Beyond the Garden Basics

On Episode 144 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, we talked about some easy ways to improve your soil, including leaving crop remains (the roots) and topping the garden beds in the winter with shredded leaves from your trees. Also, we talked about how adding wood ash to your garden can change the pH of your soil (bottom line: know your pH).

One warning about adding leaves to the top of your garden bed to improve the soil, from organic gardening professional, Living Resources president Steve Zien: this will only work if you have a healthy soil to begin with.

So, the question arises: how do you start to get a healthier soil? Zien responds:

“Don’t have an organic garden? Leaving crop residue and leaf mulch on the soil surface will still be worthwhile. Mulch and crop residue protects the soil from nature’s forces of wind and water, reducing erosion and the impact of raindrops on bare soil. When a raindrop hits bare soil it loosens the sand, silt and in particular clay particles and moves them around in a way that results in the creation of a hard crust that seals off the soil restricting the movement of air, water, nutrients and biology from entering the soil. Crop residue and mulch also conserves moisture, reduces the need for irrigation, prevents weed growth and insulates the root zone from heat and cold creating a more favorable environment for beneficial soil biology and your plants roots.

When the crop residue and mulch break down and enter the soil, nutrients and organic mater become available to an ever increasing abundance and diversity of soil biology known as the soil food web. These organisms nurture your plants while protecting them from pests. They also glue and tie individual soil particles (sand, slit, and clay) to create favorable soil structure with a diversity of pore space sizes. Small and medium size pores hold on to water that will be available to soil biology including plant roots. Large pore spaces drain providing life- giving oxygen while serving as place for plant roots to grow. Have a heavy clay soil? Only a healthy soil food web that can create and maintain soil structure will open up that clay soil, allowing water to penetrate into and percolate through the soil.

The goal of every gardener should be to create a healthy soil food web that will yield the most productive and nutritious foods and beautiful landscapes. Leaving crop residue and mulch on the soil surface is just one technique to accomplish this goal. Regularly applying compost and worm castings to the soil surface not only supplies additional soil biology but organic matter, the energy source for the soil food web. It is also important to minimize soil disturbance (cultivation, tillage) that reduces both the diversity and abundance of soil life.

One must also realize that soil organisms are destroyed by synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, therefore their use must be eliminated or at least minimized. One should only use organic fertilizers, ideally following the recommendations of a soil test. Rototilling the soil, using a synthetic fertilizer or pesticides will only be a step backward in creating a vibrant and resilient soil food web.

The sooner and more completely you adopt these practices (among many other regenerative soil practices) the faster you will create a healthy soil food web with good soil structure and an abundance of organic matter capable of producing the garden and landscape you dream of.”

We are hopeful Mr. Z shares with us in the future those “many other regenerative soil practices”.

Below the paywall:

• Understanding soil pH levels (with nifty charts)

• Is wood ash right for your garden? (Depends on your current soil pH)

• The danger to your garden soil of too much wood ash.

• Soil pH test kits

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Know Your Soil pH

Blame the Danes if when the garden conversation turns to “pH” - a term that translates as “potential Hydrogen” - your mind wanders to thoughts of social media posts of kittens riding a Roomba.

According to the UC Master Gardeners of Napa County: “In 1909 Danish biochemists decided to use pH as shorthand for potential hydrogen. They developed a pH scale, ranging from 0 to 14, to represent how many hydrogen ions (H+) are present in a sample. According to the scale, distilled water is a 7 (neutral). Anything under seven is considered acidic (sour), while anything above 7 is alkaline (sweet).

“These values are not linear but, rather, logarithmic. That means that a sample with a pH of 6 is 10 times more acidic than a sample with a pH of 7.

“What does pH have to do with gardening? Everything. A soil’s pH affects the ability of plant roots to absorb nutrients and water. Most minerals in the soil must be dissolved to be absorbed by a plant’s roots. Soil that is slightly acidic (6.2 to 6.8) or slightly alkaline (7.4 to 7.8) will dissolve minerals the best.

“When soil is too acidic (pH below 5.5) new foliage looks yellow, distorted and possibly black around the edges and the plant does not grow. When soil is alkaline (pH above 8), plant leaves may look yellow between the veins or have a bleached or mottled and blotchy look. New growth may have brown or black leaf tips.”

On the above chart, note how some elements, such as iron, become less available to plants as the pH rises. “Less available” doesn’t mean the soil is missing that element; it just means the plant isn’t able to uptake it because of the existing pH level.

In discussing the use of wood ash in the garden with college horticulture professor (retired) Debbie Flower, also on Episode 144 of Garden Basics, she pointed out to know your soil pH before you add any wood ash. Wood ash is highly alkaline and can throw your soil out of whack if your soil is already teetering on too much alkalinity (at or above 7.0).

Scenic Bypass: Is Wood Ash Right for Your Garden?

Ed Perry, retired Stanislaus County (CA)-based UC Farm Advisor, has the answer to that question. And of course, the answer is, “It depends.”

Plus, it depends how much wood ash you added to the garden. Too much can lead to trouble. Never use the ash from charcoal briquettes in a garden. The ashes of manufactured coals may contain too many extraneous ingredients, such as binders and lighter fluid, which can be detrimental to your soil.

“Wood ashes contain chemicals which are very alkaline with a pH of 10 to 12,” explained Perry. “They are harmful at high rates, especially in soils that are already alkaline. Since about 80 to 90 percent of wood ashes are water-soluble mineral matter, high rates can cause salts to build up in soils resulting in plant injury.”

To limit problems of excess salinity, alkalinity, and plant nutrient availability, Perry recommends no more than 5 pounds of wood ash per 100 square feet, scattered on freshly tilled soil, and raked in, once per year.

In his publication, “Wood Ashes as a Garden Fertilizer”, Perry points out that in general, wood ashes contain five to seven percent potassium and about two percent phosphorus. They also contain 25 to 50 percent calcium compounds. The presence of phosphorus in a fertilizer encourages flowering and fruiting.

Chances are, that wood ash bucket you’re hauling out of the house is holding more than five pounds. Try scattering it evenly across a surface, 10 feet by 10 feet, and you will see how difficult it is (especially if the wind is blowing) and how thin the final layer must be on the soil surface.

Perry warns gardeners to avoid contact between freshly spread ashes and germinating seeds or new plant roots by spreading ashes a few inches away from plants. Ashes that settle on foliage can cause burning. Prevent this by thoroughly rinsing plants after applying ashes.

Because ashes are alkaline, avoid using them around azaleas, camellias, and other acid-loving plants. Wood ashes are very low in nitrogen and cannot supply your plants’ needs for this element. You will need to follow your normal nitrogen fertilizer schedule when ashes are applied.

Too Much Salt: It’s Bad for Your Garden, Too.

The University of California Cooperative Extension in Ventura and Contra Costa Counties have publications on this topic, as well. They repeat this warning about using wood ashes in the garden: “A further compounding problem is that about 80 to 90 percent of the minerals in wood ashes are water-soluble, so that high application rates can cause salts to build up in soils, resulting in plant injury.”

However, there is one nugget of potential usefulness about using wood ashes in the garden. According to the Butte County UC Master Gardeners, dry ashes, or other abrasives such as diatomaceous earth can be used as barriers for slugs and snails. Such abrasives should be piled about one inch high and 3 inches wide to be effective. However, these materials lose their deterrent value if they become damp, making them not very useful in most garden situations.

Meanwhile, Back in the Vegetable Garden…

Here’s a list of the preferred pH range of many garden vegetables, from the University of Nebraska:

Which pH Test Kit is Right for You?

About pH test kits: they run the gamut of price and quality. Among the easiest and most widely available are the inexpensive pH test kits found at nurseries, online, and home supply stores, such as this from Rapitest. A step up, but subject to fluctuations and durability issues, are the pH meters that are available (you get what you pay for!). For more accuracy, consider the LaMotte test kits, which also give rough measurements of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content, along with 2 booklets that are very educational.

