Shows
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred396 Cucumber Success TipsToday, we dive into the world of cucumbers, the second most popular crop among backyard gardeners. Debbie Flower shares her expertise on cucumber varieties, growing techniques, and addressing common issues like bitterness. We discuss the importance of starting with fresh seeds, maintaining warm soil, and ensuring consistent moisture for optimal growth. Debbie also explains how to identify and manage male and female flowers, trellising for space optimization, as well as pest and disease management. (Originally aired in May, 2023)Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred...
2025-06-1328 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred393 Garden Pests - Whiteflies, Slugs, and More!Farmer Fred and Debbie Flower share tips for managing pests like whiteflies and slugs, highlighting organic solutions and beneficial insects to help you reclaim your garden.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. Now on YouTube (audio) Pictured: Whiteflies on a Citrus Leaf (Photo: Flickr/epitree)Links:“Beyond the Garden Basics” Newsletter This week’s edition: Controlling Slugs in Mulch. By becoming a paid subscriber, you’re hel...
2025-05-2332 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred392 I Did Not Know That! Garden Tips for Success, LiveDebbie Arrington of the Sacramento Rose Society club introduces Master Gardener Farmer Fred and horticulture professor Debbie Flower at a recent meeting of the club. Fred and Debbie don't necessarily talk about roses, though. They share 10 essential tips to boost your overall gardening success—from innovative seed germination techniques to managing soil health and tackling invasive pests. This lively discussion emphasizes daily garden observation and sustainable practices, ensuring your garden thrives beautifully. Get ready to dig deep into the art of gardening!Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Ba...
2025-05-1632 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred386 Grape Growing Basics (And More!)Farmer Fred and Debbie Flower provide practical advice on cultivating table and wine grapes, focusing on the essentials such as sunlight, well-drained soil and variety selection. Also: peach leaf curl controls, prematurely falling figs, no-till gardening benefits.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. Now on YouTube (audio) Pictured: A cluster of grapes on the vine (Photo: UCANR)Links:“Beyond the Garden Basics” Newsletter Dave Wi...
2025-04-0435 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred382 Delayed Winter Pruning of Fruit Trees, and More!In this episode:• The benefits of delayed winter pruning of fruit trees, with orchardist and Master Gardener Quentyn Young.• Controlling ants in raised garden beds, with America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower.• Protecting your garlic crop in winter weather.• Redwood tree roots vs. raised garden beds. Guess who wins? How to build up your defenses against tree roots. With Debbie Flower.Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episod...
2025-03-0740 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred375 Cool Season Pea Planting. Tulip Tips.We delve into cool season gardening with Master Gardener Gail Pothour and retired college horticultural professor Debbie Flower. We explore best practices for growing peas, focusing on varieties like sugar snap and snow peas, while discussing germination tips, planting times related to frost dates, and inventive trellising methods using materials such as bicycle wheels.Shifting to tulips, we address a listener question about improperly stored sprouted bulbs. Debbie shares her expertise on proper bulb storage, planting depth, and vital conditions to avoid mold, alongside the effects of vernalization (cold storage of bulbs) and etiolation (long, weak stems...
2025-01-1731 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred366 Thwarting Ant Invasions. Fair-Winning Preserves.Farmer Fred and Debbie Flower discusses ant management in raised beds. Master Food Preserver Wendy Rose talks about garden food preservation techniques and how to wow the judges at county and state fairs with your homemade preserves.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 BuzzsproutPictured: Ant Control Product in Fruit Tree ContainerLinks: Subscribe to the free, Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com
2024-11-1532 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred363 Weed Killers Just Got More ConfusingListening and following the advice in this episode is more important than ever if you use herbicides, especially when we repeatedly chant our mantra: "Read and Follow All Label Directions."America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower and myself start by tackling the widespread confusion surrounding Roundup, a brand historically synonymous with its active ingredient, glyphosate. As glyphosate use by homeowners is being phased out here in California and other states, we explore the newer formulations that have replaced it. Many consumers may assume that Roundup still contains glyphosate, but Debbie explains that consumers must be...
2024-10-2536 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred354 Lawn SubstitutesFred and Debbie Flower discuss the trend of lawn elimination and alternative landscape options to save water. They explore lawn alternatives that require less maintenance and water, such as no-mow lawns, fescue varieties, and groundcovers like dymondia, kurapia, and clover. They also discuss the need for proper irrigation and maintenance in all types of landscapes.Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Audio, transcripts, and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout.Pictured: Lawn Substitute/Groundcover Test of Mow-Free Fescues
2024-08-2334 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred344 Q&A - Tomato Seed Saving? Seeding Mulched Area?In this episode of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, Fred Hoffman and Master Gardener Gail Pothour discuss saving tomato seeds. They address the question of whether saved tomato seeds will produce the same tomato variety and provide tips for ensuring seed purity. The conversation covers topics such as flower structure, pollination, isolation techniques, and seed fermentation.Answering another question, Debbie Flower and Fred discuss the best method for sowing annual flower seeds on mulched soil.Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer F...
2024-06-1815 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred343 A Tour of Debbie Flower's GardenWe pay a visit to the garden of America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower. It’s a living classroom on thriving low water use plants.Debbie talks in detail about the plants, many of which are California natives, and discusses the strategies of hydrozoning (grouping plants together based on their watering needs), designing focal points and the ongoing tasks of restraining plants (lots of pruning). Of course, we throw in all sorts of garden tips. It’s another fun, scenic bypass chat.By the way, what’s a garden tour without pictures? Get a loo...
2024-06-1453 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred342 Q&A Grow Carrots in Summer? Weed Cloth - Good or Bad?Master Gardener Fred Hoffman and his guests answers garden questions from listeners on the Tuesday edition of the Garden Basics podcast. The first question is about weed cloth and its impact on soil improvement and fertilization. Fred and Debbie Flower advise removing the weed cloth and using just mulch instead. The second question is about planting carrots in California's climate. Fred explains that carrots can be grown year-round in milder coastal climates, but in the Central Valley, they have a hard time germinating and growing in hot temperatures. Master Gardener Gail Pothour also shares tips for planting carrot...
