Beyond the Garden Basics

In today’s “Beyond the Garden Basics” podcast, we talk with Douglas Kent, author of “Firescaping: Protecting Your Home with A Fire-Resistant Landscape”. He has a slightly different view of thwarting home and yard damage for residents of the urban-wildland interface, who are increasingly keeping a wary eye - and nose - in the air for smoke and flames.

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

Previous episodes of the podcast, 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.

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

I read an intriguing garden column (many years ago) in the Redding, CA newspaper that suggested one way to get tomatoes to ripen outdoors in Autumn. It said: "A rule of thumb is, in the fall, take off all leaves and stems and all fruit that will not have time to develop before frost. You'll end up with skeletal vines and bare fruit, which is exactly what you want, since now all the plant's energy will go into ripening that fruit."That might work in the mild climate areas of southern California or south Florida, but here in Northern California (and Redding is in far Northern California), you're asking for a quicker end to tomato season if you do that. November temperatures will typically dip down into the 40's here; in late November, nighttime lows in the 30's are quite likely here. When nighttime temperatures are in the 40's and below, fruit development slows to a crawl and causes other problematic issues.  Even here in the milder USDA Zone 9 Sacramento region, harvesting red tomatoes in mid-November is an iffy proposition, at best. The typical Sacramento gardener Thanksgiving trick: harvest the remaining tomatoes the day before. Immediately cut off the damaged, ugly portions. Serve the miniscule, pretty remains to Thursday's dinner guests, chopped and mixed into a salad. "Why yes, we can harvest tomatoes on Thanksgiving!" Please don't ask to see the whole tomatoes, though. You might lose your appetite.

As the fall weather finally begins to turn cooler, gardeners are faced with this annual dilemma: will those green tomatoes in the garden ripen before temperatures start plummeting into the low 30’s? Depending upon where you are located, that question might start occurring to you in September, in the colder regions of the U.S. In many areas of California and other USDA Zone 9 climates, and perhaps parts of Zone 8, fresh garden tomatoes remain edible until late October or early November. They may not be pretty...but they are still a heckuva lot tastier than any tomato you'll find in a grocery store. By mid-November, remaining tomatoes are subject to harsher, colder, wetter weather leading to more outbreaks of blight diseases, insect infestations and bird pecking.

Are you tempted to harvest those green tomatoes, now, hoping they'll ripen up indoors? Here are a few tips.From the horticulture department at Texas A and M:

How do you tell when a green tomato, harvested early to prevent freeze damage, will ever turn red and ripen? This can simply be done with a sharp kitchen knife. Harvest a tomato typical of the majority of green tomatoes on your plants. Look at size but pay particular attention to fruit color. Slice through the center of the tomato. Closely examine the seed within the fruit. If the seeds are covered with a clear gel which cause them to move away from the knife, then that fruit will eventually turn red and ripen. If the seeds are cut by the knife then those fruit will never properly ripen. Compare the color and size of the tested fruit when harvesting tomatoes on your plants. Most similar fruit will eventually ripen and turn red.From Colorado State University:Cooler September temperatures help fruit to ripen because the red tomato pigments, lycopene and carotene, are not produced above 85 degrees F; nor is lycopene below 50 degrees F.As late September approaches, gardeners often try to extend the life of their plants by covering with cloth or plastic. Covering plants works well for nearly red tomatoes, but not as well for mature green ones. Though foliage may sometimes be saved, research shows that chilling injury on green fruit occurs at temperatures of 50 degrees and decay losses rise markedly on fruit exposed to 40 degrees F. Red ones well on their way to ripening tolerate colder temperatures.Before frost hits and plants go down, pick and bring fruit indoors to ripen. Clip fruit with a very short stem piece left on but one that’s not long enough to punch holes in other tomatoes. Stems ripped out of fruit will open them to decay. 

Eliminate (immature) green fruit, as research shows it’s more likely to spoil than ripen and never develops the flavor consumers want anyway. Mature green fruit will develop good flavor. Mature green tomatoes are well sized and have turned light green to white. If cut open, seeds are encased in gel and no empty cavity space is present.

In addition to mature green, sort and store fruit by these groups as they will ripen at similar speeds. Fruit may be "turning" with a tinge of pink color showing, "pink" with 30 to 60 percent color showing, "light red" with 60 to 90 percent color present, and others "fully red" but not soft.

Store mature green tomatoes at 55 to 70 degrees F. Once fruit is fully ripe, it can be stored at 45 to 50 degrees F with a relative humidity of 90 – 95%. 

Recommended refrigerator operating temperatures of 40 degrees are certainly too cool to ripen mature green tomatoes and are colder than desired for ripe ones. Ripening enzymes are destroyed by cold temperatures whether in the garden or in a refrigerator. Ripen tomatoes in well-ventilated, open cardboard boxes at room temperature checking them every few days to eliminate those that may have spoiled. Mature green tomatoes will ripen in 14 days at 70 degrees F and 28 days at 55 degrees F. 

The tomato heads at UC Davis recommend storing a small amount of green tomatoes in a carton box on fiber trays or paper layers.

One way to add some air circulation to the bottom, especially in warm conditions: store the tomatoes in a fruit box that contains a perforated plastic liner.Hobby farmer Linsey Knerl offers these ideas for saving green tomatoes:

Get a rope. By pulling up your plants (root and all, if possible) and hanging them right-side up in a garage or basement, you can prolong their time on the vine for a few more weeks. Just string up some clothesline or heavy rope across one wall, and clip the tops of the plant to the rope with clothespins or binder clips. Try to avoid too much sunlight, or your tomatoes will spoil or ripen unevenly. A temperature of 60-72 degrees is ideal. Go the paper route. My grandma used this trick to ripen up green ones over a period of a week or two. Pick only the green tomatoes without cracks, holes, or blight, wrap them individually in newspaper, and place them in a single layer in the bottom of a wooden crate or basket.

Save the plant, or take cuttings.

Depending on your latitude, this may require some alternative sources of bright light. For everyone, propagating a tomato cutting or saving the plant can benefit from adding bottom heat by using a propagation mat. Cuttings or plants should be placed in a room or greenhouse where the temperature stays above 50 degrees, ideally between 60 and 70 degrees.

Saving an entire tomato plant takes some forethought. Planting them originally in a container can ease the process. Using a container that lessens the chances of that plant getting overgrown with encircling roots is ideal. Click on the Smart Pots info page about how Smart Pots fabric containers “air-prune” plant roots to keep them from choking your plant. Yes, that is a blatant plug for one of my sponsors…but it works!

When you’re ready to move the plant indoors or to a greenhouse in a sunny location, think about the obstacles that lie ahead (other than lugging a plant indoors). Dig around the soil, looking for ant colonies or insect/tomato worm eggs/pupae. If you find them, I would advise against saving that plant. You may have an ongoing battle with ants, aphids, whiteflies and tomato worms. Indoors! Don’t worry about trying to save any existing tomatoes on the plant. You won’t. That’s a lot of stress on a plant. The existing fruit and flowers will probably fall off or not ripen very quickly. Before your move the tomato plant, cut back the entire plant so that it’s only about 12 inches tall. Thoroughly clean off the remaining leaves and stems with a good blast of water. You may want to invest in a package of yellow sticky traps to monitor for whitefly infestations, especially.

If you are still keen about growing a tomato plant indoors in the winter, read this post from the Farmer Fred Rant blog page that goes into the best varieties to grow indoors during the winter. Oh, and one other thing: the taste of winter-grown tomatoes is just one notch above supermarket quality. It’s nowhere near that delicious, juicy, aromatic tomato that grows in your garden in the summer.

Now that I have discouraged you from lugging insect-laden plants into your home, how about…

How to take tomato cuttings:

1. Using four-inch pots, fill with a dampened, commercial potting soil, preferably a seed starting mix. Your backyard soil is too iffy, because of possible pathogens and poor drainage.

2. Using your finger, a dibble or a round pencil, make a hole in the dampened soil, a few inches deep.

3. Take 5-7 inch-long cuttings from the tips of the tomato plants. Make the cut just below a side branch. Take off any flowers or juvenile fruit as well as the bottom leaves. That cutting only needs the two top leaves.

4. Drop the cuttings into the hole in the soil and gently press the soil around the cuttings, burying at least two of the side branch cuts.

5. For these new cuttings, direct sun should be avoided until you see new growth. Again, bottom heat and a room where the temperatures are at least 50 degrees. Temperatures between 60-70 degrees can speed up the process.

6. Don’t let the soil dry out, but make sure there is a place for the water to drain out from the container. A ribbed, plastic plant tray below the pots is ideal.

7. When you see new growth (in a week or two), you can slowly increase the light. After a couple of weeks, 12 to 14 hours of direct light will help.

8. Transplant into the garden when soil temperatures are above 50 degrees. Using a hot cap or Walls of Water initially after transplanting can help them adapt to their new outdoor home in early spring.