TRANSCRIPT - Steve Zien on Easy Cool Weather Soil Improvement Tips

Farmer Fred

Well, we’re going from summer gardening to cool season gardening and maybe you don’t want to put in cool season crops. Maybe you don’t want to deal with plants that might be killed by a frost or freeze. But don’t leave your summer garden intact. In its place, there are some cheap and easy things you can do that will not only minimize pest problems for the following years, but also during the winter, feed your soil and make it even better for next year. We’re talking with Steve Zien. He is Sacramento’s organic advocate. An organic gardener for decades. He ran his own organic gardening and consulting company for decades. And Steve, I know we’ve talked about cover crops before, but going beyond cover crops. If people want an easy way to feed their soil during the winter, and they don’t want to grow cool season crops... I think one of the easiest things to do, well two things to do, is a cut down everything to soil level. If you’re growing tomatoes and peppers, just cut them off at the soil level, but leave the roots in the soil and then cover that soil with leaves that are falling from the trees in the fall, grind them up with your mower or a weed whacker or something and just put down six-eight - twelve inches of leaves on top of that garden bed.

Steve Zien

Yeah, it’s absolutely wonderful. It regulates the soil temperature, the soil temperature will be warmer. The fact that it’s all ground up makes it easier for the biology that’s in the soil to come up into that mulch and munch it down. And then the rains will help leach those small little particles down. The worms that are in your soil will come up and feed on that every single day. And you know if it’s a thick mulch, even at night, because it’ll be dark and they will be aerating your soil and and taking that organic matter of material down into the soil. And the nutrients that leach through by the rains will also leach the biology because that’ll start composting on the top of the soil and the biology that’s compost then will increase in numbers and will end up moving down into the soil as well. So you will get nutrients move down into the soil and increase the nutrient value and you will get more soil biology. And the more soil biology you have, the more diversity, the more numbers, the healthier your soil is and the healthier your crops will be. I just took a class recently, everybody has been talking about rotating your crops for decades to reduce pest problems. And they’re saying that if you have the right biology and you put down you know, you either grow cover crops or you put down a thick mulch, you really will have the biology in there, the beneficial soil biology to naturally combat the pest problems and you should not have to rotate your crops.

Farmer Fred

I love it when you’re a contrarian. And, it makes perfect sense, too.

Steve Zien

Yeah, if you’ve got the good soil biology down there. And then you’re feeding it with either a cover crop or with a thick mulch, you’re feeding though that good biology. And so the good biology will fight it out basically with the bad biology and not allowing them to grow in substantial numbers, where they could do harm to your plants the following season.

Farmer Fred

Now I mentioned earlier about clipping off the tops of the plants and leaving the roots in place, true or false.

Steve Zien

True. Because they will decompose and typically will decompose pretty fastly. Again, that’s if you have an organic, happy, healthy soil. If you’ve been using pesticides, you’ve been using synthetic fertilizers, the biology isn’t going to be there to break that stuff down. But if you are growing organically, you’ll have a lot of biology in your soil that stuff most of those roots will break down very very quickly. And they will create air channels there and they will end up aerating your soil. Because where the root was, there’s nothing there anymore. And so you’ve got these big pore spaces. So when you irrigate next spring, the water’s gonna move in through the soil, the worms can move through the soil better, the soil biology can, you know, all of the various you know, microbes and beneficial mites and protozoa and all those guys can move through the soil and do their job better.

Farmer Fred

And you’re also improving water percolation for the years ahead by keeping those roots in.

Steve Zien

Exactly. Because they will decompose. The biology will basically reduce them to nothing. And there will be large, large pore spaces where those roots were and so when you irrigate, the water will go down very, very nicely, which is important. If you’ve got a clay soil, and at least here in the Sacramento region, most gardeners have a clay soil.

Farmer Fred

I think across the country, there are a lot of gardeners who are dealing with clay soil. Yes. You mentioned a very unusual word here. I’m not sure what it is. You’re talking about to help that mulch layer on top break down, that “rain” could do that. What is this thing called “rain” that you’re talking?

Steve Zien

I don’t know. It’s been a long time. And you know, in the last year we got what, seven inches, something like that.

Farmer Fred

Yeah. Now that brings up a question if it doesn’t rain. Man, I hope it rains, but if it doesn’t, this fall and winter here in California and in many areas of the West, if you don’t get the fall and the winter rain, should you irrigate the top of that mulch, like once a week? Just turn on a hose and start sprinkling it?

Steve Zien

I think it would be a good idea once in a while. Certainly, once a week it’s not necessary. Typically, if you do it once in the wintertime, it’s not very hot. In many cases, it will hopefully be cloudy. Make sure that mulch is moist, not wet, but moist when you put it down or after you put it down. And then, before you add more moisture, don’t just look at the surface, dig down an inch or two and see if it’s dry. And if it’s dry, then you might want to add more more water.

Farmer Fred

Alright, it’s a good point. And to reinforce something we said earlier: the smaller the pieces of those leaves that you’re using as mulch, the better the quicker we can break down and feed the soil. And plus, if you’re just stacking 12 inches of unchopped leaves on top of your garden bed, you might create an anaerobic environment.

Steve Zien

It would help to grind it up some way. And you know a lawnmower works well. And you mentioned that another easy way to do it if you’ve got a string trimmer is get like a five gallon or get a garbage can and put a small amount of the the mulch in the garbage can and then run your weed eater down in there and it’ll chop it up pretty nicely as well. It’s an alternative way to do it.

Farmer Fred

And to save wear and tear on that garbage can make sure it’s a metal garbage can, which are still available. They’re out there. Yeah, usually a 27 or 32 gallon metal garbage can and then put those whole leaves in, like you said, maybe fill up that can 1/3 and then put your string trimmer in and turn it on, whirl it around a while and you’d be surprised at how the level of leaves drops. And then you can pile more in there and then chop it up again and just do it in increments like that.

Steve Zien

Yeah. And make sure you have a string trimmer. I know on some string trimmers, you can put like metal blades on them. That’s gonna pretty much destroy your container.

Farmer Fred

Yeah, and wear eye protection anytime you do that. And string trimmers, not even the plastic blades. The string trimmer is best. Yes. If you’re not going to be planting cool season crops this year, then the least you can do for your soil is cover it with mulch, chopped up leaves is great. Just leave it on til spring and you don’t even have to remove it in spring. You can just move it aside and plant whatever you’re going to put in come springtime and keep that as a permanent mulching area. Just make room for your plants.

Steve Zien

Exactly.

Farmer Fred

Mr. Exactly is with us. Steve Zien, Sacramento’s organic advocate, of Living Resources Company. Steve, thanks for the good cool season advice.

Steve Zien

It’s been a pleasure as always, Fred.

Beyond The Garden Basics is a reader-supported publication. To receive complete, new posts, have access to all the back issues of this newsletter and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.

Thanks for Subscribing and Spreading the Word About the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred newsletter, I appreciate your support (and my bikes appreciate it, too, especially after bouts of interval training) Thank You!

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

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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 four 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.

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 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.

Debbie has a lot more thoughts about her electric chipper shredder, including the downsides of electric. Listen to today’s newsletter podcast to find out more.

My thoughts about electric-chipper shredders are closely aligned with Brad Gay’s opinion (paid subscribers will hear his comments in the podcast). 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.”

Below the paywall, here’s what awaits paid subscribers:

• Why choosing a chipper-shredder with the right sized flywheel is so important.

• Replaceable exit chute screens can give you the size mulch you want.

• How to protect yourself when shredding long vines, such as grapevines.

• Information on PTO-powered chipper shredders.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.com

When it gets hot, the ants start marching indoors. When it rains, in come the ants. Too cold? The ants know where its nice and cozy: your kitchen, bathroom and pet food bowls. Outdoors, pet food and garbage cans are also ant attractants. Argentine ants, those busy little black ants, are in march formation year round.

In years past, we would reach for the spray can and douse those little scavengers. But not anymore.

Many of those spray pesticides are only effective with direct contact on the ants. And the stronger sprays, with residual action to thwart the next wave of ants, is potentially harmful to you, your kids, your pets.

So, here is what we are doing now: following the recommendations of the UC Davis Integrated Pest Management Project for Ant Control.

That includes:

• Determine what the ants are attracted to and remove the food source• Vacuum trails, wipe them with soapy water, or spray with window cleaner• Locate entry points and caulk openings or plug with petroleum jelly• Put out bait stations with liquid ant bait or apply gel bait at entry points• Baits take time to work so continue to clean up trails• Indoor sprays are not usually necessary.

