Tag Archive for: potting soil

VIDEO: Planting Beautiful New Plants and Feeding the Lawn Organically 🌸🚜🌱 with Garden Answer

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Laura from Garden Answer is back in the garden with three beautiful new plants—hydrangeas, calycanthus, and stokes’ asters—giving them a strong start using Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus.

Then it’s husband Aaron’s turn to step in with lawn care. He’s using Espoma Organic All Season Lawn Food to keep their grass lush and green. His tip? Fertilize monthly to keep the lawn healthy and thriving!

Learn more about Garden Answer here:

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VIDEO: Hydrangea Care Tips 🌿🌸 with Summer Rayne Oakes

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Hydrangeas have a way of stopping gardeners in their tracks—those full, dreamy blooms that shift from creamy whites to rosy pinks or cool blues. Summer Rayne Oakes @flockfingerlakes takes us through her upstate New York garden to explore five types of hydrangeas and how to help them flourish year after year.

Throughout her tour, Summer highlights two of her go-to Espoma Organic products:

  • Espoma Organic Soil Acidifier – for achieving those iconic blue blooms naturally

  • Espoma Organic Potting Mix – for building strong, healthy roots in containers

Each supports her eco-friendly approach to gardening—feeding the soil, not just the plant—while keeping the process safe for people, pets, and the planet.

Learn more about Flock Finger Lakes here:

Website: flockfingerlakes.com

Instagram – @flockfingerlakes

YouTube –Flock Finger Lakes

X – @flockny

Facebook –Flock Finger Lakes

Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag Image Espoma Organic Soil Acidifier Bag

Espoma Organic Holly-tone Organic Fertilizer for all acid loving plants Espoma Organic Potting Mix

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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 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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10 Time-Saving Tactics for a More Efficient Garden | Growing Joy with Maria

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Has your garden started to feel like a tedious task on your never-ending to-do list? Here are 10 ways to avoid garden burnout by making gardening more efficient and simple, so you can enjoy it without feeling weighed down.

This blog is inspired by Episode 266 of the Growing Joy with Plants Podcast, where Maria chats with CaliKim, YouTube gardening educator and author of The 10 Minute Gardener. Together, they share time-saving hacks to help you enjoy gardening again—without the stress.

Start Small, Stay Consistent

One of Kim’s foundational philosophies is to break down large tasks into smaller, manageable ones (3-, 5-, 8-, 10-, or 30-minute jobs), which is the basis of her book. The 10 Minute Gardener also organizes these by season (early, mid, late, dormant), so you can adapt them no matter where you garden.

Practical Time-Saving Tactics You Can Try Today

3 minute tasks

3-Minute Gardening Tasks

  • Fertilizer Fridays – Every Friday, while your tea kettle is boiling or you’re sipping coffee, take 3 minutes to fertilize your plants with an organic liquid fertilizer like Espoma Organic Indoor! Houseplant Food. You can also water them or pick off brown leaves.

  • Swift Growth Seed Sowing – Keep a small basket of seeds handy by your back door or in your pocket. During a quick break, pop a few pea seeds along a trellis or lettuce seeds into a container to keep succession planting going.

  • Three-Minute Tool Tidy – Clean and oil a few garden tools, like pruners, that may be getting rusty or sticky.

5-Minute Gardening Tasks

  • Tie-Up Tuesday (and Thursday!) – Dedicate a few minutes twice a week to trellis plants like cucumbers. Keep tie tape or twine in your pocket so you can do this quickly while walking through the garden.

  • Shade Cloth Oasis – Pre-clip shade cloth to trellises so you can dash out and cover plants when the sun is blazing.

  • End-of-Season Cleanups – Pull out dead plants and toss them into nearby trash bins or pop-up bins to keep your garden tidy.

8 & 10-minute tasks

8- & 10-Minute Gardening Tasks

  • Summer Salad Station – Plant a container with salad greens, a tomato or cucumber, and herbs for a quick, ready-to-harvest dinner garden.

  • Hustle & Bustle Garden Bed Prep – In spring, refresh your garden beds with soil amendments like Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost and worm castings.

