Join our community of natural gardening enthusiasts
This DIY veggie pallet planter, made by Laura from Garden Answer, is a great upcycled vertical planter idea. Laura shows how you can grow lettuce and flower in a small space using Espoma organic potting soil and organic fertilizer.
Refreshing, invigorating and energizing — your lawn loves limes as much as you do!
Lawns also benefit from limestone if their soil pH is too low. Organic Lightning Lime restores patchy areas and helps your lawn get its green glow back.
Lightning Lime works by correcting soil acidity and adding calcium and magnesium to your soil to help preserve that luscious green color and protect grass from stress caused by heat, drought or traffic. Calcium helps regulate nutrients such as zinc, copper and phosphorus.
Find out if your lawn needs Lightning Lime.
Lawns Like Lightning Lime: How and Why to Apply Lightning Lime in the Lawn
A dash of Lightning Lime can do wonders. It’s one of those organic lawn care tips you’ll wish you always knew!
The Lawn Stress Test. Perform a soil test to see if your lawn’s soil pH is too low. A low soil pH leads to patchy, yellow spots.
Lime It or Leave It. Only add Lightning Lime if your soil pH is low. Lawns thrive in soil with a pH between 6 and 7. And if your soil pH is below 5.5, your lawn will suffer since it can’t absorb nutrients properly.
Cool Like a Lime. Only use a pelletized, organic Lightning Lime for a Safe Paws lawn. Espoma’s Lightning Lime contains no hydrated lime, so it’s safe to use around pets and children. And that’s a big deal! Other lawn limes contain hydrated lime, which can be harmful.
Time to Lime! Apply organic Lightning Lime in early spring or fall. See how much Lightning Lime to use here. Then water. Never apply Lightning Lime if the ground is frozen or the grass is wilted.
Wait It Out. This organic lawn care trick takes time to kick in! You’ll see a lusher, greener lawn in a season or two.
You went right to the root of the problem — and solved it! Your lawn thanks you for that revitalizing Lightning Lime. It’ll repay you with lush, green color soon!
You may have noticed: your houseplants look crowed in their containers, they have droopy leaves or are thirstier than usual.
Moving on up! Now is the time to re-pot them.
Longer days and bright sun means that in just a few weeks, houseplants will wake up and experience a major growth spurt. When you start to see new growth, it’s time to start feeding and watering regularly.
Give houseplants everything they need to grow up in style – a hearty feeding and a stylish home included.
Grooving and Moving: Repot and Feed Houseplants in Spring
Houseplant care tip: Repot houseplants every six months.
Let It Slide. Lightly water your plant an hour before the big move. When turned upside down, your plant will easily slide out.
Scoot the Roots. Snip off any dead or rotten roots. Then gently loosen living roots.
Room to Grow. Pick a pot one size up from your plant’s current home.
Move In. Fill the pot 1/3 full with organic potting soil. Position the plant so it’s at the same depth as it previously was. When situated, backfill with soil, and gently pat it into place.
Clink a Drink. Celebrate a successful move with a refreshing drink. Water your plants, and top them off with potting soil if needed.
Food to Conclude. Feed with an organic plant food every 3-4 weeks. Make it quick and easy this month with one of our new liquid plant foods. With our easy dose lid, all you need to do is flip, fill and feed. No measuring or mess!
Look at those happy plants, making themselves right at home! Housewarming party, anyone? You’ve already got the flowers covered!
Raise new plants that grow as big and mighty as Jack’s Beanstalk with these five tips for planting success. Your new plants will look so perfect your neighbors will think you plucked them right from a fairy tale!
Before you even think about picking up your garden trowel, check out these tips.
Say Yes to Success: 5 Tricks for Planting New Flowers, Veggies and More
1. Start with the Best. Make sure you have the right light, space and soil for each plant. Then select plants with shiny, blemish-free leaves that you can easily lift out of the container.
2. Royal Soil. Before planting, test the soil and add necessary amendments. If your soil is lacking, your plants will be too. For an extra oomph, add Espoma Organic Vegetable & Flower Garden Soil or compost to the planting hole. And if direct sowing seeds, mix in an organic seed starting potting soil, so seeds can take root easily.