• Avoid products packaged as granules that contain the active ingredients cyfluthrin or permethrin. Although these products may be mistaken for baits, they are actually contact insecticides that rapidly kill foragers and do not control the colony.

Before wiping up (or wiping out) the little critters, follow their trail. Note their entry point into the house. Seal it up. We have found ants entering the house in a variety of small avenues: beneath moulding, cracks in the window frame, behind electrical outlet plates...and one of the ants’ favorite entries: that large holes beneath the sink where the pipes enter the house.

According to the UC IPM page on ant control, “If ants can be thoroughly washed away and excluded from an area, an insecticide is probably not necessary. Vacuuming up ant trails or sponging or mopping them with soapy water may be as effective as an insecticide spray in temporarily removing foraging ants in a building because it removes the ant’s scent trail, especially if thorough cleaning is done at the entry points. Some soap products such as window cleaners can kill ants on contact but leave no residual toxicity. Certain plant-based oils are also applied for this purpose, but their odor can be offensive.”

Coming Up After the Paywall

• Highly effective liquid boric acid products for ant control.

• How to control ants in a raised garden bed.

• Debbie Flower’s home recipe for ant control

• How outdoor ants are ecologically beneficial.

One of my frequent bicycling routes takes me by a local food bank. Over the years as I pedal by in the morning, I’ve seen the line of cars increase while waiting for the 10 am food bank opening. Lines of a half block or more were common during the age of Covid (2021-2022).

Lately, the line of cars has not only increased in length, it’s now 2 lanes of traffic stretching down the road waiting for a bag or two of food. Fortunately, the road widens out as it approaches the food bank, and the employees there have adopted the Dutch Brothers Coffee / In-and-Out Hamburger traffic facilitating tactic of walking the lines of cars, and getting the information they need (I’m still trying to figure out what Dutch Brothers is putting in their $6+ coffee drinks that brings in such a large crowd. Is it the sugar?).

The number of households living paycheck to paycheck has risen dramatically - up to two-thirds of all households in the U.S. living on the edge - according to one report. There’s more hurt on the way because of recent job losses due to AI, governmental shutdown of services, increased food costs due to tariffs, housing costs, and all the other reasons that you don’t want to be reading about in a gardening column.

GARDENERS CAN HELP

Still, gardeners can help out their neighbors by donating their excess backyard produce - vegetables and fruit - to a nearby food bank or food pantry. For example, right now in late October, here in USDA Zone 9 (and I know I am not alone in this bounty), there’s a lot of sweet peppers waiting to be harvested - definitely more than we can eat or process into relish. And what are those bright orange orbs staring at me from that tree outside my window? Oh yeah, Fuyu persimmons, also more than we can eat or dehydrate, that will be ready to harvest in a week or two. Definitely, these are the prime mid-Autumn candidates for transporting to the local food bank. Coming up in winter, it will be the cornucopia of citrus - oranges, mandarins, lemons - that will be heading to the food bank, along with fresh greens.

Don’t know where you’re nearest food bank is located? Go to AmpleHarvest.org, and find the food banks in your area. It’s quick, easy, and as far as I can tell in my own area, accurate. Your local food bank would probably welcome your donation of healthy, homegrown food (always check first).

In this week’s newsletter podcast (above), Gary Oppenheimer, the founder of AmpleHarvest.org, talks about the need for more, fresh, wholesome foods getting into the hands (and mouths) of those who can’t afford to eat healthy, but want to. Give it a listen, or read the transcript, below. Thanks.

There’s no paywall on today’s newsletter/podcast episode, because that would be counterproductive to helping get your excess garden harvest to the hungry. Still, thank you for your paid subscription to Beyond the Garden Basics!

TRANSCRIPT Interview with Gary Oppenheimer of AmpleHarvest.org

(recorded in 2020)

Farmer Fred:

[0:00] Every day in every corner of the United States, children and adults are worrying about finding enough food to put on the dinner table while thousands of pounds of food are being thrown away from backyard gardens, from small farms. Millions of Americans are unable to get enough fresh food to maintain proper health. The United States has a malnourished population that needs more than processed foods in order to thrive. So many incredible food banks, pantries, and other hunger organizations are working tirelessly to alleviate hunger in our communities, but they consistently lack in donations of fresh produce. Luckily, you can help. By making regular donations of unused fresh produce to your local food pantry, you can be a part of the solution to increase the health of people in your neighborhood. And you can donate food that you grow or food that you buy. It’s easy.

Farmer Fred:

[0:55] The trick is finding the food pantry nearest you, and you can do that through an incredible site called AmpleHarvest.org. We’re talking with Gary Oppenheimer. He’s with AmpleHarvest.org. He’s the founder. It’s a unique nationwide resource that is eliminating the waste of food, the outcome being a reduction in hunger and malnutrition, along with an improved environment. There’s something like 42 million Americans who grow food in home gardens, community gardens, and their small farmers as well, who could easily donate their excess harvest to one of over 8,600 registered local food pantries spread across all 50 states. And Gary, I want to tell you, first of all, about my experience with your website, ampleharvest.org. There is a page there where you can go and find the food pantry nearest you. And I set a search of 15-mile radius around my house. And up popped, I’m counting, 14 food pantries I never knew existed, including one that is within walking distance. And it’s amazing how easy it could be for people who have an excess of tomatoes or squash or peppers or melons or fruit, where to take it to and how convenient that is. What was your inspiration, Gary, for starting ampleharvest.org?

Gary Oppenheimer:

[2:17] That’s a great question, actually. There are two things, two pieces of inspiration. One was I grew up hearing, “don’t waste food”. My grandparents always told me, you know, finish what’s on your plate. Kids are starving in Europe. So not wasting food was always inculcated into me. But as an adult and a master gardener, I was growing more food than I can use, and I couldn’t, I didn’t want to go to waste. My wife said, you can’t forget any more of this stuff in the house.

Gary Oppenheimer:

[2:42] And I struggled to find a place to donate the food to. It turns out I found a battered woman shelter in my town. I’m in Northern New Jersey. But when I had gone on Google to find out where their food pantries, Google said the nearest one was 25 miles away in another city. And I had an epiphany in March of 09. And I realized, wait a minute, this is an information problem. This is not a food problem. People aren’t hungry because America doesn’t have enough food. We actually throw away half the produce, never gets consumed. The problem gardeners across America have always had was miss and missing information. The misinformation was what we were all told at food drives, that you can only donate jars or cans or boxes, but no fresh food. We gardeners took away from that. You can’t donate the extra tomatoes. The missing information was where is a food pantry and what’s a good day of the week and time of day to donate it. When I realized that this was the information problem, I realized the solution was a web-based, an internet-based program that would both educate gardeners about their capacity, that they can indeed donate food.

Gary Oppenheimer:

[3:50] And to where to donate it near them, and the optimum day of the week and time of day. And that timing is super important because if a food pantry, for argument’s sake, was distributing food to hungry families on Sunday afternoons, the ideal time for you to bring it in is Sunday morning, which means the ideal time for you to harvest is either Sunday morning or Saturday night. So the food would go from your garden to the food pantry to a hungry family in hours, Number one, the food pantry didn’t have to buy refrigeration. And number two, the hungry family was getting food fresher than you and I can buy in a supermarket. It’s truly garden fresh food. And the whole thing came together for me in a one four-hour session on my computer. And seven weeks later, with the help of two volunteers, May 18, 2009, Ample Harvest Road rolled out. And it’s been growing in reach and impact ever since.

Farmer Fred:

[4:46] We’re going to be using a couple of terms here that people may get confused. I find it confusing as well. Maybe you can explain it. We will be talking about food banks and food pantries. What is the difference?

Gary Oppenheimer:

[4:57] Well, this is a fun question. All right. For most of America, for all of America, a food bank is a large industrial warehouse type operation, around 200 of them in America. They’re part of the Feeding America Network. These are large warehouses where large amounts of food come in and large amounts of food are then redistributed out to the local programs where hungry families go. So those local programs where hungry families go, there are around 33,500 across America, are usually called a food pantry and in some states a food cupboard or food shelf or food closet. The exception, as far as I know, was Oregon and Washington where those local programs are also called food banks. And you said a little bit ago that I think in Sacramento, they’re also sometimes called food banks. So in the vernacular, in the common language of food banks where a hungry family gets food, but in the real system, there’s a distinction. And the reason I had to create ampleharvest.org was because when the food went from a food drive to a food bank or a food pantry, it took too long. But when it went from a food drive or my garden, for that matter, to a food pantry, it could happen in 15 minutes. So this was an architectural discussion. This is great for a linguistic nerd, but it’s... If people want to use the word food bank, that’s perfectly fine. But I’ll use the word food pantry just to be more correct.