30 min tasks

30-Minute Gardening Tasks

  • Compost Pile Refresh – Toss together kitchen scraps and yard waste to build your compost pile. Give it a splash of water, then walk away and let nature do the work.

  • Tree Branch Trellis – Gather a few sturdy sticks and lash them together to create a simple, rustic trellis for climbing plants.

Be Consistent and Keep Things Within Reach

The key is to keep everything handy and accessible. You don’t need complicated strategies to make gardening easier. Keep a basket of seeds by the door, stash pruners in multiple spots, and have tie tape at the ready. Making tools and supplies accessible ensures you stay consistent and efficient.

Listen to the Growing Joy with Plants Podcast

For more time-saving tips, listen to Episode 266 of the Growing Joy with Plants Podcast!

Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Land and Sea Espoma Organic Indoor! liquid fertilizer

 

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VIDEO: Planting Shrubs & Harvesting Onions 🌺🧅🌿 with Garden Answer

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Spend an early morning with Laura from Garden Answer as she plants hibiscus and silverthorn, adding vibrant blooms and silvery foliage for fresh contrast in her garden. To give these new shrubs the best start, she uses Espoma Organic Bio-tone  Starter Plus, ensuring strong roots and healthy growth from day one.

Later, Laura moves to the vegetable garden to harvest onions—planted with Bio-tone and later fed with Espoma Organic Garden-tone—while sharing her favorite tips for growing, curing, and storing a successful harvest.

4 Key Takeaways from Laura’s Garden Day

  1. Start with a high-quality starter fertilizer
    Using a starter fertilizer like Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus at planting gives shrubs and perennials a strong foundation. It promotes quick root establishment, reduces transplant shock, and sets the stage for healthier growth and more abundant blooms.
  2. Planting shrubs: water, spacing, and layout matter
    Place shrubs where they’ll have room to grow to full size, then step back to check balance and flow in the garden. After planting, create a shallow watering basin around the root zone to ensure deep, even moisture while they establish.
  3. Feed onions consistently through the season
    Laura planted her onions with Bio-tone, then followed up with Garden-tone to keep them growing strong. A steady supply of organic nutrients helps onions size up properly and develop great flavor.
  4. Harvest onions at the right stage
    Onions are ready when their necks soften and the tops flop over. Gently pull them, then cure in a shaded, airy space for 7–10 days to allow skins to dry and harden for better storage.

From thoughtful planting to a plentiful harvest, Laura shows how preparation and care lead to success. A starter fertilizer like Bio-tone Starter Plus sets new plants up for stronger roots, while follow-up feedings with Garden-tone keep vegetables productive and delicious.

Ready to put these tips into action? Try Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus on your next planting day, and don’t forget to keep edibles thriving with Espoma Organic Garden-tone. Share your garden moments with us @EspomaOrganic on IG—let’s grow together! 🌱

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Learn more about Garden Answer here:

🪴 YouTube

🪴 Website

🪴 Facebook

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Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag Image

Espoma Garden-tone

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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: Growing Veggies and Herbs 🍅🌿🥕 with Summer Rayne Oakes

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Summer Rayne Oakes of Flock Finger Lakes is back in her gazebo garden, where she refreshed her raised beds with Espoma Organic All-Purpose Garden Soil, giving her fruits, veggies, and herbs a nutrient-rich foundation.

From basil to beans, this garden is brimming with variety—and Summer shares her best lessons she learned along the way.

6 Quick Tips from Summer’s Garden

  1. Refresh your soil each season – Even healthy beds benefit from a fresh top-off of organic soil like Espoma Organic All Purpose Garden Soil to replenish nutrients and structure.

  2. Try companion planting – Marigolds tucked near tomatoes deter pests like hornworms and invite pollinators to the party.

  3. Prune and plant tomatoes deeply – Snip off lower leaves and bury stems a little deeper so they develop stronger root systems.

  4. Mix in perennial herbs and crops – Plants like sea kale, rhodiola, and schisandra return year after year, offering beauty and resilience.

  5. Stagger your sowing – Succession planting of quick crops like radishes, lettuce, and calendula ensures continuous harvests and blooms.

