Garden Basics with Farmer Fred
399 episodes - English - Latest episode: 14 days ago - ★★★★★ - 191 ratingsTips for beginning and experienced gardeners. New episodes arrive every Tuesday and Friday. Fred Hoffman has been a U.C. Certified Master Gardener since 1982 and writes a weekly garden column for the Lodi News-Sentinel in Lodi, CA. A four-decade fixture in Sacramento radio, he hosted three radio shows for Northern California gardeners and farmers: The KFBK Garden Show, Get Growing with Farmer Fred, and the KSTE Farm Hour. Episode Website: https://gardenbasics.net
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Episodes
339 How To Water Clay Soil (and more clay gardening tips!)
May 31, 2024 10:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBIn this episode of Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, the focus is on how to water clay soil and other tips for gardening in clay. Debbie Flower, America's Favorite retired college horticultural professor, shares valuable insights on the topic. The episode covers the characteristics of clay soil, the importance of organic matter, watering techniques, mulching, and the use of cover crops. The conversation also delves into the impact of soil structure on crop production and the benefits of no-...
338 Q&A Squash Flowers? Fertilizer Application? Tart Cherries?
May 28, 2024 10:00 - 25 minutes - 17.4 MBIn this episode of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, Fred and his expert guests answer questions about: • Squash pollination woes with Master Gardener and vegetable expert Gail Pothour. • The timing and application of plant fertilizer, with America's Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower. • Choosing tart/sour cherry trees for cooking purposes, with Phil Pursel of Dave Wilson Nursery. Pictured: Male, Female Summer Squash Flowers Links: Subscribe to t...
337 How To Choose Nursery Plants. Tips for Starting a School Garden.
May 24, 2024 10:00 - 52 minutes - 36.4 MBIf you’re the type of gardener that buys flowering plants at a nursery that are covered in blooms, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, will explain why you shouldn’t do that, and a lot more nursery plant shopping tips! Also, we have tips for starting an elementary school garden. And you don’t have to be a school teacher to do it. We talk with a couple of very enthusiastic California Master Gardeners who are spreading the word with tips on how to start a ...
336 Q&A Kitchen Scraps in the Garden? When to Plant a Magnolia Tree?
May 21, 2024 10:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBIn this episode, Farmer Fred answers a listener's question about burying kitchen scraps in the garden. He discusses the potential problems with this method, including attracting scavengers and affecting the quality of the soil microbiology. He suggests composting the kitchen scraps first or using alternative methods like African keyhole gardens. Debbie Flower recommends the Green Cone composter. In the second part of the episode, Farmer Fred and Debbie Flower discuss the best time to plant ...
335 Roof Rat Controls, Asparagus-Lemon Recipes
May 17, 2024 10:00 - 35 minutes - 24.1 MBThe first chat today involves roof rats (and is an encore presentation while construction is ongoing here at Barking Dog). It will be particularly useful for those of you with large yards, or acreage, or even a small farm, in which you have a large orchard. And for those of you suburban dwellers who might have a few citrus trees, or, for that matter, any tree with fruit, well, you know the damage that rats can do to that fruit. But it’s not just the fruit. Roof rats, especially, can girdle y...
GB 334 Q&A Rhubarb for Hot Climates? Lights for Seedlings?
May 14, 2024 10:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBThe first question on the Tuesday Q&A edition of the Garden Basics podcast is about growing rhubarb in hot weather. Fred and his guests, Master Gardeners Kathy Morrison and Ruth Ostroff, discuss their experiences with growing rhubarb in Sacramento. They also share a rhubarb recipe. The second question is about grow lights for starting tomato and pepper seeds indoors. Fred and Debbie Flower explain the importance of using wide-spectrum light systems and mixing different types of bulbs. Debb...
333 Controlling Snails & Slugs, Feed Your Soil, Grow Your Own Protein
May 10, 2024 10:00 - 42 minutes - 29 MBWe are in the midst of spring construction here, so we are taking the opportunity to not shout over the whine of power saws and the banging hammers. Instead, we will be revisiting some of the most popular segments ever aired on our podcast. In Episode 83, we explained why feeding your soil yields better results than feeding your plants. Sound confusing? We get the lowdown from Gisele Schoniger of Kellogg Garden Products. Also, America's Favorite retired college horticultural professor, D...
