We’re always excited to see our brand partner Farmer Nick (@farmernick) bringing his garden to life with organic fertilizer — and his latest reel is packed with great tips for every gardener!
In his recent project, Nick repaired his planting trug and got it ready for a fresh season of growth using organic fertilizer.
Here are his top takeaways:
✅ Even if your soil still looks good, always amend it before planting — Nick uses Espoma Organic Garden-tone to recharge the soil and get it ready for seedlings.
✅ Some fresh organic compost like Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost can also help boost the soil’s nutrient content.
✅ Nick recommends mixing in an organic fertilizer like Espoma OrganicGarden-tone with rich organic compost like Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost at least once a month during the growing season to keep plants fed and thriving.
✅ Many gardeners forget that plants need regular feeding — consistent fertilizing leads to healthier plants and bigger yields.
✅ Espoma offers specialized “Tone” fertilizers (like Tomato-tone, Rose-tone, and Plant-tone) so you can meet the unique needs of different plants.
Ready to help your garden thrive? Take a page from Nick’s playbook and feed your plants throughout the season!
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_4939-copy-2.jpg16001200Matt Dauphinaishttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/espoma-logo340w-1.pngMatt Dauphinais2025-05-07 13:43:472025-05-07 13:43:47VIDEO: How to Plant a Raised Bed Like a Pro with Farmer Nick
🌿 Learn how to create your hummingbird garden using Espoma Organic soil and fertilizer. With the right organic products, you can support pollinators and grow a garden that’s good for your heart — and the planet. 💚
Spring is here, and Maria from Growing Joy with Maria is transforming her balcony into an organic hummingbird and pollinator paradise! 🌸🐦 In her latest video, Maria shares how she builds a vibrant, eco-friendly garden packed with flowers designed to attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies — all using organic fertilizer and organic soil to give her plants the healthiest start.
To create strong, thriving plants, Maria relies on Espoma Organic Potting Mix and Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus. These trusted organic products help her container garden hold moisture, support root development, and produce long-lasting blooms, making them irresistible to local pollinators.
Maria’s setup is renter-friendly and easy to replicate. She fills colorful grow bags and planters with organic soil, adding trumpet-shaped flowers like fuchsia, bee balm, salvia, and petunias — all favorites of hummingbirds. She even shares DIY tips for making hummingbird feeders and reflects on how using organic fertilizers helps protect pollinators and nurture the environment.
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/GJWM_APNL.jpeg11522048Matt Dauphinaishttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/espoma-logo340w-1.pngMatt Dauphinais2025-05-01 16:07:572025-05-01 16:07:57VIDEO: How to Grow a Hummingbird Garden 🕊️🌿🌺 | Growing Joy with Maria
Balcony gardening is a rewarding but sometimes tricky endeavor, especially for beginners. In this video tutorial, Maria shares six common mistakes that she and many others have made while gardening in containers on balconies. She also highlights how Espoma Organic products can help prevent these pitfalls and ensure healthy, thriving plants.
1: Choosing the Wrong Plant Varieties
Many beginners choose plants that are too large for container growth. Maria advises selecting micro, dwarf, or patio-specific varieties like ‘Patio Baby’ eggplant or ‘Tidy Treats’ cherry tomatoes. These are bred to be compact and manageable, ideal for small balcony spaces.
2: Using the Wrong Potting Mix
Standard garden soil is not suitable for containers as it can be too dense and poorly aerated. Maria recommends using Espoma Organic Potting Mix, which includes perlite and wood bark for proper aeration. This ensures that roots receive enough air and water, crucial for healthy plant growth.
3: Inconsistent Watering
Balcony plants need regular watering, and failing to plan can lead to wilted or dead plants. Maria suggests using self-watering planters or multiple watering cans to maintain consistency. This strategy, along with early morning watering, ensures plants get the hydration they need.
4: Not Fertilizing Regularly
Container soil loses nutrients quickly. Maria uses Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus, an organic starter fertilizer at the time of planting to minimize transplant shock and boost initial growth. Throughout the season, she fertilizes monthly with Espoma’s specialized granular or liquid fertilizers such as Garden-tone, Flower-tone,Grow, or Tomato! liquid plant food.
5: Forgetting Plant Tags
Keeping track of which plant varieties perform best is essential. Maria emphasizes saving plant tags or using aesthetically pleasing labels. This simple step helps replicate success in future seasons.
