FoxFarm Blog

American Pride and Marine Cuisine- Now in Cool New Bags

We just can't get enough of these great new pouches.  They're resealable, they're weatherproof, and there's no holes and no spills. They're even palletized in cases, making them easy to ship and store. They're just right for American Pride and Marine Cuisine, so we made the switch.

Check out the four-pound pouch.  Putting American Pride and Marine Cuisine in a convenient four-pound pouch makes them even easier to display and oh-so-tempting for new customers who have been wanting to give them a try. 

And you gotta love the 20-pound bag.  The new 20-pound bag is also resealable and easy to store. Hardcore Marine Cuisine and American Pride customers - and you know who you are - won't be able to resist stocking up for the season.

Same great product.  You know the drill: Both are packed with high-quality organic ingredients, but they've also got just enough time-release fertilizer to give them some extra oomph. American Pride is perfect for roses, flowering trees, and shrubs, while Marine Cuisine is ideal for vegetables, acid-loving plants, and evergreens. And remember: a little goes a long way!

We've got it in the bag.  American Pride and Marine Cuisine are available in this new packaging just in time for the new year.  Call us at (800) 4FOXFARM for ordering information.

FoxFarm American Pride

4lb pouch             8/case   48/pallet     7 52289 79044 7

20lb pouch           2/case   36/pallet     7 52289 79047 8

FoxFarm Marine Cuisine

4lb pouch             8/case   48/pallet     7 52289 79039 3

20lb pouch           2/case   36/pallet     7 52289 79042 3

Putting the Fun in Fungi

What’s all this talk about fungi in the garden?  Isn’t a fungus a kind of plant disease?  Isn’t that what they make fungicides for?

Not so fast. Healthy garden soil is teeming with many species of beneficial fungi that attach themselves to plant roots, stretch out across the garden, and bring nutrients and water back to the roots.  Think of them as an extension of the root system itself.

That’s not all.  These brave little critters also help fight off disease and support other beneficial soil-dwelling microbes that actually take plant food (including our own FoxFarm fertilizers) and transform them into a form that is easier for plants to digest.  Most important, soil microbes can help plants withstand stress, like winter freezes and summer droughts. 

Bulbs, Bulbs, and More Bulbs!

There’s nothing more cheerful than bright tulips and daffodils in early spring, and the time to plant them is now.  If you do nothing else in your garden this fall, we hope you’ll pop a few bulbs in the ground.  Next March, you’ll be glad you did.  Our secrets for success:

• Buy early—the best bulbs ship early in the season and sell out fast.
• Size does matter!  Look for larger bulbs with no soft spots or mold.  Also, try to find bulbs that have not sprouted yet.
• Follow planting instructions for each kind of bulb, but in general, choose sunny spots, rich soil, and plant bulbs 2-3 times as deep as the bulb is tall.
• Bulbs have unique nutritional needs and really do need a particular fertilizer blend to do well.  Our Peace of Mind Bulb Food is perfectly formulated give bulbs what they need.
• For holiday gifts, start a few daffodils or hyacinths in a vase  with nothing but pebbles and water at the bottom.  Tulips and freesia can also be potted up as holiday gifts, but they’ll need a rich potting soil like Ocean Forest.  Remember that after you’ve potted up a bulb for indoor bloom, you’ll need to keep it in a cool, dark spot until the first shoots emerge.

Fall is the New Spring

Gardeners are waking up to the fact that fall isn’t a time to shut down the garden—it’s a time to rev it up.  In all but the coldest climates, fall offers warm, sunny days, cool nights, and an opportunity to really extend the garden season.  Here’s what we’re thinking about as we get into fall:

· Start over with annuals.  Cool-season annuals like Icelandic poppies and calendula can fill in empty spots in the garden and bloom right into winter.

· Eat your veggies.  A quick crop of cool-season lettuce, radishes, and baby carrots will give you something to show off at Thanksgiving.  Cabbages, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli also do well in winter and even taste better with a little light frost.

· Don’t forget to feed.  By fall, soil can be depleted, and most plants could use an extra boost to get them through winter.  For new plantings of annuals and vegetables, start with Peace of Mind Starter or Happy Frog Jump Start.  For established plantings, choose the formula that’s made just for your plants—Acid Loving, Fruit & Flower, or Rose Food, to name a few.

Halloween: 30 Days and Counting

If you’re a vegetable gardener, you’ve probably made room in your garden for a couple pumpkin vines.  They’re the ultimate Halloween decoration, and they’re also a nutritional powerhouse, packed with beta carotene.  To keep your winter squash vines going strong until harvest time, don’t forget:

• Gently place newspaper or straw under each squash to prevent rot.
• Regular irrigation is critical during ripening, but avoid overhead watering, which can spread disease.  Instead, use a soaker hose or drip irrigation for deep, intermittent waterings.
• Feed monthly with Peace of Mind Tomato Vegetable. Just scratch it in around each vine according to package directions and water well.
• If you’re going for giant, prize-winning squash, pick your winners now and pinch off smaller fruit.  That lets the vine put all its energy into the ones that are left.

Be Good To Your Worms

You’ve learned how to manage your annuals and perennials.  You’re on top of irrigation.  You’re at peace with your bugs.  But what about your worms? What have you done for them lately?