===============And you can always cook green tomatoes, such as with this recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes from allrecipes.com :        4 large green tomatoes        2 eggs        1/2 cup milk        1 cup all-purpose flour        1/2 cup cornmeal        1/2 cup bread crumbs        2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt        1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper        1 quart vegetable oil for frying           1.    Slice tomatoes 1/2 inch thick. Discard the ends.    2.    Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium-size bowl. Scoop flour onto a plate. Mix cornmeal, bread crumbs and salt and pepper on another plate. Dip tomatoes into flour to coat. Then dip the tomatoes into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs to completely coat.    3.    In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil (enough so that there is 1/2 inch of oil in the pan) and heat over a medium heat. Place tomatoes into the frying pan in batches of 4 or 5, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes, they should not touch each other. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. Drain them on paper towels.FOR A HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVE...(and you knew this was coming) try this vegan green tomato recipe from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen Blog:Oven-Fried Green TomatoesIngredients1/2 cup water1 1/2 teaspoon ground flax seed1/2 cup cornmeal1/4 cup quinoa flour (or other flour)1 teaspoon cornstarch (or other starch)1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground1/2 teaspoon salt4 large green tomatoesInstructionsPreheat oven to 425. Spray a baking sheet lightly with canola oil or non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.Combine the water and ground flax seeds in a blender and blend at high speed for 30 seconds. Pour into a wide, shallow bowl and allow to sit for a few minutes to thicken slightly.In another wide bowl or plate, combine remaining ingredients (except tomatoes). Cut tomatoes into slices about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Submerge a tomato slice in the flax-water, allow excess to drip off, and place slice into cornmeal mixture. Press lightly to make sure that bottom of slice is covered with cornmeal and turn to coat other side. Place on prepared baking sheet.When all tomato slices are coated, bake for 15 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown. Turn and bake another 15 minutes to brown other side. Remove from oven and serve immediately.Preparation time: 25 minute(s) | Cooking time: 30 minute(s)Number of servings (yield): 6Nutrition (per serving): 94 calories, 12 calories from fat, 1.4g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 214.6mg sodium, 287.3mg potassium, 18.7g carbohydrates, 2.8g fiber, 5.1g sugar, 3.2g protein.

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Publication of the “Beyond the Garden Basics” newsletter will be taking a break for awhile. Thanks for reading…and listening.

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Thank you for also listening to the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast! It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. Please share it with your garden friends.

Fred Hoffman is also a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in Sacramento County. And he likes to ride his bike(s).

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

Mid-October is usually the time here in Northern California to harvest two of my favorite backyard crops: popcorn and persimmons. But what if the roof rats beat you to the harvest? Today - roof rat control tips!

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

If you listened to the full interview with avocado grower/Master Gardener Greg Alder in Ep. 360 of the Garden Basics podcast, you got a good fundamental education on growing backyard avocados. We covered such topics as:

* Growing Conditions for Avocados

* Fertilization Tips

* The importance of watering avocado trees

* The Role of Mulch

* Soil Testing for Success

* Cold Tolerant Avocado Varieties

* The Flavor Profile of Avocado varieties

* Top Avocado Varieties to Grow

* Understanding Avocado Pollination

* The “Single Tree” productivity of avocado trees

* Growing Avocados in Different USDA Zones

* Avocado Growing across the U.S.

* Managing Greenhouse Conditions for Avocado Trees

Again, go back and listen to the original interview in the Garden Basics podcast, Episode 360.

The part of our chat with Greg Alder that intrigued me the most, though, was our brief discussion of the flavors of various avocado varieties. It is that part that is excerpted above, at the top of the newsletter. After all, why plant something you wouldn’t be thrilled to eat? His choices for the best tasting avocados included the Hass, Gwen, Sharwil, Reed, GEM, and Fuerte.

The newsletter podcast includes the ravings of another fruit-oriented lunatic, Ed Laivo, who has spent most of his adult life talking about, growing, and selling fruit trees. His latest venture is a fruit-based You Tube page “Ed Able Solutions”. The excerpt above includes the audio of one of his You Tube postings, praising the Reed avocado.

Another fruit fanatic whose opinion I respect is Tom Spellman, formerly the Southern California representative for Dave Wilson Nursery. When posed with the question, “What are your favorite tasting avocados?”, Tom replied:

“Fred, I agree with all of Greg’s picks. Some other favorites of mine are Pinkerton, Jan Boyce, and Stewart. Best recommendations for California home growers is to plant a small collection of varieties including both A and B flowering types that will give you fruit year round. For example, If you had the Fuerte, Hass, Reed, and Stewart, you would have four overlapping varieties so you can almost always be able to harvest from two. Right now I still have Hass and am starting on the Reeds. Hass will finish about the time Stewart comes on. However, in Northern California, you also have to consider adaptability.”

Oh yeah, adaptability to other areas. As Greg Alder pointed out in our Garden Basics interview, avocados have a narrow sweet spot for growing conditions: not too hot, not too cold, the correct humidity, minimal drying winds, the right amount of water. Parts of the San Francisco Bay Area come the closest to providing that avocado ideal climate. Here in the Central Valley of California, where temperatures have a wider swing, a successful backyard avocado tree usually has these conditions in common: afternoon shade, protection from heavy winds, lots of mulch, reflective surfaces for winter heat, such as a nearby concrete patio, or a nearby west or south-facing fence. And of course, plenty of water to maintain evenness of the soil moisture. Oh, and that soil - preferably not too much clay - should drain fairly quickly.

Years ago, as the area’s chief Avocado Skeptic, I pointed out in a Farmer Fred Rant! Blog Post entitled: “Avocados in Sacramento? Good Luck!” that the varieties that seem to have the best success here are Bacon, Zutano, Mexicola, Fuerte, Pinkerton, Jim, Sir Prize, and Stewart. However, “success” does not necessarily equate “outstanding taste”.

But trying to choose avocado varieties based on the information regarding their heat and cold tolerances is not an easy task, nor the complete criteria.

From Greg Alder:

“There is very little info out there on cold and heat tolerance of avocado varieties because the assessment of this is more complicated than it would seem.

One, varieties tolerate cold and heat in different ways. For example, sometimes one variety's leaves get burned in heat while they hold on to their fruit (Pinkerton) whereas another variety's leaves do not get burned but they drop their fruit (Reed). So which is more heat tolerant?

Two, many factors beyond the scion variety affect an individual tree's performance in cold or heat: rootstock, timing of the cold/heat, underlying (invisible) health of tree, crop load, and more. So you can see a row of trees all of the same variety with variable damage after a hot or cold spell.

But here is what I can say: My place (in Ramona, east of San Diego) is both slightly too hot and too cold for avocados every year. My trees get some cold damage and some heat damage every single year. In this kind of environment, I have learned two main lessons:

* Protect trees until they are about six feet tall, and then they can recover well from cold or heat damage. Avocado trees are wimps when young, but they get surprisingly resilient after that size.

* All the best varieties are worth trying. There is not a large difference in heat or cold tolerance among the varieties that have the best fruit.

Here are a few links to posts Greg has written where he describes or show some minor differences between varieties and ways to protect from heat and cold:

Protecting avocado trees from cold

Protecting avocado trees from heat

Heat tolerance of avocado varieties

Avocado varieties in the cold

Growing avocados in California's Central Valley

Avocados, Australian Style

Did you know that on a per capita basis, the country that consumes the most avocados is Australia? At least, that’s what the marketing department of Australia’s avocado growers, Avolution, claims. So, it’s only right we get their input on the best tasting avocados, along with their PR spiel:

Avocado lovers are spoiled for choice when it comes to the variety of this delicious and nutritious fruit. In Australia, avocados are produced all year round due to the range of climates and conditions across eight major avocado growing regions. The country’s diverse production landscape has led to the cultivation of numerous avocado varieties, each with its unique characteristics. This article will introduce some of the best avocado varieties to try, with a focus on the Australian market.

I. Hass: The Dominant Variety

Hass is the main avocado variety in Australia, representing 83% of production in 2021/22. This popular cultivar is produced almost all year round across the country’s production regions. Hass avocados are known for their thick, pebbly skin that turns from green to a dark purplish-black when ripe. The fruit has a creamy, buttery texture and a rich, nutty flavour, making it a versatile choice for various dishes, from guacamole to avocado toast.

II. Shepard: The Late Summer and Autumn Star

Shepard avocados, harvested in Queensland through late Summer and Autumn, make up 14% of Australia’s total avocado production. During this time of year, they become the dominant variety on the Australian market. Shepard avocados have smooth, green skin that remains green even when ripe. Their flesh is also buttery and smooth, with a slightly sweeter taste compared to Hass avocados. This variety is ideal for salads, as its firmer texture helps it maintain its shape when sliced or diced.

III. Unique Varieties Worth Exploring

While Hass and Shepard avocados dominate the Australian market, there is a multitude of other varieties worth trying, accounting for the remaining 3% of the country’s avocado production. Some of these unique cultivars include:

Reed: This large, round avocado has a thick, slightly pebbled skin and a rich, creamy texture. Reed avocados are known for their exceptional taste and are often considered a gourmet variety.

Fuerte: With its smooth, green skin and pear-like shape, Fuerte avocados have a creamy texture and a delicate, nutty flavor. This variety is excellent for slicing and adding to sandwiches or salads.

Pinkerton: Pinkerton avocados have a distinctive elongated shape, smooth green skin, and a small seed. The fruit boasts a creamy texture and a mild, nutty flavor.p

GEM: A relative of the Hass avocado, GEM avocados have a similar taste and texture but are slightly smaller in size. They are known for their high oil content, making them a delicious and nutritious option.

Australians are the highest consumers, per capita, of avocados in the English-speaking world, a title they have proudly maintained. According to “Facts at a Glance,” a report compiled by Avocados Australia, Australian avocado production is forecast to increase significantly over the next few years, with at least 115,000 tonnes per annum expected to be produced by 2025. This growth reflects the country’s ongoing love affair with avocados and the diverse range of varieties available.

Conclusion

Australia’s avocado market offers an impressive selection of varieties for consumers to enjoy. While the popular Hass and Shepard avocados dominate the market, other unique cultivars like Reed, Fuerte, Pinkerton, and Gem are worth exploring for their distinct flavours and textures. As the Australian avocado industry continues to grow, avocado enthusiasts can look forward to trying even more delicious varieties in the future.

