Homestead Gardening in the Texas Gulf Coast
Podcast E4 – November 23, 2021
This short, 21 minute episode offers you an insight into composting and soil blending on a large scale. This is the first blog that doesn’t follow along with the podcast episode or the YouTube, and I highly recommend listening to and watching both to get the full picture. There were so many fun things to cover this week, that I had to divide and conquer!
The Tour:
Watch & Subscribe on YouTube
Luis with The Ground Up led me on a hands on tour of 1 of 3 of their processing and distribution facilities, and I was amazed at the quality products and care The Ground Up uses to create their products. The Ground Up is a green waste recycling facility, and I really loved this opportunity!
Purchasing and Delivery Experience:
I’ve been purchasing products as a residential home owner from The Ground Up for years, and I’ve been recommending their products to customers since I can remember. This is not only because I love their products, but they have the best customer service compared to their competitors. I never mention that I am a landscape business when I purchase as a homeowner. I don’t want special treatment over one of my customers if I make a recommendation, and their customer service just blows me away.
I prefer products are delivered because I always buy in bulk, and the delivery process is expedient and efficient. I love that they offer a 1 cubic yard “super sack” so I have no loss of product or contamination from weed seeds when the sack sits on my driveway for a bit before I find time to use it. For those of you with a tractor or forklift, the super sack comes on pallets that can be moved after delivering, and the sacks have straps that a tractor can use to pick up from the top. The sacks are re-usable…unless you decide to cut them open from the bottom to dump them (which occasionally is the most realistic way to dump the product).
Check out Products and Services from The Ground Up
My Purchased Products:
This year alone I purchased decomposed granite in 1/4″ minus, leaf mold compost with added manure, rose soil, and pine bark rough cut mulch. These are the products I needed specifically for my planned projects and built upon the foundation I already had available from previous purchases. Previously I purchased a product that is no longer carried, and The Ground Up will retire older products as they re-formulate and create better blends of specialty soils.
Product Testing:
The Ground Up was kind enough to gift me with 2 bags of 1 cubic foot products that I wasn’t already purchasing so I could compare to my purchased selections. This included their specialty soil “My Veggie & Herb” and the “My Bohemian” 60%/40% Perlite and Coco Coir. I went into great detail on each product in both the podcast and YouTube, and The Ground Up website does an excellent job explaining their products and how to use them. BUT, you will see the soil-less medium (My Bohemian) featured in my seed starting video coming soon.
Fun Product Comparison:
I decided to take a quick peek at the My Veggie & Herb blend and compare it to my purchased leaf mold compost and rose soil (also created at The Ground Up). Obviously there’s a noticeable difference in color and texture. What might surprise you is that the weight difference is actually noticeable in just 1 handful! The My Veggie & Herb soil is lighter weight, and I am so excited to try it out.
Other Ways to Learn from Me:
Don’t forget to Follow on Instagram and Subscribe on YouTube
For a daily dose of gardening and to see what’s growing on now in the test garden, follow me on Instagram. Weekly Q&A will be available to answer any questions you still have! Companion YouTube videos are also available weekly!
Hiring a Designer:
If you’ve tried to start a garden but had limited success or have no idea how to start, ask the expert! HDG Landscape Design has over a decade experience advising clients on the when, where, what, why, and how of ornamental garden design, growing edible plants, and outdoor living and pool design. Visit our website for a list of services.