Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

You’ve heard on this podcast many times the benefits of using worm castings, which some people consider the best soil amendment. Just listen to Episode 107 about that. But maybe you’ve seen the price of worm castings at the nursery, and your hesitant. How about growing your own worm castings? Today, we find out how to set up your own worm bin to harvest the freshest worm castings possible. Plus, w...

We have a listener named Cindy. Cindy doesn’t like aphids. Cindy HATES aphids. If you’re a gardener, too, you probably aren’t very fond of this plant sucking insect, either. We have aphid control tips today. Also, it’s cool season vegetable planting time, we have a list of coast to coast winners for your garden. And, the Plant of the Week. It’s everywhere this time of year, for a good reason: they...

There is one four-legged pest that ravages gardens and orchards throughout the West, the mid-West and the South: Pocket gophers. So named for the furry pouches outside its mouth that can store food, pocket gophers can destroy the bark and roots of annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs from its underground tunnel systems. Today, we talk with a gopher control expert on which tactics work, and which...

We all know someone who complains that they have killed every houseplant they have ever owned. Today, we talk with a houseplant professional who has a list of five nearly impossible to kill houseplants!  We’ve talked about the benefits of using chipped and shredded tree limbs as mulch. Are there any tree varieties that you should avoid?  College horticulture professor Debbie Flower has the tips. A...

Many gardeners in the western United States are breathing in wildfire smoke. So are your plants. What does smoke and falling ash do to the health of a plant? And what can you do about it? And, oddly enough, there are some benefits to that pollution. For Eastern and Midwestern gardeners, now’s the time to plan for protecting your young, fruit producing trees and shrubs this fall and winter. We&apos...

Rachel in Indiana contacted us via  Speakpipe with a question that many gardeners might have: How do you control Japanese beetles? This voracious pest feeds of hundreds of  plants, especially your roses. We talk with a Master Rosarian who has control tips. The Plant of the Week has the rather gruesome name, the Oxblood Lily. Yet, it is a beautiful and widely adaptable bulb that’s starting to put o...

I love late August, because the backyard food garden is at its peak. Everywhere,  there’s tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, peaches, melons and so much more that fill the garden beds. Perhaps too much? We have a great idea on what to do with all that produce that you can’t keep up with. Also, we hear from a gardener in Oregon who wants to know: "Why aren’t my vegetables growing? The plants look he...

It’s grape harvest season across the country. Disappointed with your results? This week, College Horticulture Professor (retired) Debbie Flower, who taught classes in growing grapes, has lots of good tips to increase your grape production. Carrots now come in a wide variety of colors and sizes. We talk with Renee Shepherd of Renee’s Garden seed company about growing backyard carrots. And Warren Ro...

How are you fertilizing your plants? Do you go out every month, or every week, with a watering can, fertilizer and a teaspoon? Or, are you tossing granules on the ground around your plants and then raking them gently into the soil, without harming your plants, of course, and then watering in those fertilizer granules? Time consuming! Want some time back to do something else? Then, today’s podcast...

There are a lot of great cool season vegetables that you can start right now. For those of you who worry about a mid-Fall frost or freeze grinding your garden to a halt, or for those of you who just want to grow vegetables in a hurry, today’s show features a selection of healthy edibles that will give you a harvestable crop in under 60 days. Growing vegetables in containers? The size of that pot i...

Thinking of gardening a bit differently, using bales of straw? Straw bales have several gardening advantages, including working in your garden while standing up. Straw bales can be located wherever you have a sunny spot for sun-loving vegetables, and they can last… if you follow a few important steps.  Also: have you heard about the Yezberry? It looks like an elongated blueberry and combines the f...

How’s your tomato garden doing? Now that it’s summer, most of the early season tomato issues are waning: fewer aphids and whiteflies (we hope) and less blossom end rot. In its place are a wide variety of other tomato troubles that eminate from our longer, hotter days. We do some summertime tomato troubleshooting today. Also, we answer a listener’s concern about crop rotation in a mixed planting of...

