Wherever you live, wherever you garden, at some point in the year, your plants will get aphids. This sucking insect enjoys the sap from many of your favorite plants, including vegetables, fruits, flowers, shrubs and trees. Aphids can also spread plant diseases. Oh, and they do attract ants, who covet the sweet excretions of aphids. We have tips for controlling this widespread garden pest, aphids. Record breaking temperatures persist throughout much of the northern hemisphere this summer. How are...
Aug 16, 2022•27 min•Season 3Ep. 220
Yes, it’s August, and it’s hot out, but the garden is a busy place: harvesting, watering, deadheading, weeding. Wise gardeners have added another chore that will help guarantee future garden success: summer pruning of deciduous fruit trees. We’ll tell you why now nipping back your peach, plum, apple, apricot, cherry, nectarine and other fruit trees will lead to better production next year. Have you heard of lemon verbena? It’s an herb, with showy flowers, and produces leaves that can liven up a ...
Aug 12, 2022•31 min•Season 3Ep. 219
If you have a sprinkler system, a drip irrigation system or a series of soaker hoses, how are you turning those systems on and off? For many gardeners who live in dry summer climates, automatic irrigation control systems are the way to go. And if you have one of those older irrigation control systems, you might be amazed at how the newer, smartphone-controlled systems can ease your watering chores even more. We talk with an irrigation specialist, Don Smith, the water management coordinator for t...
Aug 09, 2022•28 min•Season 3Ep. 218
GB 217 More Jumping Worms! What to Do with Your Extra Fruits, Vegetables Jumping worms! Unlike red wigglers or earthworms, jumping worms are not garden good guys. They’ll consume a lot of your mulch, leaving behind pellets that are not good for your plants or your soil. And jumping worms are spreading. America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, has updated information on how you can thwart the jumping worms. What are you going to do with all the summer fruits and v...
Aug 05, 2022•32 min•Season 3Ep. 217
As we are fond of saying on this program every summer, “You grew it. Now, eat it!” Not all at once, of course. What are the best ways to preserve all the fruits and vegetables you grow? One of the easiest is drying them. Sun drying or using a dehydrator is a great way to preserve nutrients while enjoying the literal fruits of your labor throughout the year. But where do you begin? Today, we talk with a Master Food Preserver about drying techiniques for home grown fruits and vegetables. We’re pod...
Aug 02, 2022•35 min•Season 3Ep. 216
A mature, healthy landscape tree can add thousands of dollars of value to your home. And that road to a healthy tree begins as soon as you get the tree home from the nursery. And that’s where many homeowners start making what could be fatal mistakes. Today, Master Gardener and tree expert Pam Bone has the vital tips on how to stake a newly planted tree. We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory. It’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred p...
Jul 29, 2022•26 min•Season 3Ep. 215
Garden Basics # 214 Soldier Flies, Improving Slow Compost If you have a compost pile, or especially a worm bin, you may have seen a scary looking critter: an inch-long wasp-like creature. That’s the soldier fly. But are they good for your compost pile or worm bin? Some gardeners swear by them. Some swear at them. Today, we talk with a big proponent of soldier flies about them, and we delve deep into some of their many benefits. Also, we answer a listener’s question about how to speed up the comp...
Jul 26, 2022•27 min•Season 3Ep. 214
GB 213 Garden Earwig Control. Summer Fruit Pruning. Earwigs. They’re a garden problem, coast to coast. How do you control these pests that can take down young plants overnight? America’s favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, has some tips. And, we talk with a fruit tree expert about the benefits of pruning your stone fruit trees this month. We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory. It’s the Garden Basics with ...
Jul 22, 2022•25 min•Season 3Ep. 213
Today, we pay a return visit to the blackberry, raspberry and boysenberry growing grounds of Sacramento County Master Gardener Pam Bone, to find out what are the problems hitting gardeners’ caneberry plantings this summer. Turns out, there’s plenty of issues, both pests and diseases. Fortunately, there are a lot of easy to implement controls. Today, we’re talking about solving your summer berry patch problems. We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Sub...
Jul 19, 2022•32 min•Season 3Ep. 212
Spider Mites. Fireblight. Spider Mites. Fireblight. Try saying that rapidly three times. These are two widespread pests of a wide variety of edible and ornamental plants this time of year. How do you identify them? How do you control them? We go in search of answers with America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower. We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory. It’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought...
