Seasonal Display Bed Amendment Trial- Conclusions

Our company’s philosophy is to always “meet” our customer’s expectations. From a product performance standpoint, the results indicate that most of the products end up “exceeding” our customer’s expectations; With that being said, I recognize that this makes it harder to observe the true potential of specialty products, such as One Step or All Purpose Potting Soil. After observing the three month trial period, these are the results I have concluded based on overall physical appearance and plant growth patterns.

Based on the growth patterns over the last few months, I would recommend the following:

One Step *when used in previously existing beds

One Step is a product that is the most conducive for a functional landscape and the needs of landscapers. Based on the results, I can confidently say that One Step does not require till in order to get exceptional results. Additionally, One Step offers more labor savings for landscapers. These labor savings come in various forms; from added benefits of One Step’s ingredients, mulching aspects, and overall product performance.

The largest factor contributing to the success of One Step is the addition of Mycorrhizae in the amendment. One Step contains the organism known as Mycorrhizae. Mycorrhizae is a beneficial organism that creates a symbiotic (or mutually beneficial) relationship with the root system of plants.  Mycorrhizae acts as a root extension to aide in the absorption of water and nutrients, specifically in stressful environmental conditions, such as drought. The months of July and August we saw increasingly more stressful plant conditions caused by extreme heat and lack of rain. It is my opinion that we saw such drastic, observable changes from July to August due to the presence of mycorrhizae in One Step. The success of the aforementioned symbiotic relationship allowed One Step to thrive in these stressful conditions which in turn, minimizes risk for landscapers who use this amendment.

In addition to Mycorrhizae, One Step’s inclusion of bark is a crucial component to its success. The bark comes into play throughout various parts of the growing season. As the One Step begins to settles throughout the season, the bark creates a mulch overlay throughout the beds- creating an aesthetically pleasing appearance that gives off the look of “mulch”. This allows the beds to appear more “maintained” throughout the summer months; eliminating the need for additional amendments or touchups.

Additionally, the layer of mulch left at the end of the growing season aides as a “dormant mulch” throughout the winter months. This results in increased moisture retention, weed suppression, and a maintained aesthetic for homeowners. As the following spring season arrives, the residual One Step can be amended into the previously existing bed. This will increase porosity, which aides in increased air and water exchange for the plants.  Based on this information, we can conclude that application of One Step as a top dress in the spring will lead to residual, positive results for numerous growing seasons to come. It is the one amendment that can withstand any environmental condition and various seasons while consistently improving the landscape. More importantly, use of One Step will save labor, time, and money for landscapers and homeowners alike. 

One Step Performance in Trial Beds.

All Purpose Potting Soil

Unlike One Step, All Purpose Potting Soil can be used in both the landscape and containers. The consistency of the mix is “light and fluffy” in comparison to the heavier One Step option, making it a more conducive option for landscapers who are looking for a “one stop shop” option.  All Purpose Potting Soil is a high-quality product that offers outstanding benefits due to the components in the mix.

All Purpose Potting Soil Performance in Trial Beds.

All Purpose Potting Soil contains peat moss and coir. Peat moss is typically known for its water retention properties, as well as its increased air porosity properties. Coir is known for its water retention abilities. Due to the raw inputs used, we know there will be optimal moisture retention, allowing for less time spent creating and maintaining an irrigation regiment. Furthermore, All Purpose Potting Soil contains Control Release Fertilizer, which provides consistent, predictable nutritional output throughout the season. With the constant, controlled feed there is no need to adapt a fertilizer regiment- ultimately eliminating the need for proper training on mixing and application rates of nutrients out in the field. Having a product that provides optimal water retention and nutritional feed allows for savings in regards to labor, time, and money.

 Additional Notes/Observations:

      Overall, the results stayed the same from observation phase two (July- August) to observation phase three (August-September). When conducting future trials, our best bet is to analyze the growth from initial planting through the month of August. This time frame will give us the best insight on how amendments perform under stressful environmental conditions. I believe this is when plants will endure the most stress throughout the growing season so our results when observing them in a landscape will be the most accurate in regards to overall growth, performance, and maintenance (including adding additional amendment to make the beds appear more appealing, fertilizer regiments, and watering regiments).

     For future trials, I think it is best to focus on physical aspects that are easily gauged by the naked eye; such as growth patterns, growth density, overall appearance, etc. It’s great to be informed on the composition of mixes, the nutritional value of mixes, etc.; but at the end of the day, most people just want to see how the product looks in the landscape and how successful these products are in regards to overall plant appearance.

- Alexis

Seasonal Display Bed Amendment Trial- Summary of Monthly Observations

Month One Observation Period: Initial establishment of plantings (mid June) to July 27^th 2020.

     Some plantings needed to be moved around, thus needing to be re-established into the beds. The observations were taken from the day of re-establishing some of these treatments (June 18^th) to the first observation periods, known as Phase One.

    During this first initial observation period, most of the plants “Met Homeowner’s Expectations”. It should be noted that there was not a lot of growth that took place during this initial observation period. At this point, the plants were still trying to establish themselves in the landscape.

    Although most plants did not stand out in regards to growth patterns- three treatments did have some observable changes. There was observable growth in treatment 3 sunpatiens (APPS amended and tilled), both the Angelonia and Sunpatiens in treatment 7 (mushroom compost amended and tilled), and treatment 10 landscape compost amended and tilled).

All Purpose Potting Soil Amended and Tilled:

    It is my opinion that the initial success of APPS was based on the moisture retention properties of the raw inputs used in the mix. The components of the peat moss and coir present in the APPS have higher water retention properties. Due to the increased water retention properties, this allowed the plants to establish themselves quicker in the landscape; which ultimately lead to the success of APPS throughout the entire trial. Additionally, I think the watering regiment was very crucial in the success of this amendment because it allowed the water retention properties of the peat moss and coir to really be utilized to their full potential.

