Tag Archive for: mycorrhizae

VIDEO: Edible Landscaping 🫑 🍓🌿 | Flock Finger Lakes

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Summer Rayne Oakes @FlockFingerLakes takes us on a tour of her garden packed with edible plants. From fruit trees and berry bushes to roses and kale, Summer shows how beauty and function can grow side by side. Along the way, she nourishes her plants with Espoma Organic products to build strong roots, vibrant blooms, and thriving harvests.

Espoma Products Summer Uses in Her Edible Landscape:

Summer Rayne with Bio-tone Starter Plus

  • Bio-tone Starter Plus
    Summer uses Bio-tone Starter Plus when planting apple trees and preparing new beds. With mycorrhizae and beneficial microbes, it jumpstarts root growth and helps plants establish quickly—like “planting insurance” for long-term success.

Summer Rayne with Raised Bed Mix

  • Espoma Organic Potting Soils 
    To build the foundation of her new garden beds, Summer used a mix of Espoma Organic Soils, including Raised Bed Mix, Potting Mix, Land & Sea Compost, and others. These mixes improve soil structure, boost microbial life, and provide the organic matter plants need for healthy growth.

Espoma Organic Rose-tone in a garden

  • Rose-tone
    For her roses, Summer sprinkles Espoma Organic Rose-tone around the root zone. With its 4-3-2 blend, it encourages lush foliage and beautiful blooms while being safe for the soil and pollinators.

Espoma Organic Soil Acidifier

  • Soil Acidifier
    Blueberries thrive in acidic soil, and Summer keeps them happy with Espoma Organic Soil Acidifier. Made from elemental sulfur and gypsum, it naturally lowers pH to match the needs of acid-loving plants.

Espoma Organic Tomato! liquid fertilizer

  • Tomato! Liquid Fertilizer
    Summer gives her tomato plants a boost with Espoma Organic Tomato! This easy-to-use liquid concentrate provides balanced nutrition and added calcium to prevent blossom end rot, ensuring plump, juicy fruits all season long.

Bringing It All Together

Summer’s edible landscape is proof that food gardens can be as beautiful as they are bountiful—with the right soil, thoughtful plant choices, and natural care. Ready to start your own edible landscape? Explore Espoma Organic products and discover how to feed your garden naturally. 🌱

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Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag Image Espoma Organic Rose-tone bag Espoma Organic Soil Acidifier BagEspoma Organic Potting soil Mix Big bag Espoma Raised Bed Mix bag Espoma Organic Land and Sea Espoma Organic Tomato! Liquid Plant Food Image

 

 

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VIDEO: Planting Beautiful Rugosa Roses! 🌹🌿 with Garden Answer

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From planning to petals, follow along as Laura from Garden Answer plants ten Rugosa roses in three beautiful varieties: the classic single pink Rosa rugosa, the crisp white Rosa rugosa ‘Alba’, and the fluffier double white ‘Blanc Double de Coubert.’ These own-root roses (no grafts here!) were chosen for their strength, fragrance, and show-stopping hips that carry color from summer into winter.

Laura’s #1 Planting Tip:

Always plant with a high-quality organic starter fertilizer like Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus!

When Laura plants, she reaches for Espoma Organic Bio-tone® Starter Plus. It’s her go-to because it:

  • Builds stronger roots fast. Bio-tone is packed with beneficial microbes and mycorrhizae that help new plantings establish quickly.
  • Reduces transplant stress. Healthier roots mean better water and nutrient uptake—so plants settle in and start growing.
  • Feeds gently and naturally. An organic, starter-grade fertilizer that supports early growth without pushy top growth.
  • Works for everything you plant. Ideal for shrubs, perennials, trees, veggies, and roses of all kinds. If it’s going in the ground, mix in Bio-tone.

How Laura uses it: At planting time, she mixes Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus into the backfill soil and sets each rose at its current soil level (since these are own-root roses). Then she waters in well to activate the microbes and help eliminate air pockets.

Planting Pro Tip: Always backfill, then water deeply to settle soil around roots. Consistent moisture after planting helps Bio-tone’s microbes go to work.

