BotaniCo roots for sustainable gardening

At BotaniCo Indoor Gardening Store, owner Gabriel Vega does more than just sell; he plants the seeds for a sustainable future.
“We try to teach gardening practices that also trickle into everyday living habits,” Vega told Corpus Christi Business News. “Like composting and using recirculating systems (hydroponics) that can grow plants faster with less water because we catch the runoff water for reuse.”
Since the business first opened in October 2012, BotaniCo has helped educate the public about how to safely grow plants and food both indoors and outdoors using hydroponics.
“This is the act of growing plants in a nutrient water solution instead of soil,” Vega said, “which typically means ‘no pests and no mess’ since you don’t have disease-carrying insects seeking refuge in the soil. It also means we can grow more things with far less space and with much less water.” 
Popular science-fiction books and films such as “The Martian” have shed light on ways hydroponics can be used to grow food in unlikely places.
“This technique is so efficient that it can not only provide food resources on spacecraft but also produce oxygen,” Vega said. “Most people don't realize that these same practices are possible and easy to implement in their own gardens.”
For Vega, the drive to educate consumers about learning to grow their own food stems from his concern for family and the community where he was raised.
“With the birth of my first child and after endless amount of research, I realized that I did not want my children eating the ‘nutritionally dead’ [processed] food which lines the center aisles of our grocery stores,” Vega said. “And many of the fresh produce are chemically ridden and may contain poison or have pesticides on them.”
Paired with drought restrictions in Corpus Christi at the time, Vega was determined to find sources of better food that also take care of the environment. At the same time, he wanted to invest in his city, citing local pride and personal responsibility to his community as important values. Making a positive global impact should start at home, he said.
“There was a time when I felt my efforts would have served me better had I moved to a place already in tune with a sustainable way of life, but that would have been part of the problem,” Vega continued. “Most of our college graduates often leave our city for better pay with companies that need their talents and skills. I don’t want our college grads leaving. I want them to invest in our city, and that means practicing what I preach by investing myself in our community.” 
With his role as both owner and manager of BotaniCo, Vega makes it a priority to ensure customers have all the tools they need to succeed at gardening. His recipe for success begins with his staff, who also share his vision and expertise.
Staff member Dylan Elliot said he grew up with a green thumb.
“Before I began working here, I had already been gardening with my parents and grandparents since I was a young kid,” said Elliot, who has been with the company since June 2015. “I admire the vision Gabriel Vega stands for, and this was the perfect place for me to be. I love it here, and everything we promote; all the plants and vegetables that we grow are terrific. They taste great. I’ve eaten them myself, and overall, it’s an amazing job.”
For Jesse Lopez, working at BotaniCo for the past six months has expanded his food-growing knowledge. He now practices sustainable gardening at home.
“It’s pretty cool. I’ve learned a fair amount, and now I am pretty confident growing food,” said Lopez, who has grown chili petin and lime basil from seeds sold at BotaniCo.   
“After the plants grew, I took the seeds from the harvest and replanted them to create more,” he said. “Having fresh lime basil mixed with olive oil and garlic goes great with chicken and fish.”

WIN-WIN-WIN

In his commitment to provide the best service to Corpus Christi gardeners, Vega employs what he calls the “three-win” system.
“The customers win when doing business with us because, first, we specialize in gardening with the difficult South Texas climate in mind, and our knowledgeable staff can help address any issues that may arise,” Vega said. “Second, we find the best deals on products so we can pass those savings to our customers. And third, we offer both retail and online sales but put more emphasis on the local Corpus Christi market as opposed to out-of-state sales from the Internet.”
Vega focuses more on local business because so many online purchases go untaxed.
“As a result, we often do not see those tax dollars,” Vega said. “Online retail makes it harder for local businesses with physical locations to invest in this community and to provide jobs with taxable income.” 
Through the efforts of Vega and his staff at BotaniCo, their vision of sustainability in Corpus Christi is steadily bearing fruit as the methods for “gardening with less space” have been well-received. 
“Overall, people are enthused that we’re here,” Vega said. “Our business has steadily increased. We have more retirees seeking easier ways to garden since many are transferring to assisted living and don’t have space or energy to dig soil. They would prefer something automated or easier to access.”
Vega believes the presence of not one but two separate farmers’ markets in Corpus Christi is evidence of public’s growing need for higher-quality, fresh food.
“I want to see more home gardeners get a good price, especially for the food they have grown using sustainable gardening practices like permaculture, hydroponics and without the use of harmful pesticides,” said Vega, who happens to be an active participant of both the Downtown Farmers’ Market on Wednesday evenings and the Southside Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings.
By showing the public simple and more efficient methods of gardening, Vega hopes to impassion the residents of Corpus Christi to lead a more sustainable way of life.
“I believe that when we start caring about where our food comes from and are involved with how it is grown, that concern transfers over to our ecology,” he said. “Since ‘we are what we eat,’ the key to a happier, healthier community is through the stomach.”
With February still being a cooler month (even in South Texas!), Vega shares the following cold-weather gardening tips.
“Always have some thermal plastic around so that, in case of a freeze, you can cover your plants,” Vega said. “Always use mulch because this helps maintain consistent temperatures at the roots to prevent heat in the ground from escaping. And stick to cool-weather crops like lettuce, kale and broccoli. Using a heat mat helps for better seed sprouting and gives them a jumpstart for spring.”
Vega encourages indoor gardening enthusiasts to use hydroponic systems in the comfort of their homes.
“Just mind your humidity by keeping those leaves moving with a oscillating fan or a dehumidifier,” Vega said. 
BotaniCo Indoor Gardening Store is located at 5888 Everhart Road, Suite #A, in Corpus Christi. Call (361) 334-1612 or visit botanicotx.com for more information.