2024-06-1118 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred341 Fred's Garden Tour with DebbieSomething a little different today. America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower and myself take a stroll through the Farmer Fred backyard garden, talking about the plants, and discussing the strategies to make them successful plants, with, of course, all sorts of garden tips thrown in. It’s the ultimate scenic bypass episode yet!It’s all in Episode 341 of today’s Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast: Fred’s Garden Tour, with Debbie Flower. Next Friday, we’ll be touring Debbie’s fabulous garden.By the way, what’s a garden tour without pictures...
2024-06-0747 min
Beyond the Garden Basics PodcastA Tour of Fred's Garden, with Debbie FlowerIf this newsletter podcast sounds familiar, it should. It is also the current (Ep. 341) Garden Basics podcast where myself and America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, take a late May stroll through my garden, discussing the plants, as well as gardening techniques. But wouldn’t it be nice to see those plants and garden accoutrements? Well, here you go.But first, a recap of what you may have missed on this week’s two Garden Basics podcasts:Tuesday, June 4:Ep. 340 -Q&A Cross Pollination Concerns. What is the Best City or Sta...
2024-06-0739 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred340 Q&A Cross-Pollination Concerns, Best Cities and States for GardeningFarmer Fred and Debbie Flower discuss:•The impact of climate and weather on gardening success.•Understanding cross-pollination and its implications for seed saving and plant breeding.•The importance of local conditions and location-specific knowledge in gardening.•Different perspectives on the best US cities for gardening, highlighting the influence of location on gardening success.Pictured: Bees on Flowering OnionsLinks:Subscribe to the Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/ HeirloomRoses.com (wit...
2024-06-0420 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred336 Q&A Kitchen Scraps in the Garden? When to Plant a Magnolia Tree?In 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 a flowering tree, specifically the Magnolia 'Genie'. They talk about the benefits of planting in the fall and the challenges of planting in the s...
2024-05-2118 min
Garden Basics with Farmer FredGB 334 Q&A Rhubarb for Hot Climates? Lights for Seedlings?The 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. Debbie also emphasizes the need for air circulation and movement for young plants. Fred and Debbie discuss different options available i...
2024-05-1421 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred331 Cucumber Starting and Training TipsMid 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 plants. Debbie will tell us what to look for. Plus, properly training the growth of your cucumbers can help thwart...
2024-05-0337 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred313 Heirlooms vs. Hybrids. Battling Aphids in Trees.What 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 might have when it comes to heirlooms versus hybrids. And we answer the quest...
2024-03-0140 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred311 Tomato Seed Starting TipsLast 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 tomato seeds. And if that wasn’t enough, Debbie talks about the importance of ligh...
2024-02-2340 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred300 Choosing, Planting Bareroot RosesToday, 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 selecting is healthy. Then, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture pro...
2024-01-1239 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred291 Top 10 Habits of Successful GardenersWhat 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 bypasses of good gardening information. You might want to listen to this episode more than once, maybe read the transcript as well. Or ta...
2023-11-101h 00
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred287 Fall Berry Care. Debbie Explains Stuff.Fall Berry Care (1:58 of podcast)Debbie Flower Explains Stuff I Had Questions About (18:33)We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory (and on location at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center). It’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots, and Dave Wilson Nursery. Let’s go!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...
2023-10-1342 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred278 Hot Summer Garden Tips LIVE!Wherever you garden, you have had to endure days and days of sizzling summer temperatures. Your garden is trying to survive those heat waves, as well. Today, Debbie Flower and I have tips for getting your garden through triple digit heatwaves and a lot more. Recorded live at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center in Sacramento on August 5, 2023.• Why you don’t want to use garden soil in containers. (7:02)• The best potting mix to use for a container plant. (8:48)• What’s happening to the roots of plants in containers on a 100-degree day. (15:24)• How to b...
2023-08-1153 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred268 Ant Invasion Solutions and Winning Food Preservation SecretsTired of pesky ants ruining your garden beds and invading your home? Join us as we chat with Debbie Flower, America's favorite retired college horticultural professor, who shares her personal formula for getting rid of these unwanted pests. We'll uncover the secrets of boric acid ant bait and explore why it's crucial for it to reach the queen in order to wipe out the entire colony.We also have a conversation with Master Food Preserver and State Fair Food Judge, Wendy Rose. Discover how to save an early partial harvest for delicious recipes later in the season...
2023-06-0235 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred267 More Garden Tips, LIVE!• Have you ever wondered how to attract more birds to your yard? We have a tip to bring more birds, using sound. (07:28)• Thinking of removing all or part of your lawn to save water, or expand your garden? Now’s the time to take action, and we will show you how. (10:05)• Are there cures for common tomato problems, such as flower drop or blossom end rot? Yes, and no. We explain. (20:02)• How much should you water your lawn or garden? (40:01)“We”, would be myself and America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture professor, Debbie Flower. We recorded a live...
2023-05-2644 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred255 To Repot or Not?Since the name of the show is Garden Basics, let’s cover something that’s basic, but not necessarily easy or successful. America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower walks us step by step through the topic of how to repot a plant. It’s not as simple as you might think, and we offer tips to make sure your repotting efforts are more successful. Some Topics covered include:• What is a sure fire way of knowing your plant has overgrown the pot? It’s a habit you should get into doing...
2023-03-0347 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred251 Garden Basics 2022 Greatest Hits Pt. 4 Spring Garden Tips, Live!Welcome to Part 4 of our four part series, 2022’s greatest hits of Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. The four parts include the top 10 most listened-to segments last year. In part 1, in Ep. 248, we talked about how to grow tomatoes. In part 2, in Episode 249, we talked with "Grow Now" author Emily Murphy about a way to build your soil without having to purchase bags of potting mix. It’s called lasagna gardening. And we visited with Master Gardener Pam Bone, with good tips for growing raspberries and boysenberries.In Episode 250, it was a Debbie Flower ex...
2023-02-0357 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred239 Overwintering Pepper Plants. Roses for the Heat. Leaf Footed Bugs.Today, we tackle some of the garden questions that have come in from around the country, such as: How do you overwinter a pepper plant indoors? What are these new bugs on my tomato plants? And, a question from a couple of months ago, when we were all stifling in record breaking heat: are there any roses that can tolerate and grow in high temperatures? We gets answers from two of my favorite Debbies: Master Rosarian Debbie Arrington, and America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower. And, we get pepper overwintering advice from a profe...