Finally, no survey of the best tasting varieties would be complete without consulting America’s new favorite expert on everything, Google Generative AI:

• Hass The most popular and widely available variety, Hass avocados are known for their buttery, meaty texture and subtly nutty flavor. • Fuerte With a pear-like shape and smooth green skin, Fuerte avocados are sweeter and fruitier than Hass avocados, with a creamy texture and delicate, nutty flavor. • Reed This large, round avocado has a thick, slightly pebbled skin and a rich, creamy texture. • Shepard This avocado has a milder flavor than Hass avocados and firm flesh that maintains its structure well. • GEM A relative of the Hass avocado, GEM avocados have a similar taste and texture but are slightly smaller in size. 

So, backyard gardeners…do you feel lucky?

Thanks for reading Beyond Basics: The Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Thank you for also listening to the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast! It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. Please share it with your garden friends.

Fred Hoffman is also a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in Sacramento County. And he likes to ride his bike(s).

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

In this insightful conversation (above), Farmer Fred speaks with Diane Blazek, executive director of All-America Selections and the National Garden Bureau, about the seasonal transition from summer to fall and how it presents an opportunity for gardeners to refresh their landscapes with vibrant fall colors and cool season blooming plants. Diane's extensive experience in the horticultural industry positions her uniquely to share knowledge on regional and national plant varieties, particularly those achieving popularity across the United States.

Diane highlights the significance of fall planting, emphasizing it as an ideal time for gardeners. With the energy from the summer season still lingering and the ground remaining warm, fall allows for planting before the onset of hard freezes in the colder USDA Zones. This period often fits well within planting guidelines since it enables various plants, especially perennials and bulbs, to establish robust root systems before going dormant. Diane insists that successful fall planting leads not just to immediate gratification but also ensures future blooms and growth come spring. She suggests that novice gardeners pay attention to hardiness zones and engage with local gardening experts to choose suitable plants for their specific climate.

The discussion navigates through practical tips for gardeners, such as understanding the appropriate timelines for planting in areas with cold winters, where the ground may freeze. Diane advises that planting six weeks prior to the ground freezing is optimal for perennials and shrubs, whereas bulbs may have a bit more leeway. The seasoned gardener might experiment with plants that extend beyond their hardiness zone, but careful consideration of a plant's specific requirements is important for beginners seeking reliable results.

Farmer Fred and Diane share insights into the benefits of local nurseries and local cooperative extension offices as critical resources for regionally appropriate plant selections. To further aid gardeners, Diane explains the biological aspects of fall planting—specifically, that initial growth is often underground, with plants focusing on root establishment rather than leaf growth in cooler temperatures. This foundational growth is vital for ensuring a plant's health and successful blooming in future seasons.

They also address winter protection strategies for hardy perennials in colder USDA zones, emphasizing that mulching can be an effective way to insulate plants during freezing periods.

The conversation highlights several flowering plants that are particularly well-suited for fall planting, with Diane showcasing some recent standouts like the ‘Yellow, My Darling’ Echinacea and various cultivars of Buddleja, which bear aesthetic appeal but come with regional considerations due to their invasive potential in certain areas.

Diane also outlines several other standout plants, including hardy hibiscus, highlighted by its vibrant blooms and the exciting new hybrid, ‘Holy Grail,’ which features stunning scarlet flowers.

The distinctive and visually appealing ‘Backdraft’ Kniphofia, reminiscent of Halloween candy corn, adds further enthusiasm to the list of recommended plants.

Ornamental grasses are mentioned for their diverse utility; they add seasonal color, elegance, and even provide habitats for beneficial insects like ladybugs during the winter months.

Diane concludes by reinforcing the importance of fall planting, particularly focusing on perennials, as they set the stage for vibrant gardens come spring. She encourages listeners to explore more about these plants through the National Garden Bureau’s resources for further inspiration and guidance. The synergy between seasonal gardening, plant selection, and ecological benefits forms a compelling narrative aimed at empowering new and experienced gardeners alike to embrace the opportunities that fall planting presents.

Written by Fred, with a little AI help from Auphonic.

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With your help, we raised over $2,000 for the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery during the “Farmer Fred’s Ride for the Kids” on Saturday, Sept. 28. 100-mile bike ride was a success. Mission accomplished!

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Thanks for reading Beyond Basics: The Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Thank you for also listening to the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast! It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. Please share it with your garden friends.

Fred Hoffman is also a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in Sacramento County. And he likes to ride his bike(s).

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

In this episode of the Beyond the Garden Basics newsletter/podcast, we engage in an in-depth discussion about weed killers with Debbie Flower, America’s favorite retired college horticultural professor. We delve right into the complexities of weed management, addressing the various options available while navigating the maze of products at our local big box stores.

As we stand before a daunting wall of weed killers, the conversation brings clarity to the overwhelming choices, shedding light on the distinctions between the products and their formulations.

We start by tackling the widespread confusion surrounding Roundup, a brand historically synonymous with glyphosate. As glyphosate is being phased out, we explore the newer formulations that have replaced it. Many consumers may assume that Roundup still contains glyphosate, but Debbie explains that consumers must be vigilant in understanding the fine prints of these products.

According to the University of Tennessee publication, “Update on Roundup-Branded Herbicides for Consumers”, Roundup weed-killing products now encompass a range of active ingredients that may vary significantly in toxicity and efficacy. We emphasize the importance of reading labels thoroughly, highlighting the legal implications of using herbicides incorrectly.

Debbie expands on the shift in chemical composition within Roundup by introducing us to several active ingredients like Diquat, Fluazipop, and Triclopyr. We discuss the implications of using these chemicals, including their varying half-lives and their potential effects on soil and nearby desirable plants.

Notably, Debbie reminds us that some products can render soil inhospitable for new planting for extended periods, which is crucial information for gardeners planning their next steps after weed control.

Throughout our discussion, we touch on the critical aspect of safety. Both Debbie and I stress the significance of protecting oneself when applying any chemical herbicide. We explain how understanding the signal words such as “caution,” “warning,” and “danger” on product labels can help consumers navigate the toxicity levels of different herbicides.

The conversation leads us to the point that, while chemical weed control can be effective, many gardeners often overlook traditional methods, like manual weeding and mulching, which can be safer and more environmentally friendly.

We tackle alternative options popular on some Internet gardening sites, including vinegar as a natural weed killer but quickly highlight the hazards of using 30% vinegar, which is often found in the cleaning aisle rather than the gardening section. This topic was also covered in depth in the September 3, 2024 edition of the “Beyond the Garden Basics” newsletter.

We caution gardeners about the need to treat such products with care, as they can be more harmful than conventional herbicides. This well-rounded dialogue between us brings to light both the benefits and the risks associated with various gardening techniques and products.

As we progress, we dig into the technical side of weed killers—discussing how different chemicals are absorbed by plants, persistence in soil, and the necessary wait times before replanting. Debbie provides valuable insights into the environmental impact of chemicals leaching into the soil and waterways and how this can affect crops and landscaping efforts. Our conversation is not merely about identifying the right products but also understanding their broader implications on health and the environment.

Finally, we encourage listeners to be proactive and informed gardeners by seeking out educational resources on reading and understanding product labels, as well as considering effective non-chemical alternatives to weed management.

With all these insights shared, the overarching message is clear: informed decision-making is paramount in effective and safe gardening practices. We leave you equipped to tackle weed problems while fostering a safe and flourishing garden.

And, one more excellent weed suppressant:

(authors: Fred and his pal, AI)

Farmer Fred's Ride For the Kids!

I'm fundraising on behalf of the 2024 Sac Century Challenge on September 28th to raise money for the Sacramento Children's Home Crisis Nursery and I could use your support. Here’s the link for making a donation.

On that date, I’ll be riding my bike, a Surly Midnight Special (NOT an e-bike) 100 miles along the Sacramento River to help out the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery. I’ve ridden 100 miles in one day plenty of times…when I was younger. 

But at 73, I could use some moral support, and the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery can use your pledge money. So, how about it? Maybe pledge 10 cents a mile (that’s $10) along with a hearty, “You go, Fred!” Or a more generous one dollar a mile ($100), to give me the mental endurance for the entire ride, to dodge the pothole-filled levee roads and pedal harder in the ferocious headwinds that makes this ride a real challenge!

The Sacramento Children's Home Crisis Nursery is the only program of its kind in Sacramento County and directly prevents child abuse and neglect by supporting families with small children at times of crisis. The nursery allows parents to bring their children ages newborn to five for emergency hourly or overnight care during difficult times, with the goal of keeping families together and reducing the number of children entering foster care. To care for our community's most vulnerable children, we rely on support from community members like you. By donating, you empower us to provide a safe haven for children throughout the Sacramento area, offering respite to parents during times of crisis, and building a strong support system for the future. Your support helps provide a safe place to stay local kids in need. Again, here’s the link to make a donation to the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery.

Thank you for your support, and say "Hi!" if you see me pedaling like crazy into a headwind out there on Saturday, September 28th!

Thanks for reading Beyond Basics: The Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Thank you for also listening to the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast! It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. Please share it with your garden friends.

Fred Hoffman is also a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in Sacramento County. And he likes to ride his bike(s).

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

Autumn officially begins on Sunday. Fall planting season, however, is already here. The cooler air temperatures, combined with the still-warm soil, are the perfect growing conditions for a new plant. Increasing in popularity, thanks to increased production by wholesale nurseries and the plants’ needs for less water once established, are an increasing number of California native plants.

