Garden Basics with Farmer Fred
Tips for beginning and experienced gardeners. New episodes arrive every 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
Episodes
We talk with fruit tree expert Ed Laivo today about how to control the four-legged varmints (as well as the winged ones) that get to your backyard fruit before you do. Plus, he has recommendations for potting mixes to grow fruit trees in containers.
Is it safe to solarize soil with clear plastic to kill weeds or a lawn, if there’s a fruit tree in the middle? Debbie Flower tackles that one.
And in parts of the midwest and ...
“Can you grow rhubarb here?” For those who have moved from colder climates to the warmer USDA zones, that might be a popular question. Memories of rhubarb pie, jams, and more while growing up back East or in the Midwest might have you hankering for fresh rhubarb. The plant, however, dislikes climates where summers get over 90 degrees on a regular basis. And, it prefers a bit of chill in the winter, as well.
Fred 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...
Today, we talk with Kevin Marini, a community education specialist with the University of California Cooperative Extension, about the topics of soil and successful gardening. We talk about the pros and cons of using native soil versus commercial soil, the importance of improving native soil, the use of bagged mixes in raised beds, and the role of organic matter and fertilizers in gardening. We also touch on the benefits of mulch a...
What are the best mint varieties to use for cooking? We talk with a professional herb grower about the myriad of culinary herb choices available. Is there a better summer flower than Zinnias? This colorful warm weather annual comes in a wide variety of sizes, colors, and flower shapes…and it makes for a great cut flower, too! America’s Favorite Retired College Horticultural Professor, Debbie Flower talks zinnias, along with cut flo...
In this episode, Farmer Fred and Kevin Marini discuss the importance of thinning fruit trees and maintaining their height. Kevin Marini, a certified arborist and community education specialist with UC Cooperative Extension, also talks about the benefits of keeping fruit trees at a manageable height, the process of bringing down the height of a tree, and the different types of pruning cuts.
We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios...
Looking to start a first garden in a new home? Before digging, do some planning, and some research. Today, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticultural Professor, Debbie Flower, and I have tips for getting that first garden off to a great start at your new home. And, we answer about how to garden when there’s a concrete patio in the way.
We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban ...
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: Garden Gold Peach in Bloom
Links:
Subscribe to the Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com
Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/
It’s a holiday weekend and you might be traveling. What about a Garden Basics playlist for that long car ride or for listening to while lounging around someplace cool? We have suggestions for that playlist - the five most listened-to Garden Basics episodes.
Also: wherever you live, you can probably grow some kind of berries. Today, we revisit our chat with Master Gardener and expert raspberry and boysenberry grower, Pam Bone, who ...
How do use and adjust a soil thermometer? Why is my soil pH so variable at different soil depths? How do you use cardboard to replace a lawn and start a garden?
Those are some of the questions, along with scenic bypasses - of course - that we’ll be tackling today. And there’s a lot of great garden tips in those scenic bypasses today.
It’s all in Episode 346 of today’s Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast! Brought to you today by Sm...
Did you know rose petals are edible, and contain lots of healthy fiber? That's part of today’s podcast, recorded live, in February 2024, at the Sacramento Rose Society's monthly meeting.
The main topic is growing the Heart Healthy Garden! And roses can be an edible part of that healthy landscape.
This podcast episode features foods to grow that can help lower your cholesterol and blood sugar numbers, as well as he...
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 ...
We 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 prun...
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 ...
Something 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:...
Farmer 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 On...
In 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 i...
In 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 N...
If 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 ...
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