Posted by Erica Williams on Tue, Aug 03, 2010 @ 11:05 AM
Gasp! I didn't know such a plant existed. I'm new to this whole "green thumb" thing, anyway. In fact, my thumb isn't even green, it’s sort of a pale shade of yellow right now. I'm improving and that's what all that matters right?
While surfing the net, I came across this article, a list, of plants that you can't kill. Surely there must be some fine print written at the bottom. I mean, that’s a pretty bold statement. I CAN’T kill them? The author clearly hasn’t met me yet. I’m almost tempted to prove them wrong. But I won’t.
These plants can survive in the worst conditions. Forgot to water them for a few days? No problem. Little to no sunlight? It's ok. They'll survive. Why can't all plants be this resilient? Sure would've saved me a lot of potting soil. LOL
I thought the only plants you really couldn't kill were cacti. I have been proven wrong and I am not surprised-at all. For those other " pale yellow" thumbs out there, here's a list of plants that you can’t kill.
- Golden Pothos Vine
- Spider plants
- Snake plants and mother in laws tongue (funny name)
- Dracaena species
- Succulents and Cacti
- Bromeliads
- Lucky Bamboo
For a more in depth discussion of the plants..check this out.
Posted by Erica Williams on Tue, May 25, 2010 @ 01:43 PM
Mulch can consist of a variety of materials, and by definition, it does a number of things. First and foremost, it’s a protective cover placed over the soil to retain moisture. Mulch also helps to reduce erosion, suppress weed germination and growth, and provide nutrients to the soil as it decays.
Got all that?
In simpler terms, mulch is whatever you put down to protect plant roots. Mulch can be made of many things. There’s rubber mulch, made from shredded tires. Plastic sheeting acts as mulch. Even landscaping rock and gravel can serve as mulch. But at the top of the mulch heap are the environmentally friendly bark mulch and pine straw.
Bark mulch retains moisture longer than most other mulches, but decays quicker. So it’s good for returning lots of nutrients to the soil in the short term, and will save you some watering. For cities with water restrictions, bark mulch or wood chips are the way to go. Wood mulches also help to keep plant roots cool. Temperatures in the south and western states can be scorching. So while you’re trying not to break a sweat, mulching your outdoor plants will cool them off, too.
Pine needles or pine straw, as it’s called in the south, are commonly used as mulch in parts of the country where long-needle pine trees are prevalent. Pine straw also retains moisture which means a lower water bill. Also, a layer of pine straw about 3 to 4 inches thick can practically eliminate the growth of weeds—Bonus!
What other materials have you used or seen used for mulch?
Posted by Sean Kennedy on Thu, Feb 25, 2010 @ 11:16 AM
We often get asked what are the components of your products? Check out our MSDS sheets for a chemical breakdown, but the basic ingredient is Iron Oxide pigments. These Iron oxides yield pigments. Natural iron oxides pigments are called ochres. Ochres, Ochre or Ocher (pronounced /ˈoʊkər/ OH-kər, from the Greek ὠχρός, ōkhrós, pale) is term for both a golden-yellow or light yellow brown color and for a form of earth pigment which produces the color. The pigment can also be used to create a reddish tint known as Red ochre. The more rarely used terms Purple ochre and Brown ochre also exist for variant hues. Because of these other hues, the color Ochre is sometimes referred to as Yellow ochre.
Ochres are among the earliest pigments used by mankind, derived from naturally tinted clay containing mineral oxides. Chemically, it is hydrated iron (III) oxide. Modern artists' pigments continue to use the terms Yellow ochre and Red ochre for specific hues.
Many classic paint colors, such as raw and burnt siennas and umbers, are iron-oxide pigments. These pigments have been used in art since the earliest prehistoric art known, the cave paintings at Lascaux and nearby sites. Iron (III) oxide is typically used. They are considered to be nontoxic, moisture resistant, and nonbleeding. Iron oxides graded safe for cosmetic use are produced synthetically in order to avoid the inclusion of ferrous or ferric oxides, and impurities normally found in naturally occurring iron oxides. Typically, the iron(II) oxide pigment is black, while the iron(III) oxide is red or rust-colored. Iron compounds other than oxides can have other colors.
