Fertilizer: A reliable business partner and neighbor

Utah is known for its high pH soils, which severely reduce essential plant nutrients like iron and create yearly challenges for growers. That’s why Anderson’s Seed and Garden is lucky to have a reliable neighbor helping them solve the gardening problems native to the state.

The garden retailer has been selling a liquid fertilizer lineup from local seller Baicor since the early 1990s, particularly favoring the company’s Nutra-Green, Iron Combo Chelate and Tree Feast products. Anderson’s also sells Iron Tree Treats, a capsule placed directly into trees to alleviate yellowing and other deficiencies caused by the lack of iron in Utah’s soil.

Anderson’s offers bulk organic and heirloom vegetable and flower seeds, making Nutra-Green ideal for customers needing a nutrient-rich formula for plant development, says owner Mark Anderson. Meanwhile, Anderson himself uses Tree Treats at home to keep his maple and pear trees green and healthy.

“Baicor has a wide range of products that solve a lot of problems for us,” Anderson says. “When you find an effective product that works, you’ve got to grab onto it.”

Finding a fertilizer seller with local ties — Baicor is located just three miles from Anderson’s — has been a boon for the long-time retailer. The family-owned supplier gives Anderson’s product samples to pass out at trade shows, and offers promotions as part of a call-in radio show hosted by the store.

Patrons speak to Baicor’s popularity with their pocket books, showing a special affinity for Tree Treats and Iron Combo Chelate, a micronutrient fertilizer used to tend lawns, trees, shrubs and flowers.

Regarding Tree Treats, Anderson says, “That’s the one product people come in to buy more than any other, because they work and are easy to apply to large trees, which are usually more difficult to correct in terms of nutrient deficiencies.”

Overall, having a company around that understands Utah’s climate and soil is a boon for everyone involved.

“Baicor being local makes their products easy to sell,” Anderson says. “When we tell people that these products are made right here in the community, they’re much more willing to spend money on them.”