1
          As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 21, 1999
                                           Registration No. 333-________________

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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   ----------

                                    FORM S-8

             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

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                               THE SCOTTS COMPANY
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             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

              Ohio                                            31-1414921
- ------------------------------------                   ------------------------
 (State or other jurisdiction of                          (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)                          Identification No.)


14111 Scottslawn Road, Marysville, Ohio                                43041
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                             (Zip Code)

                               The Scotts Company
                       1996 Stock Option Plan, as amended
                       ----------------------------------
                            (Full title of the plan)


                                                           Copy to:
G. Robert Lucas, Esq.                       Elizabeth Turrell Farrar, Esq.
The Scotts Company                          Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP
14111 Scottslawn Road                       52 East Gay Street
Marysville, Ohio 43041                      P.O. Box 1008
- ---------------------------------------     Columbus, Ohio  43216-1008
(Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (937) 644-0011
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          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)



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                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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                                         Proposed       Proposed
Title of                                 maximum         maximum
securities                  Amount       offering       aggregate    Amount of
to be                       to be         price          offering   registration
registered                registered    per unit(1)      price(1)       fee
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Common Shares, without     2,500,000      $39.9375     $99,843,750   $27,757
par value
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(l)      Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the aggregate offering
         price and the registration fee pursuant to Rules 457(c) and 457(h)
         promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and computed
         on the basis of $39.9375 per share, which is the average of the high
         and low sales prices of the Common Shares as reported on the New York
         Stock Exchange on April 19, 1999.

                            Exhibit Index on Page 14
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                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
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                  The Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
September 30, 1998 of The Scotts Company (the "Registrant"), and all other
reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission")
pursuant to the requirements of Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), since that date are
hereby incorporated by reference.

                  The description of the Registrant's Common Shares contained in
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-A (File No. 1-11593) filed
with the Commission on December 21, 1995, which incorporates by reference the
description of such Common Shares contained in the Registrant's Proxy
Statement/Prospectus dated March 15, 1995, contained in the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Registration No. 33-57575), or contained in
any subsequent amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such
description, is hereby incorporated by reference.

                  Any definitive proxy statement or information statement filed
pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and all documents which may be filed
with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act
subsequent to the date hereof and prior to the completion of the offering
contemplated hereby, shall also be deemed to be incorporated herein by reference
and to be made a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents;
provided, however, that no report of the Compensation and Organization Committee
of the Board of Directors of the Registrant on executive compensation and no
performance graph included in any proxy statement or information statement filed
pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act shall be deemed to be incorporated
herein by reference.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.
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                  Not Applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
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                  Not Applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
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                  Section 10.5 of The Scotts Company 1996 Stock Option Plan (as
amended, the "Plan") provides for indemnification of members of the Registrant's
Board of Directors (the "Board") and of members of the Compensation and
Organization Committee of the Board (the "Committee") which administers the Plan
as follows:

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         10.5     Indemnification. Each person who is or shall have been a
                  member of the Committee or of the Board shall be indemnified
                  and held harmless by the Company [the Registrant] against and
                  from any loss, cost, liability, or expense that may be imposed
                  upon or reasonably incurred by him in connection with or
                  resulting from any claim, action, suit, or proceeding to which
                  he may be made a party or in which he may be involved by
                  reason of any action taken or failure to act under the Plan
                  and against and from any and all amounts paid by him in
                  settlement thereof, with the Company's approval, or paid by
                  him in satisfaction of any judgment in any such action, suit,
                  or proceeding against him, provided he shall give the Company
                  an opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend the
                  same before he undertakes to handle and defend it on his own
                  behalf. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be
                  exclusive and shall be independent of any other rights of
                  indemnification to which such persons may be entitled under
                  the Company's Articles of Incorporation or Code of
                  Regulations, by contract, as a matter of law, or otherwise.