From the garden e-mail, Evan of San Jose, California wants to know about an evergreen tree or shrub that is native to coastal Southern California but does well in most mild coastal areas of the West Coast that stay above 20 degrees in the winter:

“I just ordered a Catalina cherry for my backyard,” writes Evan. “And I remembered that cherry trees need a pollinizing partner to produce fruit. Unfortunately, I can't find any information about which other cherry varieties are compatible with Catalina cherry. I was wondering if you could help me find a second tree to put in my backyard to pollinize the Catalina cherry. And I was hoping for more of an eating cherry other than the Catalina cherry. So, if there's a variety that my kids might like a little more that I can plant next to this one, I would appreciate it. This will be the first cherry in my backyard.”

The Catalina cherry (Prunus illicifolia subsp. ‘Lyonii’) is a California native shrub or tree, and it does quite well in coastal zones up and down the Pacific coast from San Diego to Seattle (Sunset Zone 5). And perhaps even a wider range. The “Sunset Western Garden Book” says the Catalina cherry’s progenitor, the Prunus illcifolia (the Hollyleaf Cherry), has a range from Sunset Zones 5-9 and 12-24, which would include areas ranging from the hot valleys of California into the Sierra foothills. The tree can survive cold temperatures down to about 20 degrees. I know that some of you like to experiment with growing species that are outside of your area’s normal plant palette. This might be one of them. But, as always, gardener beware. I hope you have more success with this than I had, attempting to get rhubarb seed to germinate.

Some specimens of the Catalina cherry on the coastal Southern California mainland tend to grow on slopes, and that might be a tip for where to plant it, in an area that gets good drainage. And cherry trees are notorious for needing good drainage.  

The Catalina cherry can be a tree or a shrub, because it only gets 15 to 20 feet tall, in gardens; but it can get twice that size in the wild. And, it is a true cherry, even though the dark red-to-black cherries themselves are not very tasty. Calscape.org, which is a plant finder service of the California Native Plant Society, says that “the fruit on the tree is best left for the birds” and parts may be poisonous. From Wikipedia:

The pulp of the (hollyleaf) cherry is edible.[4] However, the seeds of the hollyleaf cherry are considered to be toxic, and the plant must undergo certain leaching processes to make it safe for consumption.[24]Native Americans fermented the fruit into an intoxicating drink.[4] Some also cracked the dried cherries and made meal from the seeds after grinding and leaching them.[25] It has also been made into jam.[26]

The method of preparation for the cherry was to first extract and crush the kernel in a mortar, and the resulting powder would then be leached in order to eliminate remaining bad chemicals. The final step was to boil the leached powder into an atole.[24] Once this process was completed, Native Californians would then make soup base, tortillas, or tamale-like foods using the resulting ground meal. Other times, the kernel would be kept whole, leached to remove its hydrocyanic acid content, roasted for a couple hours, and then used to make cakes or balls.[27]

Aside from food, the hollyleaf cherry was also used for medicinal purposes by some Native Californian tribes, including the Diegueño and the Cahuilla. Specifically, infusions made from the bark and roots of hollyleaf cherry plants would be used as treatment for common colds and coughs.[27]

However, the Catalina cherry tree is quite showy, with spikes of five inch-long white to cream-colored flowers in spring, followed by the cherries.

As far as getting more of that fruit that the birds will enjoy, be aware of this: the fruit can stain many hard surfaces. So, plant it well away from the patio or driveway.

What would be a good cherry variety to use as a pollenizer? As you are probably aware as a parental gardener, you never want your children to utter the phrase, “the cherries we bought at the grocery store are better than the cherries we're getting in our backyard”. So, get them a sweet, tasty cherry tree that is self-fertile, but also serves well as a pollenizer for other cherry varieties.

And one of the best for doing that is the Stella cherry. The Stella cherry is a popular tree that does quite well throughout most cherry growing regions, such as ours. It's good for canning, preserves, cooking, and fresh eating. The Stella takes about two to five years after planting to bear fruit. The mature size of the tree isn't that large, perhaps 12 to 16 feet. As far as the watering requirements, it does need regular water, about 12 to 15 gallons per week, May through September.

The problem with having a fruiting cherry tree where you're harvesting for the fruit versus a Catalina cherry where you're using it more as a beautiful, blooming, evergreen screening plant is the fact that the Catalina cherry is drought tolerant when mature. It doesn't like a lot of summer water once it's established, perhaps only once every three weeks or so during the summer. However, you will need to water it regularly to get it off to a strong initial growth through its first year. The Stella cherry tree, on the other hand, will need regular weekly watering during the dry season for its lifetime.

So, what do you do? If that Stella cherry is upwind of the Catalina cherry, you'll be okay to plant it well away from the root zone of the drought tolerant Catalina cherry, on its own irrigation circuit, about 30 feet away.

Farmer Fred’s Ride for the Kids!

I'm fundraising on behalf of the 2024 Sac Century Challenge on September 28th to raise money for the Sacramento Children's Home Crisis Nursery and I could use your support. Here’s the link.

On that date, I’ll be riding my bike, a Surly Midnight Special (NOT an e-bike) 100 miles along the Sacramento River to help out the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery. I’ve ridden 100 miles in one day plenty of times…when I was younger. 

But at 73, I could use some moral support, and the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery can use your pledge money. So, how about it? Maybe pledge 10 cents a mile (that’s $10) along with a hearty, “You go, Fred!” Or a more generous one dollar a mile ($100), to give me the mental endurance for the entire ride, to dodge the pothole-filled levee roads and pedal harder in the ferocious headwinds that makes this ride a real challenge!

The Sacramento Children's Home Crisis Nursery is the only program of its kind in Sacramento County and directly prevents child abuse and neglect by supporting families with small children at times of crisis. The nursery allows parents to bring their children ages newborn to five for emergency hourly or overnight care during difficult times, with the goal of keeping families together and reducing the number of children entering foster care. To care for our community's most vulnerable children, we rely on support from community members like you. By donating, you empower us to provide a safe haven for children throughout the Sacramento area, offering respite to parents during times of crisis, and building a strong support system for the future. Your support helps provide a safe place to stay local kids in need. Again, here’s the link to make a donation to the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery.

Thank you for your support, and say "Hi!" if you see me pedaling like crazy out there on Saturday, September 28th!

Thanks for reading Beyond Basics: The Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Thank you for also listening to the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast! It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. Please share it with your garden friends.

Fred Hoffman is also a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in Sacramento County. And he likes to ride his bike(s).

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

Today’s newsletter podcast talks about a Crisis Nursery. No, it’s not an emergency room for sickly looking houseplants; although, the gardening entrepreneurs among you may be thinking…”hmm, that may not be a bad idea!”

The Crisis Nursery we are talking about today deals with the safety of children, and the role the Sacramento Children’s Home has in its survival.

Oh, listen! I hear my dead mother saying, “And what exactly does that have to do with the price of tea in China?” That would be her way of saying, “stay in your lane, Freddie Joe.” Adding, “stick to gardening.”

Sharp-eyed readers of this digital scenic bypass-laden newsletter, ostensibly dealing with horticulture, may know that I include a picture of a bicycle in just about every issue. Because, if I am not in the garden, I’m on my bike.

And sharper-eyed, highly caffeinated readers will recall that I have been plugging “Farmer Fred’s Ride for the Kids” for a few weeks now. At least, that’s what I’m calling it. The Sacramento Rotary Club would prefer to call it by its actual name, the Sacramento Century Challenge, a fundraising 100-mile bike ride (plus shorter rides) on September 28 to raise funds to support the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery program.

Now, I know you came for the gardening here. But thanks for letting me talk about the Crisis Nursery in today’s newsletter podcast with the Sacramento Children’s Home Director of Philanthropy, Todd Koolakian. And if you are adverse to listening to podcasts, a transcript of our conversation is below. The internet links mentioned in the podcast are underlined in the above paragraphs.

And below the transcript, is my garden gift to you for sticking with me all these years: a chart from the UC Davis Post Harvest Technology Department, “Storing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Better Taste”, which answers the question: where do all the tomatoes and zucchini (and other backyard garden favorites) go when you bring them into the house? The counter, the refrigerator, or a combination of the two? You’ll want to print this chart out and hang it inside a kitchen cabinet door, for easy reference.

At this point, the sharpest-eyed, super-caffeinated, hyper-critical readers of this newsletter might remark, “Didn’t you publish this in a newsletter two years ago?” Hey, quit waving your trowel at me, Columbo. That time around, it was only the first page of a two page document. Today, it’s both pages of information on storing fresh fruits and vegetables.

But no matter your caffeine intake, thanks for listening and reading all these years.

What is a Crisis Nursery? The Transcript

Farmer Fred

Coming up Saturday, September 28th, I'm gonna be riding my bike. That is not so unusual. If I'm not in the garden, I'm usually on my bike. Well, on September 28th, that happens to be the date for the Sacramento Century Challenge. It's a 100-mile bike ride along the Sacramento River. It starts in downtown Sacramento (on Capitol Mall), heads south through the Delta Farmland region, and then back to downtown Sacramento.

And yes, 100 miles is part of the challenge, as is the bike I'll be riding on. I'm not cheating you. I'll be on an analog bike, not an e -bike. It's my good, trusty, steel-framed Surly Midnight Special. And adding to the challenge, of course, is the route. It's not a very hilly route, the 100 mile route, but it goes along the river on the levee roads, which are full of potholes. And usually in past events in doing this ride, there are some ferocious headwinds, usually on the way back. And making it more of a challenge, and this is where you come in, folks, is helping out the Sacramento Rotary Club raise money for the Sacramento Children's Home Crisis Nursery by spurring me on with a donation for the Crisis Nursery. 

