Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

GB 213 Garden Earwig Control. Summer Fruit Pruning. Earwigs. They’re a garden problem, coast to coast. How do you control these pests that can take down young plants overnight? America’s favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, has some tips. And, we talk with a fruit tree expert about the benefits of pruning your stone fruit trees this month. We’re podcasting from Barking D...

Today, we pay a return visit to the blackberry, raspberry and boysenberry growing grounds of Sacramento County Master Gardener Pam Bone, to find out what are the problems hitting gardeners’ caneberry plantings this summer. Turns out, there’s plenty of issues, both pests and diseases. Fortunately, there are a lot of easy to implement controls. Today, we’re talking about solving your summer berry pa...

Spider Mites. Fireblight. Spider Mites. Fireblight. Try saying that rapidly three times. These are two widespread pests of a wide variety of edible and ornamental plants this time of year. How do you identify them? How do you control them? We go in search of answers with America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower. We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios in the beaut...

Yes, it is the second week of July, but it’s not too late to plant tomatoes, especially early maturing varieties in large containers. America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, has the mid-summer tomato planting tips. And mid-July is not too early to think about getting ready for your fall garden. Maybe try something different this year, something that could spend th...

Welcome to summer, where we all look a little ragged in the hot afternoon. And your new plants may look a little droopy, too. But before you add water, listen to what our favorite retired college horticultural professor, Debbie Flower, has to say. One listener asked, why don’t I have any oranges on my citrus trees? There are many possible reasons. On a hot day, who doesn’t like to stand under a mi...

This is the time of year when you may be wandering in your garden and your drawn to some funny looking aspects of your tomato plants. What is that brown leathery spot on the bottom of that tomato? What are all those cracks along the top of the tomato? What is that white spot on the side of the tomato? Why are the leaves curling? All of those are abiotic disorders of the plant. You can’t attribute...

Ticks. They’re bad enough when you’re taking a stroll in the country. They’re worse when they’re near your garden. What can you do to thwart ticks? We have tips. It’s summer, and both you and your plants are wilting in the heat, especially when it’s approaching triple digit temperatures day after day after day. Here’s what you can do to help your plants. Nectarines are a tasty home grown fruit, bu...

We’ve told you about the benefits of adding worm castings to your garden soil. And we’ve also told you about the limited lifespan of bagged worm castings. Maybe you ought to become your own worm farmer to harvest the freshest worm castings. It’s called vermicomposting. It’s a great way to recycle your leftover fruits and vegetables while creating a product that will add life to your soil.  It’s wo...

Want to grow fruit trees? But the only area you have is a sunny, narrow side yard? Not a problem, if you trellis those fruit trees. Today, Master Gardener Quentin Young walks us through step by step construction of a trellis for fruit trees, along with the best varieties of fruit trees that are easy to trellis. America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, tells us abou...

If you been in a supermarket lately, you may still be in sticker shock at the higher prices for basic commodities. One of those has almost tripled in price over the last few months: eggs. As a result, maybe you’re thinking about getting a hen or two or more for your backyard to satisfy your egg eating habits. But before you head to the feed store to start your little chicken and egg enterprise, gi...

Right now, in Mid-June, is still an excellent time to be planting tomatoes from transplants. It’s not too late, even for those of you in colder climates where frosts may occur in September. You just have to choose your tomato varieties a bit more carefully. We have the ones that will work for you, as well as tomato varieties for June planting for everyone in warmer climates. What can you do with t...

Currently, 40% of the United States is dealing with moderate to extreme drought conditions. New outdoor watering restrictions are popping up throughout the west, southwest, intermountain regions, midwest, and the southeast. Can your garden survive with less water? Yes. In fact, if you irrigate and mulch correctly, your garden could even thrive on less water. Today we’re talking about tips and myth...