                  Article FIVE of the Regulations of the Registrant governs the
indemnification of officers and directors of the Registrant. Article FIVE
provides:

                  Section 5.01. Mandatory Indemnification. The corporation shall
         indemnify any officer or director of the corporation who was or is a
         party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or
         completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal,
         administrative or investigative (including, without limitation, any
         action threatened or instituted by or in the right of the corporation),
         by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee
         or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the
         corporation as a director, trustee, officer, employee, member, manager
         or agent of another corporation (domestic or foreign, nonprofit or for
         profit), limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust
         or other enterprise, against expenses (including, without limitation,
         attorneys' fees, filing fees, court reporters' fees and transcript
         costs), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and
         reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or
         proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably
         believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the
         corporation, and with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, he
         had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. A person
         claiming indemnification under this Section 5.01 shall be presumed, in
         respect of any act or omission giving rise to such claim for
         indemnification, to have acted in good faith and in a manner he
         reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of
         the corporation, and with respect to any criminal matter, to have had
         no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful, and the
         termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order,
         settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its
         equivalent, shall not, of itself, rebut such presumption.

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                  Section 5.02. Court-Approved Indemnification. Anything
         contained in the Regulations or elsewhere to the contrary
         notwithstanding:

                  (A) the corporation shall not indemnify any officer or
         director of the corporation who was a party to any completed action or
         suit instituted by or in the right of the corporation to procure a
         judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that he is or was a
         director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was
         serving at the request of the corporation as a director, trustee,
         officer, employee, member, manager or agent of another corporation
         (domestic or foreign, nonprofit or for profit), limited liability
         company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, in
         respect of any claim, issue or matter asserted in such action or suit
         as to which he shall have been adjudged to be liable for acting with
         reckless disregard for the best interests of the corporation or
         misconduct (other than negligence) in the performance of his duty to
         the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Common
         Pleas of Union County, Ohio or the court in which such action or suit
         was brought shall determine upon application that, despite such
         adjudication of liability, and in view of all the circumstances of the
         case, he is fairly and reasonably entitled to such indemnity as such
         Court of Common Pleas or such other court shall deem proper; and

                  (B) the corporation shall promptly make any such unpaid
         indemnification as is determined by a court to be proper as
         contemplated by this Section 5.02.

                  Section 5.03. Indemnification for Expenses. Anything contained
         in the Regulations or elsewhere to the contrary notwithstanding, to the
         extent that an officer or director of the corporation has been
         successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or
         proceeding referred to in Section 5.01, or in defense of any claim,
         issue or matter therein, he shall be promptly indemnified by the
         corporation against expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys'
         fees, filing fees, court reporters' fees and transcript costs) actually
         and reasonably incurred by him in connection therewith.

                  Section 5.04. Determination Required. Any indemnification
         required under Section 5.01 and not precluded under Section 5.02 shall
         be made by the corporation only upon a determination that such
         indemnification of the officer or director is proper in the
         circumstances because he has met the applicable standard of conduct set
         forth in Section 5.01. Such determination may be made only (A) by a
         majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors of the corporation
         who were not and are not parties to, or threatened with, any such
         action, suit or proceeding, or (B) if such a quorum is not obtainable
         or if a majority of a quorum of disinterested directors so directs, in
         a written opinion by independent legal counsel other than an attorney,
         or a firm having associated with it an attorney, who has been retained
         by or who has performed services for the corporation, or any person to
         be indemnified, within the past five years, or (C) by the shareholders,
         or (D) by the Court of Common Pleas of Union County, Ohio or (if the
         corporation is a party thereto) the court in which such action, suit or

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         proceeding was brought, if any; any such determination may be made by a
         court under division (D) of this Section 5.04 at any time [including,
         without limitation, any time before, during or after the time when any
         such determination may be requested of, be under consideration by or
         have been denied or disregarded by the disinterested directors under
         division (A) or by independent legal counsel under division (B) or by
         the shareholders under division (C) of this Section 5.04]; and no
         failure for any reason to make any such determination, and no decision
         for any reason to deny any such determination, by the disinterested
         directors under division (A) or by independent legal counsel under
         division (B) or by shareholders under division (C) of this Section 5.04
         shall be evidence in rebuttal of the presumption recited in Section
         5.01. Any determination made by the disinterested directors under
         division (A) or by independent legal counsel under division (B) of this
         Section 5.04 to make indemnification in respect of any claim, issue or
         matter asserted in an action or suit threatened or brought by or in the
         right of the corporation shall be promptly communicated to the person
         who threatened or brought such action or suit, and within ten days
         after receipt of such notification such person shall have the right to
         petition the Court of Common Pleas of Union County, Ohio or the court
         in which such action or suit was brought, if any, to review the
         reasonableness of such determination.