332 Q&A Whiteflies? 1st Tomato? Planting Citrus?
May 07, 2024 10:00 - 19 minutes - 13.8 MBFarmer Fred and Don Shor from Redwood Barn Nursery answer a garden question from a listener about whiteflies on grapes. But are they really whiteflies? They discuss how to control whiteflies and leaf hoppers on grapevines, the use of organic sprays, and the importance of correct pest identification. Also, Debbie Flower answers a question about removing the first tomato that appears on your plants. Does it help, Yes or No? Then, Master Gardener and fruit tree expert Quentyn Young joins th...
331 Cucumber Starting and Training Tips
May 03, 2024 10:00 - 37 minutes - 25.5 MBMid to late spring is cucumber planting time in most of North America, and we have more cucumber growing tips for you today. We covered a lot of cucumber growing basics back in episode 266 last May, but today, cucumber cheerleader and America's favorite retired college horticultural professor, Debbie Flower, has more cucumber planting advice for you, whether you start cucumbers from seed or from nursery-purchased transplants. And by the way, choose carefully if you're shopping for cucumber ...
330 Q&A Bermudagrass Control? Black Plastic for the Garden?
April 30, 2024 10:00 - 23 minutes - 16.4 MBIn Episode 330, Q&A - Gail from Orangevale, CA wants to start a vegetable and flower garden in her backyard, which is currently covered in Bermuda grass. Debbie Flower, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture professor, and I suggest waiting a year and using soil solarization to kill off the Bermudagrass. We also recommend starting small with container gardening and using organic mulch to keep the soil soft. We discuss the challenges of dealing with Bermudagrass and the benefits of ...
329 How to Water
April 26, 2024 10:00 - 39 minutes - 27.2 MBThis episode is entitled, How to Water Your Garden. “What!?!” you’re probably thinking. “Of course I know how to water my garden, lawn, and indoor plants, I’m a gardener!” As Farmer Fred Garden Rule #8 says: “If it works for you, fine. But keep an open mind.” Join us as America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, has advice on how to properly and thoroughly irrigate all your plants from newly planted seeds to vegetables to flowers to lawns, shrubs and trees. ...
328 Q&A Add Fertilizer to Compost Pile? Can Later Ripening Peach Trees Survive Peach Leaf Curl?
April 23, 2024 10:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBIn this episode of the Garden Basics Podcast, Farmer Fred and Master Gardener Susan Muckey discuss composting and answer a listener's question about adding nitrogen to a compost pile. They explain that adding nitrogen is not necessary for most compost piles and discuss the ideal carbon-nitrogen ratio. They also provide tips for turning a compost pile and maintaining the right temperature. In the second part of the episode, Quentyn Young, Master Gardener and orchard specialist, joins the conv...
327 The Heart Healthy Garden
April 19, 2024 10:00 - 57 minutes - 39.2 MBThe healthiest food you can eat, is the food you grow yourself. Where have you heard THAT before? Today, let’s grow a heart-healthy garden! What are the foods you can plant that are best suited, chemically, to help reverse what might be going on around your ticker, including high cholesterol, elevated blood sugar, and stress? We talk with Dr. Laura Varich, the Fresh Physician, about those foods that can do your heart a world of good.. It’s all in Episode 327 of today’s Garden Basics with...
326 Q&A Working with Coir vs Peat Moss, Reuse Old Potting Soil. Runaway Plum Tree!
April 16, 2024 10:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBQ&A - Working with Coir, Peat Moss, Perlite, etc. Reusing Old Potting Soil. 00:24 Q&A - Runaway Plum Tree! 16:10 Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout. Pictured: Wheelbarrow with Homemade Potting Mix Links: Subscribe to the free, Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com Smart Pots https://sm...
325 Peach Leaf Curl Control Tips. All the Presidents' Gardens.
April 12, 2024 10:00 - 31 minutes - 14.7 MBAppearing now (or soon) on a peach or nectarine tree near you: Peach Leaf Curl? What is this fungus that causes the leaves on these trees to redden, pucker, and curl? And how can you control it? (Please note, I did not say, “eradicate”). America’s favorite retired college horticultural professor, Debbie Flower has some tips. Also, we go back about eight years for an interview with Marta McDowell, author of the book “All the Presidents’ Gardens”. It’s a look at the White House gardens, throug...
