Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

In this episode, our favorite retired college horticultural professor, Debbie Flower, and myself, offer a wide variety of garden tips to get your yard ready for spring. And it’s kind of a special episode, too. It was recorded live, at the Folsom, California Garden Club, where nearly 100 gardeners gathered to also pepper us with questions. Many of these questions, as well as the topics we covered, just might pertain to you and your garden, wherever you may be.

So, for this special episode, we’re podcasting from the Rotary Clubhouse in Folsom California. It’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots and Dave Wilson Nursery. 

And we will do it all in under 55 minutes. (C’mon give us a break; it was a live recording with a live audience who had a lot of questions!). Let’s go!

Live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the Buzzsprout home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004629

Pictured:
Debbie Flower at the Folsom Garden Club Meeting

Links:
Subscribe to the free, Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com
Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/
Dave Wilson Nursery
Green Cone Solar Waste Digester
Glyphosate Application Instruction Booklet

Got a garden question? 

• Leave an audio question without making a phone call via Speakpipe, at https://www.speakpipe.com/gardenbasics

• Call or text us the question: 916-292-8964. 

• E-mail: [email protected] 

All About Farmer Fred:
The  Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter 
https://gardenbasics.substack.com

Farmer Fred website:
 http://farmerfred.com

Daily Garden tips and snark on Twitter 
https://twitter.com/farmerfred

The Farmer Fred Rant! Blog 
http://farmerfredrant.blogspot.com

Facebook:  "Get Growing with Farmer Fred" 

Instagram: farmerfredhoffman 
https://www.instagram.com/farmerfredhoffman/

Farmer Fred Garden Minute Videos on YouTube
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from possible links mentioned here.

And thank you for listening.

Thank you for listening, subscribing and commenting on the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast and the Beyond the Garden Basics  Newsletter.

For many gardeners in USDA Zones 7. 8, 9 and 10, March is the month for new beginnings. The weather is warmer, trees and shrubs are blooming. But wait a minute… it’s still winter. Jack Frost can still be nipping at your plants, setting back the progress of new buds, flowers and leaves. On today’s Garden Basics, we have late winter and early spring frost protection tips for your new and established plants.

Thinking of growing sweet potatoes? Good idea! Sweet potatoes are drought- and heat-tolerant and have few pests or diseases. Sweet potatoes are low in calories and very nutritious, a good source of beta-carotene, protein, calcium, iron, vitamins A and C and other minerals.  They can be stored longer than winter squash. More commonly grown in the South and west because they require warm weather, northern regions can have success with select varieties. But for a successful crop of this warm season favorite, you need to get started now, indoors. We revisit the info you need to grow sweet potatoes.

We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory, it’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots. Let’s go!

Pictured:
Spring Frost Damage on a Brugmansia

Links:
Subscribe to the free, Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletterhttps://gardenbasics.substack.com
Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/
Dave Wilson Nursery
How to Grow Sweet Potatoes
Frost Cloths
Frost Protection for Tomato, Pepper plants

Got a garden question?
• Leave an audio question without making a phone call via Speakpipe, at https://www.speakpipe.com/gardenbasics
• Call or text us the question: 916-292-8964. 
• E-mail: [email protected] 

All About Farmer Fred:
The  Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter 
https://gardenbasics.substack.com

Farmer Fred website:
 http://farmerfred.com

Daily Garden tips and snark on Twitter 
https://twitter.com/farmerfred

The Farmer Fred Rant! Blog 
http://farmerfredrant.blogspot.com

Facebook:  "Get Growing with Farmer Fred" 

Instagram: farmerfredhoffman 
https://www.instagram.com/farmerfredhoffman/

Farmer Fred Garden Minute Videos on YouTube

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from possible links mentioned here.

And thank you for listening.

Thank you for listening, subscribing and commenting on the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast and the Beyond the Garden Basics  Newsletter.

It’s that time of year. You’re thinking about what to plant in your spring and summer garden. You’re looking at all those empty plant containers in your yard and asking yourself, what flowers or vegetables should I grow? But are those containers really empty? If you still have last year’s potting soil in those containers, you might be wondering, do I need to toss that expensive soil into the garden and buy brand new potting soil? Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, answers with a firm, “Go ahead and use it again!” However, that old potting soil needs some rejuvenation first. We have tips for making that old potting  act like new again. Yes, old, used potting soil is your friend. But it needs some tender, loving, care to help you have a bountiful garden of food and flowers in 2022.

We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory, it’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots and Dave Wilson Nursery. 

And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go!

