Behnkes Gardening Blog

by Marian Parsley, Behnkes’ Manager of Annuals

No kitchen should be without Oregano, as no Italian meal is complete without its wonderful flavor.  It’s known botanically as Origanum vulgare, which is Greek for ‘joy of the mountains’ – because in Greece it can be found growing along the mountainsides.

Most people think of pizza when they think of Oregano because it adds a warm balsamic and aromatic flavor to many dishes – not just pizza but much of Mediterranean cuisine. Whenever possible, you will want to use fresh Oregano over dried because fresh has a superior flavor.  Fresh Oregano may be stored in the fridge wrapped in a slightly damp towel for several days. It may also be frozen, chopped, or dried and kept whole, placed in air tight containers.

Behnke’s carries a wide assortment of Oregano varieties but my favorite is ‘Greek Mountain Oregano.’  With its bold pungent flavor, it’s the perfect addition to my favorite tomato sauce.  But why not try some for yourself?

Here’s the assortment of Oregano that Behnke’s carries, all of which can be used in Italian dishes, rice, various sauces, breads, and of course everyone’s favorite – pizza.  They’re all 20% off this week (May 23-29) for members of the Behnkes Garden Club*.  (That’s not all this week – Garden Club Members also get 25% off on Daylilies.)

Greek Mountain Oregano (also known as Wild Oregano) has a strong, spicy flavor.  It’s used in Italian dishes, especially pizza.  Prefers dry conditions.  Soil that’s too moist will cause root-rot.  In its preferred sunny location it grows to 10-12”.

Italian Oregano is a delicious culinary herb essential to Italian dishes.  It has a strong, spicy flavor and grows well in the garden or in containers.  It also likes sunny locations and grows to 12” in height and a 24” spread.

Oregano ‘Jim Best’ is a beautiful variegated oregano that’s wonderful as a ground cover or as a fragrant edging.   Tastes great in Italian dishes.  It likes a sunny location and grows to 6-12” tall.  Space them 6-8” apart.  Use in pasta dishes, breads, stuffing and of course – pizza.  It’s perennial in Zones 5-9 (here!).

Oregano ‘Hot and Spicy’, true to its name, is  especially pungent, so it’s a good choice for Mexican dishes.  Very fragrant, with white flowers that attract bees and butterflies.  Perennial in Zones 5-9 (here!).

Oregano ‘Golden’ is a robust golden creeper with white flowers.  Excellent flavor; great in tomato, rice, pasta, sauces, dressings and vinegar.  It’s beautiful flowing over a container or in garden beds.  It likes a sunny location.  Grows to 12” tall and spreads 8-12”.

* Join the Club!

If you’re not already a member, join the Behnkes Garden Club to get this discount on oregano!  It’s FREE to join. Sign up here.  Benefits include members-only specials like the one above, our weekly email newsletter, and, if we have your street address, coupons/offers in the mail.  You can use that same link to update or add to your information – we will need your name, email address, and a phone number. The last 4 digits of your phone number will be your membership number.

Note: If you were a member of our Gardener’s Advantage program, you have been automatically moved to Garden Club membership. As always, we will never share your information with anyone.

Photo credits:  Oregano, Pizza.

hey very excited, Old Line Fine Wine will be having a FREE wine tasting at the Garden Party.. Featuring Solomon Island Winery

http://solomonsislandwinery.com/

and its looking (I should know for sure this afternoon) that Einstein Bagles in College Park will be providing the food

Watch how Miri loosens the roots – at 4:02.

Our woody plants buyer Miri Talabac does a bang-up job of demonstrating planting of a tree (a Black Gum) in her new video, now on Youtube  – How to Plant a Tree on Youtube.    Watch it on Youtube or at the bottom of this blog post, OR read the highlights below.  Here you’ll also find times of crucial viewing spots noted, where something is being demonstrated that is best learned by watching it in action.

I’ve also asked Miri a few follow-up questions and included her answers here.

Miri says don’t pick it up like this!

Bullet points:

- Pick up the tree by the pot, not by the trunk, as she’s demonstrating in the photo right.

-Dig a hole that’s the right depth to allow plant to be placed at the same depth as it is in the pot.  And make it twice as wide as it was in the pot.

-If rootbound, which most pot-bound plants are to some degree, what how she loosens the roots before planting.  Starts at 4:02.

- Also watch how she makes a mound, places the tree in the hole, checks for depth and fills the hole with soil -  the essence of planting. Starts at 4:50.

- Use Leafgro to mix with backfill dirt.  Recommended proportion: 1/3 Leafgro to 2/3 “native” backfill soil.

- She also suggests adding some Bio-tone, which provides beneficial microbes that may be lacking or reduced in most home soils. Miri adds, “Mycorrhizae (the beneficial fungi and bacteria) are common to nearly all plant root systems; while they do steal a bit of sugars from the plant’s roots, in return their growth increases the plant’s root surface area for absorbing water and nutrients. This mutualism greatly helps plants avoid stress and can support lusher, faster growth.