The Sacramento Children's Home Crisis Nursery is the only program of its kind in Sacramento County. Exactly what do they do? You probably saw the little headline in the newsletter or the podcast that asked the question, “what is a crisis nursery?” And you might be thinking, “some plants are in danger!” 

It's better than that. We're talking with Todd Koolakian. He is with the Sacramento Children's Home and the Crisis Nursery. And Todd, tell us a little bit about the Sacramento Children's Home and the Crisis Nursery. The Children's Home has been around since what, the 1800’s? 

Todd Koolakian

That is true. Yes, we've been around since 1867. We originated as an orphanage at that time. During the gold rush days, we were started by a group of volunteer women and we've been continuously operating for 157 years. 

First, thanks Fred, for having me on to share a little bit more about our events and the beneficiary, the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery. I'm also a member of the Rotary Club of Sacramento and I am the immediate past president. So I had the pleasure of leading the organization last year and now in my retirement of being the president of the club, but still a proud member of the Rotary Club of Sacramento. 

And we've been doing this event in partnership together, our two organizations, for 11 years and so proud to benefit from this event and folks like you that are going out and raising money on our behalf. 

The Crisis Nursery is a fairly unique program. There's only five crisis nurseries in the state of California. We operate two of them here in Sacramento County. It's a 24 -7 program that serves families with young children that are going through a crisis. And that crisis could really be anything. It could be a medical or mental health emergency. It could be homelessness, an employment crisis, just going through a time of despair and not having somewhere else to turn.

So the crisis nursery is there for families going through any number of those crisis. They can turn to the nursery as a resource to bring their children for anywhere from a few hours up to 30 days, completely free of charge. The nursery can take those small children into their care, providing all the essentials they need. Everything is free, from clothing, food. It’s just a warm, loving place to stay.

And then during that time, we work with the families to help solve their crisis. A lot of the families that we care for don't have a great support system. There's that age old African proverb that says “it takes a village to raise a child”. For a lot of the families that we serve, they don't have that village. And so we provide that village for them and provide some of the supports that they need during their time of crisis. And it's a really great program.

We operate the only crisis nursery in Sacramento County. And like I said, one of only a handful in the state of California. And we're really proud to operate that program. We started it in 1996 and have had it ever since. And we opened up our second location in 2002. So really, it’s a great program. And we really appreciate all the generous support that comes from the Sac Century Challenge. Each year it raises about $100,000 to support our program. 

Farmer Fred

That's great. What age of children are eligible to be in the crisis nursery? 

Todd Koolakian

Great question. The idea behind crisis nurseries is to serve families with children, infant through age five. So a child from just a few days old all the way up to the day before their sixth birthday, all qualify to come and stay at the nursery. 

We can assist families with older children, with other resources. We just can't take them per our licensing in to stay at the facility. So some of the other resources we can provide families with older children, there is all sorts of other supports. You know, our organization, the Sacramento Children's Home, has programs that serve children of all different ages. So we have a lot of other resources, but as far as kids that can actually stay at the nursery, it is from a few days old all the way up to a day before their sixth birthday. 

Farmer Fred

Yeah, it's interesting the number of reasons that people would want to avail themselves of your services. I noticed in your annual report that one of the stories cited was about a shooting outside of a bedroom window of a home where a family lived, and they wanted to get their children to safety. And they came to you. 

Todd Koolakian

Exactly. It really runs the gamut on the types of reasons that clients come and utilize the crisis nursery. And there really is no right or wrong reason. We are open to anybody and everybody that may need our resource. There's all sorts of scenarios. 

What I would say is the connection between all of the different reasons is wanting to ensure that their young children are safe and that they're in a safe place. 

I think we've all unfortunately heard about some of the terrible news over the years of

young children at times being left in vulnerable situations. That's what we're trying to avoid with the crisis nursery. And that's why the program's there. We don't want parents to be in a situation where they leave their child with unsafe people or in an unsafe environment. And so that's why the nursery is there. Really, there is no wrong reason to come to the nursery. There's no judgment on our part. Really, any reason is a good reason to come in and utilize that program.

Farmer Fred

What do you tell the parents - or parent - when they come in with a child and want the child to stay there? Do you explain to them that if we see a situation where there's abuse, we will bring in the authorities? Or do you not do that? 

Todd Koolakian

All of our programs under the Sacramento Children's Home umbrella really are required to be mandated reporters. So if there's ever in any of our programs any sign of abuse, neglect, anything of that sort, we do have to report that to the authorities. What I will say though is the nursery is intended to be a program that families can use to avoid those situations to prevent child abuse and neglect. So we want the nursery to be a program that parents can use so that those sorts of things don't happen. And that's really why the nursery is there. It's a critical prevention tool for local families.

It's a proven child abuse prevention tool that many of our partners and collaborators in the area know is a proven tool to avoid child abuse and neglect. So that's what we hope parents will use as a means to prevent those situations. Now, what I'll also tell you is we let all of the parents know that are utilizing the program, that there's nothing wrong with them for utilizing the program, that they shouldn't be ashamed, they shouldn't feel like they've done anything wrong  as a parent. 

One of the greatest things that you can do to be a wonderful parent is to know when you need to seek help. And that's what we really try to drive home with clients that utilize the nursery. It's okay to ask for help. That's actually a really good thing. It means that you're wanting your kids to have the best possible outcome. And that sometimes all of us need a little bit of helping hand and the nursery is there judgment free to assist those sorts of families that might just need a short -term helping hand. 

Farmer Fred

And the helping hand is to be extended as well to the Crisis Nursery itself. The reason behind this ride, the Sacramento Century Challenge that I'll be participating in on Saturday, September 28th, is raising funds for the Sacramento Children's Home Crisis Nursery. We'll have a link in the show notes and here in the newsletter about how you can donate to the Crisis Nursery through “Farmer Fred's Ride for the Kids”, I'm calling it. It's through an organization called Just Giving. So if you go to JustGiving.com and type in “Farmer Fred” in the search engine, you'll find Farmer Fred's Ride for the Kids, the 2024 Sacramento Century Challenge, right there, where you can help by making a donation. 

Not to lay any guilt on you folks, but do I ever ask for money when I answer your garden questions? No, no. I'm asking you now, to perhaps share some of your money with the Sacramento Children's Home Crisis Nursery. Thank you very much. 

Todd Koolakian, we have certainly learned a lot about the Sacramento Children's Home Crisis Nursery. Best of luck. Are you going to be out riding on September 28th? 

Todd Koolakian

I won't be riding, but I will be out there as a volunteer. So for folks that are going to ride  such as yourself, Fred, and go to the post ride festival, I'll be out there at that event, helping out with manpower. But we'll have a lot of great Rotarians out along the way to assist riders. And it should be a really great event, as it always is year after year. 

Farmer Fred

And I would think that you take signups for the ride up to the day of the ride. 

Todd Koolakian

We do. We will take people the morning of. And we also have an early registration that folks can do on the Friday before the ride. We'll take signups there as well.

All are welcome. We love to have folks even up until the very last minute show up and ride with us. We'd be happy to have you. It's a well supported event. We have several rest stops along the ride route, as well as safety vehicles that are driving around throughout the event to assist riders that may have a snag in their bike. We never hope that happens, but sometimes things arise and we have folks going around to assist with that.

Farmer Fred

For folks that like to ride, hope to see you out there. Yeah, I should point out that it's not just the 100 mile ride. There's a few other rides involved with the Sacramento Century Challenge. There's the Metric Century, which is 62.1 miles. There's a Half Century, which is 50 miles. And then there's the Fun Rides (36 miles, and 16 miles long). And they all start at a little different time, but all on the morning of September the 28th, a Saturday. So if you're in the Sacramento area and you want to do a nice bike ride along the Sacramento River, you might consider the Sacramento Century Challenge, which begins and ends downtown on the Capitol Mall (on Capitol Avenue adjacent to the state Capitol building.) You can find out more information about the ride and the routes at sacramentocentury.com and we'll have a link to that as well, in the show and newsletter notes. Todd Koolokian, thank you so much for your help and best of luck with the Sacramento Children's Home Crisis Nursery. 

Todd Koolakian

Thank you, Fred. Really appreciate your support.

After the Harvest, Where Do You Store It?

This time of year, no one walks in from the garden without a handful (or bucketful) of fresh fruits and vegetables. Usually, they end up next to the kitchen sink.

For those just-picked fruits and vegetables to last the longest, where should you put them? On the counter? The refrigerator? Both? Neither?

It’s all neatly displayed in the two graphics further down this column, “Storing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Better Taste” from the UC Davis Post Harvest Technology Department and UCANR.   

It includes this information on proper storage of fresh fruits and vegetables at home, either from the garden or the grocery store:

Store on Counter at Room Temperature: apples (for less than 7 days), bananas, grapefruit, lemons, limes, mandarins, mangoes, melons, oranges, papayas, persimmons, pineapple, plantain, pomegranates, watermelons, basil (in water), cucumbers (refrigerator is OK for 1 to 3 days), dry onions (well ventilated), eggplant (refrigerator OK for 1 to 3 days), garlic (well ventilated), ginger, jicama, peppers (refrigerator OK for 1 to 3 days), potatoes (well ventilated), pumpkins, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, winter squash.

Ripen on Counter, Then Store in Refrigerator - avocadoes, kiwifruit, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, plumcots (and I would imagine pluots would be in this category).

Store in Refrigerator - apples, apricots, Asian pears, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, cut fruits, figs, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, artichokes, asparagus, green beans, beets, Belgian endive, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cut vegetables, green onions, herbs (not basil), leafy greens, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, peas, radishes, spinach, sprouts, summer squashes, and sweet corn.