                  Section 5.05. Advances for Expenses. Expenses (including,
         without limitation, attorneys' fees, filing fees, court reporters' fees
         and transcript costs) incurred in defending any action, suit or
         proceeding referred to in Section 5.01 shall be paid by the corporation
         in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding
         to or on behalf of the officer or director promptly as such expenses
         are incurred by him, but only if such officer or director shall first
         agree, in writing, to repay all amounts so paid in respect of any
         claim, issue or other matter asserted in such action, suit or
         proceeding in defense of which he shall not have been successful on the
         merits or otherwise:

                  (A) if it shall ultimately be determined as provided in
         Section 5.04 that he is not entitled to be indemnified by the
         corporation as provided under Section 5.01; or

                  (B) if, in respect of any claim, issue or other matter
         asserted by or in the right of the corporation in such action or suit,
         he shall have been adjudged to be liable for acting with reckless
         disregard for the best interests of the corporation or misconduct
         (other than negligence) in the performance of his duty to the
         corporation, unless and only to the extent that the Court of Common
         Pleas of Union County, Ohio or the court in which such action or suit
         was brought shall determine upon application that, despite such
         adjudication of liability, and in view of all the circumstances, he is
         fairly and reasonably entitled to all or part of such indemnification.

                  Section 5.06. Article FIVE Not Exclusive. The indemnification
         provided by this Article FIVE shall not be exclusive of, and shall be
         in addition to, any other rights to which any person seeking
         indemnification may be entitled

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         under the Articles or the Regulations or any agreement, vote of
         shareholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise, both as to
         action in his official capacity and as to action in another capacity
         while holding such office, and shall continue as to a person who has
         ceased to be an officer or director of the corporation and shall inure
         to the benefit of the heirs, executors, and administrators of such a
         person.

                  Section 5.07. Insurance. The corporation may purchase and
         maintain insurance or furnish similar protection, including but not
         limited to, trust funds, letters of credit, or self-insurance, on
         behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or
         agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the
         corporation as a director, trustee, officer, employee, member, manager
         or agent of another corporation (domestic or foreign, nonprofit or for
         profit), limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust
         or other enterprise, against any liability asserted against him and
         incurred by him in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as
         such, whether or not the corporation would have the obligation or the
         power to indemnify him against such liability under the provisions of
         this Article FIVE. Insurance may be purchased from or maintained with a
         person in which the corporation has a financial interest.

                  Section 5.08. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this
         Article FIVE, and as examples and not by way of limitation:

                  (A) A person claiming indemnification under this Article FIVE
         shall be deemed to have been successful on the merits or otherwise in
         defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in Section 5.01,
         or in defense of any claim, issue or other matter therein, if such
         action, suit or proceeding shall be terminated as to such person, with
         or without prejudice, without the entry of a judgment or order against
         him, without a conviction of him, without the imposition of a fine upon
         him and without his payment or agreement to pay any amount in
         settlement thereof (whether or not any such termination is based upon a
         judicial or other determination of the lack of merit of the claims made
         against him or otherwise results in a vindication of him); and

                  (B) References to an "other enterprise" shall include employee
         benefit plans; references to a "fine" shall include any excise taxes
         assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan; and
         references to "serving at the request of the corporation" shall include
         any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the
         corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such
         director, officer, employee or agent with respect to an employee
         benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and a person who acted
         in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in the best
         interests of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit
         plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner "not opposed to the best
         interests of the corporation" within the meaning of that term as used
         in this Article FIVE.