Rugosa Roses: Tough, textural, and full of seasonal interest

Laura is planting Rugosas for their resilience and beauty:

  • Cold-hardy and adaptable. Depending on variety, Rugosas can thrive from roughly Zones 2–10, making them a great choice for many climates.
  • Size & presence. Expect a medium to tall shrub—often 5–7+ feet at maturity—so give them room to show off.
  • Sun & low maintenance. They love full sun and don’t need deadheading. Occasional shaping and removal of dead wood keeps them tidy.
  • Iconic hips. Big, colorful hips provide long-lasting interest—and look gorgeous against evergreens and conifers, just like Laura’s pairings.
  • Own-root reliability. Because these roses are grown on their own roots, if they die back and regrow, they’ll still return true to variety.

No matter what you’re planting, success starts below the soil line. Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus sets roots up to thrive—from shrubs like Rugosas to perennials, edibles, and young trees—so your garden establishes faster, stays healthier, and looks better, sooner.

Let’s get growing—with roots first. 🌱

Learn more about Garden Answer here:

🪴 YouTube

🪴 Website

🪴 Facebook

🪴 Instagram

Featured Products: 

Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag Image

 

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VIDEO: Planting in BIG Reused Planters 🪴🌿 with Summer Rayne Oakes

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Summer Rayne Oakes of Flock Finger Lakes turns three massive terracotta planters—rescued from a second-hand store —into statement containers for the garden. Because the pots are deep and heavy, she creates a lightweight false bottom with Espoma Organic Perlite, then tops it with Espoma Organic Potting Mix before planting a mix of ornamental grasses, pollinator favorites, and trailing accents.

Why Espoma Organic Potting Mix?
Espoma Organic Potting Mix is crafted for container success—indoors or out. It’s rich and fluffy for easy root growth, holds moisture without getting waterlogged, and drains well to keep roots happy. The blend includes organic ingredients and Myco-tone, a proprietary blend of mycorrhizae that supports strong root systems and helps plants use water and nutrients more efficiently. In large planters where every inch counts, that balance of aeration, structure, and organic nutrition is exactly what new plantings need to establish quickly.

 Tips & Takeaways from Summer’s Container Build

  1. Use Perlite as a False Bottom. 
     A layer of Espoma Organic Perlite can work beautifully as a false bottom in oversized containers for shallower-rooted plants when you don’t need the full depth of soil. It also reduces the planter’s weight. But for deep tap-rooted or tree-like plantings, it’s best to skip this method. 
  2. Choose Plants for Season-Long Interest.
    Summer anchors the pot with Pennisetum ‘Ginger Love’ for structure and gorgeous backlit plumes into fall and winter, then layers in Verbena bonariensis ‘Meteor Shower’ (pollinator magnet), sneezeweed ‘Morheim Beauty’ for warm tones, Beautyberry ‘Pearl Glam’ for three-season appeal, ornamental oregano (Oregon Kent beauties) for texture, and a trailing annual morning glory to spill over the rim.
  3. Design for the View.
    Think about the angle most people will see. Summer places taller plants toward the back and lets trailers cascade in the foreground to create depth and a “finished” look from the main viewpoint.
  4. Shop Smart in Mid-Summer.
    July–August can be slim pickings at local nurseries. If inventory looks tired, consider ordering online, mixing annuals with perennials, or planting what you can now and editing later. Containers are wonderfully changeable.
  5. Plant for Pollinators and Wildlife.
    By mixing grasses, flowering perennials, and nectar-rich annuals, Summer builds a container that feeds bees, butterflies, and other pollinators—bringing life and movement to her garden space.

Share your container build with us using #EspomaOrganic on IG—we’d love to see what you create!

Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Potting Mix Espoma Organic Potting Mix

 

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VIDEO: Planting Tips 🌿 with Wyse Guide

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Kaleb Wyse of Wyse Guide brings his nephew, Kyan, into the garden to plant new perennials and share the joy of hands-on learning. To give their young plants the best start, Kaleb sprinkles Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus into each hole. This organic fertilizer acts like “planting insurance”—reducing transplant shock, stimulating stronger root growth, and improving soil health so perennials establish quickly and thrive for years.