  6. Grow what you’ll actually use – Whether it’s sweet potatoes for soups or basil for summer salads, plant to fit your kitchen habits.

A Garden That Nourishes All Season

From tender greens to black goji berries, Summer Rayne shows how diverse plantings and thoughtful soil care can make a small space abundant. With Espoma Organic All-Purpose Garden Soil supporting strong roots and steady nutrition, her gazebo garden is set to thrive all season long.

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Learn more about Flock Finger Lakes here:

Website: flockfingerlakes.com

Instagram – @flockfingerlakes

YouTube –Flock Finger Lakes

X – @flockny

Facebook –Flock Finger Lakes

Featured Products:


Espoma Organic All-Purpose Garden Soil imageEspoma Raised Bed Mix bagEspoma Organic Land and SeaEspoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag Image

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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VIDEO: August Garden Refresh ☀️🌿🌸 with Skye Hamilton

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Gardening in August isn’t for the faint of heart — it’s hot, it’s scraggly, and it takes motivation.  Skye Hamilton reminds us that the effort is well worth it. With just a few key steps, you can transform your late-summer beds and set the stage for a gorgeous fall garden.

One of Skye’s favorite tips? Feed tired annuals and perennials with a high-quality organic fertilizer like Espoma Organic Plant-tone. This slow-release, all-purpose organic fertilizer gives plants a natural boost without burning, helping them put on their final flush of blooms.

Skye’s August Garden Checklist

  • 🌱 Weed control: Stay on top of weeds to instantly refresh the look and health of your beds.

  • ✂️ Cut back overgrowth: Trim plants for a tidier appearance and encourage reblooming where possible.

  • 🌸 Deadhead rebloomers: Keep flowers coming with consistent deadheading.

  • 🌿 Fertilize: Apply a high-quality organic fertilizer like Espoma Organic Plant-tone to revive perennials and annuals for their late-season show.

  • 🐛 Treat issues: Address pests and diseases before they spread.

So while August gardening may feel intense, remember: a little care now means a thriving, colorful fall garden later. Discover more natural gardening tips and find Espoma Organic Plant-tone at your local garden center today. 🌱

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Learn More about Skye Hamilton:

🌸 Website

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🌸 Facebook

🌸 YouTube

🌸 Pinterest

🌸 TikTok

Featured Products: 

Espoma Organic Plant-tone organic fertilizerEspoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag Image

 

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VIDEO: Planting Perennials in Full Sun ☀️🌿🌸 with Garden Answer

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Laura from Garden Answer shows us how to plant five sun-loving perennials—even in the peak of summer heat. From elegant Siberian iris to bold salvia, she layers color and texture into her garden while reminding us that planting in hot weather can still be successful with the right care. To set her new perennials up for success, Laura uses Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus, the ultimate “planting insurance” that boosts root growth and helps prevent transplant loss.

6 Quick Tips for Planting Perennials in Summer Heat

  1. Expect a little wilting – It’s normal for new plants to droop in full sun, but they’ll perk back up once the day cools.

  2. Water consistently – Keep soil evenly moist during establishment to reduce stress.

  3. Plant early or late – Beat the midday sun by working in the morning or evening.

  4. Amend your soil – Blend in organic compost like Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost or Espoma Organic All-Purpose Garden Soil for better drainage and nutrient retention.

  5. Feed at planting – Mix Bio-tone Starter Plus right into the hole to encourage strong root growth and long-term success.

  6. Mulch generously – A layer of organic mulch helps conserve water and keep roots cool.

Even on the hottest days, your garden can keep growing with the right prep and care. 🌱 Whether you’re adding in new perennials or refreshing containers, remember that feeding the soil naturally makes all the difference.

👉 Watch Laura’s full video for inspiration, then grab your favorite Espoma Organic products and let’s get growing!

*****

Learn more about Garden Answer here:

🪴 YouTube

🪴 Website

🪴 Facebook

🪴 Instagram

Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag ImageEspoma Organic Land and SeaEspoma Organic All-Purpose Garden Soil image

 

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