GB 324 Q&A - Nitrogen Sources. Soil for a Raised Bed.
April 09, 2024 10:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MBPrevious episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout. Pictured: Pizza Pie Crop Rotation Garden Links: Subscribe to the free, Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/ Dave Wilson Nursery https://www.davewilson.com/home-garden/ LaMotte Soil Test Kits (and others) Farm...
323 Gold Medal Plant Winners. Thin Your Fruit Trees Now!
April 05, 2024 10:00 - 39 minutes - 26.9 MBEach year the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society puts out its list of Gold Medal winning Plants. Usually these plants are chosen for their adaptability to the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. This year, the chosen plants have a much wider range of possible success, including USDA Zone 9 and possibly up to Zone 10, and down to Zone 3. Also: Now is the time in warmer places of the nation to get outside and thin the fruit from many of your deciduous fruit trees, as the fruit is begi...
322 Q&A Transplant a Fruit Tree? How to Remove a Stuck Plant From a Nice Pot
April 02, 2024 10:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBQ&A Transplanting Old, Large, Fruit Trees? (segment begins at 00:25) Q&A Why Are My Radishes Only Producing Leaves? (7:10) Q&A Remove an Overgrown Plant from a Nice Pot Without Breaking It? (12:19) Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout. Pictured: Chanticleer Pear Trees Links: Subscribe to the free, Beyond the Garden Bas...
321 Spring Rose Care Basics - Diseases and Insects
March 29, 2024 10:00 - 45 minutes - 31.4 MBFrom now through Mother’s Day, roses will start putting on their first and best show across the country. What do your rose bushes need to get off to a good start in early Spring? Master Rosarian Charlotte Owendyk of the Sierra Foothills Rose Society talks about getting ahead of early spring rose pest and disease problems, before they can do too much damage to those brilliant first blooms. She also discusses the best fertilizers and irrigation systems to use to help thwart pest and disease is...
320 Q&A Citrus, Cats, Tomatoes
March 26, 2024 10:00 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MBQuestions from listeners include: Why Your Citrus Tree Leaves May Be Yellowing (at 00:24 of podcast) Cat-Proofing Your Raised Bed Garden (13:03) Good Tomato Seed Sources (17:44) Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout. Pictured: The Citrus Grove at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center Links: Subscribe to the free, Beyond the...
319 How to Plant and Care for a Shade Tree
March 22, 2024 10:00 - 51 minutes - 35.2 MBToday, we cover the basics of correctly planting and caring for a shade tree. We chat with consulting arborist Gordon Mann, who reminds us, when it comes to choosing a spot to plant a shade tree, it’s all about the soil. Plus, he explains the importance of correct planting techniques, especially freeing up that tree’s root zone. But there’s a lot more. As Gordon explains, watering your trees correctly is a big part of the process of growing a shade tree. We’re podcasting from Barking Dog ...
318 Q&A Rosemary Propagation, Best Peach for Baking, Cover Crops, Blueberry Containers
March 19, 2024 10:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBQ&A Rosemary Propagation? (at 00:24 of podcast) Q&A Best Peach for Cooking/Baking? (08:10) Q&A Cover Crop crimping? (12:14) Q&A Blueberry containers? (19:05) Want To Leave Us a Question? (21:22) Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout. Pictured: Rosemary plant with bee Links: Subscribe to the free, Beyond the Garden Bas...
317 The 2024 Tomato Preview Show!
March 15, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 47.8 MBIt’s time for the annual Garden Basics Tomato preview show! Once again, you’re invited to easedrop on a conversation between two real tomatoheads, myself and Don Shor, proprietor of Redwood Barn Nursery in Davis, California. We recap our tomato successes and failures of 2023, and talk about what we will be planting in 2024, featuring the tried and true tomato varieties, along with several newcomers, more than two dozen varieties that we pass judgment on and will attempt to grow. Or not grow...
316 Master Gardener Secrets - Peach Pruning to Growing Tomatillos
March 13, 2024 21:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MBIt's Q&A Tuesday! 1. What are the benefits of summer pruning of fruit trees, especially peaches? (at 00:25 of podcast) 2. Where can I find more information about caring for perennials? (02:48) 3. How do I care for a young apple tree? Should I remove any flowers or small fruit? (06:58) 4. Are dwarf citrus plants for indoors available? (08:25) 5. How can I prepare coir (Coconut husks) for a potting mix? (13:57) 6. How do I grow tomatillos? (15:28) Previous episodes, show notes, links...
