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VIDEO: 6 Container Gardening MISTAKES | Growing Joy with Maria

April 10, 2025/in Blog, Espoma Videos, 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.

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Learn more about Growing Joy with Maria:

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VIDEO: Seed Starting Tips with Farmer Nick 🌱

March 5, 2025/in Blog, Farmer Nick, Seed Starting

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!

Learn More about Farmer Nick here:

Website: Farmer Nick.com

Instagram: @farmernick

Facebook: @FarmerNick

TikTok: @farmer_nick

YouTube: @FarmerNickJr

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VIDEO: Designing a NEW Garden Part 2 ???with Summer Rayne Oakes

August 13, 2024/in Blog, Summer Rayne Oakes

Join Summer from @FlockFingerLakes as she provides an exciting update on her Lawn to Garden renovation project.

In this video, Summer shares her insights into her various tasks, from edging garden beds to planting new trees, shrubs, and flowering plants. Summer has been transforming her garden area using Espoma Organic products, including Potting Soil Mix, Raised Bed Mix, Land & Sea Gourmet Compost, and Mushroom Compost.

For all her new plantings, she trusts Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus to ensure her plants receive the essential nutrients they need to establish strong roots and thrive in their new environment.