And, as promised…Storing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Better Taste…The Chart

And one more time, the link to donate to the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery to support and encourage my 100-mile bike adventure during the Sacramento Century Challenge on Sept. 28, “Farmer Fred’s Ride for the Kids” .

Thanks for reading Beyond Basics: The Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Thank you for also listening to the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast! It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. Please share it with your garden friends.

Fred Hoffman is also a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in Sacramento County. And he likes to ride his bike(s).

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

With fall approaching, now might be a good time to invest in some equipment to ease autumn and winter chores as well as improve your soil: making mulch from tree branches with a chipper/shredder, or easing raking chores by gathering the fallen leaves with a device that blows them into a pile, sucks them into a 30-gallon bag, and chops them up into little pieces as they head to the bag, where you can then spread those chopped-up leaves as mulch. In today’s podcast (above) we talk with Brad Gay of JB’s Power Equipment in Davis, California about what to look for when shopping for a chipper/shredder as well as the niftiness of owning a piece of equipment such as a Shred n Vac that can reduce those piles of leaves into gardener’s gold: mulch! These segments were recorded during the first wave of Covid, so there may be mask references. However, I bet we all still have a box of masks somewhere handy.

What You May Have Missed on This Week’s Garden Basics Podcast

But first, a not-so-subtle plug for the latest episode (#354) of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, Lawn Substitutes.

Ripping out or reducing a lawn come fall? In this episode, Fred and America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, discuss lawn elimination and alternative landscape options. They address the challenges of transitioning from lawns to alternative landscapes, including weed management and aesthetics. They explore lawn alternatives that require less maintenance and water, such as no-mow lawns, fescue varieties, and ground cover like dymondia and clover. They caution against over-reliance on artificial turf and emphasize the importance of localized advice and education about plants that thrive in unique ecosystems. They also discuss the need for proper maintenance in all types of landscapes.

Chipper-Shredder vs Rototiller

 Are you thinking about buying a rototiller? How about instead purchasing a chipper/shredder? Now, that's a machine that's going to make easy work of chopping up your garden clippings including tree limbs. it's going to make it into the greatest mulch you could possibly own. The latest research shows that rototilling your soil actually damages soil structure and doesn't do anything good for the soil biology. On the other hand, the end result of using a chipper/shredder is going to provide you with a quality of mulch that we like to call, "gardeners' gold".  

Northern California Organic Gardening Consultant Steve Zien has some rather strong thoughts on this subject. Go back and listen to his comments back in Episode 89 of the Garden Basics podcast, from 2021.

Thinking that perhaps his opinions may have mellowed on the chipper-shredder vs rototiller choice over the last three and a half years, I recently asked for his thoughts. Nope. No change. Here’s what he had to say (in bullets):

Chipper shredder

Pros:

• Eliminates or dramatically reduces green waste

• Helps eliminate the need for a rototiller

• Provides material for mulch or compost

• When shreddings are applied to soil surface:

• Feeds soil biology – resulting in improvements in:

• Soil structure (pore space diversity)

• Improve movement in soil by water, air, roots, soil biology

• Soil water holding capacity (drought resistance)

• Nutrient holding capacity

• Biological diversity of soil microbes

• Greater variety of nutrients, vitamins etc. available to plants

• Improves pest resistance

• Plant health improves (drought resistance, pest resistance)

• Nutrient availability to plants improve

• Availability of natural growth hormones, vitamins improves

• Nutrient content of vegetables improves

• Sequesters carbon – contributes to the reversal of climate change

• Weed management benefits

• Mulch created by chipper/shredder moderates soil temperatures

• Erosion protection (mulch slows the force of falling rain)

• Mulch created by chipper/shredder repels some pests

Cons:

• Expensive

• Hard work. And, when done, you then have to apply the mulch to soil surface

• Don’t chip diseased material

Rototiller:

Pros:

• Get to smell actinomycetes

• Mental connection to past horticultural practices (although no longer recommended)

• Creates fine seedbed – but soil quickly becomes compacted making it difficult for sprouts to develop

Cons:

• It’s hard work

• Expensive

• Destroys soil structure

• Compacts soil (reducing aeration, drainage, limit root development)

• Fine clays quickly fill in pore spaces

• Increases runoff – transporting soil, nutrients and pesticides into our waterways

• Kills beneficial soil biology

• Makes it harder for your plants to grow

• Harder to obtain water, nutrients, growth hormones, vitamins

• Increases pest susceptibility due in part to:

       • Reduced crop health

       • Pest management provided by soil biology

      • Reduces nutrient content of food crops

       • Results in the need for additional irrigation, fertilization, pesticides

• Mother Nature’s natural rototillers (earthworms) are killed by the blades.

• Creates biological imbalance - abundance of bacteria vs. fungi (raises pH)

• Loss in biological diversity in the soil

• Reduction of soil health (results in reduction of plant health)

• Reduces ability of soil to function

• Releases greenhouse gasses (CO2) to atmosphere – contributing to global climate change

• Reduces organic matter content

        • Reduces soils water holding capacity – need to irrigate more/more runoff….

        • Makes plants more susceptible to drought

        • Reduces food for soil biology

• Reduces soil productivity

• Reduces soil cover

• People feel they need to till every spring because previous tillage created a compacted, dead soil below

• Brings up weed seeds so they can germinate

Obviously, Steve has a bleak future as a salesman at Troy-Bilt.

How to Choose a Chipper-Shredder

(Originally aired in Ep. 51 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, “Chipper-Shredder Basics”)

Farmer Fred

We're talking with Brad Gay, he owns JBS power equipment in Davis, California. What are the benefits of owning your own Chipper/Shredder?

Brad Gay   

The big, big thing if you're into gardening or if you're just starting out in gardening or whatever level of gardening you're at, the chipper shredder is going to give you a means of changing the soil quality of your garden and you're going to be able to get rid of stuff that you would maybe put in a container that the city or county would pick up; or you would have to haul it off. With this, you can maintain your yard and get rid of your trimmings, your limbs that have fallen down, and will chip them up to a size that is used as a mulch or as a top dressing. You can make your own mulch. If you're just even using them for small pots,  you can get mulch and create a good high quality mulch and I can't think of anything better to accomplish that then a chipper-shredder. 

Farmer Fred    

Chipper shredders are great especially if you have a lot of trees on your property and you're constantly pruning your trees. Instead of throwing those branches away, chop them, shred them. Just add them to the top of your soil as a four inch layer of mulch on your soil. It moderates soil temperature, it inhibits weed production. As it breaks down it feeds the soil, making it richer. It's amazing too if you put four inches of mulch or even four inches of shredded leaves on your garden surface over the winter, and you go back in the spring you move it aside, and you dig down a few inches you'll be amazed at the number of earthworms that are saying thank you for doing that. And earthworms improve the soil too. 

Brad Gay   

But that's the fun of it. I mean I've been doing my garden for 20-25 years and I can go out and see the change. I don't have weeds, that’s one big thing. But I can actually go into my soil even after it's been watered and planted in there, I can still take my hand and kind of move it into the soil because it's porous enough. That because of the mulch and all the good ingredients have been added to it. To be able to do that takes a while, so a good chipper shredder is like is a very good startup, getting good quality soil going for you.

Farmer Fred    

So let's talk about chipper shredder basics, what people should look for when buying a chipper-shredder. I would of course recommend buying it from a known entity, some company that you've heard of before, that has produced lawn and garden equipment as opposed to going online and seeing a bunch of names you don't know. But when you're looking at the specs of a chipper shredder, what are the specs you should pay attention to?

Brad Gay  

Well, the big one I look at is what's driving your chipper, what's driving the shredder apart. These are two different entities there that are combined and one is a wheel typically, that has a cutter blade. Probably about four inches long but it's very hard steel. Probably two of them on what I call a wheel. And then the other part is on the other side. It has a bunch of little edger blades that are on small half inch shaft that spin around, and they will shred leaves. But the chipper part is very important because that reel that you have on there that's holding those blades, you want that to have some weight, because when they have that weight on there, that's what's going to pull the limb in and chop chop, chop it up. If you notice if you have somebody in your neighborhood who has been around and you'll hear that whirring sound that's going on, they have this huge flywheel turning. That's probably a commercial chipper, and it has some pretty good sized blades in there that can eat up like a nine inch limb or something like that. But you can get that same technology as a gardener for your smaller chipper Shredder. And I usually recommend about a 40 pound flywheel will be just about a good place to start. You have to look in to see if that entity exists on what you're going to buy. And you're not going to get it in your cheaper versions, like you say, you'll get something that's labeled a chipper shredder, but you're talking about things...well, I've been there. And believe me I've had things that have turned my fingernails black and blue because I'm trying to force a limb through there like I got a baseball bat hitting a steel post, it just rattles around. So you want to get something that's got a big flywheel, 40 pounds plus, and it'll help suck those limbs in through with very little effort and grind up a hardwood versus the softer wood. It does a great job.

Farmer Fred 

What size branch diameter branch can a 40 pound flywheel handle?

Brad Gay  

Well, depending on what you've got, usually I'm gonna say three inches, in some cases it's four inches, I think on a BCS model, it can take a four inch limb on there. But what's nice is you can take a good three, four inch limb, shove it down into the chipper shredder and I usually get it from where it is to the point where that now you're having the branches which with which would have leaves or smaller limbs and then when it gets to that point, you can take it out and then pick it up and put it over into your Shredder. And then that shredder will go in take care of the rest of the stuff the smaller limbs that if there's leaves on there, it'll take care of that as well and it just turns it into a fine, finer mulch. And a good chipper shredder, it will actually have plates where that mulch exits through, after it's been chipped, through a grid. And  you can put in whatever size you want in there to make those pieces what size you want. Or if you're just doing corn stalks and you just want to reduce... like you grow popcorn, now you got to get rid of the stalks. Instead of throwing it into the greenwaste, you can instead shred that down. Well I take that grid out just to beat them up to go, so I can actually work it back in there. But they do have grids that you can install and it can make that mulch whatever size you want. It's actually a nice feature and that's what's pertinent in getting the good soil and mulch that you want for your gardens.

