Readers of this blog know I have been talking about garden centers getting involved in hydroponics or indoor gardening
for over two years. Why let the hydroponic warehouses take all that gardening business? There we're naysayers who warned about garden centers getting involved in this market. Would it offend the older generations that come in our store? What would people think? I also heard from garden centers that said they didn't think there was a market for this kind of stuff in their area.
Take a look at this new"potting Soil from Dr. Earth, a mainstream brand. It's for your, "Organic Medicine Gardens". It's not potting soil, it's "POTting Soil". It's being sold across the country. There are even bumper stickers available.
This is going to get interesting. I wonder if the hydroponic community knows the locally owned garden center is moving in on what was their exclusive market. Out here in nor Cal I have 8 hydroponic warehouses within 15 miles of here.
I have never seen a major, mainstream soil or fertilizer company go this far. Does anyone even doubt what those leaves on the bag represent? If enough locally owned garden centers get on board this could change the dynamics of a major market in California. What happens when Home Depot, or Lowe's starts carrying a competing product? This is a game changer in that it signals an acceptance by the main stream garden center trade. What are all the specialty soil companies like Foxfarm, going to think of this? I like the fact that at the top of Dr.Earth's website it proclaims, "Dr. Earth is proudly sold at independent garden centers only! (No chain stores)"