Live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the Buzzsprout home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004629

Pictured:
Potting soil

Links:
Subscribe to the free, Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com
Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/
Dave Wilson Nursery

Kellogg Garden Products (quality soils and fertilizers, for when you need it)

Got a garden question?
• Leave an audio question without making a phone call via Speakpipe, at https://www.speakpipe.com/gardenbasics
• Call or text us the question: 916-292-8964. 
• E-mail: [email protected] 

All About Farmer Fred:
The  Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter 
https://gardenbasics.substack.com

Farmer Fred website:
 http://farmerfred.com

Daily Garden tips and snark on Twitter 
https://twitter.com/farmerfred

The Farmer Fred Rant! Blog 
http://farmerfredrant.blogspot.com

Facebook:  "Get Growing with Farmer Fred" 

Instagram: farmerfredhoffman 
https://www.instagram.com/farmerfredhoffman/

Farmer Fred Garden Minute Videos on YouTube

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from possible links mentioned here.

And thank you for listening.

Thank you for listening, subscribing and commenting on the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast and the Beyond the Garden Basics  Newsletter.

Deciduous fruit trees are starting to wake from their winter slumber in warmer areas of the United States, with the rest soon to follow. Why not bring some of that flower show indoors? Today, we get tips on how to get fruit tree branches and other spring flowering plants to bloom on your dining room table, as well as tips for spring flowering shrubs and trees that will look great in your landscape.  Also stirring to life with the change in the weather are gardeners heading to nurseries, shopping for deciduous fruit trees to plant. Many of those trees now come, not as bare root plants, but already planted in pulp pots. Can you just plunge that pulp pot, tree and all, into the ground? Or do you need to remove it from the pot first? We get tips to do it via either method, in this encore segment from December 2020.

We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory, it’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots. 

And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go!

Live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the Buzzsprout home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004629

Pictured:
Garden Gold Peach Tree in Bloom

Links:
Subscribe to the free, Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com

 Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/
Dave Wilson Nursery
Chilling Hours Explained
Chill Hour Accumulations Throughout California
Floral Preservatives

Got a garden question? 

• Leave an audio question without making a phone call via Speakpipe, at https://www.speakpipe.com/gardenbasics

• Call or text us the question: 916-292-8964. 

• E-mail: [email protected] 

All About Farmer Fred:
The  Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter 
https://gardenbasics.substack.com

Farmer Fred website:
 http://farmerfred.com

Daily Garden tips and snark on Twitter 
https://twitter.com/farmerfred

The Farmer Fred Rant! Blog 
http://farmerfredrant.blogspot.com

Facebook:  "Get Growing with Farmer Fred" 

Instagram: farmerfredhoffman 
https://www.instagram.com/farmerfredhoffman/

Farmer Fred Garden Minute Videos on YouTube
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from possible links mentioned here.

And thank you for listening.

Thank you for listening, subscribing and commenting on the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast and the Beyond the Garden Basics  Newsletter.

I’ve been spending a lot of time in the greenhouse lately, starting tomato, pepper and onion seeds. You don’t have to be a gardener for very long to realize the advantages of having a backyard hobby greenhouse. It's an ideal place to start seeds, get cuttings to root. A greenhouse is also great for overwintering tender plants.
 We talk with Mark Seibert of Sturdi-Built greenhouses in Oregon about the questions you should ask yourself before purchasing a greenhouse. Originally aired in June of 2020, this primer on greenhouses includes: tips for installing water and electricity ; tips on installing a foundation;  flooring ideas;  choosing the right door (if you're going to be hauling citrus trees inside for the winter, you'll want a double door);  ventilation tips;  and, things to consider if you're thinking of a lean-to greenhouse, one that attaches to the side of your house.
We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory, it’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots and Dave Wilson Nursery.  And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go!

Live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the Buzzsprout home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004629

Pictured:
Tudor Greenhouse from Sturdi-Built

Links:
 Subscribe to the free, Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com
Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/
Dave Wilson Nursery https://www.davewilson.com/home-garden/

Sturdi-Built Greenhouses

Greenhouse accessories:
Fans
Heaters
Propagation Mats
Grow Lights
Greenhouse Benches

Got a garden question? 

• Leave an audio question without making a phone call via Speakpipe, at https://www.speakpipe.com/gardenbasics

• Call or text us the question: 916-292-8964. 

• E-mail: [email protected] 

All About Farmer Fred:
The  Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter 
https://gardenbasics.substack.com

Farmer Fred website:
http://farmerfred.com

Daily Garden tips and snark on Twitter 
https://twitter.com/farmerfred

The Farmer Fred Rant! Blog 
http://farmerfredrant.blogspot.com

Facebook:  "Get Growing with Farmer Fred" 

Instagram: farmerfredhoffman 
https://www.instagram.com/farmerfredhoffman/

Farmer Fred Garden Minute Videos on YouTube
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from possible links mentioned here.

And thank you for listening.

Thank you for listening, subscribing and commenting on the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast and the Beyond the Garden Basics  Newsletter.