Master Gardening Secrets: From Pruning Peach Trees to Growing Tomatillos
March 12, 2024 10:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MBIt's Q&A Tuesday! 1. What are the benefits of summer pruning of fruit trees, especially peaches? (at 00:25 of podcast) 2. Where can I find more information about caring for perennials? (02:48) 3. How do I care for a young apple tree? Should I remove any flowers or small fruit? (06:58) 4. Are dwarf citrus plants for indoors available? (08:25) 5. How can I prepare coir (Coconut husks) for a potting mix? (13:57) 6. How do I grow tomatillos? (15:28) Previous episodes, show notes, links, produc...
315 Choosing Backyard Chickens. What is HPAI Disease?
March 08, 2024 11:00 - 36 minutes - 24.8 MBMaybe you’re thinking of starting a new hobby, by adding a chicken or two or three to your backyard; or maybe you’re already a seasoned home chicken owner. You’ll want to hear today’s episode. Urban chicken consultant and certified poultry inspector Cherie Sintes-Glover of ChickensForEggs.com has advice on how to choose a chick from your local feed or farm store, and how to avoid choosing a rooster. Also, she discusses a poultry disease that is ravaging several states currently. It’s HPAI - ...
314 Q&A Garden Time Savers
March 05, 2024 11:00 - 22 minutes - 15.5 MBThe Title says it all. Tips for saving time in the garden: automate, elevate, de-elevate, eliminate, and delegate. Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout. Pictured: A battery-operated irrigation timer for an outdoor faucet Links: Subscribe to the free, Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com...
313 Heirlooms vs. Hybrids. Battling Aphids in Trees.
March 01, 2024 11:00 - 40 minutes - 27.7 MBWhat is the definition of an heirloom vegetable, such as an heirloom tomato? It depends who you ask. It’s kind of like the word “natural”: it has no legal definition. "Heirloom vegetable" could mean: a) a plant that reproduces true from seed; b) it's an old variety; and/or c) it's a traditional family seed, passed down through the generations. And what exactly is a hybrid tomato of a hybrid vegetable or flower? Our resident horticulturist, Debbie Flower, will help settle any confusion you ...
312 What is Fusarium Wilt? (And Why You Don't Want It!)
February 27, 2024 11:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBQuestion from listener Linda: "We have fusarium wilt in our garden. We are putting in raised beds in April. What kind of barrier should go in at the bottom of the beds to prevent the wilt getting into the raised bed?" Fusarium wilt is a fungal disease that is widespread. Plants that contract it start getting yellowing leaves, and that's usually followed by the death of the entire plant. Fusarium can infect many more plants than tomatoes. The list includes trees, shrubs, and summer annu...
311 Tomato Seed Starting Tips
February 23, 2024 11:00 - 40 minutes - 27.8 MBLast Week, we gave you tips for starting your pepper plants from seed. Today, we have tips for starting your summertime tomatoes from seed. And now’s the time to begin, Again, we get a little help from America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower. She has ingenious ways of determining if your old tomato seeds are still any good. She has advice on which media is best for starting tomato seeds. And, the importance of cleaning your pots thoroughly, before planting ...
310 Q&A Homegrown Chicken Food?
February 20, 2024 11:00 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MBJoshua from Missouri asks: "We own chickens and are trying to become more self sufficient and sustaining. Instead of buying feed for them, is there a way to grow their whole diet in the garden? I've looked online, but the only nutrition info about a chicken's diet is mainly their protein percentage needed. What about all the other macro and micronutrients? Is there a list of crops to grow that would make a balanced, nutritious daily meal for the egg layers? So far, I've done the math and ...
309 Pepper Seed Starting Tips. What is Coppicing?
February 16, 2024 11:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBWe are at the time of the year to start pepper seeds indoors. Pepper seeds, can be notoriously slow to germinate, sometimes taking up to three weeks. We have tips to speed up pepper seed germination, with a little help from America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower. Have you heard of coppicing? It’s a drastic pruning technique where some woody plants are cut back, close to ground level to stimulate the growth of vigorous shoots. I happened upon a demonstration...
