How Does My Garden Grow?

Gardeners always ask me, “what products do you use in your garden?”  We try to test every product we sell in a staff member’s garden. Of the more than 80 products that we offer, I use about 20 products in my container gardens.  Containers don’t need weeding and I live in a condo so don’t have a lawn (yay!) so I don’t need weed killers or lawn products.

Here is the list of the products I use and why I choose them.

The Perfect Blend – This is my ‘can’t garden without product’.  Provides all nutrients my plants need. I can absolutely see the difference it makes overnight.  Plants are stronger, greener, have more flowers (which make more vegetables). I mix a gallon at a time in an empty gallon water jug.  

Pistol Power Sprayer 32 oz. –  I am truly a lazy gardener and LOVE the continuous spray feature of our Pistol Power Sprayer. Since I have limited storage, I use the 32 oz. instead of the gallon and just refill it from the gallon water jug.

Shake-Away Deer Repellent – I create a barrier by spreading Shake-Away around the edge of my downstairs brick patio. It is really stinky for about an hour.  I spread it at night and by morning the smell is gone and so are the deer.

Hot Pepper Wax – After creating a barrier with Shake-Away Deer, I spray all my plants with Hot Pepper Wax.  I like that I can use one product for both edible and ornamental plants.

Optimizer, Wonder Soil and Gro-Brics –  I combine these into all of my containers to recharge my soil (see another blog for more information).

Foli-Cal – Next year I will spray my tomatoes with this liquid calcium if they seem to have blossom end rot!  It works best if you treat early in the season.

Revitalize and Actinovate – For some reason, I fight fungus on my cucumber, squash and zucchini plants every year.  I aggressively treat them with Revitalize on the plants and Actinovate in the soil and on the plants.  

Elevated beds – I have three of our elevated beds and grow both vegetables and flowers in them.  I don’t grow tomatoes in them as tomatoes get too tall for the beds.  The beds are very well made, pretty and last several seasons (unless you have a hurricane!).

Deer Fencing – This is my first line of defense for the vegetables grown in my elevated beds.  I have counted 42 deer less than 50 yards from my patio eyeing my plants.  

Soft Wire Ties – I like the versatility of Soft Wire Ties.   I cut it to fit the project, they are soft on plants and are sturdier than twine.  

Take Down – This is my insecticide for everything insect except tomato worms.

Garden Insect Spray – I kill worms that put ugly holes in my tomatoes with Garden Insect Spray.