Keep your seed catalogs open! Today, we pick up where we left off on the last episode of Garden Basics (168)  where we were talking with Master Gardener Gail Pothour at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center  about the All-America Selections vegetable varieties that did well over the years here in Northern California. Many of those varieties received national recognition, too.  
Today, we have more award-winning vegetables for you to try in your 2022 spring and summer vegetable garden. This time we are talking with the Executive Director of the All-America Selections organization, Diane Blazek. She has recommendations for more award-winning, All-America Selections,  including new, exciting peppers, tomatoes, zinnias, begonias, and a lot more, here in Episode 169.

We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory, it’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots. 

And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go!

Live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the Buzzsprout home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004629

Pictured:
AAS Winner Roulette F1 Habanero Pepper (but not hot!)

Links:
Subscribe to the free, Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com
Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/
Dave Wilson Nursery https://www.davewilson.com/home-garden/
All-America Selections Winners https://all-americaselections.org

Three Award-Winning Tomatoes for Beginners:
Juliet (small, snacking-size tomato)
Celebrity (dependable, main season tomato)
Big Beef (big, slicing tomatoes, perfect for sandwiches)

Got a garden question?
• Leave an audio question without making a phone call via Speakpipe, at https://www.speakpipe.com/gardenbasics
• Call or text us the question: 916-292-8964.
• E-mail: [email protected]

All About Farmer Fred:
The  Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter 
https://gardenbasics.substack.com

Farmer Fred website:
http://farmerfred.com

Daily Garden tips and snark on Twitter 
https://twitter.com/farmerfred

The Farmer Fred Rant! Blog 
http://farmerfredrant.blogspot.com

Facebook:  "Get Growing with Farmer Fred"
https://www.facebook.com/Get-Growing-with-Farmer-Fred-101135776596504/

Instagram: farmerfredhoffman 
https://www.instagram.com/farmerfredhoffman/

Farmer Fred Garden Videos on YouTube 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHqicGDM4j35NyjUduOSN7LSgCocKx1kx

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from possible links mentioned here.

And thank you for listening.

Thank you for listening, subscribing and commenting on the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast and the Beyond the Garden Basics  Newsletter.

If this is the year that you start your vegetable garden from seeds, you have some choices to make before too long. Which tomato, pepper, squash, melon, eggplant and okra varieties should you plant?  We talk with vegetable expert and Master Gardener Gail Pothour about the All America Vegetable selections that have been the top performers for her and other Master Gardeners. And we will have a review of the cool season All America Selections vegetable varieties that did well. Plus a preview of the enticing 2022 vegetable seed varieties that will be newly available this year, as well. Okra, did I say okra? If for no other reason, you’ll want to grow it for its beautiful flowers! We’ll explain.

We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory, it’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots and Dave Wilson Nursery.  And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go!

Live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the Buzzsprout home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred.    https://www.buzzsprout.com/1004629

Pictured:
2022 All America Selections Sweet Pepper Winner - Dragonfly F1

Links:
Subscribe to the free, Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com
Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/
Dave Wilson Nursery   https://www.davewilson.com/home-garden/
All-America Selections Winners  https://all-americaselections.org
Harris Seeds    https://www.harrisseeds.com

Got a garden question? 

• Leave an audio question without making a phone call via Speakpipe, at https://www.speakpipe.com/gardenbasics

• Call or text us the question: 916-292-8964. 

• E-mail: [email protected] 

All About Farmer Fred:
The  Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter 
https://gardenbasics.substack.com

Farmer Fred website: http://farmerfred.com

Daily Garden tips and snark on Twitter
https://twitter.com/farmerfred

The Farmer Fred Rant! Blog     http://farmerfredrant.blogspot.com

Facebook:  "Get Growing with Farmer Fred" 

Instagram: farmerfredhoffman 

Farmer Fred Garden Videos on YouTube 

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from possible links mentioned here.

And thank you for listening.

Thank you for listening, subscribing and commenting on the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast and the Beyond the Garden Basics  Newsletter.

We recently spoke with Andrew Bunting of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society about garden resolutions, and the Philadelphia Flower Show, which will be held this coming June. Go back to Episode 159 of the Garden Basics podcast to find out more about those topics. 
We also talked about the interest in gravel gardening back east and in the midwest. If you are a subscriber to the Garden Basics “Beyond Basics” newsletter, you heard about gravel gardening back in the Dec. 31st, 2021 online newsletter. 
But for the thousands of you who may not have listened to that discussion in the newsletter podcast, we have it for you here, on the Garden Basics podcast, today.
Along with that, Debbie Flower and I will discuss if gravel gardening is really a good idea for those of us in warmer to downright hot climates. 
Plus, does fertilizing cool season annuals - flowers and vegetables - in the winter, really work? As always, the answer is: "It depends."