Espoma has recently added Bio-tone to all its organic fertilizers (Holly-tone, etc.) so it’s not necessary to use both.  Miri says that “A person planting with compost might not need it either, per se, but it wouldn’t hurt.”

- More about feeding via email:  “I always guide customers to read the bag – the instructions are there to guide you – but generally fertilize spring and fall, and it’s harder to accidentally overdo it with organics like the Espoma “tones” than it is with inorganics, because the former break down with microbial action and the little microbes can only eat it so fast.  The inorganics break down at a certain rate, whether the plants need them or not. That said, any over-application of fertilizer is harmful to both the plants and our watersheds.”

- About watering, Miri says: “I guide people to give about as much water as the original pot size (5 gal pot, 10 gal, etc) so they know they’re giving enough water to soak the rootball plus a bit of the surrounding soil. As for frequency, it really, really depends on a lot of factors. Sunny, warm, windy weather will dry things faster than cool, cloudy or still air.  An area with good drainage will dry out faster than areas that hold rain longer.  And of course the plant itself may prefer to be wetter or drier than other things nearby.  I tell people they should get in the habit of physically checking the soil moisture before automatically watering, as over-watering will drown roots and kill a plant faster than just about anything else water-related. Plants that get too dry may drop flowers, fruit or leaves, but if you catch it in time, buds will break to replace leaves that were lost. The root rot that sets in with over-watered plants is usually irreversible.

“I say stick a finger, wooden pencil, screwdriver, bamboo stake – anything you can feel or see moisture on – down amongst or next to the roots at least 3” deep (maybe 2” for perennials or smaller shrubs) and if the soil is moist (and you’ve been watering properly, which is to say, deeply and thoroughly) then you’re fine…wait. If it’s dry or barely moist, then go ahead and water. I tell people ‘If in doubt, let it dry out.’  Don’t go by wilting alone; plants that are overly wet or have tender new growth can wilt but not need water.”For the first full season, check soil moisture regularly.  And when watering, focus the water on the edge of the rootball, not at the trunk.

- Mulch 2-3 inches, keeping away from the trunk.

- Stake only needed in high-wind areas.  Give the trunk room to sway – that triggers stronger anchoring roots.  Great info! And when asked if stakes should be removed at some point Miri replied:  “Yes, stake only when really windy or on unstable ground (steep slope maybe) for 6-12 months, making sure stakes don’t abrade the truck. Remove after a year (maybe, maybe two if it’s a really unstable spot or root establishment seems poor) because at that point stabilizing anchoring roots should be sufficiently formed. Compacted soils, planting sites with limited earth (like surrounding by pavement or walls), or plants spaced too closely together that are competing with one another will promote poor root anchoring and may never be as stable as they should be, or will take a lot longer to establish, staking or not. I still see commercial property trees that are staked too stiffly (doesn’t do any good) or for too long (constricts bark).”

Posted by Susan Harris.

Randy Best’s Hosta Garden.

It’s not summer YET but when the heat finally comes, I’ll wish I could hang out in Randy Best’s cool hosta garden, shown above and in lots more photos here.  Around our Beltsville store Randy’s known as Mr. Hosta – not only because his garden is jam-packed with them but because he’s a true Hosta expert and breeder of new Hosta varieties.

In pursuit of new, even more beautiful Hostas, Randy is always on the look-out and keeps up with what the other breeders are up to.  That’s how he came to find the 18 exciting new varieties now on offer in our perennial Department in quart-size pots.  Randy carefully selected these introductions and ordered them directly from a tissue culture lab (plant-geek talk for breeder) in Illinois.

Here’s how Behnkes’ Stephanie Flemming described the scene: “If Randy had a tail, it would have been wagging when the boxes were unpacked.”  Sounds like a true Hosta addict!

We have one flat of each of these cool-looking varieties, so come check out Mr.  Hosta’s Introductions for 2013 while supplies last!

‘Jubulani’ (left) and ‘Blue Flame’ (right.)

 ’George M. Dallas’ (left) and ‘Thunder Boomer’ (right.)

I was once a small-scale collector of Hostas myself but had  to give them all away after the deer arrived in my backyard one day and decided to stay – despite my repeated cursing at them and more sophisticated repelling techniques failed, too.

So last season, when the construction around my Greenbelt home was finally done in the late summer, I bought up several of my favorite varieties, including ‘Sir Frances Williams,’ the glory of my old shade garden (shown below in its formative years).   Then over the winter I moved so many perennials around to accommodate the shrubs and trees I rather abruptly decided to plant that I couldn’t find Frances anywhere and declared him a casualty of gardening-in-winter.

Until I finally found him a couple of weeks ago, behind and almost under a teak bench I’d also moved.  I bet Mr. Hosta can appreciate what a thrilling discovery it was.  Frances now has a prominent and perhaps even permanent spot in my garden, along with some new favorites.  Ah, to have a deer-free garden again!

Posted by Susan Harris.

Hot off the camcorder, Behnkes has a fabulous new video by Horticulturist Carol Allen about planting up vegetables in containers.  Here are the highlights (and times indicated for selective viewing), for people who, like this blogger, have short attention spans (or are just busy).

