Laurel Forum

A bit of this and that gardening information

2008-04-27T06:17:58-05:00

If you wanted to prune your forsythia, now is the time to shape it up. This is also the end of your opportunity to stop crab grass from germinating by putting down a pre-emergent application of any of the many products in stores. Now is also a great time to make sure the weeds are out of your border beds; that the beds are weed free so that you can apply a preventative product like “Preen” which will hold down annual weeds for much of the growing season. If you are still planting spring vegetables, do not tiller or work your soil before it has dried out and become moist. If you can form a ball of soil in your fist and it doesnot break up when you unclench our hand, it is too wet. Wet soil clumps into hardened balls which do no service for your plants, and become a challenge for you to restore to a beneficial state. ~ John Peter Thompson
Behnke Nurseries
Chairman of the Board

save on your grocery bill with a vegetable garden!

2008-04-02T20:46:34-05:00

Food prices are rising, so it is a good time to be a gardener. Now is the time to plant vegetables and save on your weekly grocery bill. Vegetables are easy to grow and easy to eat (at least for most of us). Consider taking some space in a sunny part of your garden and plant budget savers. Radishes are a terrific and easy choice. You will be harvesting them within the month until the weather turns hot. It is still time, but the window is closing, to plant broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, collards, kale and cabbage. Like radishes hot weather spells the end to your feast, but theses early spring veggies are waiting for you, and can be planted for a second round next fall.

I am partial to onions, sets or seed, planted now, and which deer do not seem to like. I make omelets separating the whites of two eggs and folding them back into lightly beaten yolks, pour the mixture into an 8 inch sauce pan, greased with butter, heated on low heat for about two minutes and then put in the oven at 350 for 7 minutes. I then run outside and gather a few spring onions, dice them, cut them or chop them, add ricotta cheese, and add this mix to my omelet when it comes out of the oven, sprinkle grated cheddar on top, and there we have a great spring breakfast for a Sunday morning.

Peas, beets and Swiss chard, along with potatoes can be on your garden menu at this time. Hurry up; do not miss the window, and remember not to plant when the ground is wet; make sure the earth crumbles in your hand before working the soil. I sow seeds normally, but I also buy starter plants to speed things up when I am a little late with my sowing schedule or the weather inhibits my seeding opportunities.

John Peter Thompson
Behnke Nurseries Chairman of the Board

Mulching time is now!

2008-03-01T10:46:41-05:00

Hi Everyone! Here is some great information from John Reed at Behnke Nurseries. John has been with the company for many years and can be found out amoung the trees. Look for the guy with the big 10 gallon cowboy hat! He will love to answer any questions you might have. Plus, feel free to ask here on this site.

If anyone has any subjects they would like to chat about, please start a link… Take Care, Stephanie

This is the week to remove the mounds of mulch around your trees. “Tree volcanoes: are not a good idea and they may lead to problems for your trees. Remove all mulch and put it in your compost pile, it will contribute to your free source of compost - “black gold”. Replace the old mulch with your favorite type. We like shredded hardwood, but you may want nuggets or some other natural material. Leave a gap between the trunk and the mulch layer; I try for a hand length - about five inches - between the mulch ring and the tree trunk. You do not need to bury the landscape in mulch; a few inches will suffice.

It can be a good practice if you are using hardwood mulches to also remove the mulch layer around your plantings in the garden. This removes disease sources and weeds and allows you to replace the worn out mulch with a fresh layer for spring. I use a soft wood mulch around my azaleas because it decomposes quickly and I do not need to remove it, but rather let it compost in place. Pine bark mulch is a great short term mulch which quickly is incorporated into your garden soils

John Reed ~ Behnke Nurseries Tree Expert

Garden Tool Care Tips

2008-02-23T13:48:49-05:00

As you get ready for the upcoming garden season, take a look at your tools.
Well-made pruners, loppers, clippers, spades, rakes, trowels and other metal
tools will last a life time if you take the time through out the season to
clean them after each use. Save a little of the used motor oil from your
mower or car, and soak an old towel or piece of burlap in the oil. Remove
the dirt and wipe down the metal portions with the used oil, and the tools
will stay new for your use every season.

A soft brush will clean the dirt away and the oil will lightly coat the
metal protecting from oxidation and therefore rust. I sometimes use a
tiller in my vegetable gardens, and after washing down the tines, I wipe
down the blades warding off the effects of rust. Buy the best tool your
garden budget allows and keep them new for many years. Even if the cost of
a premier toll such as a Felco pruner is a little steep, any pruner will
benefit from this simple quick treatment.

John Peter Thompson
Behnke Nurseries, Chairman of the Board

Forsythia & Pussy Willows

2008-02-16T18:25:20-05:00

Hi Everyone,

From time to time, John Peter Thompson Behnke’s Chairman of the Board will write, hold-forth, comment, and describe life in, near and related to gardening. Like a vine he will meander through many topics.

Additionally, he would be delighted to answer questions gardening. If there is a subject you would like to chat about please do. Besides our Chairman adding to this forum, we will have our Landscape & Design give us some landscaping tips and advice. So join in and ask away!

To get this forum going, we are going to start off with a idea to bring a little spring to your homes!

So you can’t wait for spring to arrive; you feel trapped and want a touch of
spring to lift your mood. Go forth and cut a long stem of forsythia,
(Forsythia x intermedia), and bring it inside. Place it in a vase with
tepid water, room temperature, wait two weeks. The yellow heralds of spring
will burst forth inside and reassure you that the ice and cold will soon be
only a memory; and there…spring will bloom for you!

You can add a few stems of pussy willow, (Salix discolor), to for added
interest. East European Christians, such as the Russian Orthodox, carry
pussy willows on Palm Sunday instead of palm branches. You can add them to
the same vase with the forsythia for you own sign of spring.

And do not fret; your early light pruning will encourage new straight stems
of early spring for next year. Remember not to cut all the stems because
you are going to want something left for spring’s arrival outdoors.