6: Misunderstanding Light Exposure
Light availability is often overestimated. Balcony gardeners must consider shadows from buildings, railings, and trees. Maria advises using a compass to determine the direction of exposure and observing the balcony throughout the day to identify sunlight duration. Southern-facing balconies get the most sun, while northern ones are more limited.
Maria’s guidance is a blend of heartfelt experience and practical advice. By using Espoma Organic products and being mindful of these six common mistakes, balcony gardeners can transform small spaces into a gardening paradise. With the right organic soil, fertilizer, and planning, even a modest balcony can yield joy and an abundance of plants.
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/GJWM_6-Container-Gardeing-Mistakes_Thumbnail-.jpg7201280Matt Dauphinaishttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/espoma-logo340w-1.pngMatt Dauphinais2025-04-10 11:47:272025-04-10 11:56:58VIDEO: 6 Container Gardening MISTAKES | Growing Joy with Maria
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/HANDS_corrected-5-copy.jpg7201280Matt Dauphinaishttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/espoma-logo340w-1.pngMatt Dauphinais2025-04-08 16:40:032025-04-08 16:40:03VIDEO: Repotting a Blood Orange Tree 🍊🌳 with Garden Answer
Learn how to repot Rosemary and Blue Ginger plants with Summer Rayne Oakes, using organic soils and fertilizer from Espoma.
In this easy-to-follow guide, Summer creates a customized soil blend ideal for Rosemary—a Mediterranean herb sensitive to moisture—by mixing Espoma Organic Potting Soil Mix, Espoma Organic Cactus Mix, and Perlite for excellent drainage. She then tops the soil with Espoma Organic Bonsai Mix to provide a protective layer that helps retain moisture and prevents rapid drying.
Additionally, Summer shares essential tips on repotting Weeping Blue Ginger using Espoma Organic Cactus Mix, perfect for plants that prefer higher humidity and ample root space.
For optimal plant health, fertilize your container plants regularly with Espoma Organic Grow! Liquid Plant Food.
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Title-9.jpg7201280Matt Dauphinaishttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/espoma-logo340w-1.pngMatt Dauphinais2025-03-27 17:35:202025-03-27 17:35:20How to Repot Rosemary and Blue Ginger Using Organic Soils 🌿 | Summer Rayne Oakes
Starting seeds is an essential part of gardening. It’s a great way to get a head start on the next season and ensure there are always fresh plants ready to replace spent ones—a method known as succession planting. Follow along with Farmer Nick as he shares his top tips to set seeds up for success!
1) Start with High-Quality Organic Potting Soil
The foundation of strong seedlings begins with the right soil. While seeds can germinate in regular potting or garden soil, a high-quality organic seed starting mix—like Espoma Organic Seed Starter—is specifically designed to be lightweight, allowing roots to spread easily while providing essential nutrients to support those first delicate sprouts.
Pro Tip: Always moisten the soil before planting. This keeps seeds in place, provides immediate hydration, and helps ensure an even pack in seed trays.
2) Provide Warmth for Germination
Once the seeds are planted, maintaining the right temperature is key. A heat mat can speed up germination by keeping the soil warm, but it also dries out the mix quickly, so it’s important to keep the soil consistently moist but not overly saturated. A misting bottle is a great tool for gentle hydration.
Pro Tip: Using a smart outlet to control the heat mat allows for easy scheduling. Nick typically runs his mat for about 8 hours overnight, when temperatures drop. Once most of the seedlings have sprouted, he removes them from the heat mat.
3) Light is Essential for Growth
While light isn’t necessary for germination, it becomes crucial once seeds sprout. A grow light helps seedlings develop strong, sturdy stems rather than becoming weak and leggy.
Pro Tip: Always plant a few more seeds than needed. Not every seed will germinate, and extra plants can be thinned out or shared with fellow gardeners.
4) Don’t Forget to Label!
It may sound simple, but labeling seeds is a step many gardeners—Nick included—tend to overlook. Without labels, it’s easy to mix up cucumbers and zucchinis, leading to a fun (but avoidable) guessing game when the plants mature.
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By following these seed-starting tips, gardeners can set themselves up for a successful season, ensuring healthy seedlings that are ready to thrive in the garden.
For the best results, start with a high-quality organic seed-starting mix like Espoma Organic Seed Starting Mix. When it’s time to repot your new plants, switch to Espoma Organic Potting Soil Mix for optimal growth. And don’t forget to feed your plants with a high-quality organic liquid fertilizer like Espoma Organic Indoor! to keep them strong and thriving!