Farmer Fred:

[6:25] Ampleharvest.org is geared to a wide range of gardeners. You’ve got home gardeners, new gardeners, farmers and food producers, Master Gardeners, and school gardens. And boy, I’m thinking about food waste and all of a sudden, wow, school gardens. I wonder what they’re doing with all that excess food that they’re growing in their little school, especially when it may be happening in the summertime and there isn’t anybody there to harvest it?

Gary Oppenheimer:

[6:51] School gardens, you’re absolutely right. It’s also camp gardens, by the way. But a school garden, you’ve planted the stuff and then the kids are gone for the summer and who’s harvesting? Or the camp. The camp had a garden and come the end of August or September when kids go back to school, who’s harvesting? So they have the opportunity to also donate the food, by the way, as do other places that don’t think of themselves as gardens. You might have a golf course that has citrus fruits raining down. You might have a public park, for example.

Gary Oppenheimer:

[7:22] So there’s lots and lots of opportunity for food to be donated from different places. The work we’re doing is to enable as much wholesome, healthy, fresh, locally grown food to get to food pantries as possible, because that not only reduces hunger across America, but it also improves the nation’s health and well-being. The healthier your diet, obviously, the healthier you are. I’ll just give you one number which blew me away when I learned about it. Cisco Systems, the internet company, did an analysis of ampleharvest.org years ago. And it’s online at ampleharvest.org slash study if you want to see it. And their analysis was, if every gardener in America knew that he or she could donate food, surplus food. And if every food pantry in America was on Ample Harvest that were able to receive the food, the nation’s health care costs would drop $58 billion a year.

Farmer Fred:

[8:20] I always believe that the word pharmacy should be spelled F-A-R-M-A-C-Y because healthy, homegrown, fresh farm food is one of the best ways to get your health back.

Gary Oppenheimer:

[8:33] Absolutely. And when you think about two of the leading causes of ill health in America are obesity and diabetes, which are both costly in terms of your own well-being and costly in terms of just the medical care involved, those are both diet-impacted diseases. You improve the diet, you reduce those diseases, you have a healthier and, frankly, by extension, a wealthier nation.

Farmer Fred:

[8:59] One of the categories you have that you’re appealing to is called new gardeners, but there’s a subset of that that we were talking about before the interview called the accidental gardener, and they can also participate with ampleharvest.org.

Gary Oppenheimer:

[9:13] Yeah, I wrote a blog article about that, the accidental gardener, and people ask, well, what’s an accidental gardener? Either you’re a gardener or you’re not. And I had realized that if you buy a house...

Gary Oppenheimer:

[9:25] And the house came with a fruit tree that somebody previously planted, apples, oranges, what have you. You may not think of yourself as a gardener if you don’t get your fingers dirty and garden. But the reality is that every year, the tree is raining down on you, all this wonderful food, the apples and the oranges or what have you. And so I describe that person as the accidental gardener. That person, too, has the opportunity to donate the food.

Gary Oppenheimer:

[9:57] I was named CNN Hero in April 2010. The day I was named CNN Hero, I received an email from somebody in the Southwest who said that the prior year before he’d heard of AmpleHarvest.org, he had thrown away eight 55-gallon drums of citrus fruit because he didn’t know he could donate it. This is a huge opportunity for the country. And the reality is, we haven’t even started tackling that yet. So the $58 billion number was based on the gardeners who know they garden, not the accidental gardeners. So these numbers are going to be subject to change. And I also want to give you one other number subject to change. You started this with saying there are 42 million gardeners in America. That’s pre-COVID. The data we’re now seeing from partners in the industry speaks to 58 million

people, and it may well be growing higher as millions more people start their own gardens. And I strongly believe that most of the people who started gardening are going to continue to garden. That means more people gardening and more healthy, fresh food for hungry families on a permanent basis. Look, one thing’s really important. When you grow a garden and have your own garden, you’re growing it for your own enjoyment.

Gary Oppenheimer:

[11:06] And for your own family. You should be enjoying that food first. The food, however, that you grow that’s in excess of what you can use or preserve or share with friends should never be going to waste. That’s the food that should be donated to a local food pantry. And that’s whether you’re a backyard gardener or maybe you got herbs growing in a kitchen window or in a community garden, it doesn’t really make any difference. And by the way, also the amount of surplus is not terribly important either. Don’t feel bad. I only got five tomatoes to donate. Donate your five tomatoes. It’ll be commingled with all the other people with five tomatoes and 500 pounds of tomatoes at the table. The important thing is that the food is eaten by somebody and nourishes somebody in the community. It’s good for the community.

Gary Oppenheimer:

[11:50] Frankly, it’s good for the planet because food waste is a contributing factor to climate change. And it’s a wonderful way of people helping their neighbors in need by reaching into their backyards when they can’t afford to reach into their back pocket. Today, we are at work, as you had said, in 50 states, in about 4,200 communities. And today, we’re approaching 9,000 food pantries, which is about a quarter of America’s food pantries, which is great. That means we have three quarters of America’s food pantries yet re-engage and work with and work with those surrounding gardeners. So, we have a lot of work ahead of us and your dollars certainly get us a long way towards succeeding on that.

Farmer Fred:

[12:28] If you’ve got excess food, you know where to go. Ampleharvest.org will aim you to the food pantry nearest you. Gary Oppenheimer is the founder of Ampleharvest.org. Gary, thanks for a few minutes of your time.

Gary Oppenheimer:

[12:41] It’s my pleasure. Thank you very, very much.

Fred Hoffman is also a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in Sacramento County. And he’s loved bicycling for a long, long, time.

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In the warm winter areas of the country, the calendula is the go-to source of bright garden color on those cold, cloudy, foggy days. In cooler growing zones, the calendula is a blooming staple during the summer.

In the podcast (above), we explore the enchanting world of calendulas with Diane Blazek, the executive director of the National Garden Bureau, as we celebrate 2025 as the Year of the Calendula. We discuss their historical significance, medicinal properties, and culinary uses, while clarifying the confusion surrounding their classification as pot marigolds. Diane shares practical gardening tips for successfully growing calendulas, including seed sowing strategies for different climates and the benefits of dense planting for attracting pollinators. We emphasize the ease of growing these flowers, making them ideal for novice gardeners and families. The episode also highlights the best sources for high-quality calendula seeds.

According to the National Garden Bureau:

* Calendulas need at least 6 hours of daily sunshine to witness its radiant blooms unfurl.

* Finding the Perfect Soil: Well-draining soil is key. While Calendula isn’t fussy about soil type, it prefers a slightly acidic to neutral pH. (6 to 7 pH)

* Planting for Success: In colder areas of the country (USDA Zones 3-7) sow seeds directly outdoors, in spring, about an inch deep, after the last frost. In the warmer zones (7-10), plant them in early autumn. Space them 12-18 inches apart for ample room to flourish.

* The Secret to Continuous Blooms: Regularly remove spent flowers (deadheading) to encourage new growth. This keeps your plant looking tidy and stimulates more blooms.

* Natural Pest Control: Calendula is naturally resistant to pests, but keep an eye out for occasional visitors like aphids or caterpillars.

* Garden Harmony: Calendulas act as a natural pest deterrent, attracting beneficial insects to your garden because of their easy to reach flower parts.

* Harvesting Your Bounty: Pick Calendula flowers when fully open, preferably in the morning for the most concentrated oils. Dry them for later use in teas, salves, or potpourri.

* Edible Delight: Surprise your palate! Calendula flowers are edible with a subtle peppery flavor, adding a vibrant touch to salads, soups, and stews.

* DIY Potpourri: Dried Calendula blossoms infuse your space with a beautiful fragrance.

* Soothing Salves: Calendula’s calming properties make it a popular ingredient in homemade salves.

