PODCAST

Beyond the Garden Basics

Farmer Fred

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

leisure home & garden

All Episodes

59:04

The 2026 Tomato Preview Show!

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2026/04/10

If we sound excited, we are! It’s getting close to tomato planting time! In this week’s podcast and newsletter, Don Shor of Redwood Barn Nursery in Davis, CA and I discuss this year’s unusual weather, emphasizing the importance of proper soil temperature and patience when planting. Don shares insights on different tomato varieties, explaining determinate, indeterminate, and heirloom types, alongside effective watering and mulching techniques for possible drought conditions. We offer tips for new

24:36

Growing Citrus Trees in a Non-Citrus Environment

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2026/04/03

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.comFarmer Fred interviews horticulturist and commercial citrus grower Lance Walheim about the history and cultivation of citrus fruits, covering varieties, growing tips, pest challenges, and the joys of homegrown citrus.

38:54

Tips For Growing Blackberries

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2026/03/27

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.comIf you’re looking for a superfood to grow, it’s hard to beat blackberries. They can be grown in just about every state in the United States. They’re highly adaptable, and they thrive in USDA zones from 4 all the way up through 10. Here in California, in USDA zone 9, they do quite well. They grow nearly anywhere that has enough sun.Today, we talk with Master Gardener and berry expert Jeff Smoker, who has tips for

11:43

How Safe is Rain Barrel Water? When to Plant Warm...

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2026/03/20

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.com We talk about water safety and rain barrels with Sacramento County Master Gardener and vegetable expert Gail Pothour who swears up and down on her stack of Ruth Stout gardening books that she would NEVER drink water from a rain barrel…nor would she water her edible plants with it.What’s a gardener to do?

30:17

The Preserver's Garden

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2026/03/13

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.comIn this podcast episode, I speak with Staci and Jeremy Hill, authors of "The Preserver's Garden," at their 11-acre farm Gooseberry Bridge in the Ozark Mountains. We explore their transition from urban life to sustainable farming, emphasizing self-sufficiency and healthy eating through preserving homegrown food.

10:19

What is Backyard Orchard Culture?

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2026/02/27

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.comWhat is Backyard Orchard Culture? According to Dave Wilson Nursery, the goal of Backyard Orchard Culture is the prolonged harvest of tree-ripe fruit from a small space. This means planting close together several fruit varieties that ripen at different times and keeping the trees small by summer pruning.According to today’s podcast guest, Ed Laivo, the backyard garden is not a place for a commercial orchard, where

7:14

Stock Tank Gardening

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2026/02/20

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.comSome passersby or visitors might think you have a yard full of shiny coffins in your front or backyard. OK, using large steel cattle watering troughs as gardening containers might not appeal to those who heed form and design before function. But that staple of rural areas for supplying water to horses, cattle, and sheep is also damn practical for the gardener looking to remain more upright while working with food

10:50

All About Grapes

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2026/02/06

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.comToday’s podcast here on Beyond the Garden Basics is all about grapes. We have two interviews with two Sacramento County UC Master Gardeners, who specialize in grape selection, planting, trellising, feeding, watering, protecting, and harvesting both wine grapes and table grapes. You’re going to discover the best disease and heat resistant varieties, the best tasting grape varieties, and detailed information about

18:13

First Food Garden? New Garden? We Have Tips.

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2026/01/30

Please share this with any of your friends or family embarking into the exciting world of backyard gardening, especially starting a food garden!America’s Favorite Retired College Horticultural Professor, Debbie Flower, and I explored these “lessons learned the hard way” (aka “Garden Wisdom”) back in 2022. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gardenbasics.substack.com/subscribe

17:46

All About Blueberries

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2026/01/23

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.comBlueberries Grow Well in ContainersAt our former residence, the blueberry harvest from our six plants was outstanding; there was plenty for us, as well as the birds (note: add netting). The six southern highbush varieties that we planted there included Sharp Blue, Jubilee, South Moon, Blue Ray, Sunshine Blue and Misty. That was about 10 years ago.

