Autumn officially begins on Sunday. Fall planting season, however, is already here. The cooler air temperatures, combined with the still-warm soil, are the perfect growing conditions for a new plant. Increasing in popularity, thanks to increased production by wholesale nurseries and the plants’ needs for less water once established, are an increasing number of California native plants. From the garden e-mail, Evan of San Jose, California wants to know about an evergreen tree or shrub that is nat...
Sep 17, 2024•5 min
Today’s newsletter podcast talks about a Crisis Nursery. No, it’s not an emergency room for sickly looking houseplants; although, the gardening entrepreneurs among you may be thinking…”hmm, that may not be a bad idea!” The Crisis Nursery we are talking about today deals with the safety of children, and the role the Sacramento Children’s Home has in its survival. Oh, listen! I hear my dead mother saying, “And what exactly does that have to do with the price of tea in China?” That would be her way...
Sep 10, 2024•12 min
With fall approaching, now might be a good time to invest in some equipment to ease autumn and winter chores as well as improve your soil: making mulch from tree branches with a chipper/shredder, or easing raking chores by gathering the fallen leaves with a device that blows them into a pile, sucks them into a 30-gallon bag, and chops them up into little pieces as they head to the bag, where you can then spread those chopped-up leaves as mulch. In today’s podcast (above) we talk with Brad Gay of...
Aug 27, 2024•25 min
If you’re a transplant from a colder USDA Zone to a warmer zone, you may have fond memories of rhubarb pie, strawberry-rhubarb jam, rhubarb crisp, or something more exotic, such as Rhubarb-Blueberry Upside Down Cake . But if you now live in USDA Zones 9 or 10, you may be wondering, is it too hot here in the summer to grow rhubarb? Is it too warm in the winter here to grow rhubarb? Yes you can! But leave your rhubarb growing techniques back in Wisconsin. The trick to growing rhubarb here is: star...
Aug 20, 2024•34 min
In today’s newsletter podcast, fruit tree expert Ed Laivo of Ed Able Solutions gives us tips for dealing with varmints that get to your tree fruit before you’ve had a chance to sample it. And, he has tips for growing fruit trees in containers. I mentioned in the podcast that we would have a video link to Ed’s Harvest Day 2024 presentation at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center on August 3, which was about growing fruit trees in containers. That video is not yet available; but here, enjoy Ed talkin...
Aug 13, 2024•11 min
Today’s Newsletter Podcast features Ann Ralph, author of the book, “ Grow a Little Fruit Tree ”. Fruit Tree Pruning, Step by Step Last Friday’s Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, Episode 351 - “ Honey I Shrunk the Fruit Trees ” also dealt with the benefits of keeping the height of fruit trees to no taller than you can reach to the top of the tree to pick fruit. Because, who wants to fall off a ladder? UC Cooperative Extension Communications Specialist - and Consulting Arborist - Kevin Marin...
Aug 06, 2024•9 min
The newsletter podcast (above) is an excerpt from last Friday’s Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, #350, “ New Home? First Garden Tips ”. America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor(℠), Debbie Flower and myself, help out a very rhythmic listener figure out how to prep a garden space at her new home. And one of the first steps to take is to do a home analysis of the soil, referred to as the “Soil Texture Triangle Test”. Although it might look like something designed by a Freema...
Jul 30, 2024•7 min
If you’re wondering about blackberry discoloration this summer, you won’t find that information in the podcast (above). What you will find for your ears: great information about superior blackberry varieties to grow, along with tips for pruning and trellising blackberries. As to why you might start seeing some discoloration in your blackberry patch right now might be due to the weather. But before we shine a light on that, here’s what you may have missed in last Friday’s Garden Basics with Farme...
Jul 23, 2024•15 min
Are you trying to grow a salsa garden? It's great that most of the ingredients for salsa ripen at about the same time in the backyard garden. The main salsa ingredients - tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic - are ready this time of year. And if you wait until September or October to make the salsa, there might be some limes ready from a backyard lime tree in citrus growing regions. But there is one ingredient that throws off that salsa recipe timing: cilantro. Cilantro is easy to grow in hot c...
