"Gardening connects me to my roots and has always been a way to nurture both myself and the environment around me"
- Chad Massura
Can soil change the world?
Chad Massura thinks so.
Frustrated with the low-quality, fertilizer filled, environmentally damaging soils traditionally made available to consumers, Chad set out to create potting mixes that are healthy for both your plants and the planet.
Rosy Soil was born.
From ingredients and packaging, to supply chain and transport, every aspect of Rosy Soil has been designed and refined to achieve a net neutral carbon footprint.
Their microbially active living soil captures CO₂, making every garden a small but mighty force for positive environmental impact.
Since launching in 2022, the Rosy community has captured well over 50 metric tons of carbon - equivalent to hundreds of thousands of miles driven.
The numbers, just like their colorful packaging, are hard to miss.
So much so, that the eco-friendly soil is available for purchase in hundreds of independent plant stores and garden centers across the US, as well as major retailers like Target and Thrive Market.
And now too, Marly.
We've teamed up with Rosy to ensure you can get your Marly off to the perfect start by purchasing potting mix that your plants, and the planet, will thank you for.
To celebrate the launch of our partnership, we sat down with Chad, a self-confessed plant and soil nerd, to find out what gardening means to him.
Check out the full conversation below 👇
Marly: Hey Chad! Could you provide a mini bio on yourself and your background?
Chad: Hi, my name's Chad Massara, and I’m the founder and CEO of Rosy Soil. We make the highest-quality, most sustainable plant care products on the planet. I’m a lifelong gardener, plant nerd, and soil nerd.
Before starting Rosy Soil, I worked in the impact and food space, helping create and grow startups focused on making food more accessible and sustainable. I became obsessed with carbon capture, which is ultimately what led me to launch Rosy Soil.
What do plants, nature and gardening mean to you?
Gardening has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in Chicago, living with my grandma, who was a big gardener, so I was out in the garden from a young age. I guess I was destined to start a soil company - when I was three, I even asked for potting soil for Christmas!
Gardening connects me to my roots and has always been a way to nurture both myself and the environment around me.
The big question…why start a soil company?
I started a soil company because I grew frustrated with the low-quality, peat-based, and synthetic fertilizer filled soil products available on the market. I had been using them for years without realizing how damaging they were to the environment. As I dug into the ingredients (that other brands hide on the bottom of their bags), I saw the need for a higher-quality, sustainable, and performance-driven option that didn’t rely on harmful, non-renewable inputs.
I wanted to create a solution that was better for both plants and the planet.
Rosy Soil has made sustainability a big part of its mission statement. Has that always been at the core of the business?
Absolutely. Sustainability has been at the heart of Rosy Soil from the very beginning. Our mission is to help gardeners nurture not just their plants but also the planet.
We’ve designed every product to do more good than harm - our entire supply chain is carbon-negative, meaning it pulls more CO2 out of the atmosphere than it emits. We’re committed to the highest standards of sustainability, plant performance, and reducing our carbon footprint.
What's your favorite thing to grow inside your home or in the garden?
Growing a Meyer lemon tree indoors has been both a challenge and a labor of love. I live in a small apartment in New York City with poor lighting, but my wife loves lemons, so we’re determined to keep it alive. It’s not going perfectly, but the tree is still alive - so I consider that a win!
Do you have any unusual tips or tricks for keeping your plants healthy?
One thing I always tell people is that it’s okay to kill a plant. Gardening is a skill you develop over time, and mistakes are part of that process. Killing a plant is one of the best ways to learn what works and what doesn’t.
So, don’t stress too much - it’s all part of the journey to becoming a better gardener.
Are there any home or garden accessories/tools/products that you would recommend to our community, and why? (other than Marly!)
A simple tool I recommend is a moisture meter. Over-watering is the number one way people kill their plants, and a moisture meter helps you know when it’s time to water or when to hold off. If you want something even more low-tech, the finger test works just as well - stick your finger in the soil to see if it’s dry.
I also think plant care apps are great - they help remind you when to water, fertilize, and check on your plants. Just remember, those recommendations are a guide, not a rule!
What have your first impressions been of your Marly planter? What are you growing?
I’ve really enjoyed using my Marly planter. It’s beautifully designed, and I used it to repot a three or four-year-old Monstera I’ve grown from cuttings. The plant is thriving. It’s already sprouted new leaves, and I haven’t even had to refill the water tank yet.
Check out a video of Chad planting his Marly here!
What are you listening to or watching right now?
I’m currently reading a book called The Biochar Solution, because I can never learn enough about biochar. It plays such a big role in what we do at Rosy Soil, so I’m always deepening my understanding of it.
Do you have a favorite plant store?
I can’t pick just one! One of the best parts of my job is partnering with incredible plant shops, garden centers, and florists across the country. I get to visit, do workshops, and spend time in these amazing spaces.
Each one is special in its own way, so I couldn’t possibly choose a favorite.
Which bar, restaurant, park, or public space do you always recommend someone make a visit to? Domestic or international!
I’m lucky to live in New York City, so I always recommend Central Park. It’s one of the best parks in the world. You can step into the Ramble, be surrounded by trees, hear birds chirping, and feel like you’re in a forest - while being in the middle of one of the world’s biggest cities. It’s an unbelievable experience.
What's the best gift you've ever received?
Plant-related, the best gift I’ve received was from Plant Corner NYC. After doing a repotting workshop at the store, the owner, Jira, gifted me a beautiful kokedama. It was my first kokedama, and I’ve really enjoyed taking care of it.
What's something or someone that inspires you?
There’s a company called BioLite that I recently re-discovered off of an Instagram ad, and their mission really inspires me. They create camping stoves and LED lights, but the real magic is in their mission to provide clean cooking technology to people all over the world.
They sell to consumers but also make these technologies affordable for people in developing countries, which is such a cool and impactful business model.
What are you working on this year?
This year, we launched a new top-dress Plant Food. It’s an exciting blend of biochar, compost, worm castings, bokashi, mycorrhizal fungi, kelp meal, and alfalfa meal. It’s a super easy-to-use fertilizer that you simply sprinkle at the base of your plants, and the nutrients are delivered as you water.
We’re really proud of it, and it’s been a huge project for us this year.
Amazing! Good luck with the new range of plant food, and we look forward to seeing you continue to grow in your Marly!
My pleasure, thank you!
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Chad Massura is the founder of Rosy Soil, a company creating soil that's crafted for the specific needs of indoor plants, using all-natural, renewable ingredients that optimize drainage, deliver plant-boosting nutrients, and support a diverse community of beneficial fungi and microbes.
Rosy Soil is great for your plants, and the planet.
At home, Chad grows using Marly's Smaller Sage Green Self-Watering Planter
Watch a video of Chad repotting a Monstera in his Marly planter here.
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