Trends – More Companies & Consumers Going Green
Biodegradable Peat Containers – Companies & Consumers Going Green
Bonnie Plant Farm's Biodegradable Peat Moss Containers
Bonnie Plant Farm — the nation’s largest grower of container vegetable plants — is offering environmentally friendly and biodegradable peat containers for spring and summer gardening for several of its premium products, including tomatoes, peppers and herbs, such as rosemary and lavender.
“We are listening to the environmentally conscious customer,” says Dennis Thomas, General Manager of Bonnie Plant Farm, which plants more than 500 million seeds annually.
If you would like to grow a more earth-friendly garden, the folks at Bonnie Plant Farm recommend the following:
- Start a compost pile with Carbon-rich “brown” materials, like fall leaves, straw, dead flowers, and shredded newspaper; Nitrogen-rich “green” materials, like grass clippings, plant-based kitchen waste (vegetable peelings and fruit rinds), or barnyard animal manure; and add in a bag of garden soil. Keep the compost pile moist and use a shovel to turn the pile every couple of weeks.
- To control problem insects, encourage the natural predators of pest insects to hunt in your garden – beneficial insects such as the common ladybug, birds, frogs, and lizards control pests by eating them. You can make your garden hospitable for your natural allies by keeping a water source nearby.
- For weed control, use a thick layer of mulch such as straw, grass clippings, leaves, and shredded bark.
EarthReady(TM) peat moss containers are becoming more popular on the shelves of home improvement retailers and gardening centers nationwide, increasing the popularity of gardening among novices, as the product simplifies both the planting and plant care process.
Peat containers, consisting of Canadian sphagnum peat moss and wood pulp, not only increase a plant’s shelf life, but they also help to reduce transplant shock, a leading cause of non-productive vegetable plants. Moving a vegetable plant from its container to a garden causes stress on the plant and its roots. Planting the peat container and plant into the soil leads to a healthier plant.