Jul 16, 2024•19 min
Today’s podcast deals with any hot climate vegetable gardener’s dilemma: what greens can I grow in the summer that are bolt resistant and won’t end up tasting bitter? We talk with Sacramento County Master Gardener and avid vegetable grower Gail Pothour, who talks about the finalists in the heat-resistant greens growing trial held at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center. And the Fresh Physician (and avid gardener), Florida-based Dr. Laura Varich, who extols the virtues of a diet loaded with green, l...
Jul 09, 2024•11 min
Before we start digging through the mulch looking for termites, here is what you may have missed in last Friday’s (June 28) Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Podcast, Ep. 346: All About Soil Thermometers, Soil pH, and Cardboard Mulch. • Soil thermometers are precise measuring devices that need to be taken care of properly. They should not be left sitting in the soil or exposed to direct sunlight. • The depth at which you measure soil temperature depends on what you are planting. For seeds, measure ...
Jul 02, 2024•39 min
Before we delve into the sweaty details of getting your garden through the summer, here’s what you may have missed in last Friday’s Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, the Heart Healthy Garden , recorded live at the Sacramento Rose Society in February of 2024: • Eating a heart-healthy diet and exercising regularly can help improve heart health and reduce the need for medications. • Fiber is an important component of a heart-healthy diet and can be found in a variety of fruits, vegetables, an...
Jun 25, 2024•43 min
Last week, we did a little podcast tour of my garden, with Debbie Flower asking the questions. Turnabout is fair play, so this episode features Debbie’s unique, water-saving landscape and her collections of plants and garden tools that have some very interesting stories. But again, an audio tour is missing the picture. Pictures, to be more exact. So, while you’re listening to this repurposing of Episode 343 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, scroll down to enjoy the visuals that go a...
Jun 14, 2024•45 min
If 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. 3...
Jun 07, 2024•40 min
Before we delve into the soil, fertilizer in hand, a quick review of what was on the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast this past week; Tuesday, May 28 , Ep. 338: Zucchini Sex! Which cherries are best for cooking? Questions tackled on this episode include answering questions about squash that is slow to produce healthy looking fruit (it’s due to the lousy sex life of male and female squash flowers this time of year: “it’s too hot!”, “it’s too cold!” “I’m hungry!” “I’m too full!” (See? Plants...
May 31, 2024•10 min
Composting, Indoors and Out Today’s newsletter podcast deals with options for indoor food scrap composting equipment, specifically kitchen composters (originally aired in Episode 196 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast in May of 2022. In our conversation with America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, she took a scenic bypass to talk about her outdoor garden kitchen scrap composter device, the Green Cone Composter . More information about that is below. B...
May 24, 2024•12 min
In today’s newsletter podcast, our America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, talks about earwigs, a garden scavenger that probably does more damage than you might want a “neutral” garden critter to do. Probably the most famous “neutral” garden insect is the non-selective praying mantis, who doesn’t mind chowing down on your aphids for dinner, with a ladybug for dessert. The big takeaway from that earwig chat? “Don't wear loose clothing in an earwig infested garden...
May 17, 2024•12 min
If you’re looking to harvest bigger pieces of fruit from your trees and vines this summer, now's the time to get out your hand pruners and thin off the overcrowded fruit. Other good reasons for thinning lots of little fruit from trees now can also thwart bigger problems later this year, such as undersized fruit, excessive fruit drop, and broken fruit tree branches. Here are some tips for thinning from the fruit tree experts at UCANR : • For apples, European and Asian pears, apricots, peaches, ne...
May 10, 2024•6 min
The podcast included with this newsletter features an interview with Rachael Long, University of California Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor Emeritus, and one of the nation’s best sources of information on the benefits of having barn owls prowling over your property to control rodents. Rachael mentions the UC Publication, “Songbird, Bat and Owl Boxes” which is a paid publication. Here’s a link for more information on barn owl boxes ; and, another link with specific barn owl box building instru...
May 03, 2024•9 min
The podcast included with this newsletter features an interview with Rachael Long, University of California Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor Emeritus, and one of the nation’s best sources of information on the benefits of having bats, which are flying mammals (not rodents), in your neighborhood. Originally aired in Episode 180 of the Garden Basics podcast in March of 2022. Before we begin bug hunting, here’s what has happened this week on the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast: Ep. 328 Q&a...
Apr 26, 2024•12 min
Our cohort in all things tomato, Don Shor of Redwood Barn Nursery in Davis, got into a lot of helpful information for tomato gardeners besides just talking about tomato varieties in Episode 317 of the Garden Basics podcast, The 2024 Tomato Preview Show . The mini-podcast (above) highlights four tips we discussed that can make you a more successful gardening tomato-head. Among Don’s tips: • The first thing you should do when you when bring that tomato plant home from the nursery. • And, if you ar...