                  Section 5.09. Venue. Any action, suit or proceeding to
         determine a claim for indemnification under this Article FIVE may be
         maintained by the

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         person claiming such indemnification, or by the corporation, in the
         Court of Common Pleas of Union County, Ohio. The corporation and (by
         claiming such indemnification) each such person consent to the exercise
         of jurisdiction over its or his person by the Court of Common Pleas of
         Union County, Ohio in any such action, suit or proceeding.

                  Division (E) of Section 1701.13 of the Ohio Revised Code
addresses indemnification by an Ohio corporation and provides as follows:

                  (E)(1) A corporation may indemnify or agree to indemnify any
         person who was or is a party, or is threatened to be made a party, to
         any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit or proceeding,
         whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative, other than
         an action by or in the right of the corporation, by reason of the fact
         that he is or was a director, officer, employee, or agent of the
         corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as
         a director, trustee, officer, employee, member, manager, or agent of
         another corporation, domestic or foreign, nonprofit or for profit, a
         limited liability company, or a partnership, joint venture, trust, or
         other enterprise, against expenses including attorney's fees,
         judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably
         incurred by him in connection with such action, suit, or proceeding, if
         he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in
         or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with
         respect to any criminal action or proceeding, if he had no reasonable
         cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. The termination of any
         action, suit, or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, or
         conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall
         not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in
         good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not
         opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to
         any criminal action or proceeding, he had reasonable cause to believe
         that his conduct was unlawful.

                  (2) A corporation may indemnify or agree to indemnify any
         person who was or is a party, or is threatened to be made a party, to
         any threatened, pending, or completed action or suit by or in the right
         of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor, by reason of the
         fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee, or agent of the
         corporation or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a
         director, trustee, officer, employee, member, manager, or agent of
         another corporation, domestic or foreign, nonprofit or for profit, a
         limited liability company, or a partnership, joint venture, trust, or
         other enterprise, against expenses, including attorney's fees, actually
         and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the defense or
         settlement of such action or suit, if he acted in good faith and in a
         manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best
         interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification shall be
         made in respect of any of the following:

                  (a) Any claim, issue, or matter as to which such person is
         adjudged to be liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance
         of his duty to the

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         corporation unless, and only to the extent that, the court of common
         pleas or the court in which such action or suit was brought determines,
         upon application, that, despite the adjudication of liability, but in
         view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and
         reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses as the court of
         common pleas or such other court shall deem proper;

                  (b) Any action or suit in which the only liability asserted
         against a director is pursuant to section 1701.95 of the Revised Code.

                  (3) To the extent that a director, trustee, officer, employee,
         member, manager, or agent has been successful on the merits or
         otherwise in defense of any action, suit, or proceeding referred to in
         division (E)(1) or (2) of this section, or in defense of any claim,
         issue, or matter therein, he shall be indemnified against expenses,
         including attorney's fees, actually and reasonably incurred by him in
         connection with the action, suit, or proceeding.

                  (4) Any indemnification under division (E)(1) or (2) of this
         section, unless ordered by a court, shall be made by the corporation
         only as authorized in the specific case, upon a determination that
         indemnification of the director, trustee, officer, employee, member,
         manager, or agent is proper in the circumstances because he has met the
         applicable standard of conduct set forth in division (E)(l) or (2) of
         this section. Such determination shall be made as follows:

                  (a) By a majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors of
         the indemnifying corporation who were not and are not parties to or
         threatened with the action, suit, or proceeding referred to in division
         (E)(1) or (2) of this section;

                  (b) If the quorum described in division (E)(4)(a) of this
         section is not obtainable or if a majority vote of a quorum of
         disinterested directors so directs, in a written opinion by independent
         legal counsel other than an attorney, or a firm having associated with
         it an attorney, who has been retained by or who has performed services
         for the corporation or any person to be indemnified within the past
         five years;

                  (c)      By the shareholders;

                  (d) By the court of common pleas or the court in which the
         action, suit, or proceeding referred to in division (E)(1) or (2) of
         this section was brought.