Calendula’s easy to reach flower parts attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, and pest predators such as ladybugs, lacewings, and hoverflies. These insects help control pests like aphids, whiteflies, and caterpillars.

By attracting ladybugs, lacewings, and hoverflies, calendula helps control pest populations naturally. Acting like a trap crop, calendulas can attract pests like aphids, which then attract the beneficial predators.

Beyond The Garden Basics is a reader-supported publication. To receive complete new posts and podcasts, and have access to the entire catalog of over 200 Beyond the Garden Basics newsletters, consider becoming a paid subscriber.

Coming up after the paywall:

Calendulas undergo “nyctinasty” every day, a visible change in the plant. We explain what that is in the newsletter and why it is so important for the calendula’s survival.

Despite winning competitions internationally, why have there been no calendula winners in All-America Selections trials in its 90+ year history?

The popular calendula varieties in California and USDA Zone 9.

The popular calendula varieties in the midwest and east.

And, the complete transcript of the Calendula podcast, which includes links and videos for more information!

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If you have a worm bin, and are harvesting the worm castings (yes, it’s worm poop), and you’re spreading those castings around your outdoor and indoor plants, you are helping to create some powerful soil, teeming with microbiology, that will supercharge your plants. According to Cal Recycle, the process of vermicomposting, which uses worms to break down organic material such as food scraps, will turn them into a nutrient-rich soil amendment that can nourish your house plants or garden.

Some wormy facts:

* Worms break food waste into compost faster, over 8-12 weeks. Traditional composting, on the other hand takes 6-9 months.

* You can worm compost in your apartment or house, even under your kitchen sink. You can also vermicompost at school or the office.

* Worms like to feed on food waste.

* Worms break down food scraps efficiently.

* Worms eat over half their body weight a day.

* Worm manure contains beneficial microbes and nutrients for plants.

What will worms eat?

Worms eat a variety of organics, such as:

* Paper.

* Manure.

* Fruit.

* Vegetable.

* Grains.

* Coffee Grounds.

* Ground Yard Wastes.

Do not feed worms:

* Meat.

* Dairy.

* Oily food.

* Citrus scraps (toxic to worms).

What Do Poop-Happy Worms Need?

* Moist, organic bedding as damp as a wrung-out sponge, in a location that has a temperature range of 55-77 degrees F.

* Darkness – they are sensitive to light.

* Because they have no teeth, add 1 Tbs of grit, such as clean soil, sand, rock dust or oyster flour in bedding to help the worms grind the food.

* Clean soil, sand, rock dust, or oyster flour with no foreign organisms.

From the Fresno County Master Gardener publication, “About Worm Castings”:

Castings contain rich microbiological colonies that help fight soil-borne plant diseases and repel insects.

Worm castings are water-soluble allowing plants to quickly and easily absorb essential nutrients and trace minerals. When the manure passes through the worms digestive tract, it forms a coating around the grain which allows for the nutrients to “time release” into the soil. Nutrients are readily available to plant material over a greater length of time and will not burn even the most delicate plants.

Analysis of earthworm castings reveals that they are rich in iron, sulfur, calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK rating: 5.5.3). They are much richer in nutrients than bulk compost, therefore application rates are much lower.

Improved Growth: Extensive University testing has been performed by Ohio State, Cornell University, UC Davis and the Australian SIRO to prove the worth of worm castings. The tests have shown improved flower size, bloom quantity, quality and color. Fruit and vegetable tests have resulted in yield improvements from 57% to over 200% as well as improvement in taste and appearance.

Worm Castings Are Great For Your Garden!Nutrient-rich soil: Worm castings, or vermicast, are rich in water-soluble nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as micronutrients like iron, zinc, and magnesium. These nutrients are in a highly bioavailable form that plants can readily absorb, boosting their growth.

* Improved soil structure: Worm castings improve the physical structure of the soil, increasing its ability to retain moisture and improving aeration, which is crucial for root development.

* Beneficial microorganisms: The castings contain beneficial bacteria and enzymes that help develop a strong immune system in plants, making them more resistant to pests and diseases.

For a deeper dive into the benefits of worm castings, check out this excerpt about vermicomposting in the publication, “Microbes at Work”.

After the paywall break:

Are commercially bagged earthworm castings as good as homegrown or worm farm-purchased castings?

In the podcast (above), America’s Favorite Retired Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, and Sacramento-based organic soils expert, Steve Zien, tackle that question (that portion only available to paid subscribers of the Beyond the Garden Basics) .

Plus, after the paywall break, a complete transcript of today’s podcast!

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I spent the weekend in a garlic frame of mind. I’ve been working one 4x8’ garden bed, harvesting the pumpkins, removing the vines, reworking the soil with worm castings and compost, and planting the garlic that just arrived last Friday from Territorial Seed Company.

By the way, kudos to Territorial for all the information contained about the garlic varieties they sent that’s included on the label, which also has planting instructions. It is a handy label you can save to remind you of what varieties you planted come harvest time next spring, or take pictures of it for your garden diary. (By the way, they didn’t pay me to say that or plug them. I’m just happy with the service and the quality of the garlic that arrived.)

I chose this year to plant Susanville and Silver White for their long storage capabilities. In the podcast, you’ll hear me and Debbie Flower discussing our garlic planting tips from October of 2023, mentioning several other varieties. In the newsletter below, even more varieties are mentioned. There’s a lot to choose from! The beauty of being a gardener…growing what you truly enjoy.

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Want to grow garlic?

In milder climates (where the ground doesn’t freeze), now is the time to visit your favorite nursery, garden center or garden catalog company to choose the garlic varieties you want. Note I said, “varieties.” Grocery store garlic is primarily one or two varieties. Around here, it is usually California Early or California Late. And these two softneck, Artichoke varieties of garlic do grow well in USDA Zone 9. They take our late spring heat, are very productive, and can be stored (in a cool, dark room, in netted bags) for up to ten months. However, if you want a variety that has a deeper, full-bodied flavor, choose a hardneck variety, such as one of the Rocambole varieties, many of which do well in colder climates, where garlic is best planted two to four weeks before the ground freezes. In the past, I have had good luck with Killarney Red and German Red. Purple Stripe varieties are also quite flavorful, especially when used in baked dishes. Chesnok Red and FerganskiJ are two Purple Stripes that have done well here. Storage life for these varieties is much shorter, usually four to six months. The longest storing varieties – up to a year – are the Silverskins and Creoles, which include two of my favorites: Nootka Rose and Burgundy. Increasing in popularity because of their large size and tangy flavors are the Porcelain garlics, especially “Music”, with cloves as large as a Brazil nut.

A well-stocked garden center or independent nursery may have a better supply right now than many garlic catalogs, which sell out of their stock quickly. For more information about garlic – including longer definitions than what is supplied here – check out online garlic company Filaree Farm in Washington State (filareefarm.com). Their site can answer many of your garlic questions. A very good book on the subject is “Growing Great Garlic” by Ron Engeland. A harder to find, out-of-print book, “The Complete Book of Garlic” by Ted Jordan, is a prized ($$$) reference for garlic aficionados (I think, if you shop around, you can find the book a lot cheaper than what it’s selling for on Amazon).

University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Advisor Emeritus Michelle Le Strange offers these garlic growing tips:

* Below the paywall: A complete transcription of the newsletter podcast, plus:

* How to choose and plant a clove a garlic.

* How to tell when (and how) to harvest garlic.

* Plus: A tasty, slow cooker recipe that uses a lot of garlic!

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First of all, if you manage to get through this rather brain-taxing, soil-based, newsletter edition, you deserve a little love. How about 20% off a new paid subscription?

Before diving into the deep end of how to read a soil report, check out this Overview on Soil Tests from the Alameda Co. (CA) Master Gardeners. It might help make the rest of this more comprehensible.

Getting a soil test done is a great idea for your garden

According to the Alameda County (CA) Master Gardeners, a soil test:

* Provides detailed information about the nutrient content of the soil, enabling gardeners to apply the correct type and amount of fertilizer.

* Knowing the soil’s pH level, which affects nutrient availability, allows gardeners to adjust it to the optimal range for their plants.

* Tests can reveal the presence of harmful contaminants like lead or other heavy metals, ensuring the safety of your garden produce.

