Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Mulching your garden beds provides many benefits: it moderates moisture loss and soil temperature fluctuations; it inhibits weed production; and fertilization chores are reduced because mulch feeds the soil as it breaks down. The hard part, of course, has been spreading that mulch throughout your garden on a regular basis. Today we talk with a noted international garden expert on easing your mulching chores greatly, using his cut and drop method. 

Today’s garden questions tackle tomatillo production issues, and how to improve clay soil while breaking up the hard pan layers below.

It’s all on episode 124 of 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!

Pictured:
A Mulched Garden

Links:
Smart Pots
Garden Myths Blog / Robert  Pavlis
Cut and Drop Mulching Method by Robert Pavlis
Video: Farmer Fred on Cool Season Vegetable Gardening
Harvest Day Zoom link registration for Farmer Fred Q&A,  Sat. Aug. 7

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Tuesday and Friday. More info including live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. Please subscribe, and, if you are listening on Apple, please leave a comment or rating. That helps us decide which garden topics you would like to see addressed.

Got a garden question? There are several ways to get in touch: 

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] 

or, leave a question at the Facebook, Twitter or Instagram locations below. 

Be sure to tell us where you are when you leave a question, because all gardening is local. 
And thank you for listening.

All About Farmer Fred:

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.

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

Summer heat can cause many plants’ leaves to droop on a hot afternoon. Does this pose a particular problem for cucumbers? Will that stress effect the cucumber flavor? Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, has the answers to your cucumber questions. 
UC Davis Arboretum Superintendent Emeritus Warren Roberts tells us all about how to grow dahlias. 
And if you want a great plant to attract pollinators and beneficial insects, it’s hard to beat the butterfly bush. And the newest varieties are much more well mannered and easier to care for. We will tell you about the "Pugster Blue" Butterfly Bush.

It’s all on episode 123 of 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!

Pictured:
Pugster Blue Butterfly Bush, the 2021 Flowering Shrub of the Year

Links:
Smart Pots
Dave Wilson Nursery
UC Davis Arboretum
Pugster Blue Butterfly Bush/Proven Winners
Cucumber Care UC  Ag & Natural Resources
Video: Farmer Fred on Cool Season Vegetable Gardening
Harvest Day Zoom link registration for Farmer Fred Q&A,  Sat. Aug. 7

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Tuesday and Friday. More info including live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. Please subscribe, and, if you are listening on Apple, please leave a comment or rating. That helps us decide which garden topics you would like to see addressed.

Got a garden question? There are several ways to get in touch: 

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] 

or, leave a question at the Facebook, Twitter or Instagram locations below. 

Be sure to tell us where you are when you leave a question, because all gardening is local. 

And thank you for listening.

All About Farmer Fred:

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.

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

Maybe you’ve had some bad luck with your summer vegetable garden, and you want to start over. Is late July too late for warm season veggies? Yes, and no. We have tips for what to plant in the middle of the summer. One reason a garden might be failing now, and it’s the top reason: improper irrigation. We have advice for watering smartly to keep your garden thriving. Thinking ahead, what are you going to do with your vegetable and flower beds later this year? Now’s the time to start planning for cover crops.

It’s all on episode 122 of 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!

Pictured:
Growing a cover crop this fall? Consider using vetch.  Vetch is valued as a green manure, weed competitor, and forage when mixed with oats. Fixes nitrogen.

Links:
Smart Pots
Moisture Meters
Soil Sampler Probes for Determining Soil Moisture
Peaceful Valley Farm Supply  Cover Crops
Zone 8 Oregon Planting Calendar
Video: Farmer Fred on Cool Season Vegetable Gardening
Harvest Day Zoom link registration for Farmer Fred Q&A,  Aug. 7

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Tuesday and Friday. More info including live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. Please subscribe, and, if you are listening on Apple, please leave a comment or rating. That helps us decide which garden topics you would like to see addressed.

Got a garden question? There are several ways to get in touch: 

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] 

or, leave a question at the Facebook, Twitter or Instagram locations below. 

Be sure to tell us where you are when you leave a question, because all gardening is local. 

And thank you for listening.

All About Farmer Fred:

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.