                  Any determination made by the disinterested directors under
         division (E)(4)(a) or by independent legal counsel under division
         (E)(4)(b) of this section shall be promptly communicated to the person
         who threatened or brought the action or suit by or in the right of the
         corporation under division (E)(2) of this section, and, within ten days
         after receipt of such notification, such person shall have the right to
         petition the court of common pleas or the court in which such action or
         suit was brought to review the reasonableness of such determination.

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                  (5)(a) Unless at the time of a director's act or omission that
         is the subject of an action, suit, or proceeding referred to in
         division (E)(1) or (2) of this section, the articles or the regulations
         of a corporation state, by specific reference to this division, that
         the provisions of this division do not apply to the corporation and
         unless the only liability asserted against a director in an action,
         suit, or proceeding referred to in division (E)(1) or (2) of this
         section is pursuant to section 1701.95 of the Revised Code, expenses,
         including attorney's fees, incurred by a director in defending the
         action, suit, or proceeding shall be paid by the corporation as they
         are incurred, in advance of the final disposition of the action, suit,
         or proceeding, upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the
         director in which he agrees to do both of the following:

                  (i) Repay such amount if it is proved by clear and convincing
         evidence in a court of competent jurisdiction that his action or
         failure to act involved an act or omission undertaken with deliberate
         intent to cause injury to the corporation or undertaken with reckless
         disregard for the best interests of the corporation;

                  (ii) Reasonably cooperate with the corporation concerning the
         action, suit, or proceeding.

                  (b) Expenses, including attorney's fees, incurred by a
         director, trustee, officer, employee, member, manager, or agent in
         defending any action, suit, or proceeding referred to in division
         (E)(1) or (2) of this section, may be paid by the corporation as they
         are incurred, in advance of the final disposition of the action, suit,
         or proceeding, as authorized by the directors in the specific case,
         upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the director,
         trustee, officer, employee, member, manager, or agent to repay such
         amount, if it ultimately is determined that he is not entitled to be
         indemnified by the corporation.

                  (6) The indemnification authorized by this section shall not
         be exclusive of, and shall be in addition to, any other rights granted
         to those seeking indemnification under the articles, the regulations,
         any agreement, a vote of shareholders or disinterested directors, or
         otherwise, both as to action in their official capacities and as to
         action in another capacity while holding their offices or positions,
         and shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director,
         trustee, officer, employee, member, manager, or agent and shall inure
         to the benefit of the heirs, executors, and administrators of such a
         person.

                  (7) A corporation may purchase and maintain insurance or
         furnish similar protection, including, but not limited to, trust funds,
         letters of credit, or self-insurance, on behalf of or for any person
         who is or was a director, officer, employee, or agent of the
         corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as
         a director, trustee, officer, employee, member, manager, or agent of
         another corporation, domestic or foreign, nonprofit or for profit, a
         limited liability company, or a partnership, joint venture, trust, or
         other enterprise, against any liability asserted against him and
         incurred by him in any such capacity, or arising

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         out of his status as such, whether or not the corporation would have
         the power to indemnify him against such liability under this section.
         Insurance may be purchased from or maintained with a person in which
         the corporation has a financial interest.

                  (8) The authority of a corporation to indemnify persons
         pursuant to division (E)(1) or (2) of this section does not limit the
         payment of expenses as they are incurred, indemnification, insurance,
         or other protection that may be provided pursuant to divisions (E)(5),
         (6), and (7) of this section. Divisions (E)(1) and (2) of this section
         do not create any obligation to repay or return payments made by the
         corporation pursuant to division (E)(5), (6), or (7).

                  (9) As used in division (E) of this section, references to
         "corporation" includes all constituent entities in a consolidation or
         merger and the new or surviving corporation, so that any person who is
         or was a director, officer, employee, trustee, member, manager, or
         agent of such a constituent entity or is or was serving at the request
         of such constituent entity as a director, trustee, officer, employee,
         member, manager, or agent of another corporation, domestic or foreign,
         nonprofit or for profit, a limited liability company, or a partnership,
         joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, shall stand in the same
         position under this section with respect to the new or surviving
         corporation as he would if he had served the new or surviving
         corporation in the same capacity.