* By applying only the necessary fertilizers and amendments, gardeners can save money and prevent environmental pollution.

* Understanding soil health helps in making informed decisions, leading to better plant growth and yield.

* If you’ve exhausted your attempts to amend soil with compost, a soil test can provide more detailed information to remedy the problem.

However, if you listen to today’s newsletter podcast, you’ll find out that understanding that detailed information can be a problem on its own. Here is a soil test from a commercial, Ag-based soil analysis company, that was submitted by a harried backyard gardener, who wants to know what it all means:

Commercial Soil Test Results for a Homeowner’s Garden (2 pages)

Even University-conducted homeowner soil tests have a degree of difficulty (but at least they provide links at the end for more information).

Soil Test Results for a Backyard Landscape from UMass/Amherst (Pgs 1 & 2)

Have your eyes glazed over yet? Listen to today’s podcast at the top of this newsletter with America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, to help wash the glaze out of your eyes.

Coming up after the paywall break:

A transcript of today’s podcast, including helpful charts, graphs, and links for more information to help relieve your brain fog regarding soil tests.

Plus, a partial list of universities that offer home garden soil testing at reasonable prices.

Paid subscribers get access to the entire library of previous Beyond the Garden Basics newsletters and podcasts, of which there are now over 200 editions/

And, you’ll get to hear today’s complete podcast!

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This journey into the odd and slightly obscene world of misshapen vegetables was inspired by Sacramento County Master Gardener Peter Horton, who wrote this article for the October 2025 Sacramento Co. Master Gardener newsletter.

The article made me harken back to the days of the popularity of Richard Nixon lookalike vegetables, odd-shaped tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and squash that had appendages - that to some - resembled the former President in profile. Eggplants, in particular, seem to favor this aberration, according to Facebook and Google AI:

“Commenters who see Nixon in eggplants often cite specific aspects of his facial features that irregularly shaped eggplants can evoke:

* Prominent nose: Nixon was known for his prominent, sometimes described as “ski slope,” nose. Certain eggplants can have a rounded, bulbous end that people interpret as a large nose.

* Distinctive jowls: Nixon had sagging jowls, particularly later in his career. The shape of some eggplants, with a wider base and some lumps or folds, can be reminiscent of this feature.

* Overall shape: A purplish, somewhat lumpy or distorted eggplant can vaguely suggest a human face, and for some, the specific characteristics align with the common caricature of Richard Nixon.

This phenomenon is an example of pareidolia, where the human brain perceives familiar patterns, such as faces, in random or ambiguous stimuli.”

At the very least, today’s newsletter has introduced you to a new word, “pareidolia”. The term, according to the National Institute of Health, originally implied the observer may be a bit touched in the head:

“The term was coined by German psychiatrist Klaus Conrad in 1958 and comes from the Greek words “para” (beside or beyond) and “eidos” (form or shape). He used it to describe the initial stages of schizophrenia, though it is now understood as a normal cognitive function.”

Are gardeners a bit touched in the head?

If you see two baby chicks kissing in this photo, the only thing that will save you from a life of depravity and isolation is a paid subscription to the Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter!

After the paywall:

More deformed vegetables!

A transcript of our chat with Gail Pothour, who explains more about locules, and why they happen (hint: IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT). And, she answers the question: are those appendages edible?

Beyond The Garden Basics with Farmer Fred is a reader-supported publication. To receive the complete posts, have access to over 200 previous editions, and help keep the good gardening information coming your way, please become a paid subscriber.

Early fall is for planting, as we are fond of saying. The days are cooler, and the soil is still warm. Those are ideal conditions for a healthy start of new cool season annuals, perennials, trees, and shrubs.

If you’re at the nursery this weekend checking out the latest in plants for your yard, you might just take a stroll down the garden chemical aisle. You may notice, on the shelf, a product of dubious value: Vitamin B-1. A typical label on such a bottle will tout its benefits for transplanting fruit trees, bare rootstock, flowers, vegetables and cuttings.

Gardeners, their parents and their grandparents have heard this refrain at nurseries for decades: “Get a bottle of B-1, it will help reduce transplant shock for that new plant you are buying.”The truth, though, is the same as it has been for nearly 90 years: it isn’t the Vitamin B-1 (thiamine hydrochloride) in the bottle that reduces transplant shock.

First a definition of “transplant shock” from Purdue University:

“Transplant shock is a term that refers to a number of stresses occurring in recently transplanted trees and shrubs. It involves failure of the plant to root well, consequently the plant becomes poorly established in the landscape. New transplants do not have extensive root systems, and they are frequently stressed by lack of sufficient water. Plants suffering from water stress may be more susceptible to injury from other causes such as the weather, insects, or disease. When several stresses are being experienced, the plant may no longer be able to function properly.”

And right there you have the answer to effectively reduce transplant shock: water correctly.

Thiamine exists in nature, produced for plants via leaves and sunlight. Plants, as well as soil microbes, create their own Vitamin B1. Thiamine is a cofactor (molecule that binds to an enzyme to help/allow it to function) important in the construction and break down of carbohydrates for growth or energy storage/release.

In the 1930’s, thiamine was shown to increase root development in plant tissue cultures - in the lab - especially in the dark. But those results couldn’t be replicated consistently in the field.

Research at the University of California has shown that the addition of Vitamin B-1 to a plant doesn’t make any difference at all.

Garden author Robert Kourik reported on his website: “The sun set on this persistent myth many years ago. Sunset Magazine reported in 1984 of studies which disproved the value of a vitamin B1 drench at transplant. Yet this horticultural “snake oil” still clutters many retail nursery shelves.

What does work in that bottle prominently labeled “B-1”: the other ingredients - usually micronutrients or auxins - might make a difference in roots and growth of new plants.

Back in the 1940’s, naturally occurring plant growth regulators, known as auxins, were isolated and tested. Auxins were found to stimulate cell elongation in roots and stem tissue. Bingo!

Around that time, a commercial product, Transplantone, was developed that contained auxins and thiamine. Later research showed that it was certain auxins, not the thiamine, that encouraged roots.

But the die was cast: gardeners got into the habit of getting vitamins for their plants.

What does stimulate root growth? A rooting hormone containing auxins such as Indole Butyric Acid, Naphthylacetic acid or Paclobutryzol.

Below the paywall:

What’s inside a bottle of Superthrive?

More information, including a transcript of today’s newsletter podcast, including more myth busting information about pot shards, landscape fabric, wood chips, and why you don’t want to pull out big weeds!

Remember: subscribers also have access to the entire back catalog of Beyond the Garden Basics newsletters and podcasts. $5 a month or $50 a year. If you learned something, tip me! Thanks.

One surprise that popped up in my research: the much-ridiculed Superthrive contains auxins...as well as, of course, Vitamin B-1. Anyone who has tried to pore through the densely hyperbolic endorsements on a Superthrive label looking for the ingredients, well...good luck.

However, I did find the ingredients on a 20 year-old, unused bottle of Superthrive sitting in my greenhouse. Is it the same formulation today? I don’t know. But seeing how they haven’t apparently changed the outside of the bottle much over the years, I have a feeling the insides are still the same.

The debate about the benefits of adding thiamine or other additives (including Superthrive) to plants still rage, with proponents citing research supporting their viewpoint.

Bottom line: The benefits of root formation contained in a bottle of Vitamin B-1 or any other additive product are the auxins, if any, that are included. Small amounts of nitrogen can also encourage root development. Other fertilizer ingredients that might be contained do not necessarily reduce transplant shock, but may provide other plant benefits. Putting the right plant in the right place, with healthy soil, along with the proper amount of sun, water and fertilizer, is all most gardeners need for success.

Today’s Newsletter Podcast Busts More Garden Myths

In today’s newsletter podcast (above), Linda Chalker-Scott tells us: “Vitamin B1 - thiamine - does not reduce transplant shock”, says Chalker-Scott, who is also the author of the book about horticultural myths, “The informed Gardener”.

“We tend to think of things in the context of what we do for ourselves, and especially when we take vitamin supplements - and many of us do take Vitamin B1 supplements,” says Chalker-Scott. “And so you just kind of extrapolate that and think, well, it must be good for the plants too. And what people don’t realize is plants make their own thiamine. So they certainly don’t need us to add that. iI’s just an extra cost and waste of resources.”

