Composting Basics
Organic gardening experts are constantly telling us to improve our soils with organic matter, but what kind? Fully decayed organic matter — compost — is, in the words of one* of my favorite gardening books, “the creme de la creme,…
Introduction to “Pests” and their Prevention and Treatment
One of the hottest, most emotionally charged topics in the gardening world is the use of pesticides, the umbrella term for herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and the like (“cide” meaning “killing”). Washington Post writer Joel Lerner recently noted that there are…
How to Mulch around Trees – and Why
Why you might mulch around trees Existing trees don’t really need mulch, but there are three good reasons to mulch one anyway: Aesthetics – it serves as sort of a frame around the base of the tree. It’s tidy. Weed…
Earth-Friendly Lawn Care Throughout the Year
As we’re all increasingly concerned that our gardening practices might harm the environment, lawns are coming under attack. But the good news is that not only is it possible to have a good-looking lawn without harming the environment; it’s actually…
Earth-Friendly Lawn Care Basics
Lawns CAN be grown in an environmentally sensitive way, and this article will explain how. It summarizes the products and lawn care practices that we recommend, based on the very best research from academia, government (federal and state environmental agencies), plus…
Weeds – How to Remove them or even better, Prevent Them
What Are Weeds? Any plant we don’t want, at least where they’re growing. There are annual, biennial and perennial weeds. Some of them produce unbelievable amounts of seed from single plants – 15,000 for ragweed, 52,000 for purslane, and so…
Best mulches, soil amendments and potting media
I asked the staff of Behnkes Garden Supply Department in Beltsville, to recommend their top choices for these three essential garden supplies, and they weren’t shy at all. Favorite Mulches Hardwood mulches are what they usually recommends and the kind…
Time to Start Feeding your Roses
Miri Talabac, Behnkes’ buyer of shrubs (including roses), reminds us that now’s the perfect time to start feeding our roses. She recommends Rose-tone, and nags us all to follow package instructions (though thankfully it’s organic, so it’s hard to overdo)…
Mulching Around Trees – The Why and The How
Why you might mulch around trees Existing trees don’t really need mulch, but there are three good reasons to mulch one anyway: Aesthetics – it serves as sort of a frame around the base of the tree. It’s tidy. Weed…
More about our affordable, super-local raised beds
Thanks to Susan Reimer’s article about raised beds in the Baltimore Sun, we’ve gotten lots of questions about the ones we’re selling, and here are the answers! How they’re made They’re made by local Amish carpenters based on a design…
The story behind our new eco-friendly bags
We’re pleased as punch to show off our new reusable (“eco-friendly”) bags, sporting custom designs by two creative grade-school students. To solicit designs we asked elementary schools local to our Beltsville and Potomac stores to submit designs that reflected the…
Select Your Direct-Sow Seeds Now For The Best Selection
Make Vegetable Gardening Fun and Interesting – Mix It Up. Now that I have you thinking about spring vegetables in the “Dread of Winter,” go to Behnke’s at Beltsville to enjoy the color and beauty while shopping for your cool…