In today’s competitive marketplace, similar products are frequently offered by multiple organizations. This can make it challenging to set yourself apart from the competition as unique features often proliferate throughout the market over time. Putting product aside, what you need is a new differentiator. What is a marketing differentiator? It’s a marketing strategy whose goal…
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The science community has made us all acutely aware that gardening provides countless physical and mental health benefits when practiced regularly. But gardening education seems to be what’s lacking in the process. In an article posted on WebMD, Charlie Nardozzi, horticulturist at the National Gardening Association in South Burlington, Vermont says, “When you’re engrossed in…
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Have you heard of something called “disruptive marketing”? That’s when a company decides to shake up their marketing strategy by changing customer perceptions. In this post, we’ll give garden centers and nurseries a few ideas of how they can accomplish this. It’s hard to believe that September is already upon us. With autumn 2019 arriving…
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One of the benefits and popularity of fiber planting containers for both professional and do-it-yourself growers is their ability to biodegrade. Not surprising when taking into account the 2019 Retail and Sustainability Survey by CGS, a global provider of business applications, enterprise learning and outsourcing services. They found that more than two-thirds of those surveyed…
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About a year ago, The HC Companies donated planting containers and flats to the Plant Growth Facility at Purdue University – Department of Horticulture and Landscape (HLA). While we here at The HC Companies always strive to help the industry whenever we can (both professional and educational), you rarely think about the impact your helping hand…
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“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill In searching for a corporate charity, The HC Companies wanted to partner with a local organization where we’d have the opportunity to see the impacts of our efforts. An organization who understands that giving your…
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Though you’d never suspect it, plants do in fact breathe through microscopic pores in their leaves called “stomata” which takes in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen through a process known as photosynthesis. As many of us learned during middle school science, plants undergo a process called photosynthesis in which plants absorb carbon dioxide from the…
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For those who live along the coast of North America, you’re well aware that hurricane season is now upon us. In the Atlantic, it runs from June 1 through November 30; in the Pacific, from May 15 through November 30. Still, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center states the majority of hurricanes tend to…
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Avid gardeners are well aware of what a “hardiness zone map” is, and most novices are probably at least familiar with the terminology based on the plant tag information found at their local garden center or big box store. Hardiness zone maps were first developed back in 1938 – representing “the average annual extreme minimum…
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From sunlight and warmth, to water, humidity and nutrients – understanding the delicate balance needed for cannabis cultivation is what sets serious growers apart from the amateurs. The most important thing to remember is that cannabis plants will never thrive without a safe, healthy root system. That means you need make sure you’ve chosen the…
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