Organic potting mix and compost available for sale at the farm
GREENHOUSE PRODUCTION
Organic Greenhouse Production
At Golden Russet Farm, we grow all of our plants in certified organic potting mix that we buy from Vermont Compost Company (VCC). Our plants have been grown under organic management, in compliance with Vermont Organic Farmers organic certification standards, since 1987. Some technical aspects of the USDA’s National Organic Program (adopted in 2003), mean that we are not able to call all of our greenhouse plants “certified organic.” This list of plants is not considered certified organic due to various reasons.
Our Greenhouse Production Practices Statement
To learn more please read our Greenhouse Production Practices Statement.
The Potting Soil We Use is the Potting Soil We Sell!
The VCC soil that we use in our greenhouse is the same soil that we sell, because we love it! This general purpose mix tends to contain enough nutrients to carry the plant to transplanting stage, but we occasionally top dress with an organic fertilizer as needed, to keep the plants healthy and growing in their containers.
The Benefits of Compost-based Potting Soil
There are several benefits to using a compost-based mix, and foremost among them is the fact that most of the plants’ needs are already incorporated in the potting soil, which reduces the need for supplemental nutrients. Most non-organic greenhouses use a “soilless” mix, which is essentially peat moss that has been fortified with soluble fertilizer and other additives. As a result, the nutrients are either quickly used up by the plant, and/or leached out of the pot through frequent watering. This necessitates near-constant additional fertilization, often in the form of “blue water!”
Extensive Root Development & Healthy Plants
The structure of compost-based mixes also serves to mimic natural soil environments in ways that promote extensive root development and healthy plants. The addition of compost to the mix means that it typically does not need to be watered as frequently as soilless mixes, which has real benefits for homeowners and their hanging baskets!
We Pride Ourselves on the Service that Goes with the Sale!
Our goal is to do everything we can to ensure successful gardens for our customers, and we pride ourselves on the service that goes with the sales. Our plant variety selection is an important piece of that effort. Many of the “big box” greenhouse operations offer varieties that look good in the packs at the point of sale, period. We base our variety selection on a number of factors, including how well it performs in the field, because for most gardeners, that is the measure of success! We want to put our experience to work for your benefit.
Annuals, Vegetables, Perennials, Culinary & Medicinal Herbs
In our greenhouses, we are growing a wide selection of flowers, vegetables, and culinary and medicinal herbs! Please call us or come visit the farm to see what we currently have available.
A Word About Our Hanging Baskets
We believe our hanging baskets are one of the best values around. Our baskets are a large 10-12” in diameter, which means more soil in the pot, which in turn means less frequent watering and supplemental fertilization for you! Years ago we made a conscious decision to not use small (8”) pots for hanging baskets, for the simple reason that we want to ensure success after the sale, and our larger baskets will hold up better for you, with less maintenance, over the long term. This, to us, means good value for you!
Field-Proven Varieties
Over the years, we have trialed many of the flower and vegetable varieties that we sell, so we can help you find the plants that best fit your needs. Need vegetables that do well in containers? We can help. Shade-loving annuals of a certain height or color? We have options! Most flavorful (disease-resistant, vigorous, compact, maintenance-free, etc., etc.) whatever? We can make suggestions!
Staying Current with Breeding & Gardening Trends
In our community of gardeners, knowledge is not proprietary. Sometimes customers recommend specific varieties that they’ve had luck with, or ones that we might not be familiar with, and we occasionally have limited selections of some of those for the more adventurous folks who are willing to experiment. We also attempt to stay current with breeding and gardening trends, and each year we offer some of the latest plant varieties, just “because,” even if we can’t vouch for them.