Jul 15, 2022•25 min•Season 3Ep. 211
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 A...
Jul 12, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 210
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...
Jul 08, 2022•26 min•Season 3Ep. 209
This 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 natural world...
Jul 05, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 208
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...
Jul 01, 2022•30 min•Season 3Ep. 207
We’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, tackl...
Jun 28, 2022•30 min•Season 3Ep. 206
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...
Jun 24, 2022•28 min•Season 3Ep. 205
If you been in a supermarket lately, you may still be in sticker shock at the higher prices for basic commodities. One of those has almost tripled in price over the last few months: eggs. As a result, maybe you’re thinking about getting a hen or two or more for your backyard to satisfy your egg eating habits. But before you head to the feed store to start your little chicken and egg enterprise, give a listen to today’s podcast. We’re talking backyard chicken basics, with urban chicken consultant...
Jun 21, 2022•27 min•Season 3Ep. 204
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...
Jun 17, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 203
Currently, 40% of the United States is dealing with moderate to extreme drought conditions. New outdoor watering restrictions are popping up throughout the west, southwest, intermountain regions, midwest, and the southeast. Can your garden survive with less water? Yes. In fact, if you irrigate and mulch correctly, your garden could even thrive on less water. Today we’re talking about tips and myths about efficient garden irrigation. Plus, it’s getting hot. Your plants may start looking droopy in...
Jun 14, 2022•26 min•Season 3Ep. 202
Welcome to Garden Basics Greatest Hits, Volume 2. This episode features the Top 7 most listened to segments of the last 100 episodes, from Episode 100 to Episode199, as determined by you, the listeners, my garden-loving friends. Topics include tomatoes (of course), berries, garden design, composting, soils, and the benefits of mulch. Time flies when you’re having fun, and we are having a blast, bringing you great gardening advice and information (and maybe a chuckle or two) twice a week, since A...
Jun 10, 2022•57 min•Season 3Ep. 201
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 h...
Jun 07, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 200
Just because your houseplants might look OK, are they really thriving? Do you know how to water and fertilize houseplants correctly? We talk with the author of the book, Houseplant Warrior, Rafaele DiLallo, about the best ways to feed and hydrate your indoor plants. Also, he has several tips for determining if your houseplants need a drink of water. And the best part of that, is, you don’t need to buy anything to make those watering decisions. We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in th...
Jun 03, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 199
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...
May 31, 2022•30 min•Season 3Ep. 198
You’re familiar with compost. But, what do you know about compost tea? Your plants might appreciate the microbial boost provided by compost tea. Please note that I did not say, "nutritional boost". There’s a lot of opinion and unverified personal experience associated with the compost tea knowledge base, but not that much about it has had a lot of peer-reviewed research, including its alleged nutritional value. One Master Gardener who has pursued that topic, delving deep into the academic rabbit...
May 27, 2022•35 min•Season 3Ep. 197
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 tim...
May 24, 2022•23 min•Season 3Ep. 196
Roses 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 ab...
May 20, 2022•49 min•Season 3Ep. 195
We’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, bu...
May 17, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 194
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 ...
May 13, 2022•28 min•Season 3Ep. 193
May is tomato planting month for most of the nation. Maybe you’ve had problems growing tomatoes in the past, or maybe you’re fairly new at planting, raising and harvesting America’s favorite backyard vegetable. Don Shor of Redwood Barn Nursery in Davis, California, a true tomato-head, has a list of the easiest tomatoes to grow, along with good advice to make sure that they prosper in your garden, even if you’re planning a long road trip or two this summer. Today, it the easiest tomatoes to grow,...
May 10, 2022•37 min•Season 3Ep. 192
Ahh, yes….Springtime….when the prevailing question among some backyard tomato growers is: should I prune off the first tomato flowers I see in order to get more tomatoes later on? The answer is either "no!", "mmm...it depends", or, "perhaps". Master Gardener Gail Pothour will tell us why that answer is, "it depends". I still say no! Also, we talk with garden book author Robert Kourik, his latest is Sustainable Food Gardens: Myths and Solutions . He has a lot of great common sense advice for maxi...
May 06, 2022•38 min•Season 3Ep. 191