2022-11-1137 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred238 Teaming with BacteriaTeaming with bacteria. Now there’s a title sure to send the casual gardener to another podcast. But bear with me, please. What if I told you that the future of plant fertilizer was not fertilizer? It will be… bacteria. That’s according to Jeff Lowenfels, author of the book, Teaming with Bacteria. Today, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, geeks out on garden science with Jeff, who, for the last 20 years or so, has written other garden books about plant nutrition, microbes and fungus. As you might imagine, Debbie Flower had a wonderful time talking with Jef...
2022-11-041h 09
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred237 Bagged Worm Castings - Two ViewsLast Spring (Episode 193), Debbie Flower and I discussed the viability of bagged worm castings. According to one study published in a peer review journal, bagged worm castings start losing their effectiveness after 60 days.There are those who disagree with that study, calling it invalid. Today, we revisit our chat about bagged worm castings with Debbie Flower, and add in an opposing viewpoint, from longtime organic gardening advisor Steve Zien. We leave you to draw your own conclusions about the viability of bagged worm castings.Also, as timely as the decorations on your front porch in...
2022-10-2845 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred223 Browning Tomato Leaves? Making Hypertufa Pots.A question from a listener is one you may be thinking about while you’re in the garden: why are my tomato leaves turning brown?Possibilities include shaded older leaves; tomato russet mites; whiteflies; aphids; root knot nematodes; fusarium wilt; verticillium wilt; late blight; powdery mildew. But in most of those instances, the tomatoes themselves will show abnormalities. In this case, the tomatoes were perfect. America’s favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, tackles this one. In the middle of that chat, Debbie mentions a use for old potting soil, just in case that is the...
2022-08-2625 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred210 Mid-Summer Tomato Planting Tips. Parsnips. Sleep, Creep, Leap!Yes, it is the second week of July, but it’s not too late to plant tomatoes, especially early maturing varieties in large containers. America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, has the mid-summer tomato planting tips.And mid-July is not too early to think about getting ready for your fall garden. Maybe try something different this year, something that could spend the winter in the ground, and actually end up sweeter and better tasting. We’re talking about an old American and European fall planted root crop that is regaining popularity, the parsnip.Ever...
2022-07-1228 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred209 New Plants Drooping? Do This.Welcome to summer, where we all look a little ragged in the hot afternoon. And your new plants may look a little droopy, too. But before you add water, listen to what our favorite retired college horticultural professor, Debbie Flower, has to say.One listener asked, why don’t I have any oranges on my citrus trees? There are many possible reasons.On a hot day, who doesn’t like to stand under a mister? It makes us feel better….but what about your houseplants? It’ll probably do you more good than your houseplants.We’...
2022-07-0825 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred208 Abiotic Disorders of Tomato PlantsThis is the time of year when you may be wandering in your garden and your drawn to some funny looking aspects of your tomato plants. What is that brown leathery spot on the bottom of that tomato? What are all those cracks along the top of the tomato? What is that white spot on the side of the tomato? Why are the leaves curling? All of those are abiotic disorders of the plant. You can’t attribute the problem to an insect, animal or a disease. It’d due to any number of things in the natu...
2022-07-0528 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred207 Ticks. Heat. Nectarines. It Must Be Summer!Ticks. They’re bad enough when you’re taking a stroll in the country. They’re worse when they’re near your garden. What can you do to thwart ticks? We have tips.It’s summer, and both you and your plants are wilting in the heat, especially when it’s approaching triple digit temperatures day after day after day. Here’s what you can do to help your plants.Nectarines are a tasty home grown fruit, but are beset by a wide variety of problems. America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, talks about the...
2022-07-0129 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred206 Worm Composting BasicsWe’ve told you about the benefits of adding worm castings to your garden soil. And we’ve also told you about the limited lifespan of bagged worm castings. Maybe you ought to become your own worm farmer to harvest the freshest worm castings. It’s called vermicomposting. It’s a great way to recycle your leftover fruits and vegetables while creating a product that will add life to your soil. It’s worm bin basics, today!America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, tackles a question from a listener about a distorted rose flower. Is it due to an...
2022-06-2829 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred205 Fruit Tree Trellising. Growing Tobacco.Want to grow fruit trees? But the only area you have is a sunny, narrow side yard? Not a problem, if you trellis those fruit trees. Today, Master Gardener Quentin Young walks us through step by step construction of a trellis for fruit trees, along with the best varieties of fruit trees that are easy to trellis.America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, tells us about a quick growing flowering annual that puts on quite a show: tobacco.Summer and fall are the times for wildfire smoke, which can travel for hundreds of...
2022-06-2427 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred203 Plant Tomatoes in June? YES!Right now, in Mid-June, is still an excellent time to be planting tomatoes from transplants. It’s not too late, even for those of you in colder climates where frosts may occur in September. You just have to choose your tomato varieties a bit more carefully. We have the ones that will work for you, as well as tomato varieties for June planting for everyone in warmer climates.What can you do with the shards from a broken pot? Lining the bottom of another container, perhaps?Not a good idea. Debbie Flower will tell us why, as we...
2022-06-1728 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred200 Tulip Tips. Bug Photography. What's Your Trees' Value?Tulip growing is easy, in cold climates. In warmer climates, getting tulips to rebloom year after year is a challenge. Today, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, has tips for warm climate tulip growers to get those gorgeous bulbs to rebloom. And, she has advice for ALL tulip growers about the steps to take to make sure your bulbs remain at maximum strength, whether they’re in the ground or not.Entomologist, Master Rosarian, and photographer Baldo Villegas has tips for taking pictures of garden bugs, so you can positively I.D. the good guys from...
2022-06-0729 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred198 Ten Very Fragrant Roses. The Cure for Lumpy Lawns.We’ve had a lot of segments on this podcast lately about roses. The best ones for long lasting cut flowers. Controlling weeds around roses. Even the best tasting roses. But we haven’t answered one of the most obvious rose questions, until today: what are the most fragrant roses. Master Rosarian Charlotte Owendyk has a list of her Top 10 favorite fragrant roses.One question that has reappeared year after year here may seem rather surprising, but it is a problem for some gardeners: tripping while walking on the lawn, because it’s lumpy. America’s favorite retired...
