Tag Archive for: winter

VIDEO: How to Winterize Your Chicken Coop with Summer Rayne Oakes

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On a snowy, wintry day, Summer Rayne Oakes of Flock Finger Lakes takes us inside her newly built chicken coop to share what she’s doing to get it ready for winter. From smart coop orientation and ventilation tips to insulation strategies and warm-water routines, Summer walks through the small details that help her birds stay comfortable in cold weather. She also shows how she uses Espoma Organic Sani-Care® Premium Hardwood Bedding to create a deep, cozy floor layer that’s easy to clean and helps keep the coop environment drier and more comfortable all season long.

8 Winter Coop Tips Summer Swears By

 

1) Start with the right coop orientation

If you’re building a coop from scratch (or choosing where to place one), Summer recommends thinking about prevailing winter winds first. In her location, cold winds typically come from the north, so she designed the coop with no open windows on the north side to help block drafts.

Takeaway: Positioning and window placement can make winter management easier before you even add insulation.

2) Use windows for ventilation, not warmth

It’s tempting to button everything up tight, but Summer reminds us that humidity control matters just as much as temperature. She aims to keep coop humidity under about 70%, since damp air in freezing weather can contribute to frostbite risk on combs and wattles.

Takeaway: In winter, crack windows strategically to keep air moving without creating harsh drafts.

3) Insulate to reduce temperature swings (but don’t heat the coop)

Summer insulated the coop walls and ceiling to help limit dramatic hot-to-cold shifts. The goal isn’t to create a tropical coop, it’s to keep conditions steadier.

She also notes an important point: heating the coop can backfire if birds step outside into much colder air, creating stress and condensation issues.

Takeaway: Insulation can help stabilize the space; birds are built for winter, but they do best in a dry, well-ventilated environment.

4) Build a warmer, softer floor with deep bedding

Because concrete floors get cold fast, Summer builds up a generous layer of bedding. She uses Espoma Organic Sani-Care and piles it 6–10 inches deep so the birds have a warmer, softer place to settle in.

Why Sani-Care?

  • Easy to clean: makes daily and weekly maintenance simpler

  • Comfort-focused: helps create a more cushioned, cozy floor layer

  • Supports a drier coop: deep, fresh bedding helps manage moisture so the coop feels more comfortable

5) Add extra “snuggle zones” with raised beds

Summer repurposed pet beds as raised sleeping areas and added bedding on top, giving chickens and ducks the option to get up off the cold floor. Some birds choose corners, others prefer the beds. The point is: let them decide.

Takeaway: Variety in roosting/sleeping spots helps the flock settle where they’re most comfortable.

6) Use safe lighting and avoid risky heat sources

Summer uses a standard LED light and avoids heat lamps, noting that heat lamps can be a cause of coop fires. If she ever wants a small bump in warmth, she considers a safer alternative that gently raises the temperature without intense heat.

Takeaway: Prioritize fire safety in winter setups. Warmth is never worth the risk.

7) Block wind in the run with panels (without sealing it airtight)

To cut wind where birds spend their time, Summer adds poly panels to the run. She intentionally leaves small gaps so there’s still some airflow.

Takeaway: Wind protection + ventilation is the balance. You’re aiming for calm air, not stale air.

8) Keep water available and flowing

Summer shares her setup for keeping water accessible in freezing weather, including insulated lines and a system designed to reduce freezing. She also brings warm water as a treat, especially on extra-cold days.

Takeaway: Winter hydration takes planning, but it’s one of the biggest quality-of-life upgrades you can make for your flock.

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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

 

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VIDEO: Planting Spring Bulbs in Containers 🪴🌷 with Summer Rayne Oakes

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When the garden beds are resting, container gardening keeps the joy of planting alive. In a recent video on her Flock Finger Lakes channel, Summer Rayne Oakes shows how she extends the season by layering spring-flowering bulbs in containers, tucked inside her chicken and duck run. Using Espoma Organic Potting Mix and Espoma Organic Perlite, Summer creates a well-draining, root-friendly environment that helps bulbs overwinter successfully and burst into bloom come spring.