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

We’ve talked about the importance of rotating your food crops. The same is true for much of the rest of your landscape. How’s that? Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, will explain.

During July, we are giving away Smart Pots when listeners submit audio questions. If we use it on the podcast, you will be getting a new, six foot long, Smart Pot raised bed fabric planter! Just like Amanda from the Sierra foothills, who is wondering how to use all those pine needles on her property. 

The Plant of the Week is a gorgeous flowering perennial that can be grown throughout most of the United States, and it’s edible, too. The daylily, also known as Hemerocallis.

Also, a primer on growing Japanese maple trees from an expert.

It’s all on episode 121 of 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!

Pictured:
The Beni Maiko Japanese Maple

Links:
Smart Pots
Dave Wilson Nursery
UC Davis Arboretum
Plants to Attract Beneficial Insects
Hedgerow Plants for California's Central Valley
Amador Flower Farm (Daylilies)

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Tuesday and Friday. More info including live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. Please subscribe, and, if you are listening on Apple, please leave a comment or rating. That helps us decide which garden topics you would like to see addressed.

Got a garden question? There are several ways to get in touch: 

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] 
or, leave a question at the Facebook, Twitter or Instagram locations below. 
Be sure to tell us where you are when you leave a question, because all gardening is local. 

And thank you for listening.

All About Farmer Fred:

Farmer Fred website: http://farmerfred.com
Daily Garden tips and snark on Twitter @farmerfred
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.

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

Trees are subject to many problems, including insects, diseases, weather-related issues…but probably the biggest threat to the trees in your yard…is you. From the day you plant that tree until its demise, you may not be helping it live a healthy life in so many ways. Master Gardener and Urban Forester Pam Bone talks about how a tree works, and what we can do to keep it healthy by knowing how your trees actually function.

It’s on episode 120 of 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!

Pictured:
A diagram of the parts of a tree (Courtesy US Forest Service)

Links:

Smart Pots
How to Stake a Tree
Book: Plant Propagation by Alan Toogood
Find a Consulting or Certified Arborist Near You: treesaregood.org

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Tuesday and Friday. More info including live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. Please subscribe, and, if you are listening on Apple, please leave a comment or rating. That helps us decide which garden topics you would like to see addressed.

Got a garden question? There are several ways to get in touch: 

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] 
or, leave a question at the Facebook, Twitter or Instagram locations below. 
Be sure to tell us where you are when you leave a question, because all gardening is local. 

And thank you for listening.

All About Farmer Fred:

Farmer Fred website: http://farmerfred.com
Daily Garden tips and snark on Twitter @farmerfred
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.

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

During July, we are giving away Smart Pots when  listeners’ submit audio questions. If we use it on the podcast, you will be getting a new, six foot long Smart Pot raised bed fabric planter! Just like Eyal from the San Francisco Bay Area, who is wondering why his passion fruit flowers fell off. We’ll dive into the world of passion fruit today.
The Plant of the Week is a tree with outstanding summertime blooms that can be grown throughout most of the United States, the Goldenrain tree.
Have you ever wondered if that bare stem of a plant is alive or dead? Debbie Flower has tips to help you answer that question.It’s all on episode 119 of 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!

Pictured:
Passion Fruit

Links:
Smart Pots
Dave Wilson Nursery
UC Davis Arboretum
Plants that Attract Pollinators
Alive or Dead? Understanding Epicormic Shoots

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Tuesday and Friday. More info including live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. Please subscribe, and, if you are listening on Apple, please leave a comment or rating. That helps us decide which garden topics you would like to see addressed.

Got a garden question? There are several ways to get in touch: 

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] 
or, leave a question at the Facebook, Twitter or Instagram locations below. 
Be sure to tell us where you are when you leave a question, because all gardening is local. 

And thank you for listening.

All About Farmer Fred:

Farmer Fred website: http://farmerfred.com
Daily Garden tips and snark on Twitter @farmerfred
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.

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

We do a deep dive into your garden questions on this episode. We attempt to identify a giant wasp in a listener’s yard. 
A mysterious, underground white fungus has another listener perplexed. 
And we help out people who want to attract beneficial insects and pollinators to their garden.

It’s all on episode 118 of 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!

Pictured:
A bee on an artichoke flower.

