Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

What is the definition of an heirloom vegetable, such as an heirloom tomato? It depends who you ask. It’s kind of like the word “natural”: it has no legal definition.  "Heirloom vegetable" could mean: a) a plant that reproduces true from seed; b) it's an old variety; and/or c) it's a traditional family seed, passed down through the generations. And what exactly is a hybrid toma...

Question from listener Linda: " We have fusarium wilt in our garden. We are putting in raised beds in April. What kind of barrier should go in at the bottom of the beds to prevent the wilt getting into the raised bed?"  Fusarium wilt is a fungal disease that is widespread. Plants that contract it start getting yellowing leaves, and that's  usually followed by  the death of the entir...

Last Week, we gave you tips for starting your pepper plants from seed. Today, we have tips for starting your summertime tomatoes from seed. And now’s the time to begin,  Again, we get a little help from America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower. She has ingenious ways of determining if your old tomato seeds are still any good. She has advice on which media is best fo...

Joshua from Missouri asks: " We own chickens and are trying to become more self sufficient and sustaining. Instead of buying feed for them, is there a way to grow their whole diet in the garden? I've looked online, but the only nutrition info about a chicken's diet is mainly their protein percentage needed. What about all the other macro and micronutrients?  Is there a list of crops...

We are at the time of the year to start pepper seeds indoors. Pepper seeds, can be notoriously slow to germinate, sometimes taking up to three weeks. We have tips to speed up pepper seed germination, with a little help from America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower. Have you heard of coppicing? It’s a drastic pruning technique where some woody plants are cut back, cl...

Q&A Lawn Drainage Improvement Tips (00:25 of pod) Perennial Plant Pruning Information (16:01 of pod) Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net . Transcripts and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout . Pictured:   Lawn aerator and dethatcher Links: Subscribe to the free, Beyond the Gar...

Do you want a successful garden? Before planting, you need to do some planning. And if it’s a first garden, you need to do a lot of planning. It’s not overwhelming, but it is necessary for a productive garden of food and flowers. Today, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, and I offer tips for your first garden or a new garden. Tips that will save you a lot of...

Sacramento County Master Gardener and orchardist Quentyn Young answers a question from Missouri  about raising mason bees, an excellent garden pollinator (better than honeybees!). Mason Bee Basics, Pt. 1    0:23 Mason Bee Basics, Pt. 2  11:06 Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net . Transcript...

Garden experts agree: if you are an inexperienced gardener or a first time gardener, you’re best, confidence-building step is to plant easy to grow vegetables, flowers, and fruit. For those taking their first steps into growing fruit, especially for those with a limited space, perhaps just a patio area, it’s hard to beat container grown blueberries. Give them some basic needs, and you’ll have fres...

• Seed Starting Tips, including how to read seed packet instructions : 00:24 • The Hori Hori Knife; Oxalis and bittercress weed control tips: 19:06 • Want to Leave Us a Question? Here's How: 32:39 Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net . Transcripts and episode chapters also available at...

Quite often, when a new or curious gardener wants to know, “What should I plant in my garden?” One of my common responses is: “it’s hard to go wrong with All-America Selections Winners.”  The AAS  has been independently trialing and judging plants, across North America, since the 1930’s. The judges are experts in the field of horticulture, including seed and plant developers, arboretums, garden ce...

The Tuesday edition of the Garden Basics podcast is back, where we will answer garden questions each week. Today's question is from Meredith in Maryland: "Hi Farmer Fred!  I love your podcast and have learned so much. I wanted to see if you had a list of garden tools or products you like. I have a big birthday coming up so I want to get a wish list in order!   Thanks for your help."...

What are you planning on doing in the garden in 2024? The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has spoken to gardeners, growers and professional nurseries and landscapers throughout America to find out what’s on their to do list this year…or not to do. For example, quieter gardening is a trend. So is how leaves from your trees are being put to use. Among the popular plants for 2024: Fruit trees, hou...