 

Summer’s Top 3 Tips for Planting Bulbs in Containers

1. Start with a High-Quality, Well-Draining Soil Mix

Healthy bulbs begin with the right foundation. Summer uses Espoma Organic Potting Mix as her base because it’s lightweight, rich in organic matter, and formulated specifically for container gardening. It holds just the right amount of moisture while still allowing excess water to drain away—critical for preventing bulb rot during winter storage.

To further improve drainage, she blends in Espoma Organic Perlite, which keeps the soil loose and airy. This extra oxygen around the bulbs encourages strong root development and helps containers handle fluctuating winter and spring conditions.

2. Layer Bulbs

One of Summer’s favorite techniques is layering bulbs by size and bloom time. Larger, later-blooming bulbs like tulips and daffodils go deeper in the pot, while smaller, early bloomers like snowdrops are placed closer to the surface. This creates a succession of blooms from early to late spring—all in one container.

Planting bulbs a bit closer together in containers also creates a fuller, more impactful display, making pots look lush when they come into flower.

3. Protect Containers While Letting Them Chill

Bulbs need a cold period to bloom, and Summer’s chicken and duck run doubles as a cold greenhouse thanks to added panels. Containers stay protected from harsh weather while still experiencing natural temperature changes. A light soil topper can also help discourage curious critters from digging, especially when overwintering bulbs in shared garden spaces.

Summer Rayne Oaks Planting spring bulbs in a container with a chicken

Let’s Get Growing

Layering bulbs in containers is a simple, rewarding way to extend the gardening season and enjoy months of spring color. With Espoma Organic Potting Mix and Espoma Organic Perlite, you’re giving bulbs the well-draining, nutrient-rich environment they need to thrive—naturally.

*****

Learn more about Flock Finger Lakes here:

Website: flockfingerlakes.com

Instagram – @flockfingerlakes

YouTube –Flock Finger Lakes

X – @flockny

Facebook –Flock Finger Lakes

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VIDEO: Planting the Last Bulbs of the Season with Garden Answer

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As the season winds down, Laura from Garden Answer takes on her final bulb planting of the year, sharing practical planting and bulb-care tips along the way. In this project, she plants more than 300 Thalia daffodils alongside a mix of spring bloomers, including Persian Pearl, Snowdrops, and Lilac Wonder—showing how late-season planting can still deliver impressive results.

Laura walks us through her process, emphasizing the importance of proper bulb depth, spacing, and soil preparation. These foundational steps help bulbs establish strong roots before winter, setting the stage for healthy growth and vibrant blooms in spring.

To support early root development, Laura incorporates Espoma Organic Bulb-tone at the time of planting. This organic, slow-release fertilizer is specially formulated for bulbs and helps:

  • Encourage strong root growth before dormancy
  • Support bigger, more vibrant spring blooms
  • Feed gradually over time for long-term plant health
  • Reduce the risk of burning young roots compared to quick-release fertilizers

By combining proven planting techniques with the right nutrition, this end-of-season bulb planting shows how a little extra care now can make a big difference when spring arrives.

Learn more about Garden Answer: 

🪴 YouTube

🪴 Website

🪴 Facebook

🪴 Instagram

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VIDEO: One Last Autumn Stroll 🍁🍂 with Summer Rayne Oakes

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Fall always feels like the quickest season in the garden, and in her final autumn tour at Flock Finger Lakes, Summer Rayne Oakes invites us to slow down and savor what’s left before winter fully settles in. As she walks the property, you’ll see how the gardens she’s been nurturing with Espoma Organic Fertilizers and Potting Soils have grown into layered, living spaces that carry beauty even as the blooms fade and the days grow shorter.

A Farewell Walk Through the Pollinator & Herb Gardens

The tour begins on a crisp morning among the pollinator and herb gardens, where most of the leaves have already dropped, but the seed heads still stand tall. Summer lets them remain for the songbirds, creating a soft, textural landscape that feels both wild and intentional. From there, she moves to a front garden bed, gently tucking in Virginia bluebells beneath a freshly prepared layer of mulch and rich soil, imagining how their spring flowers will weave into the story of next year’s garden.

Soft Light on the Pond, Meadow, and Grasses

In the video, Summer moves down to the pond and meadow, where goldenrods, asters, sedges, and native grasses catch the low autumn light. The seed heads shimmer, the pond sits quietly in the background, and you get the sense that the garden is exhaling after a full season of growth. A visit to the compost pile reminds us that all of this beauty is supported by what’s happening beneath the surface: wood chips, sawdust, clippings, and plant debris slowly transforming into the soil that will feed future plantings.