2022-05-3129 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred196 Indoor Composting Machines. Garlic Harvest Tips.You’ve heard of the benefits of adding compost to your garden soil. You may even have a backyard compost pile. Or a compost tumbler. Or, a bin full of worms who are making compost out of your garden scraps. But what about the new indoor composting machines that are on the market? Today, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, and I answer one listener’s questions about these modern devices. Also, if you’re growing garlic, you may want information on the best time to harvest the garlic. When will that garlic be ready? We get the...
2022-05-2423 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred195 The Best Roses for Cut FlowersRoses are beginning to put on a show throughout most of rose-growing country, especially USDA Zones six through 10. What are the best roses to grow that not only look nice in the garden, but do especially well as cut flowers in the house? What are the roses that have outstanding shape and color, but also can last a long time in a vase, and aren’t a hassle when it comes to dealing with their prickles, in other words, ones that aren’t a thorny mess? We talk with Master Rosarian Debbie Arrington about 26 rose varieties that make great cut...
2022-05-2049 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred194 Tips for Reusing Old Potting Soil. Growing PawpawsWe’ve reached that point in the gardening year where people have more plants than space in the garden. So, out come the pots that have been sitting behind the garage! Which brings up a perennially popular question: can you reuse old potting soil successfully? America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, says, yes, you can…if you take certain precautions. She has tips for reusing that old potting soil. Would you like to grow paw paws? It’s a southern U.S. favorite, but it is also known as the Michigan Banana. It’s worth a try everywh...
2022-05-1728 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred193 A Warning About Bagged Worm Castings. Growing Roses From Seed.If you’re in the habit of buying bags of worm castings for your garden, don’t delay putting them in your soil. They have a limited shelf life. And a lot can go wrong if you wait too long. America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, has tips for using bagged worm castings.Did you know, you can grow roses from seed? A Master Rosarian tells us how to do it.We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory. It’s the Garden Basics with Farme...
2022-05-1327 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred190 Bamboo Privacy Screen. Battling Rose Aphids.Who in their right mind would plant bamboo, close to a house, as a privacy screen? Bamboo, which after a few years, could become an impenetrable jungle, spreading in every direction! Well, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, planted bamboo as a privacy screen, six feet away from her house. How is she going to control this rambunctious runner of a plant? Ingeniously, of course. We pay a visit to Debbie’s garden to find out what to do, and what not to do when planting bamboo.Next up on our garden road trip, we d...
2022-05-0326 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred188 Bermudagrass Control Tips. How Plants Communicate. Thin Your Seedlings!Can bermudagrass be controlled, or is it forever? America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, has tips for converting a bermudagrass turf area into another lawn type or to control it to the point you can use that area to expand your garden. Organic advocate Steve Zien tells us how plants communicate to get the nutrients they need and to ward off invading pests. And, he talks about using compost tea for increasing the good guys in your soil biology. Also, we get a Quick Tip about a very necessary, but psychologically difficult gard...
2022-04-2628 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred187 Bring the Outdoors, Indoors. Edible Roses. Therapy Gardens.We’ve often said here that when designing your garden plan, make sure the edible garden is visible from the kitchen window. Today, we expand on that: tips for planning a garden so that the most beautiful spots outside are visible from the room inside in which you spend the most time. Think of it as the "easy chair garden". Master Gardener Pam Bone has some ideas for you on that.Speaking of edibles, we revisit a chat we had with Master Rosarian Debbie Arrington about the tastiest rose petals. We’ll find out what they taste like...
2022-04-2238 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred184 Spring Houseplant CareSpring isn’t just for outdoor garden tasks. Your houseplants need some springtime love, as well. We chat with the author of “Houseplant Warrior”, Raffaele DiLallo about your houseplants’ needs for the right light, the right humidity, and he has a list of easy care houseplants for low light conditions. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, Raffaele also has houseplant advice for those who must muddle through cold, dark winters, as well. And we talk about his business, OhioTropics dot com, and yes…he is growing outdoor tropical plants in Cleveland, even a banana plant!Also, we get a Quick Tip...
2022-04-1227 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred183 First Garden? A ChecklistWe pay a visit in today’s episode to the lush yards of a couple of notable gardeners. We chat with America’s favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, in her garden, about what you should think about before you start your first garden: a checklist, if you will. It’s like learning from the mistakes of others. Or, to put it more politely, we're sharing garden wisdom.And, Master Gardener Pam Bone talks about her favorite peach variety, as well as the benefits of getting out in the backyard orchard in early spring and thinning the fr...
2022-04-0828 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred181 Pesticide Safety Tips. Garden Time Savers.There are two very contemplative aisles that gardeners can encounter at big box stores or a well-stocked Garden Center…and that’s the drip irrigation parts aisle, and the garden pesticide aisle. Next time you go, check those aisles out. You’ll always find a gaggle of people, just staring at the products. Staring. Wondering. Considering. Contemplating. Today, Debbie Flower and I try to get you moving a little faster through the garden pesticide aisle. We have tips on what information to look for on the pesticide product labels, so that you make the right choice. Or, if you employ...
2022-04-0124 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred180 Bats (They're Good). When to "Set Out" Plants?It’s "bat day" here on the Garden Basics podcast. By the way, we’re talking about the flying mammal, not the Louisville Slugger. Bats! They are a good friend of every gardener and farmer. Why? Because they’re eating a lot of the flying pests that otherwise would be chowing down on your crops and flowers… or you. We talk with noted bat expert, the University of California’s Rachael Long. Did you ever see that instruction on a seed packet or garden calendar that tells you when to set out plants? What, exactly, is setting out...
2022-03-2928 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred178 What's Your NQ*? (*Nature Quotient). Dealing with Leaf Spots.How in tune with nature are you? Probably more than you think, if you’re a gardener. We talk with Emily Murphy, author of the new garden book, Grow Now, about your NQ, your Nature Quotient. Plus, we talk with her about front yard gardening, the actual definition of full sun, and the special hands of a gardener. Got new, colorful spots on the leaves of your annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs? America’s favorite retired horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, has reassuring answers for one worried gardener. Those spots you see just might be a natural development in ea...