We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory, it’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots. 

And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go!

Live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the Buzzsprout home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred.

Pictured:
The Gravel Garden at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Wisconsin 

Links:
Subscribe to the free, Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com

Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/

Soil Test Kits  https://amzn.to/3oZntE3

Online Soil Testing Services:
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
https://ag.umass.edu/services/soil-plant-nutrient-testing-laboratory

Colorado State University
https://agsci.colostate.edu/soiltestinglab/

A Primer on the Gravel Gardens at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Wisconsin
https://blogs.extension.wisc.edu/flowers/lectures/meadows-and-gravel-gardens/

Got a garden question? 

• Leave an audio question without making a phone call via Speakpipe, at https://www.speakpipe.com/gardenbasics
• Call or text us the question: 916-292-8964. 
• E-mail: [email protected] 

All About Farmer Fred:

Farmer Fred website:
http://farmerfred.com

Daily Garden tips and snark on Twitter 
https://twitter.com/farmerfred

The Farmer Fred Rant! Blog
http://farmerfredrant.blogspot.com
Facebook:  "Get Growing with Farmer Fred"
Instagram: farmerfredhoffman
Farmer Fred Garden Videos on YouTube 

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from possible links mentioned here.
And thank you for listening.

Thank you for listening, subscribing and commenting on the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast and the Beyond the Garden Basics  Newsletter.

Winter rose care season is here for many of us. Besides pruning, weed killing may be on your list of things to do in the rose bed. But before you reach for that spray bottle of weed killer, listen to what Master Rosarian Charlotte Owendyk has to say. Plus, she has alternatives for thwarting weeds among your rose bushes. It’s also the time of year for transplanting many perennials and shrubs. Debbie Flower, our favorite retired college horticulture professor, goes through the how’s and the why’s to transplant successfully. And perhaps to your surprise, she is a fan of using strictly native soil when it comes to transplanting perennials and shrubs. And it has to do with watering. She explains.

We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory, it’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots and Dave Wilson Nursery. 

And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go!
Live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the Buzzsprout home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. 

Pictured:
Glyphosate Damage on Rose Bush (Photo courtesy of Oregon State University)

Links:
Subscribe to the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter . It's free!
Smart Pots
Dave Wilson Nursery
Roses: Cultural Practices and Weed Control
Roses: Diseases and Disorders
Round Up Pro Label Instructions
Roundup Pro
How Water Flows (or Doesn't Flow) Through Soil

Got a garden question? 

• Leave an audio question without making a phone call via Speakpipe, at https://www.speakpipe.com/gardenbasics

• Call or text us the question: 916-292-8964. 

• E-mail: [email protected] 

All About Farmer Fred:
The  Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter
Farmer Fred website: http://farmerfred.com
Daily Garden tips and snark on Twitter
The Farmer Fred Rant! Blog
Facebook:  "Get Growing with Farmer Fred"
Instagram: farmerfredhoffman
Farmer Fred Garden Videos on YouTube

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from possible links mentioned here.

And thank you for listening.

Thank you for listening, subscribing and commenting on the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast and the Beyond the Garden Basics  Newsletter.

Yes, it is a little late for a New Year’s Resolution, but here’s one that is better employed late than never: take better care of your garden tools. And, It’s not just keeping them clean. On today’s episode of Garden Basics, Debbie Flower gets into the how’s and why’s of properly maintaining your garden tools…including storage and sharpening advice…and yes, the proper cleaning of your tools. Plus, we have tips for choosing quality garden tools to begin with.

We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory, it’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots. 

And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go!

Live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the Buzzsprout home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. 

Pictured:
Bypass, Anvil Pruners

Links:
Subscribe to the free, Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter
Smart Pots
NC State U: Tips for Cleaning Garden Tools
Home Depot: Tips for Removing Rust From Garden Tools
Bypass vs Anvil pruners
Felco’s How To Clean and Sharpen Pruners Video
Felco Sharpening Tool
Hori-Hori Knife
Fiberglass Handled Shovels
3-in-1 Oil

Got a garden question? 

• Leave an audio question without making a phone call via Speakpipe, at https://www.speakpipe.com/gardenbasics

• Call or text us the question: 916-292-8964. 

• E-mail: [email protected] 

All About Farmer Fred:
The  Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter
Farmer Fred website: http://farmerfred.com
Daily Garden tips and snark on Twitter
The Farmer Fred Rant! Blog
Facebook:  "Get Growing with Farmer Fred"
Instagram: farmerfredhoffman
Farmer Fred Garden Videos on YouTube

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from possible links mentioned here.

And thank you for listening.

Thank you for listening, subscribing and commenting on the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast and the Beyond the Garden Basics  Newsletter.