26:19

New Roses for 2026

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2026/01/16

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.comIn today’s newsletter podcast, Master Rosarian Debbie Arrington waxes rhapsodic about the new rose varieties that will be at nurseries in 2026. In USDA Zone 9, those roses may already be available locally. If not, they’re usually available from rose catalogs. For paid subscribers, Debbie talks about 12 new rose varieties (it’s 6 varieties for free subscribers). Paid subscribers also have access here to the

5:58

How to Protect Your Fruit Trees When a Frost or...

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2026/01/12

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.comWe are entering the shivering season for the Central Valley, Bay Area and low foothills of California, along with other mild winter states, especially those that grow citrus. Late November through mid-February is the most critical time here for protecting frost-susceptible plants.This is especially true for citrus tree owners, who are anxiously keeping an eye out on the upcoming weather f…

9:37

Onions Can Bring Tears to Your Eyes...

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2026/01/09

Growing onions can be confusing and try your patience, as listening to the above podcast will demonstrate. As our resident vegetable expert, Master Gardener Gail Pothour, knows first hand, growing green onions is a snap. But bulbing onions? Gail has more or less given up on trying to grow bulbing onions.If you listened to the podcast before you started reading this, it should be pointed out that the bulbing onion trial conducted at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center more than 10 years ago that Gail

8:45

Tool Care Tips for Rainy Days (or Any Day)

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2026/01/05

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.comIf you spend good money on good-quality hand pruners that have replaceable parts, they can last for decades IF you take care of them: cleaning, oiling, and sharpening after every use. My Felco #2 hand pruners have been alive, well, and cutting since the 1990’s.So, how do you sharpen the blades of pruning tools? Sacramento County Master Gardener Bill Black offers step by step instructions in today’s newsletter

46:51

January is Seed Starting Time For Many Vegetables...

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2026/01/02

(Note: this post was sent early this morning, but only a few people received it. I’m not sure what the problem is at Substack, but I’m sending it again. Hope you get to read and listen to it!)Don’t give up on certain seed varieties that seem to really take their time, germinating and growing indoors. Among the warm season vegetables that are frustratingly slow to germinate are onions, peppers, parsley, basil, and dill. To make the wait even more maddening, it can take 8 to 12 weeks for certain

46:51

January is Seed Starting Time For Many Vegetables

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2026/01/02

Don’t give up on certain seed varieties that seem to really take their time, germinating and growing indoors. Among the warm season vegetables that are frustratingly slow to germinate are onions, peppers, parsley, basil, and dill. To make the wait even more maddening, it can take 8 to 12 weeks for certain vegetables to grow before they can be transplanted in the garden, including onions, parsley, eggplant and celery. Add to that the seeds of flowering plants that take awhile (8 to 12 weeks, or more)

4:53

Winter Garden Cleanup Tips

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2025/12/22

If you think mulch is beautiful, too, become a subscriber! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gardenbasics.substack.com/subscribe

17:45

How to Plant a Fruit Tree

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2025/12/19

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.comIt seemed like a simple enough garden question to answer. The writer of the email, Steve, said: “I have never cared for a young peach tree or any other variety so I don’t know what to do since I got it in the ground. Now what?” Steve included a picture of the tree, which you can see here.America’s favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, and I ended up having more questions and comments

18:50

2025 Tomato Review Show...And More!

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2025/12/12

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.comHoliday Special! For the rest of December 2025, get an annual subscription to the Beyond the Garden Basics newsletter and podcast for 40% off the regular price. Just $30 a year!In this episode, Farmer Fred connects with Don Shor of Redwood Barn Nursery to reflect on the 2025 tomato growing season, sharing their experiences and insights while evaluating the performance of various tomato varieties. Farmer Fred ranks

6:52

Cut Christmas Tree Care Tips

Beyond the Garden Basics ·

2025/12/08

Thanks for reading Beyond The Garden Basics! This post is public so feel free to share it.Visiting a choose-and-cut Christmas tree farm or any of the corner lots or nurseries filled with already chopped cedars, pines and firs this weekend, in search of the perfect holiday tree? Here are some tips from the Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Departments of Horticulture and Forestry to keep your December living room centerpiece intact through the holidays:• You may cringe at this first

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