2022-03-2236 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred177. Best Tomatoes for Containers. The Call Garden.If you have a small yard, or crummy soil or even just a sunny patio, you can grow tomatoes…in containers! If you have an area around the outside of your home that gets six hours or more of sun a day during spring and summer, you can be serving garden-fresh, container-grown tomatoes at meal time. However, there are some tomato varieties that are better suited for growing in large pots. Our favorite retired college horticultural professor, Debbie Flower, offers us tips on choosing the best tomatoes for containers.Planning your first vacation in awhile for this ye...
2022-03-1828 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred174. Spring Garden Tips, LIVE!In this episode, our favorite retired college horticultural professor, Debbie Flower, and myself, offer a wide variety of garden tips to get your yard ready for spring. And it’s kind of a special episode, too. It was recorded live, at the Folsom, California Garden Club, where nearly 100 gardeners gathered to also pepper us with questions. Many of these questions, as well as the topics we covered, just might pertain to you and your garden, wherever you may be.So, for this special episode, we’re podcasting from the Rotary Clubhouse in Folsom California. It’s the Garden...
2022-03-0850 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred172. Old Potting Soil Is Your Friend (But Your Friend Could Use a Little Help)It’s that time of year. You’re thinking about what to plant in your spring and summer garden. You’re looking at all those empty plant containers in your yard and asking yourself, what flowers or vegetables should I grow? But are those containers really empty? If you still have last year’s potting soil in those containers, you might be wondering, do I need to toss that expensive soil into the garden and buy brand new potting soil? Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, answers with a firm, “Go ahead and use it again!” However, that old pot...
2022-03-0129 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred167. Is Gravel Gardening Right For You?We recently spoke with Andrew Bunting of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society about garden resolutions, and the Philadelphia Flower Show, which will be held this coming June. Go back to Episode 159 of the Garden Basics podcast to find out more about those topics. We also talked about the interest in gravel gardening back east and in the midwest. If you are a subscriber to the Garden Basics “Beyond Basics” newsletter, you heard about gravel gardening back in the Dec. 31st, 2021 online newsletter. But for the thousands of you who may not have listened to that discussion in the newsle...
2022-02-1127 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred166 Roses vs Weeds. Transplanting Tips.Winter rose care season is here for many of us. Besides pruning, weed killing may be on your list of things to do in the rose bed. But before you reach for that spray bottle of weed killer, listen to what Master Rosarian Charlotte Owendyk has to say. Plus, she has alternatives for thwarting weeds among your rose bushes. It’s also the time of year for transplanting many perennials and shrubs. Debbie Flower, our favorite retired college horticulture professor, goes through the how’s and the why’s to transplant successfully. And perhaps to your surprise, she is a fan...
2022-02-0826 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred165 Garden Tool Care & SelectionYes, it is a little late for a New Year’s Resolution, but here’s one that is better employed late than never: take better care of your garden tools. And, It’s not just keeping them clean. On today’s episode of Garden Basics, Debbie Flower gets into the how’s and why’s of properly maintaining your garden tools…including storage and sharpening advice…and yes, the proper cleaning of your tools. Plus, we have tips for choosing quality garden tools to begin with.We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in...
2022-02-0427 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred163 Speedy, Successful Seed Germinating Tips'Tis the season for expectant backyard gardeners. You’ve begun to sow seeds of warm season annuals and vegetables indoors, especially pepper and tomato seeds. But when will those little seeds begin to show their heads above the soil? As always, it depends. On today’s Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, our favorite retired college horticultural professor, Debbie Flower, has tips for speeding up seed germination rates, especially for those pokey pepper seeds, which normally could take up to three weeks to sprout! But, it takes a combination of tactics to be a successful speedy plant parent. It invo...
2022-01-2839 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred161 Succulent Tips. Starting a School Garden.You can grow them indoors and outdoors; they’re easy to care for; and, are very unique and colorful! But which ones are the easiest to care for? We’re talking about succulents today with renowned expert Robin Stockwell. Starting a school garden, or even a home school garden? Which plants and concepts should you consider before turning that first shovelful of soil? We’re going back to school, with Debbie Flower, who knows a thing or two about school gardens.We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory, it’s the...
2022-01-1427 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred158 Life is Too Short To Put Up with a Problem Plant. The HollyLife, as I am fond of saying, is too short to put up with a problem plant. Today, the very alive Debbie Flower, who is no problem at all, talks about when to pull the plug on the dying plants in your garden, including some organ harvesting tips when it comes to tomato plants who have overstayed their welcome at your garden party. Plus, we have tips for choosing and storing those cool season fruit favorites, persimmons, apples and citrus. Merry Christmas!The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden’s Superintendent Emeritus, Warren Roberts, is in the ho...
2021-12-2440 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred157 Composting Tips. The CyclamenA listener in St. Louis wrote in to ask, “Is it OK to put the stems and leaves of what’s left of the summer vegetable garden in a compost pile?” Retired college horticulture professor Debbie Flower answers: it depends! We take a deep dive into composting basics today.The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden’s Superintendent Emeritus, Warren Roberts, tells us about the Plant of the Week. For some, it’s an outdoor, winter blooming, bedding plant. For others, it’s a houseplant. For all, it puts a colorful show this time of year: the cyclamen, wh...
2021-12-1731 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred156 Heavy Rain vs. Garden Irrigation. Air Pruning. The CotoneasterDid you ever pull a sick, root-bound plant out of a too-small plastic or ceramic container and look at the root ball? All those thick roots, going round and round, along the sides and throughout the bottom? All those thick roots are impeding the flow of water and fertilizer throughout the plant’s root zone, which may be why that plant was sick! We talk with Smart Pots president Kurt Reiger about how their fabric plant containers don’t let that happen to your plants! It’s called air pruning. We’ll explain.Retired college horticulture professor Debbie Fl...