Or for regular, patient, less hurried gardeners, enjoy the whole video, embedded below from Youtube.

-  To create a Salad Bowl of Chives, Parsley, Thyme, Lettuces and Radishes, Carol recommends a container like the one shown above.

- Her favorite planting medium is Fafard Complete Planting Mix, shown above.  It provides good drainage, which is key.

- No need for packing peanuts or stones at the bottom of the container to improve drainage – it won’t.  And anyway, that excellent planting mix (Fafard) is what creates great drainage.

- Fill the container 2/3 to 7/8 full with the potting medium.

-  Starting at 3:16 watch Carol put the tiny plants (“starts”) into the medium, first spreading the roots apart so they’re not rootbound.  (She calls it “tough love” and it’s best seen!)

- She places the plants and potting medium so that it comes to about 3/4″ from the top of the container.  That’s important so that water doesn’t run out of the container, but stays and seeps down to water the roots.

- Carol slips the plant tags into the soil along the sides – out of sight but right where she can find them to remember the variety planted.  (Photo right.) At the end of the season they’re still there and can be removed for one’s garden journal.

- Having planted the “starts” around the edge of the container she next plants lettuce and radish seeds in the middle - starting at about 8:00.  They’ll grow really fast, germinating at about the same time.

- The larger plants around the perimeter will be harvested first, then ones started from seed in the middle.

- Beginning at 9:30 Carol demonstrates watering using a regular watering can but recommends using one with a “rose” on the end – shown below right.

- Carol then turns to a preplanted Early Girl tomato, the indeterminate type that keeps on growing.  Starting in July she’ll be pinching it back to encourage fullness, and removing the suckers, too.

- Insert a tomato cage into the pot and then stakes to hold the cage in place (connecting them with a twist ‘em).  Tomatoes in containers need the extra stakes because the cages aren’t be anchored as deeply in them as they are in open garden space.

- Throughout the season water thoroughly and deeply, but only when the surface of the medium is dry.  This potting medium changes color when it’s dry, which is very helpful.   At home Carol uses a hose to water containers.

- For feeding vegetables in containers Carol uses Espoma Bio-tone to start, then switches to Plant-Tone or Tomato-tone later in the season.  With those slow-release organic products, you don’t have to worry about polluting the Bay.

Posted by Susan Harris.

My favorite weeding tool.

The gardening season is ON, which means we’re all busy weeding, or we will be after this blessed rain has ended.  Here are some of my favorite ways to reduce the job..

• Remove the weeds as soon as you see them.  If you don’t, they’ll accumulate and possibly become an overwhelming job.  Even worse, they’ll be harder to remove AND they’ll seed around.  We’re talking hundreds or thousands more weed seeds in your beds.
• Ditto removing weeds from the lawn before they go to seed – because the wind will carry them to the beds.
• Mulch is our friend.  A good 2-3 inches will prevent the germination of weed seeds that land on the beds, while also helping to retain moisture.  But back to the weed-prevention reason.  I recommend against using compost as mulch because it’s the perfect medium for weed seeds to germinate in.
• Plant close together or at least let the plants grow together.  This makes it difficult for weeds to thrive or get sunlight.
• Use weed-free soil.  I’m a fan of amending the existing soil but if there’s NO topsoil (post-construction, for example) and you’re bringing in garden soil, bagged soil will be weed-free, a good start.
• If you have bare soil for a while, planting a cover crop like clover, vetch or annual ryegrass will create a weed barrier, and you can later dig the plants into the soil, where they’ll be used as fertilizer.
• Water only the plants you want watered, not the entire bed.  Drip irrigation or hand-watering around the base of your plants means depriving weed seeds in other parts of the beds of needed water.
• Corn gluten meal can be applied to lawns in February when the forsythias are blooming to keep weed seeds (in fact, all seeds) from germinating, and it can be used in beds, too.  If used any other time, it won’t prevent weeds but it will add Nitrogen to your plants.  As a weed preventer, I’m told that it works partially in the first year, close to completely by the third year.
• If you compost yard waste, compost it completely before adding the compost to your beds – to make sure the weed seeds are killed.  A good compost thermometer will ensure it’s hot enough.
• Love some weeds.  A weed is really just a plant that’s growing where you don’t want it to, but hey, they’re free and they’re there already.  So I give weeds a close look to determine if I really can’t stand them in my garden or if, like the evening primrose and clover in seen below, I actually like them and can let them stay.

Dandelions are another weed that people are giving a second look.  I’ve come to like them in bloom, especially whole fields of them, but when it comes to the plain foliage, I’m not quite there yet.

Tips I Ignore

• Some sources suggest installing black plastic or landscape fabric under the mulch but I don’t like the look of either, and eventually it seems that they always show.
• Herbicides work, but I only use them for plants between bricks or growing in other other tight spots where they can’t be dug up.

Wood poppies arrived in my woodland garden as weeds. Love them!

Posted by Susan Harris.