308 Q&A Lawn Drainage. Perennial Pruning.
February 13, 2024 11:00 - 24 minutes - 16.7 MBQ&A Lawn Drainage Improvement Tips (00:25 of pod) Perennial Plant Pruning Information (16:01 of pod) Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout. Pictured: Lawn aerator and dethatcher Links: Subscribe to the free, Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/ Da...
307 First Garden? New Garden? We Have Tips.
February 09, 2024 11:00 - 50 minutes - 34.5 MBDo you want a successful garden? Before planting, you need to do some planning. And if it’s a first garden, you need to do a lot of planning. It’s not overwhelming, but it is necessary for a productive garden of food and flowers. Today, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, and I offer tips for your first garden or a new garden. Tips that will save you a lot of time and money in your pursuit of getting your family the healthiest food possible, as well as t...
306 Q&A Mason Bee Basics
February 06, 2024 11:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBSacramento County Master Gardener and orchardist Quentyn Young answers a question from Missouri about raising mason bees, an excellent garden pollinator (better than honeybees!). Mason Bee Basics, Pt. 1 0:23 Mason Bee Basics, Pt. 2 11:06 Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout. Pictured: Mason Bee Houses in Barcelona,...
305 All About Blueberries
February 02, 2024 11:00 - 33 minutes - 23.1 MBGarden experts agree: if you are an inexperienced gardener or a first time gardener, you’re best, confidence-building step is to plant easy to grow vegetables, flowers, and fruit. For those taking their first steps into growing fruit, especially for those with a limited space, perhaps just a patio area, it’s hard to beat container grown blueberries. Give them some basic needs, and you’ll have fresh, nutritious blueberries for years and years. How do you start? What are the best varieties to ...
304 Q&A Seed Starting Tips. Weed Control
January 30, 2024 08:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MB• Seed Starting Tips, including how to read seed packet instructions : 00:24 • The Hori Hori Knife; Oxalis and bittercress weed control tips: 19:06 • Want to Leave Us a Question? Here's How: 32:39 Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout Pictured: Young tomato plants, hardening off. Links: Subscribe to the free, Beyond the...
303 AAS Plant Winners for 2024
January 26, 2024 11:00 - 33 minutes - 22.7 MBQuite often, when a new or curious gardener wants to know, “What should I plant in my garden?” One of my common responses is: “it’s hard to go wrong with All-America Selections Winners.” The AAS has been independently trialing and judging plants, across North America, since the 1930’s. The judges are experts in the field of horticulture, including seed and plant developers, arboretums, garden centers, public gardens, and land grant universities. Among the AAS winners that I’ve tried that...
302 Q&A: Good Garden Gifts
January 23, 2024 11:00 - 18 minutes - 13.1 MBThe Tuesday edition of the Garden Basics podcast is back, where we will answer garden questions each week. Today's question is from Meredith in Maryland: "Hi Farmer Fred! I love your podcast and have learned so much. I wanted to see if you had a list of garden tools or products you like. I have a big birthday coming up so I want to get a wish list in order! Thanks for your help." Good question! Let's get several ideas from other experienced gardeners, as well, including America's Favorite...
301 2024 Garden Trends
January 19, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 48.4 MBWhat are you planning on doing in the garden in 2024? The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has spoken to gardeners, growers and professional nurseries and landscapers throughout America to find out what’s on their to do list this year…or not to do. For example, quieter gardening is a trend. So is how leaves from your trees are being put to use. Among the popular plants for 2024: Fruit trees, houseplants, ornamental grasses, sedges and an overwhelming demand for hydrangeas. Also homeowners...
300 Choosing, Planting Bareroot Roses
January 12, 2024 11:00 - 39 minutes - 27.1 MBToday, we present a double dose of the Debbies on the Garden Basics podcast. First, Master Rosarian Debbie Arrington has tips on what to look for when selecting those bare looking roses that are hitting the nurseries this winter. Some garden center them packaged in plastic wrap, some nurseries will pot up the bare rose plants in containers, and some nurseries with have plunged those bare root roses directly into a bed of sawdust. Debbie Arrington has advice on how to tell if the rose you are...
