PODCAST

Beyond the Garden Basics

Farmer Fred

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

leisure home & garden

All Episodes

5:46

Thin Crowded Fruit Now, For a Lot of Good Reasons

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/05/10

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,

9:04

Meet the Garden Beneficials, Pt. 2 (and Barn Owls!)

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/05/03

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

12:15

Meet the Garden Beneficials (and Bats, Too!)

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/04/26

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 -

8:30

2024 Tomato Preview

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2024/03/15

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 are

4:47

Small Trees for Small Yards. Medium-Sized Trees for...

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2023/11/03

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 YardsIn this era of "Big House, Small Yard", choosing the right size tree can not only enhance the beauty of your

18:00

How to Stake a New Tree

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2023/10/27

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

16:37

The Benefits of Lingering in the Garden

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2023/10/20

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 there

40:50

How Was Your Tomato Crop This Year?

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2023/10/13

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-red in

4:21

Planting Wildflowers or Cover Crops: Wait for Rain?...

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2023/10/06

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: USDA

28:24

Potato Planting Tips

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2023/09/29

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 TipsFrom 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 favorites

11:12

The "Fast Food" Garden: Microgreens & Baby Greens

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2023/09/22

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-grown

11:44

Fall Worm Bin Care and Feeding

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2023/09/15

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 the

23:56

What is Organic Gardening?

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2023/09/08

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

11:01

What's Stressing Your Dogwood Tree? It Could Be You.

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2023/09/01

A dogwood tree is easy to love: flowers in the spring, beautiful orange/pink/red fall leaf color; a small to medium height tree, perfect for a patio area.The University of Florida lists the dogwood tree’s strengths and weaknesses:“The state tree of Virginia, the flowering dogwood grows 20 to 30 feet tall and spreads 25 to 30 feet. It can be trained with one central trunk or as a picturesque multi-trunked tree. The flowers consist of four bracts which subtend the small head of yellow flowers. The

16:29

Tomatoes Not Ripening? Blame the Heat.

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2023/08/25

Back in July, we discussed “Six Common Tomato Problems.” Among those maladies were abiotic disorders (problems that are caused by factors such as weather, soils, chemicals, mechanical injuries, or cultural practices; and, not caused by insects or disease). Tomato abiotic disorders include blossom end rot, fruit cracking, leaf rolling, solar yellowing, sunburn, and tomato flower drop…all related to weather or watering issues. In that column, I mentioned we would tackle an annual tomato-related issue,

6:08

Japanese Maples vs. the Heat of Summer

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2023/08/18

If you own a Japanese maple tree, or pass by one on your daily strolls, check the leaves. Are they getting a little brown around the edges? Are the leaves beginning to fall off? Welcome to late August and early September, where the quadruple whammy of triple digit temperatures, hot dry winds, reflected heat from a nearby wall/concrete surface, or irregular watering can make many Japanese maples start to suffer. Note the location of those Japanese maple trees. Are they in full sun more than six or

11:31

More Hot Weather Garden Tips

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2023/08/11

In today’s Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter podcast (above), Debbie Flower and I tackle a question from Liz, who asks: “I just purchased from the local nursery, a lavender plant and also a sage. I'm sorry, I don't know the exact name. But they're common. The plants were in pots. Each plant is about one foot tall. I already planted them in the yard early yesterday morning. They were fine all day yesterday. Everything was moist, the soil was prepped. Today is 100 degree weather. They are not

22:08

Late Summer is the Time to Start the Fall Vegetable...

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2023/08/04

In today’s newsletter podcast (above), Don Shor of Redwood Barn Nursery in Davis explains why now is the best time to be planting your vegetables for autumn and winter (in milder areas of the country). For those of you who live in the West, the South, parts of the Midwest and mid-Atlantic states, (USDA Zones 7, 8, and 9) we get down to specifics in this audio episode on the best varieties of vegetables to grow during the cooler months of fall and winter: lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, cabbage,

12:26

Jalapenogate

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2023/07/28

In today’s newsletter podcast, Debbie Arrington of the publication, “Sacramento Digs Gardening”, discusses why jalapeño pepper as well as other pepper seeds and plants may have been mismarked this year. Read her original story on the topic here.Did you ever grow a plant that wasn’t what you thought it would be, due to a mismarked tag or a seed packet that was incorrectly packed? It happens every year, with varieties of annual or perennial ornamentals that do not produce the exact color flower that

11:14

Drooping Leaves vs Heatwaves

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2023/07/21

Record-breaking heat waves have pummeled the world, especially during the last two years. What’s a gardener to do?In today’s newsletter podcast (above), Master Gardener Quentyn Young walks us through the fruit tree orchard at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, discussing how a record heat wave adversely effected the trees and the fruit. Plus, he has tips for dealing with extended heat waves in the home orchard.Heatwaves vs. Drooping LeavesHere we go again. Another multi-day bout of triple digit

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