When Perry Miller of Indiana-based Miller’s Greenery told his wife about the results he achieved after growing plants in PittMoss®, it sounded too good to be true. “My wife didn’t believe me at first,” said Perry. “Then, after a week, she did. She could see the difference.”
Perry first learned of PittMoss® in 2016 at Cultivate, the annual horticultural trade show held in Columbus, Ohio. According to Perry, he “tried a little bit and was pleased with the result.” To put PittMoss® to the test, Perry replanted his perennials and shrubs (grown from plugs) in PittMoss® Grower Grade added to his traditional mix because they were declining in their original bark and sand mix. The results he witnessed with PittMoss® added were undeniable. “Some things showed improvement in just a short time,” he said.
In addition to these improvements, plants also grew faster in PittMoss®. “Things were ready to sell a lot quicker,” Perry added. “That was obvious.”
The bark and sand mix Perry previously used caused a number of issues. “I always had trouble with the water all settling down to the bottom—the bottom being wet and the top being dry—which caused disease issues,” he said. Newly-planted shrub plugs struggled in the bark and sand mix, especially if they developed roots faster than they grew.
Perry also dealt with root rotting and stunted plant growth. “Lots of times, once plants started to decline there was just nothing I could really do about it at that point,” said Perry. “After taking some plants out of the pots they were in and repotting it in that [PittMoss®] mix, they improved.” He found the mix benefitted his shrub plugs the most by increased moisture uniformity from roots to surface soil.
When it came to overwintering his plants, Perry found that PittMoss® minimized the number of losses he experienced. “This spring, I walked through the greenhouses and I have yet to see much I have lost at all in that [PittMoss®] mix,” he said. “The plants are healthy and they grow. And they grow faster.”
As a result of experiencing minimal losses with PittMoss®, Miller’s Greenery has grown as well. “The business has taken off,” said Perry. “In the last year, there’s been a big improvement in what I’ve been able to sell, and the bottom line is improved. I give PittMoss® a lot of credit for that.”
Pictures of his results will soon be available!
If you have any questions for Perry about his experience with PittMoss®, leave a comment below!
Update for Summer 2018:
Perry Miller recently shared photos of his black-eyed Susans grown in PittMoss®. According to Perry, these are his fullest, hardiest crop of yet. His customers can’t get enough of them! We’re thrilled—but not surprised—to see these beautiful flowers thriving in PittMoss®.
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