Farmer Fred    

You know you brought up a very good point there, and the fact that we've been talking about chipping and shredding tree limbs, but for your vegetable waste in your garden, your corn stalks, or even your tomato branches, you could put those through a chipper shredder, probably the shredder portion.

Brad Gay    

Oh I take all my grapes. I got these runners off of my grape plant that is trellised along a 300 foot fence that goes alongside of my yard and I put it all into grapes. And it's all table grapes. So you know grapes, and the grapes are one of those plants where you can literally watch it grow. So you've got these runners that are you know 10-15 feet long. And I'll just cut those off in the fall and I'll bring those over and get rid of all of that. And you have to make sure when you're using your chipper shredder, by the way, if you're doing this because if you get you put a bunch of these grape vines that you're sticking in your shredder, it is like sucking spaghetti into your mouth. This “Spaghetti” starts spinning around and flipping around, except this is a like a whip. So you  have to wear eye protection, hearing protection, long sleeves, leather gloves so that you don't get smacked. And it gets rid of a lot of stuff you just never thought of before: all your fruit tree trimmings, when you prune trees in the winter to get things ready for your peach trees and apricot trees. All those trimmings you can put through a chipper shredder too. And what you have in pile there will reduce it to at least 12 to one or more. It's amazing what comes out after you do that.

Farmer Fred   

I would like to reinforce your safety comments because anybody who's ever owned a chipper shredder and attempted to throw in some thinner, but longer branches. Like grape branches, for example, yes, they will whip at you because of the friction, the sucking action of the shredder that just basically tries to suck it all in. And in the meantime, you've lost hold of those branches and they start whipping around.

Brad Gay   

Oh, yeah, you just let it go. It's like I got a bunch of whips. So yeah, you just want to protect yourself. I would say protect yourself. Like you're gonna go into a beehive. You know, you don't have to have that big big helmet on but you know, have eyeglasses on the helmet or a hat or something? I wear headphones for my ears just for the noise and all that that it deals with. So I protect myself quite well when I go out there.

Farmer Fred   

And please do wear gloves and take off any jewelry or wristwatches you might have as well.

Brad Gay  

Oh yeah, and keep track of your pruning shears.

Farmer Fred  

Yes, yes. Yeah, don't keep your eyeglasses in your top breast pocket. Yeah, it's, it's follow all safety instructions when you get a chipper Shredder. 

The cost of a chipper shredder is not cheap, but I'd rather see people invest in a chipper shredder than a rototiller. More and more research coming out about roto-tilling soil is that it does the soil no good at all, you're better off doing no tilling whatsoever, and more and more farmers are going that route as well. So take that money that you might want to spend on a rototiller and put it into a chipper shredder. what is the price range for a decent chipper shredder?

Brad Gay   

Well, it starts at about I would say about 800 bucks with entry level if you get a Bearcat. And that’s in the near and dear two inch to three inch chipper shredder range. That's light use. And that's a good starter. And it certainly will do the job and it doesn't take care of what the next level is, which is about 1200 a little over 1200 dollars. And it will take on a three inch limb and everything I've been talking about. I've had my chipper shredder for years, it's got to be 25 years plus. And you just have to maintain it. But it's one of the most useful things when you need it. And then you don't have to deal with a pile of trimmings and try to get it to the garbage can or get it out of the yard on the curb, if they still do that where you live; or have to haul it off somewhere. Now you can take that and make it into a very useful product that will benefit your own garden. It starts about 800 bucks. And you can go up to in the two to three inch range. For $2000-$3000 you go into four inch range. 

Farmer Fred   

Talk a little about the different brands that are available. You mentioned Bear Cat, I own a BCS and they are both high quality chipper shredders.

Brad Gay    

Oh, BCS is an excellent chipper Shredder. that's what I have. Go to BCS America website if anybody wants to go into it. That is a great site just to visually see what a chipper shredder can do for you and your garden. I mean it's amazing, the gentleman who did the video. He incorporates a lot of stuff in his in the mulch and cardboard for instance, he's taken cardboard, newspaper and those leaves of limbs and everything else has been debris that normally you would throw in a trash can or try to get, you have to get rid of it somehow. Or leave it in a big pile and let the rodents get in there and live healthy. But the best way is running all of it through a chipper Shredder. But that's a very good video, just go to that site, BCS America, a very good quality chipper shredder. Bearcat is very good. We also sell DR, which is Country Homes Products, they offer very good chipper shredders, we have accessibility for Bear Cat locally. So that’s for people who want something that they can actually come in and buy it locally. I can get it rapidly. If I have to get DR that takes usually seven to 10 days. And BCS takes me about five days to get their stuff. So those are three of the top names that are out there that I would recommend.

Farmer Fred    

When one goes online and sees the array of chipper shredders. They're going to, I think, see the majority of them, unfortunately, are electric powered. I don't know if, "unfortunately" is the right word or not. But it just seems to me that a gas powered chipper shredder has more power than something that's powered by 110 volt electric.

Brad Gay   

We used to sell the electric, this was some years ago. And in Davis, there was a viable need because most of the gardens there, are relatively small, I would consider. And they were using for table scraps and clippings and leaves and stuff like that. And they work well. But the problem with it, it had to fit in a slot to get it to go down into this chipper shredder contraption. The opening is about the size of a medium size book, it was only like two inches, two and a half inches wide, and maybe 12 inches long. And it was like you're trying to squish things down into this slot to get it in there to work. They've improved it quite a bit better. But with gas powered units, a lot of my problems are, if you get something in there, you get too much in there and it starts to plug up. And then you need to stop it. With gas power, you can shut the engine off. But if electric, if you do cause that thing to run and not be, actually turning over, you can cook those motors pretty easily. And we found that there was not a substantial amount of electric failures. But it's like a an electric lawnmower, if you use electric lawnmower, and you're out there trying to cut grass that's 12 inches tall, you're slowing that motor down, a lot those motors overheat. And because you're plugged into the grid, it's just endless energy and those motors overheat. And so I don't give them a real thumbs up on quality. I know electric products have really kind of taken over the imagination for most people out there as far as tools and that, but I don't think this is money well spent, at least at this point.

Farmer Fred    

And whichever unit you get, you want to follow all the instructions in the booklet that it comes with. And you mentioned a problem that all chipper shredders have be they electric or gas: they can sometimes jam up. And yes, very important to turn that motor off as soon as you sense that it is not chipping or shredding.

Brad Gay    

Yeah, you'll lose a belt or you'll cook a motor is what will happen if it's electric. But the belt, if you lose the belt, now you're done. And you got to go get a belt. We do restock belts for what we sell and we have access to them fairly rapidly. But you're done for the day, you just don't go down to a hardware store or auto parts store and buy another belt. That's just a mess. It's not gonna happen. So you got to stop those things relatively quickly.

Farmer Fred   

All right, chipper shredder, great investment for making your own mulch from not only tree branches, but your garden, your grape vines, your corn stalks, any sort of woody material can become your mulch in your garden.

Brad Gay   

Oh yeah, it's tremendous. Yeah, what it is I would recommend that I agree with you about the roto tiller and the chipper Shredder. I would spend the money on the chipper shredder first and then if you need a roto tiller I use a roto tiller but I've got a pretty good sized piece of ground but it's not used as much as I did before. I don't need to do that.

Farmer Fred  

We've been talking with Brad Gay from JB's power equipment in Davis, California. Chipper shredders: every gardener should own one. Thanks, Brad.

Brad Gay  

Thanks, Fred. Good talking to you.

What About Electric Chipper/Shredders?

For that, we turn to Debbie Flower, who owns an electric chipper-shredder, the 15 amp Sun Joe. Her review:

My chipper is a Sun Joe 15 amp Electric Wood Chipper/Shredder plug-in, model #CJ602E.  I have had the pleasure of using it only a few times.  It is a compact, easy to store machine.  The 6” wheels and light weight make it easy to move around the yard.

The hopper at the top accepts material to be chipped, and a plastic device that fits in the hopper is attached making it safe to push wood into the chopper. Chips come out the bottom.  To collect the chips I put a larger grow pot, about 12” tall, under the output hole.  Chips are smaller than those of arborist chippings and great to add mulch to the garden.

The Sun Joe makes quick work of wood that is stiff and up to 1.5” diameter, the maximum suggested to put in it.  Letting fresh prunings from live plants dry a day or two makes it easier to chip them. Fresh prunings do get chipped but the thinnest of these and any leaves attached are more likely to clog the machine then they do if they are a bit drier.

I have tested the machine by pushing branches larger than the suggested limit through the hopper.  They did go through and get chipped, but the strain on the machine was evident by the noises it made and, eventually, how hot it got. 

I am somewhat disappointed in how poorly it handles the thinnest branches.  They go in the hopper and either come out the bottom in long, maybe a foot long, pieces, or they clog the machine.  The machine does not successfully chip soft plant material like dead stems of herbaceous perennials.  Because of this I have not tried to shred leaves using the Sun Joe.

I am not one to purchase every new-fangled garden tool but am happy to have this one in my garage.  It was not expensive, is very easy to use, requires little maintenance, and the chips I get from the it add to the mulch in my garden.

