Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. announced the launch of a $50 million venture capital fund on Thursday, 1868 Ventures, that will invest in plant genetics, natural and organic alternatives for fertilizers, sustainable products and packaging and other gardening innovations. The venture capital fund is named after the year that Scotts Miracle-Gro was founded. Typical investments will be from $250,000 to $2.5 million, will focus on companies that operate in North America and will be both early- and growth-stage companies. Scotts Miracle-Gro has partnered with Touchdown Ventures, a company that manages venture capital programs, on the fund.