Kaleb’s Planting Tips

  1. Plant in Masses
    Fill in open spaces with groups of perennials. Their foliage shades soil, suppresses weeds, and helps create a full, finished look.
  2. Loosen Roots Before Planting
    Tightly bound roots need a little teasing apart. This helps them spread into native soil and soak up water and nutrients more efficiently.
  3. Dig Smart
    Make your hole twice the size of the rootball. In tough soils, dig wider and mix in compost. Always set plants at the same depth they were in the pot.
  4. Feed with a high-quality Organic Starter Fertilizer
    Kaleb always plants with a good organic starter fertilizer like Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus. Sprinkle a handful in every hole. With beneficial microbes and mycorrhizae, Bio-tone promotes bigger roots, healthier soil, and faster establishment.
  5. Amend with Compost
    Kaleb recommends improving planting holes with a good organic compost. Try Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost, which blends lobster and crab shells with rich compost to boost soil fertility, structure, and microbial life.

Watching Kaleb and Kyan plant together is a reminder that gardens grow best with patience, care, and a little teamwork. With Bio-tone by your side, you’ll help every planting thrive from day one.

Ready to get growing? Grab your perennials, a bag of Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus. Then share your garden journey with us @EspomaOrganic on IG.

Learn More about Wyse Guide:

🪴 YouTube

🪴 Facebook

🪴 Instagram

🪴Website

Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag ImageEspoma Organic Land and Sea gourmet compost

 

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VIDEO: Planting a Reblooming Lilac 🌸 with Garden Answer

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Watch Laura from Garden Answer as she plants a reblooming lilac (Syringa x), a perfect focal-point shrub that offers multi-season interest with more than one flush of fragrant blooms.

For every planting, Laura recommends Espoma Organic Bio‑tone Starter Plus—a high-quality organic starter fertilizer that:

  • Promotes strong root development

  • Improves transplant success

  • Delivers long-lasting, soil-enriching microbes and Mycorrhizae

Lilacs are wonderfully adaptable, tolerating a range of soil pH levels, but they thrive in well-draining soil and full sun. With the right planting approach and a high-quality organic starter fertilizer like Bio-Tone Starter Plus, you’re set up for lots of beautiful blooms.

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Learn more about Garden Answer here:

YouTube

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag Image

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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VIDEO: Planting a NEW Tree 🌳 🍁 with Wyse Guide!

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There’s something hopeful about planting a new tree—especially when you know you’ve set it up to thrive. In this video, Kaleb Wyse from Wyse Guide walks us through planting a stunning Northwind Maple and shares the steps he takes to ensure long-term success. His secret? Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus, the must-have planting partner for strong root development and vigorous growth.

The Tree Planting Process:
Kaleb carefully prepares the site by loosening soil and checking for good drainage. After removing the tree from its container and scarifying the roots (to prevent circling), he sprinkles Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus into the planting hole. The blend of mycorrhizae, beneficial microbes, and organic nutrients helps reduce transplant shock and promotes deeper, stronger root growth.

Kaleb’s 6 Tree Planting Tips:

  1. Site before you plant: Walk around and view the tree from different perspectives.

  2. Check the root flare: Make sure the base of the trunk sits at or just above soil level.

  3. Loosen compacted roots: Lightly score or cut rootbound roots to encourage outward growth.

  4. Amend your soil: Always plant with a high-quality organic starter fertilizer like Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus to help promote strong establishment. 

  5. Always plant above grade: Kaleb recommends planting slightly high since the soil will settle.

  6. Water deeply after planting: Soak the tree well to eliminate air pockets and promote strong establishment.

Bonus tip: Kaleb recommends following up with a maintenance feeding later in the season using an organic fertilizer like Espoma Organic Tree-tone, specifically formulated to provide trees with the essential nutrients needed to grow strong, healthy roots. 

Kaleb finishes the project by installing a beautiful fountain nearby—bringing structure, color, and sound to his garden space. The result is a calming, cohesive area that’s rooted in good planning and organic care.

Ready to plant your own tree? Don’t forget the Bio-tone Starter Plus! It’s Kaleb’s go-to for everything from perennials to maples—and the results speak for themselves.

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Learn more about Wyse Guide here:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WyseGuide 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WyseGuide/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WyseGuide/

Website: https://www.wyseguide.com/

 

Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag Image

Espoma Organic Tree-tone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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