

Tomatoes are heavy feeders with giant root systems.  Choose a site where they will have plenty of sun and plenty of space, and try to pick a location where tomatoes, peppers, or eggplants were not grown last year.  (This will cut down on soil-borne diseases.)  Add plenty of aged compost or manure.  We’re partial to our Happy Frog Soil Conditioner—it’s full of beneficial microbes that help feed plants at the root zone.

Overhead watering can spread disease.  It’s absolutely critical that you water tomato plants regularly—irregular watering will stress the plant and cause malformed tomatoes—and that you don’t get the leaves wet when you do.  Use drip irrigation or water carefully with a hose at ground level.

Did we mention that they’re heavy feeders?  Seriously, tomatoes need some food.  Organic gardeners should try our Happy Frog Tomato & Vegetable, which comes in a resealable pouch to make it easy to store and use all season long.  Or, for a little more oomph, try our time-release Marine Cuisine.

Bring on the bees! You’re going to need some bees to pollinate those flowers, so plant some bee-friendly plants nearby.  Alyssum, yarrow, or coreopsis will lure bees, and later in the year, letting a few basil plants flower will keep them around.

Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970, and it’s been celebrated on that day every since.  Here at FoxFarm, we work every day to create Earth-friendly products to support the environment and your own ecosystem.  Here are some tips for going green this year:

Grow an organic lawn.  Our Happy Frog Premium Lawn Organic Fertilizer, plus a twice-a-year topdressing of Happy Frog Soil Conditioner, is all you need to keep your lawn lush and chem.-free.

Try water-wise lawn alternatives, like native grasses or Mediterranean plants like lavender, salvia, and ornamental grass.

Ditch the herbicides.  Use mulch and closely-spaced plantings to smother weeds, pour boiling hot water on weeds that spring up between cracks in the pavement, and spray a mixture of ammonia and water selectively on weeds in the garden. Use a hoe and a little manual labor to take care of the rest.

Think about habitats.  When you think of your garden as an ecosystem, you’ll see the importance of going organic. Whether it’s the earthworms that dwell in the soil, the honeybees that pollinate your flowers, the frogs signing in the pond, or the birds building a nest in the trees, it’s easy to see how swearing off chemicals in the garden will benefit everybody.

It's Container Season!

This time of year, the garden centers are overflowing with blooming annuals and perennials.  They’re impossible to resist, even if you don’t have the space.  That’s when it’s time to get some containers going.  Just remember:

Pots Aren’t Just for Patios.  Remember that a big stone pot or a half-oak barrel can make a statement in the garden, too.  Just drop it into an empty spot in the flower bed and fill it with plants.  It adds height and structure to the garden.

Hanging Baskets Need Extra Love. Those overflowing hanging baskets make your porch look fabulous, but just know that they may need water every day, along with a weekly feeding, to look their best.  We recommend a foliar feeding of Big Bloom to keep them going.

Don’t Forget Your Fruits and Veggies. Containers are ideal for dwarf lemon trees, cherry tomatoes, or annual herbs.  Just remember that it takes a strong root system to create fantastic fruit, so buy a larger container than you think you’ll need and feed regularly with Peace of Mind Tomato & Vegetable

It’s All About the Soil. Container plants can’t access all those essential minerals in the soil, so it’s important that you start with the best potting soil you can buy and feed regularly.  Our Ocean Forest is packed with crab meal, bat guano, and worm castings.  We truly believe that it’s the finest potting soil you can buy, and garden centers agree with us—many of our retailers use it for their own display gardens.

The Birds and the Bees

Need another reason to go organic?  What about wildlife?  Bee shortages around the United States are alarming conservationists and sending fruit growers scrambling to install new hives. One small garden can support a diverse wildlife population and help butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees bounce back.  Here’s how to make it happen:

Use safe pest control.  Our Don’t Bug Me spray is an environmentally friendly treatment for soft-bodied insects like aphids and whitefly.  Be sure to apply it only when you can see the pests.  No pest control should be used in a broad-spectrum way—it’s important to use the right product on the right pest.

Use organic fertilizers.  We created Peace of Mind and Happy Frog because we know that chemical fertilizers can end up in ponds, streams and groundwater.  Organic fertilizers help support a diverse population of soil-dwelling organisms, and that provides the foundation for a good habitat.

Go native.  Attracting wildlife is all about your local microclimate.  Visit a local native plant nursery and ask for some ideas.  The shrub that attracts butterflies in one community might not be the right habitat for your backyard visitors.

Oh Yeah—Water!

It’s easy to forget about adjusting your watering schedule in the spring, but as the days get longer, your garden’s going to need a drink.  Here are a few water-wise techniques:

Avoid overhead watering:  This can spread disease, and it wastes water that is lost through evaporation.  Overhead watering can also lead to scorch marks on tender leaves.  Instead, use drip irrigation or a soaker hose, or just lay a hose at the foot of large trees and shrubs until the ground is soaked.

Long, infrequent drinks:  This isn’t the cocktail hour.  Don’t give your plants a little sip every evening.  A good, long soak once a week (or once a month for drought-tolerant natives) will encourage deep, healthy roots.

Mulch, mulch, mulch:  There’s nothing like a good, thick layer of mulch to keep roots moist and suppress weeds.  Let our Happy Frog organic soil conditioner do the work for you.  It’s packed with beneficial microbes that actually help plant roots access moisture and nutrients in the soil and better survive droughts.