Mar 15, 2024•9 min
Today’s newsletter podcast (recorded in January 2021) features an arborist discussing ways you can spot when your trees may be in danger of falling, especially in a wet, windy winter. More information about what was discussed in the podcast can be found at the University of California Ag and Natural Resources publication, “ Inspect Your Landscape Trees for Hazards ”. Small Trees for Small Yards In this era of "Big House, Small Yard", choosing the right size tree can not only enhance the beauty o...
Nov 03, 2023•5 min
Simple instructions from the Placer County (CA) Master Gardeners on proper tree staking: Q: I just planted a new tree and want to know the best way to stake it. A: It’s important to know that not all newly planted trees need to be staked. In fact, improper staking can harm rather than help. The more freely a tree can move, the stronger its trunk will become and the more likely it will be to withstand storms. There are three situations in which staking is necessary: to protect against damage from...
Oct 27, 2023•18 min
In today’s newsletter podcast, Debbie Flower, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticultural Professor, extols the benefits of spending time in the garden, and closely observing your plants. And, I talk about how those who took up gardening during the Covid epidemic found out that gardening is good for the gardener, too, in a myriad of ways. Do some gardeners have a natural green thumb? Although there can be a lot said for patience and perseverance when it comes to landscaping tasks, perhaps t...
Oct 20, 2023•17 min
In today’s newsletter podcast, nursery owner Don Shor and I share success and failure stories from our 2023 tomato gardens. We both agree that one of the best tomatoes this year that we grew from seed was Rugby F1, a sauce/paste tomato that is large, meaty, and tasty. In our own yard, Rugby was the overall winner for us. Although it is described in several seed catalogs as a Roma-type tomato, don’t be fooled. Rugby is much larger than other Roma canning tomatoes, about seven ounces each. Pink-re...
Oct 13, 2023•41 min
In today’s newsletter podcast (above), we get tips on starting a wildflower garden from Marina LaForgia, of the Gremer Lab at UC Davis. LaForgia, a 2019 PhD graduate of Davis, is now doing research on seed dispersal and persistence. If you live in an area of the country where you can plant wildflowers or cover crops in the fall, especially in a drought-prone area, you’ll want to listen. Thinking about planting cover crops this fall? The range of cover crop success in the U.S. is rather wide: USD...
Oct 06, 2023•4 min
In today’s newsletter podcast, retired college horticulture professor Debbie Flower and Master Gardener Gail Pothour offer tips for growing potatoes. We also talk about the best months of the year to plant potatoes. That answer? It depends where you are. Give it a listen (above). More Potato Planting Tips From the garden e-mail bag, Alan asks: “What varieties of potatoes are best to grow here in California?” There are dozens of varieties a potato gardener in California can choose. Among the favo...
Sep 29, 2023•28 min
I’ve often heard from dietitians and health food aficionados that consuming microgreens and baby greens provide more nutrition than their full grown counterparts. Is that true? In a 2021 published study of two greens - spinach and roselle - researchers discovered that these plants - when harvested within 20 days of sowing - have some critical nutritional benefits greater than the full grown plant, according to the National Library of Medicine: “Compared to field grown mature foliage, greenhouse-...
Sep 22, 2023•11 min
One of the best soil amendments to add for happy plants are worm castings, also known as worm poop. However, the price of a bag of worm castings approaches twenty dollars, so you may want to tack on a new “to-do” item for the soil in your garden: vermicomposting, which is raising worms, usually in a worm bin. Those worms will feast on many of your kitchen scraps, giving you back a soil amendment teeming with microbial activity, perfect for plant roots to enjoy. And you don’t have to worry about ...
Sep 15, 2023•12 min
If I was to ask you, “What is organic gardening?” You might squint a little, and say something along the lines of, “Well, organic gardeners don’t use chemicals in the garden”. That wouldn't be correct. After all, water is a chemical, and all gardeners probably use water. And, there are chemicals used in organic gardening, including manufactured fertilizers that are OMRI certified as organic. OMRI - the Organic Materials Review Institute - is a nonprofit organization that provides an independent ...
Sep 08, 2023•24 min