2021-12-1031 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred155 Battling Bermudagrass. The Persimmon Tree.Farmer Fred Garden Rule #1: Bermudagrass is forever. You think I’m kidding? Ask any gardener who is battling this triple threat weed, which can reproduce and spread via seed, stems and rootstocks.Retired college horticulture professor Debbie Flower gives us some ideas for control and suppression tactics when battling bermudagrass (please note, I did NOT say, eradicate). The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden’s Superintendent Emeritus, Warren Roberts, tells us about a tree that has it all: great fall color, an interesting form, and tasty fruit this time of year. It’s our Pla...
2021-12-0334 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred154 Why Lawns? Puncturevine Control. Liquidambar TreeOne gardening trend that is beginning to take hold throughout the country is reducing the size of your lawn. What is our attraction to lawns in the first place? We talk with author Thomas Mickey. He wrote the book, "America’s Romance with the English Garden". Retired college horticulture professor Debbie Flower discusses a nasty weed, especially disliked by barefoot children and mountain bikers, puncture vine.And, the UC Davis Arboretum Superintendent Emeritus, Warren Roberts, tells us about an outstanding, widely planted tree for fall color, the Sweet Gum, also known as the Liquidambar tree. But i...
2021-11-2633 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred153 Controlling Oxalis Weeds. The Ginkgo Tree.Just as all gardening is local, all weeds are local, too. And we are hearing from many of you about your yard’s nightmare weeds, especially ones that can be mistaken for clover, and you let it go…until it starts taking over. It’s oxalis, and its close relatives, creeping wood sorrel, and bermuda buttercup, and another weed that crashes the oxalis family parties, bur clover. Debbie Flower and I feel your pain on this one.And UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden’s Superintendent Emeritus, Warren Roberts, tells us about one of the best trees for its...
2021-11-1926 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred152 Green Tomato Ripening Tips. Mulch vs Roots. MumsSome of you, especially in USDA Zone 9 where freezing temperatures haven’t occurred yet, you may still have green and partially red tomatoes, clinging to life, in your backyard garden. Will they ripen? And as always, the answer is: it depends.One listener from Virginia wants to know if that pile of mulch near her maple tree can be moved. Her concern: the roots of the tree have invaded that mulch pile…and, there’s a bunch of suspicious stringy white stuff inside that mulch pile, as well. We start digging into the answer for that one with o...
2021-11-1232 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred149 Tomato Seedling Tips. The Marigold.Today we tackle a question from a listener who asks, why were my tomato seedlings last spring so skinny? Debbie Flower and I run through all the possibilities, and it turned out to be a very good tomato seed planting primer, something to keep in mind when you’re starting tomato seeds indoors next January, February or March.The Plant of the Week is a colorful, warm season annual that will be widely used in celebrations next week. No, it’s not the Halloween pumpkin. It’s a plant with even more cultural significance, a couple of days after...
2021-10-2629 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred148 Lawn Reseeding Tips. Persimmons.Late October may be your last, best opportunity for overseeding a poorly performing lawn here in USDA Zone 9. Your next opportunity across the U.S. will be next spring. In either case, we tackle a listener’s questions about the best way to go about the process of rehabbing your lawn. College Horticulture Professor (retired) Debbie Flower has some great tips on that topic. Also, we discuss a great piece of fruit that is ripening right now: Japanese persimmons. Phil Pursel of Dave Wilson Nursery has advice for growing and choosing those varieties that won’t make your mouth puck...
2021-10-2228 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred146 Houseplant Fertilizers. No Beans?!?Master Gardener and Professional Houseplant Expert Lori Ann Asmus of Emerald City Interior Landscape Services talks about the pros and cons of fertilizing your houseplants, as well as problems you might face using some tap waters on your houseplants. College Horticulture Professor (retired) Debbie Flower sheds light on one listener’s dilemma: great looking pole bean plants, but no beans this year! Debbie lists several possibilities that could be the culprit.Podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory, it’s episode 146 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, broug...
2021-10-1523 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred144 Using Wood Ash in Your Garden. Easy Healthy Soil Tips.Is wood ash good for the garden soil? Our favorite college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, answers decisively with, “it depends”. She has tips to help you decide if your soil will benefit from the addition of wood ash. She also tackles the topic of ash from nearby wildfires falling on your garden. Good or bad?And we talk with Organic Gardening expert Steve Zien about how you can achieve better soil starting this time of year, with a lot less work. His tips might even allow you to skip the tedious chore of crop rotation each year!
2021-10-0822 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred143 Wind vs. Your Garden. The Goldenrod.If you have a lot of leaning trees and shrubs on your property, chances are there’s an ill wind blowing around your home. Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, has some ideas on helping your plants survive, even thrive, is areas with persistent winds. UC Davis Arboretum Superintendent Emeritus, Warren Roberts, tells us about a popular, fall-blooming Plant of the Week, the Goldenrod, also known as Solidago. And as you will find out, it’s nothing to sneeze at. It’s on episode 143 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today b...
2021-10-0522 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred142 Cut Flower Display Tips. How to Water a HouseplantAbout a year ago, on Episode 52, retired college horticulture professor Debbie Flower gave us a beginning class on having a cut flower garden. Today, we graduate to more tips on successful cut flower care, including how to cut an outdoor plant to bring indoors so that it will last a long time. Plus, Debbie has a homemade recipe for a floral preservative that will help that display last even longer.And since we’re indoors, Master Gardener and professional houseplant expert Lori Ann Asmus tells us the best ways to make sure your houseplants are watered correctly....
2021-10-0129 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred140 Avocados for Marginal Climates. How to Be a Better Observational Gardener.One Garden Basic we need to stress more on this podcast is this: to head off major plant problems, observe your garden, carefully. Retired college horticulture professor Debbie Flower talks about some mental exercises she taught her students to become better observational gardeners. Plus, we discuss growing avocado trees in marginal climates. And, tips for moving giant pumpkins that might be taking over your backyard.It’s all on episode 140 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots. And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go...
2021-09-2425 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred135 Easy Houseplants. Mulch Worries. The Gardenia.We all know someone who complains that they have killed every houseplant they have ever owned. Today, we talk with a houseplant professional who has a list of five nearly impossible to kill houseplants! We’ve talked about the benefits of using chipped and shredded tree limbs as mulch. Are there any tree varieties that you should avoid? College horticulture professor Debbie Flower has the tips. And, UC Davis Arboretum Superintendent Emeritus Warren Roberts has a sweet-smelling Plant of the Week - the gardenia.It’s on episode 135 of the Garden Basics...
