Today I’d like to introduce you to Green Path Garden Supply, in Northboro, MA. The store seems to be a perfect place to shop for hydro and organics, indoor and outdoor alike. I love the fact that the owner Tom includes lawn care and traditional gardening products in the mix with hydroponics. Green Path Garden Supply also carries and spotlights New England based local products, seeds, and even plants. Tom took the time to thoughtfully answer our store feature questionaire. I love his growing tip: SPEND TIME WITH YOUR PLANTS! It seems common sense, but it’s really something lots of growers need to do more of! He also sent some photos, showing his well stocked and colorful store.

TigerLilly: Where did the inspiration for opening a grow shop come from?

Tom: Well, I have had a lot of experience in running retail stores: a farm stand, convenience store and then a hydro store  for 15 years or so.  I  got to the point where I wanted to be able to focus in on the things that  I wanted to do and to have the challenge of owning a business.   As my background has been retail, hydro and organics, opening my own grow shop was a natural thing to do.

TLilly: What sorts of growing products do you specialize in? 

Tom: I specialize in organic fertilizers and environmentally friendly products.   I carry guanos, worm castings, blends, rock powders, kelp, plant meals,  beneficial fungi and bacteria,  compost tea,  for lawns, gardens and containers.  I have rain barrels, drip irrigation supplies,  natural  pots such as cow pots, and dot pots.  I’m always looking for good organic/ environmentally friendly items.

TLilly: Do your customers mostly grow in soil or hydro systems?

Tom: A majority of my customers grow in soil or soilless mixtures.  A surprising number will do both hydro and soil. My customers who are more techno oriented love the hydro with all the cool equipment that you can use to get  the maximum results, while the more earthy, natural prefer the soil/soilless mixes.  Of course the average home owner is becoming more interested in using organics for their lawns and soil gardens.

TLilly: What is your favorite product?

Tom: My favorite product?  I love making compost tea, but for a single product I would have to say  the  Ancient Organics Bat Guano Grow. It just gets a plant off to a great start, building a strong base for flowering and fruiting later on.

TLilly: In your geographical area, what are the most pressing environmental concerns? Is it heat? Pests? Humidty? And tell us what product you recommend to customers that come to your store trying to combat the problem?

Tom: I would say that pests are the biggest problem that my customers have.  There’s not one product that I recommend the most. I will suggest products that  fit their problem and explain how to avoid it in the future.  For example indoor and also for outdoor gardens, the need to keep the area clean is important, remove dead plant matter, cut down weeds,  allow for plenty of air circulation, be bold and thin out weak growing plants. A healthy growing plant will be much more likely to avoid being attacked by pests.  At the first sign of a problem respond to it so you may use a  natural solution to it.  If a plant is heavily infested or diseased, bite the bullet and toss it.  It will never perform like it should. 

TLilly: Can you give us a growing tip?

Tom: The best growing tip I can give is to watch your plants grow. Spend the 5 – 10 minutes a day fussing with them. This way you will always be aware of what’s going on with them and have patience, plants will do what they do on their schedule. 

Please be sure to check out Green Path Garden Supply, 276 West Main St. (Rt. 20) Northboro, MA 01532, 1-877-867-5202 And please visit their online store, where you can shop for products anywhere in the nation, using the security of PayPal. Click here to go to the store.