My thoughts about electric-chipper shredders are closely aligned with Brad Gay’s opinion (above). Reviewers of this electric chipper shredder say they have issues including the shredding problems mentioned by Debbie, and the overheating problem she mentioned. As Brad said, it’s cheaper to replace a belt on a gas chipper/shredder when the machine gets overwhelmed to the point of freezing up with material jammed in the hopper, than it is to replace a burned out electric motor. And make sure you plug the unit into a 20 amp outlet, not 15, to avoid tripping either the house circuit or the overload circuit on the machine. And as with any outdoor electric-powered garden implement, make sure you have the right gauge extension cord which is determined by the power pull of the unit as well as the length of the extension cord.

Reviews of Sun Joe chipper shredders by owners on Amazon also complained about the unit’s inability to chop thin branches, as well as the difficulty to replace the blades, which need to be sharp to do an effective job. Still, most reviewers were very satisfied with this particular Sun Joe 15 amp chipper-shredder. One reviewer did offer a helpful suggestion to avoid clogging situations: “If you feed large branches up to 1" (or more) you really have to hold on to them and only let it take a little at a time, pull it up off the cutter (still inside the safe area) then feed more. One reason it jammed is that when it passes the safety cover it's still several inches long, which is good safety wise, but it will fall over onto the cutters when you're no longer holding on to it. That ends up turning that 1" diameter stick into a 1 1/2" + oval. (turn a cylinder on an angle and it's a long oval) Feed something small along side it and it will keep it vertical. That can help. I learned to just chip smaller stuff.”

Farmer Fred’s Ride for the Kids!

I'm fundraising on behalf of the Sacramento Rotary Club’s 2024 Sacraamento Century Challenge bike ride on September 28th to raise money for the Sacramento Children's Home Crisis Nursery and I could use your support. Here’s the link.

On that date, I’ll be riding my bike, a Surly Midnight Special (NOT an e-bike) 100 miles along the Sacramento River to help out the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery. I’ve ridden 100 miles in one day plenty of times…when I was younger. 

But at 73, I could use some moral support, and the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery can use your pledge money. So, how about it? Maybe pledge 10 cents a mile (that’s $10) along with a hearty, “You go, Fred!” Or a more generous one dollar a mile ($100), to give me the mental endurance for the entire ride, to dodge the pothole-filled levee roads and pedal harder in the ferocious headwinds that makes this ride a real challenge!

The Sacramento Children's Home Crisis Nursery is the only program of its kind in Sacramento County and directly prevents child abuse and neglect by supporting families with small children at times of crisis. The nursery allows parents to bring their children ages newborn to five for emergency hourly or overnight care during difficult times, with the goal of keeping families together and reducing the number of children entering foster care. To care for our community's most vulnerable children, we rely on support from community members like you. By donating, you empower us to provide a safe haven for children throughout the Sacramento area, offering respite to parents during times of crisis, and building a strong support system for the future. Your support helps provide a safe place to stay local kids in need. Again, here’s the link to make a donation to the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery. Or do it because this newsletter is still free (for now).

Thank you for your support, and say "Hi!" if you see me pedaling like crazy out there along the Sacramento River on Saturday, September 28th! Here’s the link to help support the Sacramento Children’s Home Crisis Nursery.

All About Leaf Mulchers

(Originally aired in Episode 54 of the Garden Basics podcast, “Easy Leaf Mulch”)

EASY LEAF MULCHING

Farmer Fred: 

We're talking with Brad Gay from JB's Power Equipment in Davis. And if you're a gardener, every fall, if you have leaves or if your neighbors have trees with leaves, those leaves make an excellent mulch, they can improve your garden soil, and it's pretty easy to improve your soil. If you don't have a winter garden. When those leaves fall in October, November, December. you grind them up, you put them on your garden bed, stack it up as tall as you want, four inches, eight inches, 12 inches. and then the following spring, you've got improved soil, no question about it. The problem is, all right, how do you gather up those leaves? How do you grind them up? In the past, what I've done is use the leaves from my neighbor’s 60 foot Pin Oak tree. So I'll go over there, rake her leaves, put them in a metal 30 Gallon Trash Can, stick my string trimmer down into that metal trashcan and sort of whip it around and grind up those leaves. It does an okay job but not really a great job of making all those leaves smaller. There's something on the market that if you want to do that, too, it makes it a heck of a lot easier. We're talking with Brad Gay from JB's Power Equipment in Davis. And Brad, I like the idea of having a tool that sucks up the leaves and grinds them and then I can just dump it onto the garden bed. That sounds pretty darn easy. What are those instruments of destruction?

Brad Gay: 

Well, it's a great tool, it's a conversion of your handheld blower, is what it amounts to. And they've gone in and adapted the front of the blower that brings in the air for the blower to blow out the pipe to blow your leaves. Well they put a tube on that so now it becomes a vacuum. And the blower exit you would be blowing has a curved tube to it. that attaches to a bag before you put that tool on, If you look on the inside of that blower, there are little metal shredders, something you wouldn't want to touch.

Farmer Fred: 

Thank you.

Brad Gay: 

That way you can't run it with that tube off.

Farmer Fred: 

Yeah, that's great.

Brad Gay:

So that's a very strong safety feature. But it's metal, like a mower blade, but a real small version of it. That's a shredder. So now you can go in and suck up all the leaves in these areas. And it hits that shredder device and puts it in your bag and it's a 12 to one ratio reduction. So in areas like under shrubs that you've got that you can't get to as easily or let's say your around a pool and you're in corners where leaves are collected. In my case I have large Sycamore leaves. So now you got to reduce that to be able to use it. So by using this, by sucking that debris up and going through that shredder, it reduces that down. And most of the pieces are about less than the size of a dime, which is pretty good considering how big that leaf was originally.

Brad Gay: 

I've been very satisfied with it, you save a few steps, you just take it out, dump it. You can use it right then as long as you don't have to go shred it up. I live in a house that has two huge sycamore trees. And before I had a chipper shredder, or had a vac and sack or a shredder vac, I had tarps that I would hold in my backyard and put them on my garden. And I'd have piles back there. Well, it reduced really well. But for corn leaves, which are a pretty good sized leaf. So in the spring, I'd go out there, and there at the bottom of the pile there's still some of those leaves in their original configuration. Wow, since I've started doing the chipping and the shredding and reducing that and then putting it on a yard, it's done. it's mulch. it's ready to use right then. There's no big piles anymore. So that vac and sack, That's a great tool to have.

Farmer Fred: 

Yeah, I noticed on your website, JBSpower.com, that the Echo people have one called a shredding vac. And actually, it's three units in one because it's a blower, like a typical leaf blower, it's a vacuum. And it's a shredder mulcher.

Brad Gay:

Yeah, that's the whole thing. But it's got a nice bag on it so that when the bag has a strap that goes over your shoulder, it's like you're carrying it. it has a rear handle to it. So usually you have an upper handle on a blower or a handheld blower, well, this actually has a rear handle, so you can hold it and the upper handle, so you got two hands on there. And then you have a strap that's on the bag that you put over, like a backpack kind of sling that goes over your back. So then you power the leaves in that bag. Well, when that starts getting heavy, that's about time for you to go dump it. So I'm gonna say it’s about a 30 gallon, plastic bag container. Not quite that but it's a good amount that you can pick up and get rid of all that debris in a timely fashion. So you can go do other things in your garden.

Farmer Fred: 

Now we're talking here about the Echo shredding vac. But I imagine there's other manufacturers with very similar items.

Brad Gay: 

yeah, there is. Stihl has one, there's is the same idea. We also sell that , which is competitively priced. The same thing, there's no difference. everybody's producing stuff like that. But both of these companies are top of the line. And they're run by people that if you do have a problem with this piece of equipment, you've got someplace to go to which is a good thing to fall back on. That's what I meant. Buy the best and cry only once, a little bit. But you generally just don't have the problem.

Farmer Fred: 

The Echo unit we're talking about and I imagine the Stihl unit as well. They're both two stroke gas engines, correct?

Brad Gay:

That's correct. Wear a dust mask when you're doing this.

Farmer Fred: 

Yeah, we got plenty of masks these days.

Brad Gay: 

Well, yeah, everybody has access to those for some reason. Yes.

Farmer Fred: 

All right. garden mulch. I've preached it for years. It's the one of the best things to add to your garden and you don't have to till it in. you can just lay it on top. You can plant around it. garden mulch has numerous benefits. It blocks weed seeds from sunlight so they don't germinate. It promotes better water retention. It provides needed nutrients as it decomposes. It moderates soil temperatures as well. Mulch is wonderful. Why not make it yourself from the things that are around you, that are falling, tree branches or leaves. I think a shredding vac is the way to go for just about every gardener.

Brad Gay: 

I've been using it for about three years now. But you know when I'm so glad that I got a number of friends that have similar landscapes and they have it and they use them quite a bit themselves too. It's really a nice handy tool. There you go. If you need a blower you've got a blower too. So if you want to just blow things around, get it into a pile and then put the bag on there and the other hose and now you can shred everything up out of your pile. So it's a two in one, three in one device.

Farmer Fred: 

Well, I thank you and my next door neighbor with the 60 foot tall Pin Oak Tree thanks you as well, with this information about the shred and vacuum. If you're going to have one garden tool that might set you back a couple hundred bucks, this would be the one to have, to make your own mulch and improve your soil. We've been talking with Brad Gay from JBS Power Equipment in Davis, California. Brad, thanks so much.

Brad Gay:

Fred, it's always a pleasure talking to you.

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Fred Hoffman is also a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in Sacramento County. And he likes to ride his bike(s).

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