2021-09-0728 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred131 Grape Growing Tips. Carrot Varieties. The Autumn Daffodil, SternbergiaIt’s grape harvest season across the country. Disappointed with your results? This week, College Horticulture Professor (retired) Debbie Flower, who taught classes in growing grapes, has lots of good tips to increase your grape production. Carrots now come in a wide variety of colors and sizes. We talk with Renee Shepherd of Renee’s Garden seed company about growing backyard carrots. And Warren Roberts of the UC Davis Arboretum talks about an easy to grow bulb, the Sternbergia, also known as the Autumn Daffodil.It’s all on episode 131 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcas...
2021-08-2429 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred125 Lavender. Crape Myrtle Tree. Harvesting and Storing Fruits and VegetablesGrowing lavender? Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, has tips on how to rejuvenate aging lavender plants. UC Davis Arboretum Superintendent Emeritus Warren Roberts tells us all about that prolific summer bloomer, the crape myrtle tree. How can you tell when is best for harvesting backyard fruits and vegetables? And, when you bring them inside, where’s the best place to store them to last the longest? On the counter, in the refrigerator, or some combination of both? We supply the answers to those questions for some of the most popular backyard crops.It’s all...
2021-08-0324 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred123 Droopy Cucumbers. Dahlias. Butterfly Bush.Summer heat can cause many plants’ leaves to droop on a hot afternoon. Does this pose a particular problem for cucumbers? Will that stress effect the cucumber flavor? Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, has the answers to your cucumber questions. UC Davis Arboretum Superintendent Emeritus Warren Roberts tells us all about how to grow dahlias. And if you want a great plant to attract pollinators and beneficial insects, it’s hard to beat the butterfly bush. And the newest varieties are much more well mannered and easier to care for. We will tell you about...
2021-07-2727 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred114 Benefits of Crop Rotation. Working with Clay Soil.Crop rotation isn’t just for farmers. Backyard gardeners can improve their food and flower production while improving their soil at the same time, simply by moving plant families from bed to bed each season. College horticulture professor Debbie Flower has the lowdown on the advantages of crop rotation. If your clay soil has you worried that it’s not very good for a garden, worry no more. Soils specialist Steve Zien says there are a lot of benefits to gardening with clay soil, and he has tips for improving it, as well.It’s on episode 114 of the...
2021-06-2528 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred112 Does Mulch Rob Soil Nitrogen?Making the rounds in gardening pages on social media: mulch will rob your soil of nitrogen. College horticulture professor Debbie Flower (retired) and I do a deep dive into the mulch pile to explore that rampant rumor. Also, summertime is soil solarization time, to rid your garden soil of pests or a quick way to kill off a portion of your unused lawn area, in preparation for a new garden bed. We talk sheet mulching, as well. It’s all about the soil!It’s on episode 112 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you...
2021-06-1824 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred106 Should You Remove the First Tomato? White Knockout Apricot.Another dubious garden idea is making the rounds on social media: if you prune out the first tomato you see on your plant, you’ll get more tomatoes as a result. Fact or Myth? We explore that with retired college horticuture professor Debbie Flower.Ed Laivo from TomorrowsHarvest.com is back on Fabulous Fruit Friday, with a white apricot variety. A white apricot? Yes. And it’s delicious, too. Plus, Ed talks about where you can find more information, including videos, about the benefits of summer pruning of your peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, apple and other deciduous fruit...
2021-05-2825 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred104 Fabulous Fruit Friday - The Shiranui Mandarin. Cicadas vs. Your GardenWhat’s all that buzzing going on in many parts of the country right now? It’s the emerging of what is being called Brood X, an unusually large occurrence of cicadas. Are they a threat to your garden? College horticulture teacher Debbie Flower has some thoughts on that.Who doesn’t love a tasty mandarin? One of the most popular right now among grocery store mandarins is a large, lumpy, but incredibly sweet, seedless mandarin. A close relative of that one is the Sharanui mandarin, and many mandarin aficionados claim it’s the best tasting mandarin ever tha...
2021-05-2129 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred102 Red Baron Peach. Tomatoes in the Shade?Looking for a fruit tree with outstanding flowers in the spring? Look no further than the Red Baron peach. It’s Fabulous Fruit Friday, and Ed Laivo is here from TomorrowsHarvest.com to talk about this tasty beauty, with double red flowers in the spring and juicy, juicy peaches in the summer.Should your tomato plants really be in full sun? As we are fond of saying this show, it depends. More and more areas of the country are having unusually hot summers, which means more tomato troubles. Can a bit of shade solve those issues. College ho...
2021-05-1427 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred098 Scarlet Halo Peach. How Long to Water with Drip. Quick Salad Greens.Are you familiar with the donut peach? If not, we will tell you all about it, on today’s edition of Fabulous Fruit Fridays. And we will shine the spotlight on one particularly delectable variety, the Scarlet Halo donut peach. Fruit tree expert Ed Laivo of tomorrowsharvest.com tells us all about it. One of the more frequently asked questions we get here is, how long should I run a drip irrigation system. Our resident retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower answers that while contemplating the question of dying loropetalum shrubs.You want to grow salad fixins in...
2021-04-3028 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred096 O'Henry Peach. Downsizing Fruit Trees. Why Thin Fruit.The O’Henry Peach has been popular since its introduction in 1968. It’s a sweet, juicy, long lasting, easy peach tree to grow. A perfect candidate for today’s Fabulous Fruit Friday. Fruit tree expert Ed Laivo of Tomorrow's Harvest tells us all about it. Plus, Ed has step by step instructions for reducing the height of an overgrown fruit tree, taking it down to a more manageable six or seven feet tall.A frequent question new gardeners have: which way should I position my fruit trees or raised beds? North to South or East to West? Good q...
