Healthy soil equals healthy plants, and what happens below the soil line really does make a difference! When you build and maintain fertile soil, you are laying the groundwork for thriving plants that can develop quickly, resist pests and diseases, and give way to thriving, beautiful plants. Here are five ingredients our experts recommend to help ensure your planting success:
McDonald Soil Builder
- A complete planting mix that is designed to be used with all plants that are planted in the ground
- Helps sandy soil hold more moisture and helps break up heavy clay soils
- Mycorrhizae are a beneficial fungus that attaches to the roots of plants and helps pull more nutrients and moisture to the roots, and grow with the plant in a symbiotic relationship and will continue to support living plants
- Ingredients: processed pine bark, composted pine bark, peat moss, dolomitic lime and mycorrhizae
McDonald Garden Compost
- A superb all purpose compost for vegetable gardening, raised bed amendment and soil amendment during dry times
- Adds organic matter to the soil, which increases nutrient and moisture retention in the soil
- Ingredients: composted bark, composted peanut hulls and peat moss
McDonald Greenleaf Fertilizer
- A professional fertilizer designed specifically for Hampton Roads to provide nutrients that the soil lacks
- Ideal for all plants from houseplants to trees and shrubs
- Aides in beautiful green-up and flowering of all plants
- 12-4-8 slow release formula that gives an excellent initial feed you will see within days and continues to feed for 1-3 months depending on plant needs
- All fertilizers have macro nutrients, Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium, but Greenleaf has micro nutrients, including boron, copper, iron, magnesium, zinc and molybdenum to help increase the nutrients that Hampton Road’s soil naturally lacks
- Fertilize at least 2-3 times a year. Plants that bloom or grow more aggressively should be fertilized more often
Root Stimulator - a liquid plant fertilizer developed to encourage quick root development and reduce transplant shock
Perlite - a horticultural product that aides in breaking up of heavy soils and allowing water and nutrients access to the roots of your new plant.