Sun Gro Horticulture launches climate-conscious potting mix Sunshine Black Bear

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Sun Gro Horticulture recently launched its newest product, a climate-conscious potting mix called Sunshine Black Bear Indoor & Outdoor Potting Mix.

Now available at Calloway’s Nursery stores in Texas and Fred Meyer stores in Washington and Idaho, the mix is formulated with carbon-rich biochar that contributes to carbon capture and environmental sustainability.

“This new mix is not just a growing media; it's a sustainable revolution,” said Bruce Adams, Sun Gro's marketing director. “Through the pyrolysis of wood that would otherwise contribute to atmospheric carbon, Black Bear Biochar stores carbon, creating an enduring, beneficial growing media aggregate, which is then combined with peat moss — a true innovation in the world of potting mixes.”

Black Bear Indoor & Outdoor Potting Mix is formulated with Black Bear carbon-rich biochar made from forest by-products. It is a sustainable alternative to perlite that promotes aeration and drainage.

The Canadian sphagnum peat moss in this product is made using responsible peatland management practices and principles and is certified under the Veriflora Responsibly Managed Peatlands program. Sustainable peat moss harvesting practices prioritize ecosystem conservation by minimizing habitat disturbance. The versatile formulation of Black Bear Potting Mix is tailored for indoor and outdoor containers, hanging baskets, window boxes and fabric pots, and is backed by successful outcomes with professional growers.

The Black Bear Biochar in each 1.5 cubic foot bag stores two pounds of carbon that would have been released into the atmosphere as 7.2 pounds of CO2 greenhouse gas. A 1.5 cubic foot bag of Black Bear Indoor & Outdoor Potting Mix stores the equivalent CO2 volume of 130 standard-size balloons or 400 hours of watching a 40-inch LED screen. A truckload stores the equivalent CO2 volume of driving 5,300 miles.

"Black Bear Indoor & Outdoor Potting Mix allows home gardeners, plant enthusiasts, professional growers and horticulturists the opportunity to plant with a cause,” said Adams. “It offers an eco-conscious option for those seeking sustainable gardening solutions.”