Preparing outdoor container plants for winter is a seasonal challenge for gardeners in colder climates. Watch Kaleb Wyse of Wyse Guide as he shares a detailed, behind-the-scenes look at his winter plant storage techniques.
Preparing Plants for Winter Storage
Kaleb demonstrates the process of transitioning plants like figs, succulents, and cacti from outdoor containers to indoor pots. His method emphasizes:
Removing root-bound plants gently and trimming where necessary.
Using the proper sized container and balancing root space and top-heaviness.
: Using the right soil mix for specific plants.
One standout product Kaleb uses for his succulents is an organic potting soil mix like Espoma Organic Cactus Mix, which provides an ideal growing medium for succulents, cacti, and citrus plants.
The Plant Room
Kaleb’s storage room is a converted, insulated space tailored to meet the needs of plants during Iowa’s cold winters in Zone 5B. Equipped with radiant heaters, LED grow lights and fans, this room mimics outdoor conditions while protecting plants from frost.
Key features include:
Grow Lights: LED grow lights ensure proper light distribution for optimal growth.
Temperature Control: Maintains optimal ranges—70-75°F for warm-zone plants.
Air Circulation: Fans reduce pests such as scale and spider mites.
Additional Tips and Tricks
Pest Prevention: Organic sprays like neem oil and horticultural oil are applied to eliminate pests before bringing plants indoors.
Succulent Care: Kaleb repots succulent arrangements into individual containers and propagates new plants through cuttings.
Whether you’re overwintering succulents, ferns, or citrus plants, Kaleb’s method, enhanced by tools like Espoma Organic Potting soils, ensures a healthy and thriving indoor garden all winter long.
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Housplant-1.jpg7201280Matt Dauphinaishttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/espoma-logo340w-1.pngMatt Dauphinais2024-12-03 17:30:222024-12-03 17:30:22VIDEO: Prepare Your Plants for Winter Storage with Wyse Guide!
Watch Kaleb Wyse from Wyse Guidetackle some fall gardening projects at his mom’s house. In this video, Kaleb transplants boxwoods that aren’t doing well and repots agave plants from outdoor containers that need to be brought indoors for the winter. When transplanting the boxwoods, Kaleb recommends using a high-quality organic starter fertilizer like Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus to ensure strong root growth. He also uses Espoma Organic Potting Soilwhen repotting the agave plants to give his plants a fresh growing medium for the winter months.
Inspiring the next generation to care for our planet begins with connecting them to the magic of nature. Emmy Award-winning Plant Coach, Farmer Nick, has created an engaging new resource to do just that—introducing “Farmer Nick Jr.” This 10-episode series is packed with playful, interactive learning experiences designed to capture the imaginations of kids and adults alike.
Following the adventures of Farmer Nick and his friend, Plant, this free video series makes learning about the nature fun, entertaining, and memorable. From planting seeds to exploring how plants grow, each episode provides an opportunity for kids to learn the basics of gardening and plant care, all while fostering a deeper connection with nature. The series is not only educational but also entertaining, making it perfect for family viewing or classroom settings.
But it doesn’t stop there! Farmer Nick Jr. also comes with a companion workbook filled with additional activities and lessons to dive even deeper into the world of plants. The workbook is a perfect way to reinforce the lessons from each episode and inspire young learners to explore nature on their own.
This course is an invaluable resource for parents, teachers, schools, and youth groups aiming to inspire young minds to appreciate and care for the environment. Whether you’re looking to spark a love for gardening in your own kids or provide a fun educational tool for your community, “Farmer Nick Jr.” is a great way to plant the seeds of environmental stewardship. Share this engaging series and workbook to help kids discover the wonders of nature and cultivate their green thumbs!
Our products utilize a vast array of renewable and sustainable ingredients that work in harmony with nature, preserve natural resources, and make a safer world for future generations. Learn more.
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Farmer-Nick-Jr.-2.jpg315560Matt Dauphinaishttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/espoma-logo340w-1.pngMatt Dauphinais2024-09-26 17:25:352024-10-08 16:24:43Introduce Your Child to the Magic of Gardening with Farmer Nick
Join Laura from Garden Answer as she demonstrates how to plant cottage-style flower beds at her mom’s house.
While planting, Laura uses Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus to ensure her new plants receive the nutrients they need for successful establishment in their new home.
