In July of 2012 Sun Gro® Horticulture acquired Conrad Fafard® bringing together two of the largest and most respected peat-based media companies in North America. Both were founded in the 1920s, so together they bring a wealth of experience along with all the premium horticultural products home gardeners have come to rely upon from Fafard. “The addition of Fafard into the Sun Gro family allows us to further strengthen our commitment to being a technological leader in producing premium quality lawn and garden products for the gardeners,” emphasized Blair Busenbark, Sun Gro’s National Marketing Manager. As an additional step towards integration, Sun Gro moved its headquarters to Agawam, Massachusetts where Fafard was traditionally headquartered.
The Fafard retail line consists of a variety of premium peat-based and specialty plant mixes as well as soils and amendments, so gardeners are certain to find a product to fit their growing needs. All are based on popular Fafard professional growing mix formulations and consistently produce great gardens, which is why they have gained a loyal following.
And loyal Fafard customers can expect the exact same products and consistent high-quality under Sun Gro Horticulture. “The only changes our customers might experience is an improved availability of products as we work to have the Fafard retail product line produced at Sun Gro network of plants across the United States,” Blair stressed. We are proud to know that Fafard planting products have been revered by home gardeners in the eastern United States for generations, and we hope to build upon that relationship for generations to come.
Month: March 2013
Berm Baby Berm with Garden Berms
For vegetable gardening, berms are where it’s at. They provide increased aeration and drainage when weather conditions are wet, and encourage deep and expansive root growth to help veggies endure heat and drought. Truly berms are the perfect alternative for gardeners that don’t want to be locked into raised beds or can’t build them.
Lots of vegetables benefit from friable, bermed soil. Root crops like carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and rutabagas develop larger, more perfect roots for harvest. And vegetables requiring well-drained soil, like tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, will be safe from excess root moisture if planted on berms. And don’t forget melons; those planted in amended bermed beds tend to develop better fruits that are sweeter and more flavorful.
So how do you berm? Before berming the soil up, till or deeply turn your soil. Next, establish planting rows or mounds. Once these are set, apply a generous amount of Fafard Premium Organic Compost and work it in until well mixed. Bed berming is best done with a hard rake. Pull and lift the soil up along the planting rows or mounds. This takes a little elbow grease, but the results are well worth it.
Once the berms are created, put a layer of removable mulch cloth down and cover that with a layer of seed-free straw or grass clippings. This can help keep weeding down by up to 75%, helps keep moisture in and makes it easier to walk around the garden after a rain.
It’s best to use a very lightweight mulch cloth that’s easy to pull away, roll up and reuse the following season.
Before the plants are in the ground, the vegetable garden may look like a bumpy straw-covered mess, but once your garden has grown, you won’t even see the berms. Only beautiful garden will shine through.