                  The Registrant has purchased insurance coverage under a policy
which insures directors and officers against certain liabilities which might be
incurred by them in such capacity.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.
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                  Not Applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits.
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                  See the Index to Exhibits attached hereto and beginning at
page 14.

Item 9.  Undertakings.
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A.       The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

         (l)      To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
                  made, a post-effective amendment to this registration
                  statement:

                  (i)      To include any prospectus required by Section
                           10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

                  (ii)     To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                           arising after the effective date of the registration
                           statement (or the most recent post-effective
                           amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
                           aggregate, represent a funda-

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                           mental change in the information set forth in the
                           registration statement; and

                  (iii)    To include any material information with respect to
                           the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in
                           the registration statement or any material change to
                           such information in the registration statement;

                  provided, however, that paragraphs A(1)(i) and A(1)(ii) do not
                  apply if the information required to be included in a
                  post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in
                  periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by
                  the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
                  Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by
                  reference in the registration statement.

         (2)      That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
                  Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment
                  shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to
                  the securities offered therein, and the offering of such
                  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
                  fide offering thereof.

         (3)      To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
                  amendment any of the securities being registered which remain
                  unsold at the termination of the offering.

B.       The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
         determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing
         of the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section
         15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by
         reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new
         registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and
         the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
         initial bona fide offering thereof.

C.       Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
         Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
         persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions described in Item
         6 of this Part II, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that
         in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such
         indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
         is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
         indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
         Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
         controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any
         action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or
         controlling person in connection with the securities being registered,
         the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
         has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
         appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by
         it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be
         governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                       11
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                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Marysville, State of Ohio, on the 20th day of April,
1999.

                                    THE SCOTTS COMPANY

                                    By:/s/ Charles M. Berger
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                       Charles M. Berger, Chairman of the Board,
                                       President and Chief Executive Officer

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on April 20, 1999.

Signature                                  Title
- ---------                                  -----

James B Beard, Ph.D.*                      Director
- -----------------------------
James B Beard, Ph.D.

Charles M. Berger*                         Chairman  of  the  Board/President/
- -----------------------------              Chief Executive Officer
Charles M. Berger

Joseph P. Flannery*                        Director
- -----------------------------
Joseph P. Flannery

Horace Hagedorn*                           Vice Chairman/Director
- -----------------------------
Horace Hagedorn

James Hagedorn*                            President of Scotts North America/
- -----------------------------              Director
James Hagedorn

Albert E. Harris*                          Director
- -----------------------------
Albert E. Harris

John Kenlon*                               Director
- -----------------------------
John Kenlon

Karen Gordon Mills*                        Director
- -----------------------------
Karen Gordon Mills

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Jean H. Mordo*                             Executive Vice President/Chief 
- -----------------------------              Financial Officer/Principal
Jean H. Mordo                              Accounting Officer

Patrick J. Norton*                         Director
- -----------------------------
Patrick J. Norton

John M. Sullivan*                          Director
- -----------------------------
John M. Sullivan

L. Jack Van Fossen*                        Director
- -----------------------------
L. Jack Van Fossen

John Walker, Ph.D.*                        Director
- -----------------------------
John Walker, Ph.D.

*By:/s/ G. Robert Lucas                   Senior Vice President, General Counsel
    -------------------------             and Secretary Attorney-in-Fact
       G. Robert Lucas

                                       13
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                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS
                                -----------------

Exhibit No.                        Description                              Page No.
- -----------                        -----------                              --------
                                                                  
     5           Opinion of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP as              *
                 to legality

     10          The Scotts Company 1996 Stock Option Plan (reflects            *
                 amendments through April 1, 1999)

   23(a)         Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP                          *

   23(b)         Consent of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP          Filed as part of
                                                                         Exhibit 5

     24          Powers of Attorney                                             *

- -------------------
* Filed herewith.

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