Mushroom Compost Amended and Tilled:

    I believe the mushroom compost was so successful in the first month due to the nutritional value that the compost offers. Since the mushroom compost was amended, those nutrients were worked directly into the bed, allowing for the plants to absorb all the nutrients and aide in the overall establishment of the plants. As we know, establishing plants in a pre-existing bed may not always be the easiest task, especially in the Midwest when we have very clay heavy soils. Due to the immediate and readily available nutrients, I believe this is what lead to successful plant establishment and ultimately gave the mushroom compost an advantage throughout the entirety of the trial. 

Landscape Compost Amended and Tilled:

    Similar to the mushroom compost, I think the nutritional value of the landscape compost helped these plants to thrive during initial establishment. We know from a historic perspective that this is traditionally what landscapers will use. Aside from it being a cheap input, it is also in great supply locally for landscapers. I believe landscape compost is a tried and true amendment, which is why we had so much success with this amendment from June to July. 

Alexis Taking the First Measurements of the Trial Bed During Month 1 Observation Period.

Trial Bed During Month 1 Observation Period- Some Growth was Present.

Month Two Observation Period: July 27^th 2020 to August 31^st 2020.

    During this second observation period is when the most growth occurred. Both species looked absolutely stunning; although it should be noted that growth in the Sunpatiens was easier to observe and identify.

    There were very obvious growth difference in the right bed versus the left bed. The right bed had some plants that thrived, but most were underwhelming in comparison to the growth that occurred in the left bed. I believe this was due to a few variables:

o   The location of the Hawthorn tree may have unintentionally skewed some of our results. I think this could be due to potential competition for water and nutritional resources, as well as more or less shade being present throughout the day.

o   Water runoff-  I believe some of the plots closest to the curb faced issues of heat, but more importantly had issues with run-off. The plots located in the right bed on the curb had a more substantial curve they followed, allowing for more water to run-off of the plots in comparisons to the curb plots located in the left side bed.

o   Additionally, soil differences and differences in site history (specifically with amendments) could potentially have affected the growth of the right bed.

    The top contender for phase two observation were One Step- both the amended and tilled as well as the 1" top dress.  The One Step was classified as “Exceeds Homeowner’s Expectations” As of now, I would say One Step with Top dress would be ranked as the true "number one". In second place would be the All Purpose Potting Soil- botht he amended and tilled as well as the 1" top dress. These treatments also “Exceeds Homeowners Expectations”.

    Honorable mentions would include the Landscape Compost (both amended and tilled as well as no till with 1" top dress), Blended Compost (amended and tilled), and Mushroom Compost (amended and tilled) as these treatments were also classified as “Exceeds Homeowner’s Expectations”.

One Step- Amended and Tilled AND No Till with 1” Top Dress:

    I believe One Step was so successful due to the inputs used in the product. One Step contains Mycorrhizae which creates a mutually beneficial (or symbiotic) relationship with the plant host- meaning that the mycorrhizae help the plant to stay alive so the mycorrhizae itself can stay alive.

    We know that in the Midwest we are often faced with drought or drought like conditions, especially in July and August. Due to this high stress environment, the mycorrhizae were really able to perform to the best of its ability and allowed such incredible and dense growth. 

    It should be noted that the success of the One Step was similar in both the amended and tilled treatment versus the top dress treatment. Due to the success of both treatments, I do NOT believe that amended and tilling the bed is necessary to get ideal results; meaning landscapers will be saving both time and money when choosing the One Step product. 

All Purpose Potting Soil- Amended and Tilled AND No Till with 1” Top Dress:

    For All Purpose Potting Soil I would argue that you do not need to till and could just top dress, considering both treatments look so similar. This is great news though from a labor savings aspect- you can achieve beautiful results without having to till- saving landscapers both time and money.

    I think the water retention properties are the key as to why APPS performed so wonderfully and so consistently throughout the trials. The water retention properties of the inputs in the APPS make it the product more consistent when establishing a watering regiment throughout the growing season.

    Additionally, the control release fertilizer continually feeds nutrients to the plants, which is ideal when conditions become stressful. It also eliminated the need of a fertilizer regiment for landscapers throughout the growing season

Blended Compost Amended and Tilled:  

    Similar to Mushroom and Landscape Compost, I think the blended compost was so successful due to the nutrients that were available to the plants, especially during stressful conditions such as a drought. It was able to continue to feed the plants and provide a constant flow of nutrients throughout the growing season. 

Trial Bed During Month 2 Observation Period- This is When Most of The Growth Occurred. 

Trial Bed During Month 2 Observation Period.

Month Three Observation Period: August 31^st 2020 to September 28^th  2020 

    During this second observation period is when the most growth occurred. During the last month of the trial the growth tended to be consistent, predictable, and less overwhelming.

    The right bed looked significantly better in this last coming month. Although it is great to see positive change (especially in treatment 8- One Step amended and tilled and treatment 10 landscape compost amended and tilled) this is not conducive to a homeowner. Homeowners and landscapers want plants to look presentable for the entire growing season, not at the end of the growing season.

    Overall, the results stayed the same as the observational phase two period. I believe when conducting future trials our best bet is to analyze the growth from initial planting through the month of August. I believe this is when plants will endure the most stress throughout the growing season; so our results will be more accurate in regards to overall growth, performance, environmental stressors, and maintenance (including adding additional amendment to make the beds appear more appealing, fertilizer regiments, and watering regiments).

Trial Bed During Month 3 Observation Period.

Alexis Taking the Final Measurements of the Trial Bed During Month 3 Observation Period.

- Alexis