Because of these properties it is the best and safest way to treat mulch pine straw and grass. EnviroColor® strives to provide its end user the most vibrant, long lasting and environmentally sensitive top spray colorants. There are some very interesting and entertaining uses of the Ochres throughout history. My personal favorite was learning about the Himba culture. I look forward to your discoveries about the uses of Iron Oxide pigments from the prehistoric era to our modern times.
Posted by Sean Kennedy on Thu, Jan 28, 2010 @ 10:21 AM
Having been a part of growing small business for the past year there are many lessons I have learned. Some are obvious, but I feel the need to repeat them anyway. Here at EnviroColor® we strive to provide deliver a product and service that the customer believes in completely. We attempt to exceed the customers "expectations" to keep that customer loyal in a very competitive market place and we try to do these things consistently. OK, so everyone knows this and they are doing the same things, so what has helped us grow in this struggling economy. My one word answer is marketing. Inbound marketing to be specific. By learning to optimize your website (SEO), using social media to get your message out to the masses and following up responsibly with the leads that these techniques generate are essential for all start ups. There are several tools available ranging in price and the metrics and feedback they provide.
Google, where 80+% of internet searches are done has unbelievable tools and are free. Taking the time to learn the how's, what's and why's can make a tremendous impact. And speaking of small company growth, businesses that specify in inbound marketing are popping up all over the place. My favorite is Hubspot. You can go to their site and have them "grade" your website for free. Their platform is easy to use and the amount of advice and tools for you to use are second to none. My only issue is the cost. It seems they must pay their marketing mavens and gurus well based on the cost of their service. I feel it is worth it, but if you plan to use Hubspot make sure to budget your dollars and time appropriately. I came in know absolutely nothing about SEO, social medial, landing pages, keywords, etc. I don't claim to be an expert now, but at least I have a real concept of how the search engines spiders work, writing blog articles that someone might actually read and using Youtube, Facebook and Twitter effectively. SEO is a moving target. It seems what is important for a high ranking today may mean nothing tomorrow. If you are a small business owner and have a website, have Hubspot grade it and learn what you can do to improve. Like I said, my expertise lies in exceeding our customers' expectations by providing products and services they believe in and doing this consistently. I need to focus on pine straw, mulch and grass paint and the advantages they provide. I let the inbound marketing experts help me with the rest. I look forward to your feedback and ideas.
Cheers.
Posted by Sean Kennedy on Wed, Dec 23, 2009 @ 01:21 PM
For Christians all over the world this is a special time of the year as they are celebrating the birth of their Savior. We here at EnviroColor® wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and the obligatory Happy New Year too!
We are excited about what the new year has in store for our brand and for all the individuals who are searching for the perfect solutions to their ground cover needs. As was mentioned last week we are perfecting our 4EverGreen grass colorant. This new product is the perfect item for the lawn fanatic who desires the "perfect" looking yard. As always we are striving to provide the end user the best top spray solutions for mulch, pine straw and now grass.
Sales pitch is over, seriously, we want our subscribers, readers and patrons to have a splendid holiday season. May you cherish the moments made this Christmas.
Merry Christmas from EnviroColor®.
Peace to all!
Posted by Sean Kennedy on Wed, Dec 09, 2009 @ 12:09 PM
I am spending so much time in the yard on the weekends preparing all my plants for winter I fugured I needed to share my finds with the rest of you. I have collected a great article from author Terry Gray and just anded a quip or two concerning ways to enhance and enrich the natural color of the suggested type of mulch. Enjoy and get your yard ready for the winter season!
It is considered the fact Pine Straw Mulch is a sustainable, renewable resource, it's so simple and lightweight to work with pine needle and looks very attractive especially with a top spray of EnviroColor®. Young seedlings can grow through pine needle, water can filter down through it, the ground can breathe and yet pine straw still holds in moisture. It lasts longer than other similar materials and pine needle won't shift off with the first steady rain.
