Growing a garden is very similar to doing a successful podcast. It takes patience, perseverance and a willingness to try something new. Welcome to Episode 100 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast. I began this audio adventure just as sheltering in place was taking hold last spring. Many of you took that opportunity to play in the yard, so to speak, while learning something new, something that can be fun, and healthy, for the entire family. If that was your impetus to seek us out here, w...
May 07, 2021•37 min•Season 2Ep. 100
Ants love to inhabit the soil in your outdoor potted plants. Maybe your indoor plants, too. And they aren’t doing your plants any good. College Horticulture Professor Debbie Flower has tips for getting the ants out of your potted plants. We’re talking roses today, too, including the history of roses, which extends about 3000 years. Warren Roberts of the UC Davis Arboretum tells the tales. Are you fully vaccinated and itching to take a vacation, finally? Great! But don’t forget your garden. We ha...
May 04, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 99
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 contemp...
Apr 30, 2021•28 min•Season 2Ep. 98
One of the easiest fruit trees to grow are figs. And, for the adventurous gardener, you can start a fig tree from a cutting. We have the details. Looking for a colorful summer annual flower sure to bring a smile to your face? Grow zinnias. And they’re easy to grow. We get tips on how to protect new or young plants from the blazing heat of the summer sun. One of the most widely adaptable shrubs to grow across the country is the Philadelphus, the mock orange. With its very fragrant flowers, it’s d...
Apr 27, 2021•27 min•Season 2Ep. 97
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 be...
Apr 23, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 96
For some gardeners, fresh okra from the summer garden is a taste treat. For other gardeners, who may not appreciate the texture and flavor of okra, it is still worth growing for the beautiful flowers it produces. We have tips for growing okra. Roses are beginning to put their first show of 2021, but several rose diseases may be lurking on your favorite plants. We talk with a Master Rosarian on how to thwart rose diseases such as black spot, powdery mildew and downy mildew. And, the plant of the ...
Apr 20, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 95
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. ...
Apr 16, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 94
Are your tomatoes getting too big for their britches, but you want to wait to plant? Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, has some tips about transplanting overgrown tomatoes from small pots directly into the ground. Plus, she shares her tomato and pepper planting secret for turning those newly planted vegetables into even stronger plants. You may never plant your tomatoes the same way again! Master Gardener Pam Bone tackles a vexing topic: what’s better to put on ...
Apr 13, 2021•30 min•Season 2Ep. 93
It’s a peach without the fuzz. It’s a nectarine, the Honey Halo Nectarine , a sweet piece of fruit with a long harvest season with fruit becoming ripe when the fruit is firm and crunchy, then remains on the tree until it is rich smooth and sweet with juice just running down your arm. Fruit tree expert Ed Laivo of TomorrowsHarvest.com is back with all the juicy details. Plus, we solve your garden question about figs that split while on the tree. We also talk about cold hardy palm trees with a pal...
Apr 09, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 92
Planting potatoes? Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, has some tips about choosing which potatoes to plant and how to cut and prepare them for planting. Also, she offers a couple of good reasons for growing your potatoes in containers, including ease of harvest and to thwart any diseases that could spread to tomatoes or peppers that might be in the same garden bed. And, the plant of the week is a shrub that is a real show for the nose, the daphne, a great choice ...
Apr 06, 2021•30 min•Season 2Ep. 91
Looking for a later ripening cherry that tastes great and is hardy in some of our colder climates? Fruit tree expert Ed Laivo of TomorrowsHarvest.com returns with one beautiful, deep red cherry variety for Fabulous Fruit Friday that can be grown throughout most of the United States… the Sweetheart Cherry. Plus, we answer your garden questions about painting fruit tree trunks to prevent sun scald, and how to keep tree suckers from popping up all over your yard. It’s all on episode 90 of the Garde...
Apr 02, 2021•28 min•Season 2Ep. 90
Thinking 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 ...
Mar 30, 2021•30 min•Season 2Ep. 89
Do you like apples? Fruit tree expert Ed Laivo of TomorrowsHarvest.com returns with an apple variety that is not only delicious, but can be grown throughout most of the United States. Today on Fabulous Fruit Friday, it’s the Empire apple. If you’re having problems starting your outdoor garden power equipment, it might be your gas. We have tips to make sure your mower, weed trimmer, leaf blower and other gas powered equipment starts on the first pull of the rope or turn of the key. And, our favor...
Mar 26, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 88
Did you know you could grow palm trees in Switzerland? That's great news for all of our eight listeners there. For the 130,000+ listeners here in the U.S., there are hardy palm tree varieties that can survive where winter temperatures drop regularly to below freezing. What are those hardy varieties? Warren Roberts of the UC Davis Arboretum has some suggestions. Transplanting palm trees, whether in pots or in ground, can be a tricky proposition. Our favorite retired college horticulture teacher, ...
Mar 23, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 87
Fruit tree expert Ed Laivo of TomorrowsHarvest.com returns with another sweet treat of a winner for Fabulous Fruit Fridays. It’s the Golden Sweet Apricot , a tasty fruit that can be grown throughout most of the country, all the way down to USDA Zone 5. Plus, we have fruit tree planting tips for you, tips that will help insure the success of your new fruit tree or fruit bushes. There's another way being a gardener can make you healthier: whenever you give someone an extra plant or the harvest fro...