There could be other ingredients, such as small amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium in that B1 bottle on the nursery fertilizer shelf that actually may be good for your plants, says Chalker-Scott. “Sometimes there’s also a hormone, usually an auxin, such as IAA, or NAA or something like that. And those actually do have a stimulatory effect on rooting, so that type of rooting hormone or transplant hormone actually does do some good. And so those mixtures of transplant elixirs, if they happen to have a little bit of that hormone, they will have an effect. But it certainly is not the B1 that does it.”

Today’s newsletter podcast is an interview with Linda Chalker-Scott who busts quite a few other garden myths, including:

• Putting pot shards or other material in the bottom of a potted plant container will improve drainage (it doesn’t).

• Using a breathable landscape fabric will keep the weeds out (Nope. Nor does that fabric remain able to move air and water through it for very long).

• Arborist wood chips can transfer diseases to your yard (we busted that myth here recently in the “Disease Triangle” edition of the Beyond the Garden Basics newsletter).

• Don’t yank out big weeds. Mow them as short as possible instead. Pulling destroys the soil structure.

• Adding sand to clay soil improves the drainage. (No. You’re making adobe bricks, unless you’re adding over 50% sand by volume to the total volume of existing soil.)

• Replacing native soil with potting mix in a new planting hole makes for a happier perennial, shrub, or tree. (No. It just leads to a pool of water that engulfs the plants’ roots for an extended period of time. (Sad, stinky, dying plant).

Give a listen to the podcast above for more details. You can find a transcript available towards the bottom of this newsletter.

Meanwhile, back at the B-1 nursery shelf…

“Research has shown that the addition of Vitamin B-1 to a plant doesn’t make any difference at all,” echoes Fran Clarke, a University of California lifetime Master Gardener and Community Forester for the Sacramento Tree Foundation. “One test showed that plants given Vitamin B-1 didn’t do as well as plants given just plain water. The benefits to a plant contained in a bottle of Vitamin B-1 are the small amounts of fertilizer that are included. Diluted liquid fertilizer or fish emulsion would accomplish the same task at a fraction of the cost of a bottle of Vitamin B-1.”

The addition of thiamine (Vitamin B-1) is unnecessary at transplanting time for another reason: plants, as well as soil microbes and organic mulch, manufacture their own Vitamin B1.

How did Vitamin B-1 end up on the garden shelf? Its history goes back generations. In the 1930’s, thiamine was shown to increase root development in plant tissue cultures (in the lab), especially in the dark. That success, though, could not be replicated in the field. Back in the 1940’s, naturally occurring plant growth regulators, known as auxins, were isolated and tested. Auxins were found to stimulate cell elongation in roots and stem tissue.

The benefits to a plant contained in a bottle of Vitamin B-1 are the small amounts of auxins, if any, that are included. Small amounts of nitrogen can also encourage root development.

Which auxins stimulate root growth? As Chalker-Scott explained, a rooting hormone containing auxins such as Indole Butyric Acid, Naphthylacetic acid, or Paclobutryzol.

An organic source of auxins? Seaweed extracts.

The best way to lessen transplant shock? Install the right plant (one without a tangled mess of roots) in the right place (non-crowded, sun or shade? dry or wet? protection from winter cold or not?) at the right time (Fall is for planting…but not for summer annuals), using proper planting techniques (dig wider, not deeper).

So if you still think B-1 (thiamine) is going to help reduce transplant shock, I can save you a lot of money. Just go to the grocery store, buy some generic brand Vitamin B1 in the pharmacy aisle, and throw a tablet in the soil when you plant. If it will make you feel better…

Transcript of today’s Podcast: Garden Myths, with Linda Chalker-Scott of Wash St. U.

Farmer Fred :

There’s a couple of books that came out about a decade ago that are still sitting on my garden bookshelf and they’re excellent reference books. One is called the “Informed Gardener”, and the other is called “The Informed Gardener Blooms Again”, they both explode a lot of garden myths, and they’re written by Linda Chalker-Scott.

Linda Chalker-Scott :

Well, thank you, Fred. Glad to be here.

Farmer Fred :

And Linda Chalker-Scott works for Washington State University. She is a part of their horticulture department there. And as part of the WSU horticulture website she has maintained over the years, a list of so called truths that have damaged both plant and environmental health, things that you would think would be just common sense that you’ve heard for years, so they must be right. Well as the title of a 1970 Firesign Theater album, once proclaimed, Everything You Know Is Wrong. And it’s certainly very true when it comes to horticulture as things change, plant names change, chemicals change, research changes. Well, your book is certainly a compendium of information that is going to make people scratch their heads…

Linda Chalker-Scott :

or sometimes worse. Yes.

Farmer Fred :

But just looking through the index as far as the the myths that you tackle, there are several that I have checked marked that people may think, oh, that can’t be true. But it is. And first off, you deal with the myth of drainage material in containers. And for years and years and years, we have heard about when planting in containers put some gravel or some broken up shards of a pot at the bottom to improve drainage. And it always struck me that wouldn’t that actually clog up the drainage holes, but you take it a step further and look at the flow of water involved.

Linda Chalker-Scott :

You know, and Fred, I used to do the very same thing. In fact, many of these myths, if not all of them are things that I used to do. And this is even when I was getting my PhD in horticulture, so it’s not for lack of knowledge, it’s, it’s just understanding now a lot of a lot of these myths that have just come across as being fact and drainage one is a really interesting one, because intuitively, it just makes sense. You know, to all of us, if you think about water, you know, percolating through soil that all of a sudden when encompasses pebbles or, or pot shards, it’s gonna flow faster. And actually, what happens is that it stops flowing and starts moving horizontally through that same soil that it’s already in and creates this perched water table.

Farmer Fred :

And that would explain sometimes the white ring you might see around a ceramic pot.

Linda Chalker-Scott :

Exactly.

Farmer Fred :

But it’s interesting that it actually inhibits the flow of water through the drainage holes.

Linda Chalker-Scott :

Yeah, and the reason is because water moves really readily through soil or materials that had about the same particle size and pore size. And once it started to encounter something that A little bit smaller or bigger than it stops. And it’s not until you get a lot of gravitational force behind it, it continues to move downwards.

Farmer Fred :

And a lot of people complicate matters by having a few if any drain holes and there may be too small and then they put the pot straight on the ground, and that inhibits the outflow even more.

Linda Chalker-Scott :

Oh yeah,

Farmer Fred :

so it’s always a good idea to raise your containers off the ground by a quarter inch or a half inch or so on a plant stand or some container legs just to allow some airflow beneath it and also to help keep those holes unplugged

Linda Chalker-Scott :

right.

Farmer Fred :

And so I guess the bottom line would be to whatever you fill the container with be consistent.

Unknown Speaker :

Exactly. And it makes a little bit tough you know when you get down to those drain holes if you’re using some kind of potting media that is kind of run through the draining holes and what I’ve found is if you just take just a little piece of newspaper or tissue paper, something that’s going to break down pretty quickly and just to temporarily cover that hole. It’ll hold the soil in and then by the time that paper breaks down, you know the soil is not going to be moving through there anymore.

Farmer Fred :

Another myth that you explode in your book The informed gardener has to do with landscape fabric and and for years and years and years, a lot of us use landscape fabric because oh, it allows air and water to flow through. So just put down this plastic like material and cover it with mulch and you’ll never have any weeds again.

Linda Chalker-Scott :

Well, and you know, it does have its purposes as a temporary barrier. In fact, I think that using it between rows in your vegetable garden is a great way to keep that area of you know, weed free. But the problem is, is that those holes that are in those fabrics stay clear for about a day and then they start filling up with you know, bits of soil and other materials and then you’re restricting constantly the movement of water and air through that fabric. Plus, it doesn’t stop weeds from growing as you’ve probably seen in older landscapes where there’s been fabric down for a while, you know, dirt starts to settle on top of it. weed seeds blow in and then you have a nice crop of weeds going right on top of your fabric.

Farmer Fred :

And a lot of times too, you’ll see those weeds and You’re gonna yank them out and you bring up half the landscape fabric with it.