In fall mulching with pine straw has an significant function since temperatures in the late fall to winter months can change radically. The ground heaves as it freezes and thaws, forcing the root systems of many fragile plants up from the soil and exposing them to the elements. Nearly all plants are much healthier when they have a bed of pine needle mulch spread over their roots.
When mulching with pine straw you should wait until the ground is frozen or just about frozen before you add the pine needle. Any sooner cover will boost mold and mildew to form on the surface. Generally, a 2- to 3-inch bed of pine needle mulch situated over the root zone of a plant will provide a noticeable difference in the plant's health. Established plants will show less stress and better growth. Just be sure to pull pine straw mulch an inch or two aside from the stems of shrubs or from the trunks of trees. If pine needle mulch is placed up against trunks or stems, it can contain too much water and encourage decay on the bark.
Many people make the error of using less reliable fall mulch such as hay in their garden. Hay is not a good alternative to pine straw since hay often carries seeds that will sooner or later sprout and cause weed problems in your garden in the spring. Pine straw comes from several different species of pine trees that drop their pine needles by nature throughout the year. Since it is produced naturally, pine straw sometimes is referred to as the "guilt-free" mulch. Each species' of pine tree will have its own unique characteristics, such as pine needle length, wax content and pine needle flexibility. The Loblolly species of pine straw, for instance, has a pine needle length ranging from about six to nine inches, making it simple to use and shape. Also, the needle sizing is optimal for allowing the soil to breathe well while allowing first-class water infiltration.
Ideally, garden mulch for the winter is added in the fall to protect against sudden and extreme temperature dips before plants have had a chance to fully harden. A few inches of pine straw mulch can provide a cushion of as much as 10 degrees above ambient air temperatures which is just enough to keep roots growing. And certainly, a top layer of pine needle mulch offers decorative appeal and for more enriched natural pine needle color, use EnviroColor®, to make the garden looked cared for at a time when the yard can look a little underwhelming.
Posted by Sean Kennedy on Wed, Dec 02, 2009 @ 10:16 AM
A couple of weeks ago I forwarded some advice on fall mulching, now with the occurance of the first major frost in the Metro Atlanta area I figured I had better find out what to do for my roses come cold weather. This is the best advice I found.......
OLATHE, Kan. - Many gardeners find the concept hard to accept: You shouldn't protect most perennial plants from each year's late-season decline into freezing weather.
"With few exceptions, plants need to go through the transition on their own, so they enter winter dormancy on time. You only apply winter mulch after that, because its sole purpose is to hold in the soil's cold. That way, it can buffer any air temperature changes that come later on, during winter's freeze-thaw cycles," said Dennis Patton, horticulturist with Kansas State University Research and Extension.
In general, plants become fully dormant after two to three hard freezes in the mid to low twenties, he said.
Winter mulch protection is particularly important for any limited- or shallow-rooted plants, Patton said. In Kansas, they include such "semi-hardy" plants as mums and strawberries, as well as all trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs that have been in the landscape for less than a year.
Winter mulch is vital to the survival of grafted roses, too, he added, which typically mean all hybrid teas.
"Winter's repeated pattern of freezing and thawing kills more plants in the Midwest than sub-zero temperatures do," Patton warned. "In unmulched landscapes, the shifts can heave some plants from the ground, exposing roots to air. Plus, they can expose plant grafts and crowns - the places where stems and roots meet -- to hard, killing freezes."
In late winter or early spring, the mulch's role can gain even more importance, he said. The insulating cover can hold in soil's cold so that unseasonably warm weather doesn't cue plants to break dormancy.
"If these periods are long enough for unmulched perennials to lose some winter hardiness, the plants are open for major, even fatal damage when the weather turns cold again," Patton said.