3. Feed Now… and Later. When planting, mix in an organic starter plant food. Adrianna, an Espoma customer, loves Bio-tone Starter Plus. She can even tell “when the roots begin to take up the plant food because they start to grow MUCH faster.” Bio-tone Starter Plus’ secret is mycorrhizae, which promotes bigger blooms and helps plants get established faster. Continue to feed plants with an organic fertilizer for starter plants. Try our new Start! liquid fertilizer to speed up the process.
4. Stay Strong Seedlings. Before moving indoor seedlings outside, toughen them up. Otherwise, they may not make it. To help seeds adjust, begin hardening them off two weeks before transplanting. How-to instructions here.
5. Don’t Forget to Water. While still in their nursery containers, water your plants. Then water deeply after planting. Water reduces plants’ stress levels and helps them adjust to their happy, new abode.
Get ready, your organic flowers, veggies and plants are about to be bigger and healthier than ever! You grow, gardener!
“Paw-lease, let us go outside!” your pets seem to be pleading as they flash you their saddest puppy dog eyes.
After spending most of their winter indoors, pets are springing to life – and pawing at the door.
Before you let your pets frolic outside this spring, petscape and create a safe and pet-friendly outdoor landscape.
Who Let the Dogs Out?
Pass on Pesticides. The most important way to keep pets safe outside is to use organic lawn care products. It’s scary to hear, but dogs whose owners applied chemical herbicides were 4.4 times more likely to develop bladder cancer, according to research. Remind your friends and families to grow a Safe Paws lawn. Always.
No-No Cocoa. Skip the cocoa mulch when petscaping. While this mulch is a true beauty, dogs can’t resist its chocolatey smell. As you may have guessed, cocoa mulch is dangerous and toxic to dogs when eaten.
Flower Power. Curious dogs and cats often want to see what those fragrant, colorful flowers taste like. While some plants are fine for pets to sample, others are poisonous. Before adding another plant or shrub to your garden, check if it’s safe for your pets.
Compost Ghost. While composting is great for the planet, it’s not as great for your pets. As food and garden waste breaks down, mold may grow. So if your pets nibble your compost, they can become sick. Symptoms range from excessive drooling or panting to vomiting and seizures. Keep compost bins closed or out of pets’ reach.
Your pups and kittens will want to play fur-ever in their Safe Paws lawn. So, go what’s the harm of one more game of fetch? You did use organic lawn care products after all!
Organically feeding your favorite plants just got way easier – and faster. Say farewell to messy measuring and that fishy smell of other organic, liquid fertilizers.
And say hello to Espoma’s new line of liquid plant foods. Learn more about our new collection below.
Hello, Healthy! Espoma’s New, Liquid Organic Plant Food
Here are a few reasons our new liquid plant line will become one of your favorite things.
Meet the New Liquid Plant Food Trio
Bigger, better plants are only a flip away!
Try our new liquid organic plant foods with organic potting soil for super amazing results. Can’t wait to see what big beauties you grow!
Hang the stockings by the chimney with care. Decorate the tree with glee. Then spread joy with holiday houseplants.
After all, the halls aren’t decked until the houseplants arrive! Houseplants can stand alone or complement other holiday decor. Plus, their lively blooms, colors and smells are the definition of holiday cheer!
Houseplants make sweet gifts to give — and even sweeter gifts for you to get yourself!
Below is everything you need to know about holiday houseplants.
Holly, Jolly Holiday Houseplants
Start with the perfect holiday houseplant! The rest is easy.
1. Festive Poinsettia. No other houseplant captures the Christmas spirit more than poinsettias.
2. Cheerful Christmas Cactus. Red and green all over, this flowering houseplant is super easy to care for and bursts with sweet, red blooms all season.
3. Amazing Amaryllis. Bold, stunning and elegant, amaryllis delight with vibrant red and snowy white blooms.
4. Nifty Norfolk Island Pine. These petite Christmas trees are simply darling! Plus, they can grow up to 12’ tall if properly cared for!
5. Charming Cyclamen. Cyclamen’s heart-shaped red or pink flowers instantly fill spaces with love.
Keep Your Holiday Houseplants Happy
The best way to spread Christmas cheer is by placing a holiday houseplant here and here! Enjoy those blooming beauties all season.