Linda Chalker-Scott :

That’s right. You have time for a little story. A little story. When we moved into the house we have right now I’d gone out to work a new bed, put some perennials in, it kept on hitting something hard about six inches below the surface of the soil, finally dug it all up. And it was fabric that the previous owners had put down to keep the weeds out. And it was just completely colonized with bind weed and with horse tail, it was just a mess. And so it obviously wasn’t keeping them out at all. But it was really inhibiting water movement, earthworm movement, you know, anything that needs to go up and down in the soil gets really bound up by these fabrics.

Farmer Fred :

One thing I have noticed in areas where I have put down a landscape fabric and then went to remove it when I removed it. roots from nearby shrubs were close to the surface.

Linda Chalker-Scott :

Well, yeah, and that’s and that’s partially because they’ll go through, you know, before you have edge seams of fabric coming together, you know, they’ll find those those breaks into go through them. And more damaging is when you do pull those fabric sets and you’re yanking up all those fine feeder roots from your trees and shrubs.

Farmer Fred :

The option then is what?

Linda Chalker-Scott :

Well, the option is not to use them in the first place. But if you do have them down and you want to remove them and use something that’s a little bit more root friendly, I would certainly not be removing it in the summer when you’re really going to be having a lot of water stress anyway, and wait till wintertime when trees have gone dormant and you can remove those fabrics and replace them with a different kind of mulch.

Farmer Fred :

Yeah, and that’s the key isn’t it putting down an organic mulch Exactly. And that can be maybe wood chips or wood your own trees chipped and shredded, sometimes it’s a good idea to invest in a chipper shredder, rather than a roto tiller because with a chipper shredder, you can take those fallen tree limbs or prunings and make a really nice mulch and you’re not importing somebody else’s problems into your yard with their chipped wood.

Linda Chalker-Scott :

You know I keep on saying that’s what I want for Christmas is my very own Shredder. reason because I would love to be able to use you know the downed limbs and other cuttings and shred them up and use them on my own landscape. Barring that, I do use arborists, wood chips for the very same reason. Although I don’t know where they come from at least they’re local. And it’s keeping them out of landfill and they make a really great organic mulch for landscape.

Farmer Fred :

Do you let them age before you use them?

Linda Chalker-Scott :

I personally don’t I’ve never had a problem and sometimes with some of the work that I was doing with students, we didn’t really have the luxury of letting them sit. We had to use them right away. And actually I love I love them because they smell so great when they’re fresh and I really like working with men. A lot of concerns with wood chips in terms of well would they have you know, if you have diseased Woods chipped up, is that going to be a problem? Research has shown that no, we don’t transmit disease from disease wood down through many inches of mulch down to roots. And I I always caution people you know if you’re concerned about pest pathogens now by all means let them sit on site. For a while, and compost, but I’ve seen no damage from anything using fresh chips.

Farmer Fred :

And being a lazy kind of gardener. I really like your advice when it comes to using wood chips as a mulch as far as you have to take the weeds or get the weeds down before you put the mulch on, obviously, but what I like is you say to prune or mow the perennial weeds at the root crown, because pulling them out destroys the soil structure.

Linda Chalker-Scott :

Exactly. And you’re just like me, I’m also a lazy gardener and a cheap gardener. So anything I can do to save myself some labor I do. Yeah. And if you wait until things are really starting to go dormant anyway, and then you’re mowing them down they have less of a chance of coming back.

Farmer Fred :

For years we have heard some rather unsound advice if you have clay soil add sand to improve its texture. But seems to me that’s a recipe for making bricks.

Linda Chalker-Scott :

That’s exactly right. That’s how you make concrete, isn’t it? Yeah.

Farmer Fred :

How did that ever start?

Linda Chalker-Scott :

it’s partially because of what the perfect soil consists of and if you look at a soil triangle, you know the ideal loamy soils are a certain mixture. sand and clay and silt. And that’s what makes a perfect loam. And so if somebody has a landscape that maybe isn’t as perfect, you know, they’re thinking, well, the easiest way to solve that is is to add, you know what they’re missing. But unfortunately, most of us don’t know exactly how much we would need. And the problem is, especially with a clay soil that you have to add about 50% more volume of sand just to get that to more Sandy texture. If you add just, a little bit of sand. It creates some, as you say, Adobe, and so you’d have to just add an awful lot of sand to really change the texture. And then the problem is, is that you know, you’re, you may you may understand the boundaries of your property, but your trees and shrubs roots don’t, and they’ll continue to grow outside your boundary. And if you’ve changed the texture, you know, dramatically from what the surrounding soil is like. You’re going to get to have a problem with water movement, air movement and root movement.

Farmer Fred :

We see that a lot with people who will dig a hole to plant a tree or a shrub and instead of using their native soil, go out and buy some premium potting soil And throw that in the hole and plant their tree or shrub in that. But as you just pointed out, what happens is the surrounding water will flow into that nice loose soil and it’s like a constantly flooded zone.

Linda Chalker-Scott :

Exactly, and then and it dries out faster too. So the summer when you’ve got the drier time of year, you’re gonna have that area evaporating water faster and surrounding soil doesn’t so the roots are exposed to constant drought or constant flooding. It’s not a great way to get your plants established.

Farmer Fred :

In your book, The informed gardener you also tackle an another myth and it’s one that I can’t believe is still around yet people will buy vitamin b1 and you talk to anybody and they’ll describe how they put in a new tree or a shrub or a plan this Oh yeah. And I added vitamin b1 to reduce transplant shock,

Linda Chalker-Scott :

right? Well, that’s what marketing will do for you and especially when we tend to think of things in the context of what we do for ourselves and, and you know, if we take vitamin supplements many of us do take Vitamin B supplements. And so you just kind of extrapolate that and think, well, it must be good for the plants too. And what people don’t realize is plants make their own. So they certainly don’t need us to add that it’s just an extra cost and waste of resources to add those kinds of fertilizers to plants.

Farmer Fred :

And it isn’t the vitamin B1 in that bottle that’s probably doing your plant any good. There’s a small amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and perhaps some micronutrients that are the real keys to that.

Linda Chalker-Scott :

Right. And sometimes there’s also a hormone, usually an auxin that might be IAA, or NAA or something like that. And those actually do have a stimulatory effect on rooting, so that that type of rooting hormone or transport hormone actually does do some good and so those mixtures of transplant elixirs, if they happen to have a little bit of that hormone, they will have an effect but it certainly is not the B1 that does it.

Farmer Fred :

So if you think thiamine is going to help reduce transplant shock, I can save you a lot of money. Just go to the grocery store, buy some vitamin b1, the generic brand and throw a tablet in them. If you pick up a copy of the informed gardener, you’re going to find all sorts of exploded myths, the myth of wound dressings. We talked about how we didn’t talk about hot weather watering, but briefly it talks about there really is no damage to a plant, if you will water your plant on a hot afternoon is there.

Linda Chalker-Scott :

As long as you’re not using saltwater, there’s absolutely no damage and you’re just going to reduce the shock to it of being drought stressed. What usually happens is what people do water watering when they see wilt and then of course, those leaves have been fatally wilted, they’re going to develop brown edges and so people tend to blame the watering rather than the lack of water for that brown development. That’s not the water that’s burning the leaves.

Farmer Fred :

And it’s why I like is a lot of your solutions: Apply mulch.

Linda Chalker-Scott :

That’s right, I like that. Yep, I did to you know, a decent healthy soil. You’re gonna have decent healthy roots and a decent healthy plant.

Farmer Fred :

Linda chalker Scott, author of two great books, the informed gardener and the informed gardener blooms again, thanks for a few minutes of your time.

Linda Chalker-Scott :

Thanks, Fred. I enjoyed it.

As you may be aware, the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, after 412 episodes, has been retired. However, the Beyond The Garden Basics newsletter and podcast with Farmer Fred will continue publication! But the only way it will survive is through your support. Thank you for being a paid subscriber.

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Thank you for supporting Farmer Fred’s Ride for the Kids, a charity 100-mile bike ride in Sacramento County on Saturday, Oct 4, put on by the Rotary Club and supporting the Crisis Nursery Center of the Sacramento Children’s Home. Mission Accomplished! You helped the Sacramento Children’s Home with your nearly $3,000 in donations. Thank you!

Fred Hoffman is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in Sacramento County.

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