Because winter mulch also can moderate soil moisture loss, however, it can benefit any landscape plant. Freeze-thaw cycles tend to dry out the soil, creating plant stress, the horticulturist said. Mulching also protects the soil from the compaction and erosion that winter rains and snowmelt can cause.
For perennial gardens, Patton recommends a 2- to 3-inch-deep layer of a light, airy mulch material, such as straw, shredded leaves or pine needles. (One bail of straw can cover about 100 square feet 3 inches deep.) Deeper layers can suffocate plants over winter.
Plants with woody stems or trunks will need an inch or two of "air space" between mulch and wood - "as if their trunk is inside the hole of a mulch doughnut," he said. "As they decompose, mulch ‘volcanoes' that touch the main stem can cause the same damage as placing a woody plant too deep in the ground."
Grafted roses are the exception to the doughnut rule, Patton warned. The best protection for their crown and graft is a mound of garden soil, gathered from elsewhere in the landscape. The soil cone should be about 6 inches deep. A top layer of straw or leaves will help prevent erosion.
"You should periodically inspect roses and other low-branching shrubs until spring growth begins and you remove winter's mulch," he said. "You may have to institute other protective measures if varmints are using the mulch as cover or climbing on top of snow-covered mulch to gnaw on branches."
Thanks to Kansas State and Dennis Patton. Happy Holidays everyone and I hope your roses appreciate the extra care. Looking forward to your comments.
Posted by Sean Kennedy on Wed, Nov 25, 2009 @ 08:47 AM
Normally I use this space to promote the benefits of our product and services or provide tips for mulching, planting, water conservation and other environmentally sustainable projects. Today I just want to give a "shout out" to everyone involved in making our global community the best it can be.
In the US the Holiday season is here and the social media is ripe with "Black Friday Boycotts" "SEO" techniques to get your paged ranked #1, "MLM" concepts for you to get rich and just about anything imaginable depending on who or what you follow. I guess the irony here is that next week I will be up to the old tricks of the trade of trying to keep my subscribers informed and improving my Google ranking, but today I just want to thank the folks that made this all possible.
Before anyone, I want to thank our armed forces. Their sacrifice to protect our way of life so I can do what I do is remembered on a daily basis, but rarely do I thank them. For you, I give thanks!
My wife, family and friends always come first. They support me every way imaginable and I am fortuante for such a great support system. Having this pillar to lean on makes coping with the unknown bearable. For you, I give thanks.
The team I work with, who ultimately fall in the friends category, and could be considered family since we all spend so much time together, are tremendous group who share in providing excellence. Anthony and Antonio are always ready to assist with my projects as I try to provide any and all support they need in the field. Our President and CEO, Bob Russo, has empowered us all to make decisions and move his vision forward to create growth, quality and provide our patrons with every tool necessary for thier landscape projects. For you, I give thanks.
The associates of Pike Family Nurseries should get a great big thanks too. I am very fortunate to have their knowledge and ideas to bring our product to the masses. They have provided so many great ideas on ensuring the EnviroColor® brand is one that stands for integrity and sustainability. We are proud that Pike is our launching pad into the retail arena and are looking forward to being in all of there stores in 2010! For you I give thanks.
Finally, all the customers who have taken the leap and tried EnviroColor®, I give many thanks. Especially those of you who take the time to send me photographs and tell me your success stories. Keep them coming! For you I give thanks.
Without any of the above mentioned individuals this blog and all the others wouldn't have the same meaning. Thanks again. When I gorge myself and sit down to watch my Green Bay Packers beat the Detroit Lions tomorrow I will be thinking of and thanking you all.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by Sean Kennedy on Mon, Sep 21, 2009 @ 12:21 PM
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Check out all your gardening needs at in the metro Atlanta area at Pike Family Nurseries. Their staff members listen, empathize, articulate, react and necessitate every patrons needs. Let Pike be your one stop shop for any garden or lawn care issue. They are the most ready and willing team of professionals to tackle any problem. People who had the "got gray mulch" problem?
Problem solved by the innovative, knowledgeable Pike Family Nursery team.
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