Mar 19, 2021•28 min•Season 2Ep. 86
What if the only full sun garden space you have seems to be too hot to grow anything? Perhaps your only sunny spot is against a south-facing wall on top of a concrete patio? There are solutions! Lack of rainfall this year is a growing problem in many states in the west and southwest, as well as other parts of the country. Any portion of the nation is susceptible to an extended drought. Are there any fruit trees you can grow that are considered drought tolerant? We talk about two tasty fruit tree...
Mar 16, 2021•30 min•Season 2Ep. 85
Ed Laivo of TomorrowsHarvest.com returns with another sweet treat of a winner for Fabulous Fruit Friday. It’s a donut-style nectarine, called Snack Time. What’s "donut-style" mean? It’s refers to the flattened fruit, cultivars that were developed in Far East thousands of years ago. Debbie Flower, college horticulture professor (retired) and I stop and gawk at the seed racks at a local nursery. You’ll get a lot of great cucurbit (cucumber, squash, melons) planting tips when you eavesdrop on our c...
Mar 12, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 84
We revisit one of the most popular segments ever aired on our program: why feeding your soil yields better results than feeding your plants. Sound confusing? It’s actually quite simple! You can learn a lot when you hang out with retired college horticultural professor Debbie Flower at a nursery. We recently spent a morning looking at all the snail and slug control products that are available. Which are the most effective? Which ones are, shall we say, are dubious? We find out. Also, Warren Rober...
Mar 09, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 83
Fabulous Fruit Friday is back on the Garden Basics podcast. Fruit tree expert Ed Laivo will tell us about one of the tastiest cherries you’ve probably never had, but you need to try, and is now available. It’s an old heirloom variety, the Black Republican Cherry . A sweet piece of fruit that has a good story behind its name, as well. Stink bugs love your garden in spring and summer. We have tips for controlling this widespread pest of fruits and vegetables. Also, how to attract birds to your gar...
Mar 05, 2021•24 min•Season 2Ep. 82
If you want to expand your vegetable garden palate this year, this is the episode for you. We talk about vegetable varieties that are tasty, but unappreciated. Broccolini, radicchio, Malabar spinach, Joi Choi, moringa, and much more. Do your garden plans include insectary plants? Those are annuals, perennials and shrubs that attract pollinators and beneficial insects that can battle the bad bugs in your garden, without any chemical help from you. And the Plant of the Week is that cascading fount...
Mar 02, 2021•28 min•Season 2Ep. 81
At some point, you will get the urge to start a wildflower garden in a spot in your yard. Before you begin scattering seeds, take a listen. We have tips from a wildflower expert. What’s the easiest, safest way to clean a backyard fountain or birdbath? Our favorite college horticulture professor (retired), Debbie Flower, applies some elbow grease to that question. Wouldn’t it be nice, if you moved into a rental home, that other people would pay to have you redesign the garden? That’s one of the p...
Feb 26, 2021•27 min•Season 2Ep. 80
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 ...
Feb 23, 2021•30 min•Season 2Ep. 79
Want to help Mother Nature battle your garden pest problems? Give a listen and find out how. Jessica Walliser, author of Plant Partners , talks about scientific proven strategies for incorporating different plants into your vegetable garden to fend off the bad guys by attracting the garden good guys. Also, how deep should you plant that new fruit tree? It’s all on Episode 78 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast. And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go! Picture: Lady Bugs con...
Feb 19, 2021•26 min•Season 2Ep. 78
Dealing with weeds in the garden is bad enough. How do you deal with tree roots in your flower and vegetable beds? We’ve got some tips. Questions about how and when to prune trees and shrubs? We give you a list of good resources. The Plant of the Week is putting on a show for the nose right now. It’s wintersweet. And, how keeping a garden diary and planting a "Gratitude Garden" is good for your mental health. It’s Episode 77 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast. And we will do it all in...
Feb 16, 2021•30 min•Season 2Ep. 77
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 gar...
Feb 12, 2021•30 min•Season 2Ep. 76
In USDA Zones 9 and 10, February is the month to be starting tomato seeds indoors. For colder climates, you may want to wait until March. We continue our evaluation of great tomato varieties worth trying with Don Shor, owner of Redwood Barn Nursery in Davis, California. We talk strategy as well as good tomato varieties worth trying in 2021. In the world of unique looking, tasty tomatoes, Wild Boar Farms has the market cornered. We pay a visit with owner Brad Gates, who offers up his tomato seed ...
Feb 09, 2021•30 min•Season 2Ep. 75
If you plant tomatoes in late April or early May, February is the month for you to be planning your tomato strategy and then start planting tomato seeds indoors. We talk strategy as well as good tomato varieties worth trying in 2021. Are you still attempting to decipher all that tomato terminology in the seed catalogs? We’ve got the help you need! Heavy winds and wild weather has buffeted most of the country the past few weeks. We talk with an arborist who has tips to help you to determine how w...
Feb 05, 2021•30 min•Season 2Ep. 74
Today, we have tips from a Master Rosarian on selecting and planting roses. Listen to this before you go out to buy your roses, because what you’ll hear just might change your mind about where to shop for rose plants now. Are you planting a single variety bare root fruit tree? Did you remember to cut it back by half after planting? We’ll tell you why that is necessary in a backyard garden (P.S. don't do this to multi-budded fruit trees!). And the Plant of the Week is one that’s popular throughou...
Feb 02, 2021•30 min•Season 2Ep. 73
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 off...
Jan 29, 2021•28 min•Season 2Ep. 72
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...
Jan 21, 2021•30 min•Season 2Ep. 71
