There was a time when the fertilizer/soil mix/mulch section in the garden center was like the first few minutes of The Wizard of Oz—standard-issue black and white. But just as Dorothy suddenly had her eyes opened to a whole, new colorful world in the movie, garden-product makers have added a wide range of bells and whistles to their packaging practices. And we’re all the better for it. This month, we take a look at the outside of some of the better-marketed products available—as well as on the inside, where the “steak” lives up to the “sizzle.” Espoma’s Organic Potting MixWhy should you sell it? This is a great product to promote in any container gardening display. Espoma’s Potting Mix contains Myco-tone, a proprietary blend of 11 different strains of mycorrhizae, which have been proven to promote root growth, increase water uptake, and reduce drought stress and transplant shock. Translation: Potted plants love this stuff! www.espoma.com  Grass Minerals Lawn Food from Peggy GreenWhy should you sell it? It has “green” written all over it—plus it has green packaging, to boot. Peggy Green’s Lawn Food is nitrogen-free and phosphorus-free, so you can promote it to customers as a great way to build a safe, beautiful lawn without the use of harsh synthetic chemicals or pesticides. www.PeggyGreen.com Complete Planting Mix from Fafard .jpg) Why should you sell it? Fafard’s Complete Planting Mix adds organic matter to red clay or sandy soil, conditioning garden beds and landscapes to promote healthy root growth. The attractive bag will draw customers to any display, and once customers get this product home, they just cut it open and pour contents out per instruction to enhance the growing potential of any garden.www.fafard.com  Black Gold potting soils, garden amendments and fertilizers from SunGro HorticultureWhy should you sell it? These soil enhancement products will be available nationally in 2012. Popular in the West for over 25 years, Black Gold is filled with OMRI Listed products. This national alternative to the big-box brands will be available in January. www.blackgold.bz  The Earth Harvest Organic Line of plant care products from ICT Organics Why should you sell it? In addition to its eye-catching packaging, Earth Harvest is a full-line, organic-compliant set of products. Earth Harvest’s full line of solution-oriented items allows you to help homeowners accelerate their transition to organic lawn, garden and landscape practices. www.earthharvestorganics.com |
 | The Garden Center Conference & Expo, presented by Garden Center magazine, is the leading event where garden retailers come together to learn from each other, get inspired and move the industry forward. Be sure to register by April 17 to get the lowest rates for the 2025 show in Kansas City, Missouri, Aug. 5-7.
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