The Meadow House gardens

At the Meadow House gardens, the mood shifts to one of hopeful beginnings. These beds are still young, yet already filled with perennials, bulbs, and containers that will be tucked away for protection as temperatures drop. You can almost imagine how full and lush it will all look when spring and summer return.

Reflecting on Five Seasons of Growth

Summer reflects on five years of tending this land and how much has changed in that time—tiny trees now casting shade, shrubs filling out, meadows finding their own rhythm. It’s a gentle, grateful goodbye to fall, and a quiet nod toward all that’s still to come.

*****

Learn more about Flock Finger Lakes here:

Website: flockfingerlakes.com

Instagram – @flockfingerlakes

YouTube –Flock Finger Lakes

X – @flockny

Facebook –Flock Finger Lakes

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 Espoma Organic All-Purpose Garden Soil imageEspoma Organic Potting Mix bag Espoma Raised Bed Mix bag Espoma Organic Land and SeaEspoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag ImageEspoma Organic Bulb-tone bag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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VIDEO: How to Plant Spring Bulbs in Containers 🌱🌷 with Garden Answer

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Laura from Garden Answer shows how to plant spring-blooming bulbs in large containers for a big, colorful show next season. She fills eight pots with Menton tulips and Spanish bluebells, feeding them with Espoma Organic Bulb-tone and then topdressing with Espoma Organic Land & Sea Compost to refresh the tired soil and support strong, natural growth.

The Planting Plan: A “Bouquet” in Every Pot

Laura creates a layered “bouquet” effect in each container:

  • Center: Menton tulips
  • Outer edge: Spanish bluebells

Both bloom late in the season, so the colors overlap beautifully. Spanish bluebells grow about 14–18″ tall, while Menton tulips reach 23–25″, giving each pot a soft, tiered look. Planting in raised containers keeps everything at waist height, which makes bulb planting much easier than digging in the ground.

Step-by-Step: How Laura Plants Her Bulb Containers

1. Prepare the Container

Laura removes soil down to about 6 inches deep. This makes room for the first layer of bulbs and ensures they’re planted at the proper depth.

2. Amend the Soil with an Organic Fertilizer

Before placing any bulbs, she sprinkles Espoma Organic Bulb-tone into the container.

Why it helps:

  • Provides slow-release, organic nutrition right where roots grow.
  • Encourages strong root development, which is key for bulbs to overwinter and bloom well.
  • Gentle, natural formula that’s safe for people, pets, and pollinator-friendly gardens when used as directed.

3. Plant Tulips “Shoulder to Shoulder”

Menton tulip bulbs go in first at 6 inches deep, planted:

  • Pointy side up, flat side down.
  • Very close together—“shoulder to shoulder”—rather than spaced as they would be in the ground.

This tight spacing lets her fit about 100 tulip bulbs per pot, creating a dense, show-stopping spring display.

4. Add Spanish Bluebells

She covers the tulips with a couple of inches of soil, then plants the Spanish bluebells in a ring around the outer edge at about 4 inches deep. Bluebell bulbs look a bit different, but the rule still applies: roots down, growth point up.

5. Add compost

Because the potting mix has been used before and is showing roots and wear, Laura doesn’t just add more regular soil. Instead, she topdresses each container with Espoma Organic Land & Sea Compost.

Why it helps:

  • Adds rich organic matter back into tired soil.
  • Improves soil structure and moisture retention, which bulbs love.
  • Supplies a gentle nutrient boost from premium ingredients like lobster and kelp meal, helping bulbs grow strong and bloom beautifully.

6. Water Thoroughly

After planting and topdressing, Laura waters each container deeply.

Her key watering tip:

  • Aim for even moisture across the entire soil surface, not just one side of the pot.
  • In winter, check containers every 2–3 weeks. The goal is soil that’s slightly moist, never soggy, and never bone dry.

