By Sunshine Advanced on January 15, 2015
The compact, large-leaved ‘Dolce Fresca’ basil is an AAS award winner that’s perfect for container growing. (Photo care of AAS)
Fresh basil isn’t just for summer. A sunny window or room can easily offer enough light to grow basil for pesto alla Genovese or adding to soups and salads. The key is providing good care and choosing the best basils for the job. High-yielding, compact varieties are always best.
More compact basils vary in size, leaf density, flavor, and stature. One of the most compact and best tasting is the Italian heirloom ‘Verde Piccole Foglie’. Its tiny leaves and bushy shape make it look a bit like a pruned boxwood, but don’t let the size fool you. The leaves pack big, spicy, pungent flavor, and the plant responds well to regular cutting and trimming.
The comparable ‘Fino Verde’ (8” x 12”) is another compact, flavorful, bushy basil that’s more easily found in the US market. It’s a little sweeter tasting but otherwise indistinguishable from ‘Verde Piccole Foglie’ and equally easy to grow at the window-side. Continue reading “The Best Basils for Indoor Growing”
Posted in Articles |
By Sunshine Advanced on July 9, 2014
A vertical vegetable tower filled with SSA Ultra Coir supports lettuce and tomato plants.
Vegetable gardens have grown up with the dawn of vertical gardening. Gardeners and growers have learned how to maximize their space and harvest by planting on walls, posts or pylons—either via prefab vertical gardening solutions or clever self-made innovations. But to make the most of any vertical garden, you need to start with the right soil for the job as well as good, consistent care.
Continue reading “Vertical Vegetable Gardening with SSA”
Posted in Articles | Tagged Jessie Keith, Vegetable Gardening, Vertical Gardening |
By Shawnee S. Vetanovetz on May 28, 2014
Over the years we’ve fielded a lot of questions from curious and discerning growers like you who want to know everything there is to know about our products. So we’ve compiled a list of the 11 most asked questions from Sunshine Advanced customers. Be sure to check here first if you find yourself vexed by a growing question. If you don’t find the answer here, then leave a comment below with your questions, and we’ll get them answered for you.
We want the best for your plants just as much as you do!
11) What is the volume of an open bale of Sunshine® Advanced #4?
For a 2.2 cubic foot compressed bale of Sunshine® Advanced #4, the volume after fluffing is approximately 2 times as much.
Continue reading “The Eleven Most Asked Questions by Sunshine Advanced Customers”
Posted in Articles | Tagged Bat Guano, FAQs, fungus gnats, help, questions, root aphids, Sea Kelp, Shawnee Vetanovetz |
By Sunshine Advanced on March 24, 2014
Agaves, small palms, ornamental grasses and trailing silvery Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ are all great candidates for large container plantings for porch and patio.
Large poolside, patio and garden containers need the right potting mix to flourish. Good mixes for outdoor growing are heavier, to keep pots from falling over, and provide a balance of porosity and water retention. Sunshine Advanced Rain Forest Blend is just one of those mixes. Not only does it provide good nutrition naturally, with quality organics such as worm castings, alfalfa meal, and kelp meal, but it also maintains good weight and growing characteristics with its blend of coconut coir, fine bark and compost. Best of all, each bag contains a multi-species blend of endomycorrhizae to enhance root development and plant vigor.
Continue reading “Plant Big with SSA Rain Forest Blend”
Posted in Articles |
By Sunshine Advanced on February 8, 2014
Growing, just like everything, goes through changes. As science reveals more about successful plant production, more improved growing products continue to become available to the grower. Take, for example, Sunshine Advanced (SSA) hydro-style gardening soils. Whether you’re growing indoors or out, these exceptional mixes do more to nurture plants down below, encouraging good growth at the roots.
Continue reading “What is Hydro-Style Growing?”
Posted in Articles |
By Sunshine Advanced on January 22, 2014
Hyphae penetrate and/or surround plant roots enabling better nutrient and water uptake.
The word mycorrhizae (pronounced my-cor-rye-zay) refers to fungi that form mutually beneficial relationships with plants. These fungi grow either inside of a plant’s roots (endomycorrhizae) or attach to the root surface (ectomycorrhizae). Mycorrhizae benefit host plants by penetrating and/or surrounding their roots with fungal hyphae (fine, root-like structures) that branch out into the soil, helping the plants better absorb nutrients and water. In turn, the plants feed the mycorrhizal fungi. It’s a win-win all around! Continue reading “What are Mycorrhizae?”
Posted in Articles |
