Lexington, KY - Some familiar Kentucky names are coming together to produce a naturally-based line of plant products to grow beautiful gardens and do it in an environmentally friendly way.

Jon Carloftis, the famed garden designer, author, lecturer and Rockcastle County native is partnering with Alltech, the global animal health and nutrition company headquartered in Nicholasville to create products -Soil & Root and Bloom & Fruit - that are designed to enhance soil and plants, respectively.

Carloftis said the idea got started during his time spent working on a garden area for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games held last year at the Kentucky Horse Park.

In his gardening endeavors, Carloftis said he tries not to use chemicals, but natural fertilizers such as compost can have other problems, including an off-putting odor. He wanted to know if there were alternatives.

"We've just grown up where we go and get a chemical and it's not good because sooner or later it comes back on you and you eat that stuff," he said.

Alltech had the answer, having developed a naturally based fertilizer in use for years in its Brazil operations. In fact, the company has been producing a range of plant nutrition brands all derived from yeast fermentation since 1993.
From that knowledge, a line was developed that Carloftis has used for more than a year now to make sure it does what it is supposed to do.

"Our gardens have never looked better," he said. "Soil & Root is good right now to apply to your lawn and even in your vegetable gardens to promote microbial growth that's beneficial to plants for next year. Bloom & Fruit, you can hook it up to a hose and apply it when your plants are growing. This is a premium product and like most things that Alltech makes, it's highly concentrated so one small bottle covers more square footage than all the leading fertilizers whether they are organic or chemical."

Carloftis emphasized that if a product was going to bear his name it had to be something he used and knew was good. In these two new products, he has found just that, and they are products that are good for everything, he said.

"What I've learn is, you don't get crazy, quick growth with this. It's slow and steady and the plants are sturdy," he said. "It's incredible stuff, I will tell you. I totally trust Alltech, but I had to use it for over a year before I really believed in it. It's unbelievable what it does to the lawn and to vegetables and flowering plants, scrubs, trees, anything - and you're not putting chemicals on your plants."

In the year of testing the products, Carloftis hasn't just used it around the house. He has taken it to some very high profile projects, including the new Google Headquarters in New York City, Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Mount Brilliant Farm in Lexington, Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky, the Governor's Mansion in Frankfort, and the Ultimate Kitchen Garden for Country Living Magazine at the University of Kentucky Arboretum.
Another aspect of the plant products important to Carloftis is that of being produced in Kentucky. Once the application process is complete, they will carry the Kentucky Proud label.

Melanie Rounsaville, brand manager for Alltech's Crop Science Division said the company's presence here not just as a company and what that brings but also as a participant in the community is very important to Alltech founder Dr. Pearse Lyons and his wife Deirdre and it makes a lot of sense to have a product like this and that the company can partner with someone like Carloftis.

"The more I've gotten to know Jon and seen how he really approaches gardening with a natural philosophy, I think to have a product that is naturally based, that works and to stand behind, it's just a fit. We're really excited about it and hope for great things in markets beyond Kentucky but at the same time stay true to the fact that it is a Kentucky made product," she said.

Carloftis said he is excited about working with Alltech and that putting his name on a product is not something he takes lightly.

"I've worked too long and too hard to just put my name on something to make money," he said. "My thing is about trying to make things beautiful without polluting the earth. I've been so lucky and now I'm trying to do good stuff and this is one of them."

Right now the products will be sold in smaller independent, family owned venues "because that's where people go to learn something and get good service, and that's what I'm all about," said Carloftis.

Those locations include Wilson's Nurseries in Frankfort, Pemberton's Greenhouses and Landscapers Corner in Lexington, Rockcastle River Trading Company in Livingston, Benge Farm Supply and Mink's Landscape Contractors in London, C C Cox & Son Hardware in Mt. Vernon, Wallitsch Nursery & Garden Center in Louisville. New retailers will be updated at http://www.joncarloftis.com/products.html.