2021-04-2329 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred094 Blushing Pearl Columnar Peach. Damping Off Disease. Lumpy Lawns?Do you want a peach tree that produces sweet juicy white peaches? And, as an added bonus, is narrow growing, only 8 feet wide, something that can be a real benefit for those with limited space to plant a peach tree? Fruit tree expert Ed Laivo of TomorrowsHarvest.com has the answer to your wishes. He tells us about the Blushing Pearl Columnar peach. Plus, tips for planting several peach tree varieties that ripen at different times, giving you fresh, home grown peaches from June through October.If you plant from seed, you may have had first hand...
2021-04-1629 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred089 Drip Emitters vs Micro Sprayers - Which is Better? Rototillers vs Chipper/Shredders. Plant of the Week: the Redbud TreeThinking of adding a drip irrigation system to your garden? Good idea. Drip systems conserve water and more effectively irrigate the root systems of your plants. But, you have choices. Should the water be delivered via drippers…or microsprayers? Each has its advantages and drawbacks. Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, weighs the pros and cons involved with a drip irrigation system. Thinking of buying a rototiller for your garden? Our resident soils expert, Steve Zien, has a better way to improve your soil with that thousand dollars you might spend. And yes, it, too, is...
2021-03-3029 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred079 Seed Starting Tips. Can You Reuse Potting Soil? Winter Jasmine.Welcome to the Garden Basics Seed Starting episode. Growing your summer vegetables and flowers from seed is a fun experience. Plus, there are so many more varieties available as seed. If you have a sunny window or a seed starting kit with a heat pad and lighting system, your ready to plant. And, Brad Gates of Wild Boar Farms tells us how he starts his tomato seeds. Also: can you reuse old soil that you might have in containers? As Debbie Flower tells us, it depends. But she has tips for getting that old soil back into to...
2021-02-2329 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred076 Avoiding Overhead Watering. Raspberry and Grape Varieties. Shovel, Pruner Choices.It may be February, but it’s not too late for a New Year’s Garden Resolution: Don’t let your overhead sprinklers hit your vegetable and flower gardens. Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, tells us why. We have tips for planting and caring for raspberries and grapes. Confused about all the shovel and pruner choices that are out there? We’ll unearth the best shovel choices for your outdoor tasks and we’ll prune out those shears that you don’t want to use in your garden. Finally, we narrow the gap about dealin...
2021-02-1229 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred072 Avoiding Gardeners' "Sophomore Slump"This time of year, hope springs eternal in the minds of gardeners with dreams of a bountiful spring, summer and fall garden, filled with beautiful flowers, delicious fruits, and wonderful vegetables. But for many second year gardeners, as well as many more experienced gardeners, there could be a "sophomore slump". So why does a so-so garden year sometimes follow a wildly successful garden year? Debbie Flower, our favorite retired college horticulture Professor, holds our collective hands and offers tips for thwarting the gardeners' sophomore slump. Also, Phil Pursel of Dave Wilson Nursery has advice on how you...
2021-01-2928 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred071 Germinate Pepper Seeds Faster! Blackberries.It can take quite awhile to grow a pepper plant from seed to outdoor transplanting stage. 12 to 16 weeks, which can include up to three weeks for the seeds to germinate. But we can help you speed up that process considerably with pepper seed germination tips from our favorite retired horticulture professor, Debbie Flower. We start a new segment on this show today: the Plant of the Week. And for that we will turn to one of the most knowledgeable horticulturists in the world, Warren Roberts of the UC Davis Arboretum. And, we talk blackberries: how to grow the...
2021-01-2129 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred070 Are Those Old Seeds Still Good? Here's How to Tell. Grow tasty Pluots.If you’re venturing into flower and vegetable seed starting in 2021, good for you! It’s fun, and with seeds, there are plenty more varieties to choose from. You may have some leftover seeds hanging around. But will those old seeds germinate? Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, has a surefire way to tell.Are you familiar with the pluot? It’s a fruit, it’s a cross between a plum and an apricot. And it truly is one of the sweetest treats that you can grow in your yard. If you’ve got a sweet toot...
2021-01-1529 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred068 Rose Basics. The Future of GardeningHappy New Year, and welcome to the beginning of Season 2 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast. For many gardeners, planning the 2021 garden is underway this month. Perusing seed catalogs, making choices for the warm season vegetable and flower garden, and perhaps checking out all the dormant plants that are arriving, or will be arriving soon, at area nurseries and garden centers this winter. One of those popular bare root plants that brings out the customers are all the rose varieties that are available. Don’t know much about roses? Not a problem! We cover rose basics on...
2021-01-0129 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred067 How to Plant a Fruit Tree. Best Blueberry Varieties. Frost Protection Tips.If you live in the West or the South, Perhaps Santa left you some new bare root fruit trees. Back East or up North, maybe it will be the Easter Bunny making those deliveries. Wherever you live, we have tips for planting bare root fruit trees, those six foot tall bare sticks with pretty pictures attached, arriving this winter at nurseries and garden centers (just in case Santa and the Easter Bunny don’t come through for you). Also, which blueberry plants are right for you? Phil Pursel of wholesale grower Dave Wilson Nursery has some id...
2020-12-2529 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred047 Part 2 Understanding Seed PacketsHorticulture expert Debbie Flower rejoins us for Part 2 of Understanding the Language of Seed Packets. This time around, she has good planting instructions for what to do if that seed packet says things like, "darkness aids germination" or "requires light for germination". And, when it says "keep seedbed evenly moist, but how much water do you apply? And, just about every seed packet has instructions on thinning the seedlings, but don't tell you how to thin. Debbie Flower just might change the way you've been doing that. And we talk about something seed packets seldom tell you: how to...
2020-09-1825 min
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred036 When To Fertilize. Growing Celtuce. Peak Harvest and Storage Tips.Welcome to another edition of the Garden Basics podcast, once again with the subtitle, "I didn’t know that!" College Horticulture professor (retired) Debbie Flower tackles the question, is it better to fertilize your plants in the morning or the evening? Or does it matter? Debbie points out…it depends on the temperature. It’s not celery, it’s not a lettuce you'd recognize, it’s Celtuce! Also called stem lettuce, asparagus lettuce or Chinese lettuce, Celtuce is popular in upscale restaurants for its crispy, flavorful stems and leaves. And now is the time to be growing it. We get...
2020-08-1125 min