Bulb-Specific Tips for Container Success

Laura’s main bulb care reminders:

  • Chill time matters:
    • Tulips and daffodils generally need 12–16 weeks of consistent cold (around 35–45°F).
    • Hyacinths often need 8–10 weeks; crocus and snowdrops around 6–8 weeks.
  • Mild climate? Go pre-chilled:
    If you garden in a warmer region, order pre-chilled bulbs so they arrive ready to plant and still bloom well.
  • Drainage is essential:
    Containers must have drainage holes so bulbs don’t sit in water and rot. In very wet climates, you may need to protect pots from constant rainfall; in dry climates, remember to water occasionally.

With the right chill, good drainage, consistent moisture, and organic nutrition from Bulb-tone and Land & Sea Compost, these containers are now set up for a spectacular spring show—naturally.

*****

Learn more about Garden Answer: 

🪴 YouTube

🪴 Website

🪴 Facebook

🪴 Instagram

Featured Products:

Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Bulb-tone bag Espoma Organic Land and Sea Espoma Organic Potting Mix bag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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VIDEO: Bringing In Your Plants for Winter 🪴❄️ with Summer Rayne Oakes

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When the mornings turn chilly and frost threatens, it’s time to bring your non-cold-hardy plants indoors. In this video, Summer Rayne Oakes demonstrates how she gathers her Aloes, Pelargoniums, Euphorbias, air plants, and more, refreshing containers with Espoma Organic Cactus Mix, and Espoma Organic Perlite to help them settle in for the winter months.

Here are six quick tips to help you do the same.

1. Bring Plants In Before the First Freeze

Any tender plant—succulents, tropicals, Pelargoniums, air plants—needs to move indoors once nighttime temperatures dip into the 30s and low 40s °F. Cold snaps can damage foliage fast.

2. Check for Pests and Outdoor Debris

Before carrying your plants inside, give them a quick inspection:

  • Look for ants or insects in the soil
  • Remove spent leaves
  • Trim away any mushy or damaged growth

This keeps your indoor environment clean and your plants stress-free.

3. Give Overgrown Plants a Gentle Trim

A light haircut helps plants transition into winter dormancy. Summer trims her Pelargoniums to remove dead growth and tidy the shape, making them easier to overwinter.

4. Refresh Soil With a Fresh Organic Potting Mix

After a full season outdoors, potting soil can become compacted, washed out by rain, or depleted of nutrients. Refreshing the top few inches—or fully repotting—gives plants the clean, breathable foundation they need to stay healthy indoors.

For most houseplants, reach for Espoma Organic All-Purpose Potting Mix. It’s rich, airy, and packed with organic ingredients that support strong roots through winter.

Summer uses Espoma Organic Cactus Mix for her succulents because they need faster drainage and extra airflow around their roots. This helps prevent rot during the cooler months when succulents naturally take up less water.

Adding a scoop of Espoma Organic Perlite boosts drainage even more—great for Aloes, Agaves, and Euphorbias heading into low-light, low-growth winter conditions.

5. Repot or Divide Crowded Succulents

Aloes and other succulents often outgrow their pots by fall. Take a cue from Summer and divide offsets or repot into fresh soil so each plant has room to breathe indoors.

6. Feed Indoor Plants Through Winter

Even during slower growth, indoor plants still appreciate gentle nourishment. Use a high-quality organic liquid fertilizer—like Espoma Organic Indoor! —to keep roots strong and foliage healthy all winter long.

A little effort goes a long way!

A little trimming, a pest check, and a refresh with Espoma Organic potting soils and a little liquid fertilizer is all it takes to help your plants thrive indoors this winter.

Let’s get growing—indoors! 🌿

*****

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Espoma Organic Potting MixOrganic Potting soil -Espoma Organic Cactus MixEspoma Organic PerliteEspoma Organic Indoor! liquid fertilizer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Final Fall Plantings & Tips for Bringing Plants Inside for Winter 🍁🪴 with Wyse Guide

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Fall might feel like the end of the gardening season, but as Kaleb from Wyse Guide shows, it’s actually a perfect time to plant and bring in your favorite tropical plants for the winter months.

In this project, Kaleb refreshes the front of his home with hydrangeas, using Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus to support strong root growth, then replants a massive elephant ear and pots it up in Espoma Organic Potting Mix so he can enjoy it again next year.