Today, we present a double dose of the Debbies on the Garden Basics podcast. First, Master Rosarian Debbie Arrington has tips on what to look for when selecting those bare looking roses that are hitting the nurseries this winter. Some garden center them packaged in plastic wrap, some nurseries will pot up the bare rose plants in containers, and some nurseries with have plunged those bare root rose...

What were the most downloaded Garden Basics with Farmer Fred  podcast episodes of 2023? What were the most listened-to segments? Here are the Top 5 winners of 2023, chosen by you, the listeners. Topics include tomatoes (naturally), container gardening, plant arranging, and - the most listened-to topic of not just 2023, but the highest listenership of any episode in all four years of the Garden Bas...

1. The Top Homegrown Vegetables, pt. 2 (Begins at 1:49) 2. The 2023 Tomato Preview Show (14:02) 3. Soil Irrigation Basics (33:52) 4. Fall Garden Basics (51:23) 5. 11 Tips for Garden Success (1:14:17) Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and TRANSCRIPTS   at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net . Transcripts and episode chapters also available at...

Christmas Tree Care Tips, for both cut and living trees: at 1:36 of the podcast. Why are the Leaves on My Citrus Tree Turning Yellow?: 9:37 Why are My Citrus Fruit Splitting?  25:22 Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and TRANSCRIPTS   at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net . Transcripts and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout . Pictu...

Today, we are talking about New Plants for the 2024 garden year. How about a houseplant that you can eat? And better yet, it’s actually a small cucumber plant! Have you heard of the petchoa (Pet-Koa)? It’s a cross between a petunia and a calibrichoa, the plant you may know as Million Bells. The petchoa is a plant with large flowers and a tidy habit for baskets, planters, or gardens. Those and more...

The tasty fruits that we delve into today may not be familiar to you, especially if you live west of the Rocky Mountains. However, elsewhere in the country,  pawpaws and native persimmons are a taste treat. Master Gardener and international gardening expert Quentyn Young tells us about growing and pruning pawpaws and native persimmons throughout the United States. From Dave Wilson Nursery, Phil Pu...

Today we answer a listener’s question: can we reduce the height of an old, beloved backyard apple tree to a height where we can reach the fruit while standing on the ground? Yes, but it will take several growing seasons for it to return to production. America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower and myself talk about all the ways to reduce the height of an overgrown app...

 One listener writes in and asks, "What is boring the holes into my Fuji Apples?"  More than likely, it is the larvae of the codling moth, a pest that commonly attacks apples and pears. Unfortunately, codling moth is one of the more difficult to control garden pests. However, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticultural Professor, Debbie Flower is here, and we have tips on how to lim...

Today we take a look at two extremes of vexing garden problems around the world: the tiny, tiny nematodes that attach to plant roots, sucking the life out of them…and one you don’t need a microscope to see: deer. They both love your garden. At least with nematodes there are a few resistant plants. But when it comes to deer resistant plants, well, good luck. It depends how hungry those deer are. So...

What are the habits of successful gardeners? A couple of Master Gardeners from Santa Clara and San Joaquin Counties, in California pursued that question awhile back. They discovered several tips and tricks that seasoned, happy gardeners use for garden success. Today, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, and myself share their top ten habits of Successful and Ha...

Before the weather chases you back indoors, maybe it’s time you considered a greenhouse to continue your gardening year round: a greenhouse is perfect for starting seeds, maintaining tropical or semi tropical plants such as citrus or orchids, a place to keep your  potted plants alive and well in the winter, or growing vegetables year round. We talk with Mark Seibert of Sturdi-Built greenhouses in...

In many parts of the country, it’s garlic planting time. Debbie Flower and I talk about many aspects of growing backyard garlic. (at 1:25 of podcast) Plus we talk with fruit tree expert Phil Pursel about growing and harvesting persimmons in the fall. (16:26) And Master Gardener Kathy Morrison  has fall recipes made from your cool season backyard crops, especially apples. (26:40) We’re podcasting f...