Earthworms do more than plough the soil.  They also devour harmful, disease-causing bacteria, encourage beneficial microbes to flourish, and help deliver nutrients to the root zone.  Earthworm castings are extraordinarily high in helpful bacteria and fungi that attach to plant roots, transforming nutrients into a form that’s easier for them to use and expanding the effective root area.

Earthworms prefer a damp, rich soil. Adding organic matter—compost, aged manure, mulch, and organic fertilizers—will give them something to munch on while they’re keeping your plants healthy.

If you till or double-dig your garden, you’ll discourage earthworms. They like undisturbed soil.  Instead, try smothering weeds with newspaper or cardboard, piling compost, mulch, dried leaves, grass clippings, and aged manure on top, and letting that settle for a few months.  Then plant right into it.  No digging required!

Fill unused beds with cover crops like fava, vetch, and rye.  Earthworms are attracted to the roots, and the crops make a great “green manure.”  The roots help hold soil in place during heavy rains, and in spring, you can cut the crops down or pull them out and add them right to your compost pile.

Avoid harsh chemicals like high-nitrogen lawn fertilizers or any chemical designed to kill nematodes and grubs.  They’ll also hurt earthworm populations.  For natural, healthy lawns, we’re partial to our Peace of Mind Premium Lawn Organic Fertilizer.  It works.

Coastal Gardens

There’s nothing more beautiful than a seaside garden wrapped in fog.  But coastal gardeners know that those cool, foggy days can lead to mildew and fungal diseases in the garden.  To keep your seaside garden healthy, we remind you to feed your plants.  Poor soil and salt air can stress plants, but a little extra food helps them thrive. 

For vegetables, conifers, and acid-loving plants, try our time release Marine Cuisine fertilizer, which is made with sea-based ingredients like fish meal for longer-lasting nutrition.

Flowering trees and shrubs and roses prefer our American Pride, which contains alfalfa meal and other ingredients to promote brilliant, long-lasting blooms.

And if you’re looking for a 100% organic option, try our Peace of Mind fertilizers.

Most importantly, choose plants that are adapted to your location. Here in coastal California, we find that heathers, junipers, phlomis, and euphorbia do well, as do ornamental grasses.  Mix in natives for a relaxed, natural look.

Harvest Time

You may have more zukes than you know what to do with, but if you’re still trying to keep those tomatoes or watermelons producing through Labor Day, check out our 100% organic liquid Big Bloom fertilizer.  Our customers buy it for their flowers, but it’s great in the vegetable garden, too.

Big Bloom is packed with plant vitamins, organic enzymes, and amino acids that help extend the harvest season, creating multiple bud set and encouraging ripe, flavorful fruit.  It also helps strengthen plant immune systems, and it heals diseased ecosystems at the root zone.  If you’re prone to soil-borne diseases in your area, you know how important it is to keep your vegetable garden healthy late in the season. It increases essential oil production, which means stronger flavors in herbs, fruits, and vegetables.

You can use Big Bloom—according to package directions—as a root drench or as a foliar feed by applying it directly to the plant’s leaves.  Serve it up this weekend, and drop us a note to let us know how it’s working.  Just don’t send us any of those zucchinis.  We’ve got all we can handle.

Green It Up

Keeping your lawn green isn’t just about the color.  We’re always getting calls from people who want to ditch the chemical lawn service and really “go green.”  We’re all in favor of organic lawns at FoxFarm.  Here’s how we do it:

• Peace of Mind Premium Lawn Fertilizer gives your lawn the nutrition and microbes it needs to handle climate changes and put down healthy roots.  For moderate climate grasses like bluegrass and fescue, feed in March, May, July, and October.  For tropical grasses like Bermuda and St. Augustine, do monthly applications from April through August.  Apply 4 pounds per 150 square feet, using a garden spreader, and rake gently into soil and water immediately.  Never feed during the heat of the day.
• When you mow, allow grass clippings to remain on the lawn to add nitrogen, stimulate beneficial microbial activity, and reduce thatch build-up.
• Keep mower blades sharp to prevent disease.  Set the blade at three to four inches to allow for a taller lawn that crowds out weeds and conserves water.  Never cut more than one third the length of the grass at a time. 
• Over time, lawns can become dense and compacted.  Aerate your lawn at least once a year to prevent thatch build-up.  Rake in a thin layer of Fox Farm Organic Planting Mix or Happy Frog Soil Conditioner each fall to recharge the soil.

Heat Stress

Most of the country is sweltering under record-breaking heat right now, and many parts of the country are facing water restrictions.  We’re on the phone every day with garden centers who are trying to help their customers keep their gardens alive through the hottest days of summer.  Here are some of our water-wise tips:

• Beneficial microbes extend the effective root area of your plants, allowing them to reach moisture and nutrients in the soil.  Our Peace of Mind dry organic fertilizers all contain mycorrhizae to help strengthen the root system during times of stress.
• Many plants benefit more from a deep soak once a week than from more frequent, shallower waterings.  Use an organic mulch like our Happy Frog soil conditioner to help hold in moisture.
• If you’re going on vacation, keep your container plants alive by using a drip irrigation system set on a timer, or set smaller plants in tubs of water and let them absorb water through the base of the container.  Our Ocean Forest Potting Soil is a premium potting soil designed to help retain moisture and give container plants the extra support they need.