Kaleb’s late fall gardening tips:

1. Plant for Roots, Not Blooms
Kaleb takes advantage of fall’s warm soil and cool air to give hydrangeas time to establish. Adding Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus helps new shrubs settle in quickly and build the strong root systems that lead to better growth next spring.

2. Build Healthy Soil & Keep Watering
Hydrangeas thrive in rich, well-draining soil, so Kaleb amends where needed and uses drip irrigation to keep moisture consistent on his sunny, south-facing porch. Even with drip, he checks soil weekly and waters during fall—and even winter warm-ups—so new roots never dry out.

3. Store Tropicals to Enjoy Them Again
Instead of letting frost take his elephant ear, Kaleb trims it back and pots it into Espoma Organic All-Purpose Potting Mix. Over winter, it rests indoors with minimal watering, ready to return outdoors next season.

Even as the season slows, there’s still so much you can do to care for your garden. A little fall planting, some root-focused feeding, and thoughtful winter storage of warm-season plants can set you up for an even more beautiful spring. 

*****

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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!

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VIDEO: Euphorbia Repotting 🌵 with Summer Rayne Oakes

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Join Summer Rayne Oakes as she repots her beautiful Euphorbia plants to prepare them for the summer outdoors. While Euphorbias and cacti may look similar with their spines and upright growth, they belong to entirely different plant families. Euphorbias are part of the Euphorbiaceae family and exude a white, often toxic latex sap. Cacti, part of the Cactaceae family, do not produce this sap and typically have areoles (small, cushion-like structures) from which spines, flowers, and new growth emerge—something Euphorbias lack. Often mistaken for cacti, Euphorbias are succulents native to Africa and require specific care.

Repotting:

Summer creates a well-draining soil mix using Espoma Organic Cactus Mix combined with Espoma Organic Perlite (70% Cactus Mix, 30% Perlite) to ensure excellent aeration and drainage, reducing the risk of root rot. To nourish the plants through the growing season, she applies Espoma Organic Cactus! Liquid Fertilizer every 4–6 weeks.

As a final touch, she tops off the containers with Espoma Organic Bonsai Mix, which helps protect the soil surface, reduces moisture loss, and adds a clean, finished look to each pot.

Summer also explains a common condition called “corking,” a natural process where the stems of Euphorbias become woody at the base due to aging, which is not a sign of disease.

Summer’s Euphorbia Care Tips:

  • Wear gloves when repotting to avoid skin and eye irritation.
  • Inspect roots and prune away dead or damaged areas.
  • Water thoroughly, then allow the top 1–2 inches of soil to dry out.
  • Fertilize regularly during the growing season, pausing in winter.

With Summer’s guidance and Espoma’s organic products, your Euphorbias will thrive outdoors this summer!

*****

Learn more about Summer Rayne Oakes here:

Website: homesteadbrooklyn.com

YouTube: @summerrayneoakes

Facebook: facebook.com/homesteadbrooklyn

Instagram: instagram.com/homesteadbrooklyn

Twitter (X): twitter.com/sroakes

 

Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Cactus Mix Espoma Organic Bonsai Mix

Espoma Organic Cactus - organic Liquid Fertilizer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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VIDEO: Prune & Feed Trees Like a Pro with Wyse Guide 🌳

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Watch Kaleb Wyse of Wyse Guide takes us through his springtime ritual of pruning and fertilizing fruit trees on his Iowa farm. Kaleb emphasizes the importance of proper pruning to encourage healthy growth and feeding with a high-quality organic fertilizer like Espoma Organic Tree-tone.

🌿 Why Espoma Organic Tree-tone?

Kaleb trusts Espoma Organic Tree-tone for its all-natural, slow-release formula that provides essential nutrients to the entire tree—roots, trunk, and canopy. Its exclusive Bio-tone microbes enhance nutrient absorption, promoting robust growth and fruit production.

✂️ Kaleb’s Top Tree Pruning Tips

  • Timing is Key: Prune in late winter or early spring before new growth starts.

  • Shape Matters: Aim for an open center to allow sunlight and air circulation.

  • Clean Cuts: Use sharp tools to make precise cuts, reducing the risk of disease.

By combining these pruning techniques with the nourishment from Espoma Organic Tree-tone, Kaleb ensures his fruit trees are healthy and productive throughout the growing season.

*****

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/

 

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