Move Over Sponge Bob

This summer I'm finally going to dress up my porch with some beautiful hanging baskets adorned with colorful flowering plants. The only problem is that I really don't want to spend every couple of days watering them.

Well, my prayers have been answered thanks to a new space-age self-watering system for plants called Aqualok™ from Costa Farms. Developed by a rocket scientist, Aqualok is a high-tech foam substance that lines the inside of your hanging basket and holds water and oxygen and releases it when needed -- allowing you more time to relax and enjoy life. How simple is that!

What is really cool about this product is that it cuts watering frequency in half. Now instead of watering my hanging baskets every two to three days, Aqualok will enable me to water only once a week giving me more me time.

Look for Aqualok this spring in 10-inch annual hanging baskets at your favorite home improvement store.

- Stacey

For more gardening news, check out Garden Media Group.

No Soil, No Problem

While plastic pop bottles continue to pile up in our landfills, scientists and growers are working together to make this growing problem a growing solution.

Plastic pop bottles, for many of us, are another way of referring to polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

This thermoplastic polymer is most commonly used to create the containers we use for foods and beverages. It’s also one of the most commonly recycled materials in the world.But did you know that PET is now making a push into the arena of growing media? You read correctly, growing media.

So the next time you polish off a bottle of your favorite soda over lunch, make sure to toss it into the correct recycling bin. After all, it may revisit you down the road during your next production run. Check out the recent article in Greenhouse Grower.