Links:

Smart Pots
The Pollinator Victory Garden by Kim Eierman
Kim Eierman's Ecobeneficial.com website
Pollinator-Friendly Regional Plant Lists from the Xeres Society
Calscape.org Pinpoints California native plants via your CA zip code
Cicada Killer Wasp info
Mushrooms and Other Nuisance Fungi in Yards

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Tuesday and Friday. More info including live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. Please subscribe, and, if you are listening on Apple, please leave a comment or rating. That helps us decide which garden topics you would like to see addressed.

Got a garden question? There are several ways to get in touch: 

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] 
or, leave a question at the Facebook, Twitter or Instagram locations below. 
Be sure to tell us where you are when you leave a question, because all gardening is local. 

And thank you for listening.

All About Farmer Fred:

Farmer Fred website: http://farmerfred.com
Daily Garden tips and snark on Twitter @farmerfred
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.

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

Today we find out more details about using a certain fabric plant container in your garden. Of course, it’s Smart Pots, which is no ordinary fabric container. Did you know they come in a wide variety of sizes and can stay much cooler in the summer heat versus other plant containers? And we will find out why Smart Pots are perfect for the organic gardener. 
The Plant of the Week is something a little different. It’s a water plant. The beautiful and fragrant Asian or Chinese Lotus.

It’s all on episode 117 of 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!

Pictured:
Smart Pots Big Bag Bed

Links:
Smart Pots
Dave Wilson Nursery
Nelumbo (Asian Lotus Flower) info
UC Davis Arboretum

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Tuesday and Friday. More info including live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. Please subscribe, and, if you are listening on Apple, please leave a comment or rating. That helps us decide which garden topics you would like to see addressed. Got a garden question? There are several ways to get in touch: 

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] 

or, leave a question at the Facebook, Twitter or Instagram locations below. 

Be sure to tell us where you are when you leave a question, because all gardening is local. 

And thank you for listening.

All About Farmer Fred:

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.

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

Facing watering restrictions during this drought? We have great tips on how to be able to apply less water to your fruit trees and still have a bountiful harvest!
Yes, you can grow citrus trees in containers successfully, if you treat them right. That includes choosing the right container, the right soil and the right fertilizer. Plus, a few other nifty ideas for citrus success in containers.
We’re brought to you today by Smart Pots. Give a listen to find how you can win a free Smart Pot!
It’s on Episode 116 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, and we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go!
Pictured:
Citrus in Containers

Links:
Smart Pots
Fair Oaks Horticulture Center Orchard

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Tuesday and Friday. More info including live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. Please subscribe, and, if you are listening on Apple, please leave a comment or rating. That helps us decide which garden topics you would like to see addressed.

Got a garden question? There are several ways to get in touch: 

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] 

or, leave a question at the Facebook, Twitter or Instagram locations below. 

Be sure to tell us where you are when you leave a question, because all gardening is local. 

And thank you for listening.

All About Farmer Fred:
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.

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

Summertime, and the living is uneasy…if you live in an area prone to wildfires. And it’s not just California. People throughout the United States who are living in rural areas or where the suburbs meet the wildland face danger from rapidly moving wildfires. Today, we’re talking how to prepare your landscape for such an event. It’s called firescaping, and we will talk with one of the nation’s preeminent authorities on how to make your home and yard more resistant to flying, burning embers.

The Plant of the Week is a very popular summertime bloomer throughout the country, the hydrangea. We have tips for growing this colorful, commonly found shrub.

It’s all on episode 115 of 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!

Pictured:
A fire-resistant landscape

Links:
Smart Pots
Dave Wilson Nursery
Book: "Firescaping: Protecting Your Home with a Fire-Resistant Landscape"
Video: Home Burning Demonstration
UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Tuesday and Friday. More info including live links, product information, transcripts, and chapters available at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. Please subscribe, and, if you are listening on Apple, please leave a comment or rating. That helps us decide which garden topics you would like to see addressed.

Got a garden question? There are several ways to get in touch: 

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]
or, leave a question at the Facebook, Twitter or Instagram locations below. Be sure to tell us where you are when you leave a question, because all gardening is local. 

And thank you for listening.

All About Farmer Fred:
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

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