One day, you might be doing a little digging in your garden, and up comes a worm. But it’s not just any worm. This one is easily identified by its violent thrashing about, slithering, and actual jumping in the air. Say hello to the Jumping Worm, also known as the Crazy Worm. And it’s not a garden good guy. The jumping worm is a pest with a voracious appetite for all the things that helps your soil...

Growing lavender? Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, has tips on how to rejuvenate aging lavender plants. UC Davis Arboretum Superintendent Emeritus Warren Roberts tells us all about that prolific summer bloomer, the crape myrtle tree. How can you tell when is best for harvesting backyard fruits and vegetables? And, when you bring them inside, where’s the best plac...

Mulching your garden beds provides many benefits: it moderates moisture loss and soil temperature fluctuations; it inhibits weed production; and fertilization chores are reduced because mulch feeds the soil as it breaks down. The hard part, of course, has been spreading that mulch throughout your garden on a regular basis. Today we talk with a noted international garden expert on easing your mulch...

Summer heat can cause many plants’ leaves to droop on a hot afternoon. Does this pose a particular problem for cucumbers? Will that stress effect the cucumber flavor? Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, has the answers to your cucumber questions.  UC Davis Arboretum Superintendent Emeritus Warren Roberts tells us all about how to grow dahlias.  And if you want a gre...

Maybe you’ve had some bad luck with your summer vegetable garden, and you want to start over. Is late July too late for warm season veggies? Yes, and no. We have tips for what to plant in the middle of the summer. One reason a garden might be failing now, and it’s the top reason: improper irrigation. We have advice for watering smartly to keep your garden thriving. Thinking ahead, what are you goi...

We’ve talked about the importance of rotating your food crops. The same is true for much of the rest of your landscape. How’s that? Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, will explain. During July, we are giving away Smart Pots when listeners submit audio questions. If we use it on the podcast, you will be getting a new, six foot long, Smart Pot raised bed fabric plant...

Trees are subject to many problems, including insects, diseases, weather-related issues…but probably the biggest threat to the trees in your yard…is you. From the day you plant that tree until its demise, you may not be helping it live a healthy life in so many ways. Master Gardener and Urban Forester Pam Bone talks about how a tree works, and what we can do to keep it healthy by knowing how your...

During July, we are giving away Smart Pots when  listeners’ submit audio questions. If we use it on the podcast, you will be getting a new, six foot long Smart Pot raised bed fabric planter! Just like Eyal from the San Francisco Bay Area, who is wondering why his passion fruit flowers fell off. We’ll dive into the world of passion fruit today. The Plant of the Week is a tree with outstanding summe...

We do a deep dive into your garden questions on this episode. We attempt to identify a giant wasp in a listener’s yard.  A mysterious, underground white fungus has another listener perplexed.  And we help out people who want to attract beneficial insects and pollinators to their garden. It’s all on episode 118 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots.  And...

Today we find out more details about using a certain fabric plant container in your garden. Of course, it’s Smart Pots , which is no ordinary fabric container. Did you know they come in a wide variety of sizes and can stay much cooler in the summer heat versus other plant containers? And we will find out why Smart Pots are perfect for the organic gardener.  The Plant of the Week is something a lit...

Facing watering restrictions during this drought? We have great tips on how to be able to apply less water to your fruit trees and still have a bountiful harvest! Yes, you can grow citrus trees in containers successfully, if you treat them right. That includes choosing the right container, the right soil and the right fertilizer. Plus, a few other nifty ideas for citrus success in containers. We’r...

Summertime, and the living is uneasy…if you live in an area prone to wildfires. And it’s not just California. People throughout the United States who are living in rural areas or where the suburbs meet the wildland face danger from rapidly moving wildfires. Today, we’re talking how to prepare your landscape for such an event. It’s called firescaping, and we will talk with one of the nation’s preem...

Crop rotation isn’t just for farmers. Backyard gardeners can improve their food and flower production while improving their soil at the same time, simply by moving plant families from bed to bed each season. College horticulture professor Debbie Flower has the lowdown on the advantages of crop rotation. If your clay soil has you worried that it’s not very good for a garden, worry no more. Soils sp...