Hi! Veronica here, owner of OHP :)
---
TL;DR: I'm cutting tree fern fiber and Pinus radiata bark from my ingredient list, and will be adjusting other products as well. P. radiata is not actually superior to Pseutodsuga menziesii bark, and we can adjust our blends to mimic the porosity of tree fern fiber, allowing for more soil ingredients to be sourced locally.
---
Throughout life I've carried the idea that we should always leave a place better than we found it, and I work to apply the same ethical concepts to business practices. This means doing what I can to learn, grow, and adapt new information to my current business practices.
My goal is to provide you with incredible products and make houseplant care as easy as possible - while leaving the earth better than I found it.
So recently (2026) I've done yet another sustainability audit on my products and ingredients, and I've found more holes! Honestly, I get super excited whenever I find ways to improve - in part because I get to make things better, and also because I get to share it with you.
One of the biggest pieces of my platform is the drive to make others feel capable of doing anything their heart desires, which means sharing my mistakes. I'm not special. I started where everyone starts. I killed loads of plants (thanks, ADHD!). I used to use the cheapest potting soil I could buy, because I didn't know there was a better way to do things. We ALL start there. Just like we all occasionally get duped by companies promoting information that doesn't have real science to back it up!
What's changing?
First, bark.
The biggest shift right now is due to wildly parroted misinformation about different types of bark. As it turns out, the information that's passed around about Pinus radiata bark being superior to fir bark doesn't have a study to back it up (that I've been able to find). Instead, the main producer of this bark made a statement, and that statement is quoted all over the internet, nearly verbatim.
Now, when I do research, I follow the money - so if there are studies on an item I look at who funded the study and if financial gain is tied to the outcome. Clearly, there's financial gain here - but also, there's no published, peer-reviewed study.
What's actually out there? Studies on the longevity of P. menziesii bark.
One study estimates the decomposition takes between 17 and 139 years on the forest floor. The range is to acknowledge different factors - rainfall, temperature, microbial activity, etc. Even the low end - 17 years - performs as well as the statements made about P. radiata bark, and vastly outperforms the statement made about P. menziesii bark (that it decomposes in as little as 1-3 years). Again, this statement was made by the producer of P. radiata bark, so it's in their financial best interest to convince folks to use their product.
Next, tree fern (kuripaka) fiber.
This one has been a bit harder for me to give up, because it's a lovely material to work with. I may still carry the tree fern fiber panels and boards (until I find a local source of material that is equal or superior), but in terms of using tree fern fiber as a soil amendment, I'm adjusting my mixes (B*tches Love Hoyas and V's Mix) to exclude this ingredient. They will remain amazing - they'll just be more sustainable.
Why? Because like P. radiata bark, tree fern fiber is shipped here from New Zealand. Also, tree ferns grow incredibly slowly, and while they're being harvested selectively and carefully on private land, I don't believe it's in humanity's best interest to further popularize this medium. (Also, the whole thing of using a helicopter to airlift the logs out is great to avoid damaging the roots and mycorrhizal structure of the delicate soils, but seriously...? We're doing this for potting media when we could use a byproduct of food production or something else instead?!? Seems a bit overkill).
Last up: more changes coming. All of them good!
I do have a few more things changing. Most you won't even notice (slight changes to a few formulas for things like Tap Happy, Grandma spray, etc, to make them more eco friendly and even better for plants). But some you will notice.
The biggest change is going to be in streamlining our soil offerings. I'm going to post about this quite a bit and email info to the list, put a big banner up about it, and make it as easy as possible for folks to continue using blends they love.
But right now, I need to make this business easier for myself.
If you're not aware, I was widowed in late 2022, then diagnosed with an autoimmune disease less than a year later - and I run OHP mostly solo. As I've adapted to this new life, I'm finding that I need to simplify OHP's soil offerings - both to make order fulfillment easier for me, and to make it easier for you to know which soils are best for your plants.
Currently I'm working toward making V's Mix our primary soil for tropicals, and it will still be available in premixed (wet) form. I'll have a chart available to adjust this, too - what to add to adjust it for different kinds of plants, with recipes.
I'll also have a premixed (wet) soil that's geared toward desert-dwelling plants. The specialty blends will be available as DrySoils, so you can still get those tailored mixes :)
These changes are coming soon, likely Fall/Winter 2026.
It's my hope that this makes you feel more confident in using these soils, so you can see your plants say a visible "thank you!" :)
What else?
Yep, of course there's a point to all of this!
In true AuDHD form, I've got PROJECTS :D
First, I'm getting more involved in small business consultation again. The more of us that stop running on the flywheel of giant capitalism and take back our time and freedom, the better. Dollars go farther to support more humans when they are spent with small businesses - and we ALL deserve to do something we care deeply about. I want more people to get there.
Next, I'm launching a garden design and consultation business, with the goal of disrupting our current global trajectory in whatever way I can. We each have a gift to give, no matter how small, and my little contribution is for the bees, the birds, the soil, and the contentment we can find in growing things.
I'll be offering gardening classes in Tacoma, WA (by donation - I want EVERYONE to get gardening if they can!), a free seed library and free plant starts in the spring, and a propagation program. I'll also have courses and consultation available online.
After reading The Serviceberry (Robin Wall Kimmerer) I've been working to create something that bridges the gap between capitalism (gotta pay that mortgage) and a sharing economy, where everyone has their needs met because the community is built to support individuals instead of a global Ponzi scheme.
Also, eventually I'll have some info out for folks who want to start something similar - whether it's simply a seed library or something more; we can build our passions into something that dismantles an oppressive system.
What if, instead of feeling discouraged, we took a tiny action toward courage and change?
💚
If you want to start a seed library in your neighborhood, send me a note - I'm happy to mail you seeds so you can get started!
