PODCAST

Beyond the Garden Basics

Farmer Fred

Picking up where the Garden Basics podcast left off. gardenbasics.substack.com

leisure home & garden

All Episodes

17:52

What Are The Best Tasting Avocados?

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/10/08

If you listened to the full interview with avocado grower/Master Gardener Greg Alder in Ep. 360 of the Garden Basics podcast, you got a good fundamental education on growing backyard avocados. We covered such topics as: * Growing Conditions for Avocados* Fertilization Tips* The importance of watering avocado trees* The Role of Mulch* Soil Testing for Success* Cold Tolerant Avocado Varieties* The Flavor Profile of Avocado varieties* Top Avocado Varieties to Grow* Understanding Avocado Pollination*

14:21

Why is It That Fall is For Planting?

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/10/01

In this insightful conversation (above), Farmer Fred speaks with Diane Blazek, executive director of All-America Selections and the National Garden Bureau, about the seasonal transition from summer to fall and how it presents an opportunity for gardeners to refresh their landscapes with vibrant fall colors and cool season blooming plants. Diane's extensive experience in the horticultural industry positions her uniquely to share knowledge on regional and national plant varieties, particularly those

31:06

Weed Killers Just Got More Confusing

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/09/24

In this episode of the Beyond the Garden Basics newsletter/podcast, we engage in an in-depth discussion about weed killers with Debbie Flower, America’s favorite retired college horticultural professor. We delve right into the complexities of weed management, addressing the various options available while navigating the maze of products at our local big box stores. As we stand before a daunting wall of weed killers, the conversation brings clarity to the overwhelming choices, shedding light on the

4:30

The Catalina Cherry Tree. The Fruit is for the Birds.

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/09/17

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 native

12:08

What is a Crisis Nursery?

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/09/10

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 of

25:00

Why You Want a Chipper/Shredder, and not a Rototiller.

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/08/27

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

33:51

Can You Grow Rhubarb in a Warm to Hot Climate? Yes!

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/08/20

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: start

11:06

Dealing with Fruit Tree Varmints

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/08/13

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 talking

9:17

Fruit Tree Pruning Steps

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/08/06

Today’s Newsletter Podcast features Ann Ralph, author of the book, “Grow a Little Fruit Tree”.Fruit Tree Pruning, Step by StepLast 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 Marini walked us

6:35

The Soil Texture Triangle

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/07/30

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 Freemason on

15:28

Why Are the Blackberries Turning White?

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/07/23

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 Farmer

18:41

How to Grow Cilantro in the Summer in Hot Climates

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/07/16

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

11:07

In search of a Heat-Tolerant Leafy Green Vegetable

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/07/09

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, leafy

39:22

Can Termites Live in Mulch?

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/07/02

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 at a

43:03

Helping Your Garden Cope with the Heat

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/06/25

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, and whole

45:10

A Tour of Debbie Flower's Garden

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/06/14

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 along

39:47

A Tour of Fred's Garden, with Debbie Flower

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/06/07

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. 340 -Q&A

9:55

When Should You Fertilize Your Plants?

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/05/31

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 are

12:12

Composting Kitchen Scraps, Both Indoors and in the...

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/05/24

Composting, Indoors and OutToday’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. But

11:31

Roly Polys, Sowbugs, Earwigs - Which One Is Guilty of...

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/05/17

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.”

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