Frequently Asked Questions
We've devised some questions that you might have about our plants and about plant health.
Why do my plants smell like fish farts?
We use Alaska Fish Fertilizer or Neptune's Harvest fertilizer which has a rather unpleasant odor, but the plants LOVE it.
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Are your plants organic?
We use both organic and non-organic potting soil and seeds. I fertilize weekly with an organic fish fertilizer instead of using synthetic fertilizers that are made of salts. For more details, check out our page on products that we use.
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Why don't you use plastic pots?
There can be A LOT of plastic waste with gardening/selling plants. Think about all those 6-pack starter plants in that flimsy non-reusable plastic. We are trying to reduce our plastic waste, so all of our plants are sold in homemade biodegradable paper pots. Our pots this year are a different design and more sturdy, so I don't recommend planting the whole thing (plant + pot) in the garden. I would either lift the plant right out of the pot or water the plant thoroughly until the paper is saturated and tear away the paper. Then throw the pot in the composter or bury it in the garden.
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For the last couple of years, we have transitioned to growing in soil blocks. It's essentially a block of soil that acts as the pot. The roots air prune instead of circling like they do in pots. There are many benefits to using soil blocks. There is less transplant shock, less plastic waste, and transplanting is a breeze.
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Why aren't your plants as stalky as the ones at the garden center?
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We take appropriate measures to keep our plants from getting leggy including keeping the lights very close to the seedlings, so they don't have to reach for light and keeping a light breeze on the plants to increase the strength of the stem. Many commercial growers apply plant growth regulators (PGRs) at certain intervals to inhibit the plant's stalk from lengthening. This creates a stalk larger in diameter that is less susceptible to breaking during packing/shipping. We don't use PGRs. Just good old fashion water, light and fish fertilizer.
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