299 Pt.2 2023's Greatest Garden Hits: The Top 5
January 05, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 78.5 MBWhat were the most downloaded Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast episodes of 2023? What were the most listened-to segments? Here are the Top 5 winners of 2023, chosen by you, the listeners. Topics include tomatoes (naturally), container gardening, plant arranging, and - the most listened-to topic of not just 2023, but the highest listenership of any episode in all four years of the Garden Basics podcast: cucumbers! It's nearly two hours worth of great gardening information to kick off ...
298 The Greatest Garden Basics Hits of 2023, Pt. 1
December 29, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 63 MB1. The Top Homegrown Vegetables, pt. 2 (Begins at 1:49) 2. The 2023 Tomato Preview Show (14:02) 3. Soil Irrigation Basics (33:52) 4. Fall Garden Basics (51:23) 5. 11 Tips for Garden Success (1:14:17) Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and TRANSCRIPTS at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout. Pictured: A river of tomatoes and peppers (Heirloom Expo) Help Keep This Podcast Go...
297 Christmas Tree Care. Citrus Problems
December 22, 2023 11:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MBChristmas Tree Care Tips, for both cut and living trees: at 1:36 of the podcast. Why are the Leaves on My Citrus Tree Turning Yellow?: 9:37 Why are My Citrus Fruit Splitting? 25:22 Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and TRANSCRIPTS at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout. Pictured: A Rosemary Christmas Tree Display Help Keep This Podcast Going by Supporting Our Sponsors! ...
New Plants for 2024
December 15, 2023 11:00 - 51 minutes - 35.4 MBToday, we are talking about New Plants for the 2024 garden year. How about a houseplant that you can eat? And better yet, it’s actually a small cucumber plant! Have you heard of the petchoa (Pet-Koa)? It’s a cross between a petunia and a calibrichoa, the plant you may know as Million Bells. The petchoa is a plant with large flowers and a tidy habit for baskets, planters, or gardens. Those and more new plants for 2024. It’s all on today’s episode. We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios he...
295 Growing Pawpaws and Native Persimmons
December 08, 2023 11:00 - 47 minutes - 32.8 MBThe tasty fruits that we delve into today may not be familiar to you, especially if you live west of the Rocky Mountains. However, elsewhere in the country, pawpaws and native persimmons are a taste treat. Master Gardener and international gardening expert Quentyn Young tells us about growing and pruning pawpaws and native persimmons throughout the United States. From Dave Wilson Nursery, Phil Pursel says the best fruit, vine and berry deals are coming soon to a nursery near you. In the we...
294 Apple Tree Rehab. Gravel Gardens.
December 01, 2023 11:00 - 39 minutes - 27 MBToday we answer a listener’s question: can we reduce the height of an old, beloved backyard apple tree to a height where we can reach the fruit while standing on the ground? Yes, but it will take several growing seasons for it to return to production. America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower and myself talk about all the ways to reduce the height of an overgrown apple tree. Plus, we discuss a gardening trend gaining popularity east of the Rockies: gravel gar...
293 Codling Moth Controls for Apples. Succulents vs. Winter
November 24, 2023 11:00 - 43 minutes - 29.7 MBOne listener writes in and asks, "What is boring the holes into my Fuji Apples?" More than likely, it is the larvae of the codling moth, a pest that commonly attacks apples and pears. Unfortunately, codling moth is one of the more difficult to control garden pests. However, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticultural Professor, Debbie Flower is here, and we have tips on how to limit codling moth populations. Also, the plant lady, Marlene Simon, has advice on how to protect your outdo...
292 Controlling Nematodes - and Deer - In the Garden
November 17, 2023 11:00 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MBToday we take a look at two extremes of vexing garden problems around the world: the tiny, tiny nematodes that attach to plant roots, sucking the life out of them…and one you don’t need a microscope to see: deer. They both love your garden. At least with nematodes there are a few resistant plants. But when it comes to deer resistant plants, well, good luck. It depends how hungry those deer are. So how do you control root know nematodes, and marauding deer? America’s Favorite Retired College ...
291 Top 10 Habits of Successful Gardeners
November 10, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 41.7 MBWhat are the habits of successful gardeners? A couple of Master Gardeners from Santa Clara and San Joaquin Counties, in California pursued that question awhile back. They discovered several tips and tricks that seasoned, happy gardeners use for garden success. Today, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, and myself share their top ten habits of Successful and Happy Gardeners with you, along with our thoughts that take us down, yet again, many scenic bypass...