Welcome to Garden Basics Greatest Hits, Volume 2.  This episode features the Top 7 most listened to segments of the last 100 episodes, from Episode 100 to  Episode199, as determined by you, the listeners, my garden-loving friends. Topics include  tomatoes (of course), berries, garden design, composting, soils, and the benefits of mulch.  Time flies when you’re having fun, and we are having a blast...

Tulip growing is easy, in cold climates. In warmer climates, getting tulips to rebloom year after year is a challenge. Today, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, has tips for warm climate tulip growers to get those gorgeous bulbs to rebloom. And, she has advice for ALL tulip growers about the steps to take to make sure your bulbs remain at maximum strength, wh...

Just because your houseplants might look OK, are they really thriving? Do you know how to water and fertilize houseplants correctly? We talk with the author of the book, Houseplant Warrior, Rafaele DiLallo, about the best ways to feed and hydrate your indoor plants. Also, he has several tips for determining if your houseplants need a drink of water. And the best part of that, is, you don’t need to...

We’ve had a lot of segments on this podcast lately about roses. The best ones for long lasting cut flowers. Controlling weeds around roses. Even the best tasting roses. But we haven’t answered one of the most obvious rose questions, until today: what are the most fragrant roses. Master Rosarian Charlotte Owendyk has a list of her Top 10 favorite fragrant roses. One question that has reappeared yea...

You’re familiar with compost. But, what do you know about compost tea? Your plants might appreciate the microbial boost provided by compost tea. Please note that I did not say, "nutritional boost". There’s a lot of opinion and unverified personal experience associated with the compost tea knowledge base, but not that much about it has had a lot of peer-reviewed research, including its al...

You’ve heard of the benefits of adding compost to your garden soil. You may even have a backyard compost pile. Or a compost tumbler. Or, a bin full of worms who are making compost out of your garden scraps. But what about the new indoor composting machines that are on the market? Today, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, and I answer one listener’s questions...

Roses are beginning to put on a show throughout most of rose-growing country, especially USDA Zones six through 10. What are the best roses to grow that not only look nice in the garden, but do especially well as cut flowers in the house? What are the roses that have outstanding shape and color, but also can last a long time in a vase, and aren’t a hassle when it comes to dealing with their prickl...

We’ve reached that point in the gardening year where people have more plants than space in the garden.  So, out come the pots that have been sitting behind the garage! Which brings up a perennially popular question: can you reuse old potting soil successfully? America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, says, yes, you can…if you take certain precautions. She has tips...

If you’re in the habit of buying bags of worm castings for your garden, don’t delay putting them in your soil. They have a limited shelf life. And a lot can go wrong if you wait too long. America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, has tips for using bagged worm castings. Did you know, you can grow roses from seed? A Master Rosarian tells us how to do it. We’re podcas...

May is tomato planting month for most of the nation. Maybe you’ve had problems growing tomatoes in the past, or maybe you’re fairly new at planting, raising and harvesting America’s favorite backyard vegetable. Don Shor of Redwood Barn Nursery in Davis, California, a true tomato-head, has a list of the easiest tomatoes to grow, along with good advice to make sure that they prosper in your garden,...

Ahh, yes….Springtime….when the prevailing question among some backyard tomato growers is: should I prune off the first tomato flowers I see in order to get more tomatoes later on? The answer is either "no!",  "mmm...it depends", or, "perhaps". Master Gardener Gail Pothour will tell us why that answer is, "it depends". I still say no! Also, we talk with garde...

Who in their right mind would plant bamboo, close to a house, as a privacy screen? Bamboo, which after a few years, could become an impenetrable jungle, spreading in every direction! Well, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, planted bamboo as a privacy screen, six feet away from her house. How is she going to control this rambunctious runner of a plant? Ingeni...

I can tell what season it is by the tomato questions I get. In fall, it’s "Can I get these green tomatoes to ripen?" In Winter, the question is, “Is It Too Soon To Plant Tomatoes?” In Spring, it’s, "Should I prune those first tomato flowers off?" And in Summer, it’s the frantic tomato grower who asks, “What’s wrong with my tomatoes? They're turning brown and wrinkly on the...