Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

By Fred HoffmanHealth & Fitness Nutrition Education Leisure How To Home & Garden

Garden Basics with Farmer Fred episodes

May 21, 2021 104 Fabulous Fruit Friday - The Shiranui Mandarin. Cicadas vs. Your Garden
What’s all that buzzing going on in many parts of the country right now? It’s the emerging of what is being called Brood X, an unusually large occurrence of cicadas. Are they a threat to your garden? College horticulture teacher Debbie Flower has some thoughts on that.
Who doesn’t love a tasty mandarin? One of the most popular right now among grocery store mandarins is a large, lumpy, but incredibly sweet, seedless mandarin. A close relative of that one is the Sharanui mandarin, and many mandarin aficionados claim it’s the best tasting mandarin ever that you can grow at home. That’s according to fruit tree expert Ed Laivo, from Tomorrows harvest dot com. It’s Fabulous Fruit Friday, and Ed is here to talk about this taste treat from Japan.
It’s all on Episode 104 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots and Tomorrows Harvest dot com.
And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go!

Pictured:
Periodical cicada (Magicicada sp.) Photo courtesy of Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - Forestry, bugwood.org
Links:
Smart Pots
Shiranui Mandarin Tomorrows Harvest
Cicada resources:
University of Maryland
Cornell University
University of California
Cicada netting (look for 1/4"-3/8" mesh)

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
Text or call 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 also to the Green Acres Garden Podcast with Farmer Fred .
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.
30 min
May 18, 2021 103 Is Fish Fertilizer Safe? The Buckeye Tree.
Liquid fish fertilizer (fish emulsion), is a popular way to feed your plants. But is it safe to foliar feed your edible greens with it…and then eat those greens? Soil professional Steve Zien advocates for the fishy stuff, along with a dollop of sea weed. And, it's always a good idea to thoroughly rinse and wash all your garden produce before serving it.
The Plant of the Week is the buckeye tree, one very eccentric plant.
It’s all on episode 103 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you by Smart Pots and Dave Wilson Nursery. And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go!

Pictured:
The California Buckeye tree

Links:
Smart Pots
Dave Wilson Nursery
Dave Wilson Fruit Tube Videos
Fish Fertilizers/Emulsion, Seaweed, Kelp Meal
Everything You Need to Know about the Seaweed, Ascophyllum nodusum

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
Text or call 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 also to the Green Acres Garden Podcast with Farmer Fred .
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.
29 min
May 14, 2021 102 Red Baron Peach. Tomatoes in the Shade?
Looking for a fruit tree with outstanding flowers in the spring? Look no further than the Red Baron peach. It’s Fabulous Fruit Friday, and Ed Laivo is here from TomorrowsHarvest.com to talk about this tasty beauty, with double red flowers in the spring and juicy, juicy peaches in the summer.
Should your tomato plants really be in full sun? As we are fond of saying this show, it depends. More and more areas of the country are having unusually hot summers, which means more tomato troubles. Can a bit of shade solve those issues. College horticulture teacher Debbie Flower has some thoughts on that.
It’s all on episode 102 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots and Tomorrows Harvest dot com.
And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go!

Pictured:
The Double -Red Flowers of the Red Baron Peach
(photo courtesy Don Shor, Redwood Barn Nursery, redwoodbarn.com)

Links:
Smart Pots SmartPots.com/fred
Red Baron Peach TomorrowsHarvest.com
Farmer Fred Rant: Tomato Troubleshooter FarmerFred.com

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
Text or call 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 also to the Green Acres Garden Podcast with Farmer Fred .
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.
28 min
May 11, 2021 101 Growing Sweet Potatoes. The Peruvian Lily.
It’s not a baking potato, it’s not a yam, it’s a sweet potato. And it isn’t just for Thanksgiving anymore. You can grow sweet potatoes in your garden for year round eating. Master Gardener Gail Pothour will tell you how. The Plant of the Week is putting on a show right now here in California, and soon across much of the rest of the country, and it’s an excellent cut flower, too: the Peruvian Lily, also known as alstroemeria. Warren Roberts of the UC Davis Arboretum waxes rhapsodic about this plant, although he says it should really be called the Chile Lily. He’ll explain.
It’s all on episode 101 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:
Alstroemeria

Links:
Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/
Dave Wilson Nursery https://www.davewilson.com/home-gardens
Alstroemeria/Peruvian Lily
Growing Sweet Potatoes
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
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.
29 min
May 07, 2021 100 Garden Basics Greatest Hits (So Far)
Growing a garden is very similar to doing a successful podcast. It takes patience, perseverance and a willingness to try something new. Welcome to Episode 100 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast. I began this audio adventure just as sheltering in place was taking hold last spring. Many of you took that opportunity to play in the yard, so to speak, while learning something new, something that can be fun, and healthy, for the entire family. If that was your impetus to seek us out here, welcome to the world of gardening! I see your still at it. Kind of addicting, isn’t it? And for all you long time gardeners, thank you sticking around and helping place the Garden Basics podcast among the top 3% IN THE WORLD.
So, to celebrate 100 episodes, let's revisit the Top 3 interviews that we have aired here in just over a year. To no one’s surprise, two of them have to do with tomatoes, the most popular vegetable that’s grown in the United States, and in many other countries, as well. The third most listened-to episode featured a primer about feeding your soil, not your plants.

One more thing, this might run longer than the usual 30 minutes (not by much). I hope you understand.

Pictured:
Celebrity Tomato
Links:
Smart Pots
Tomorrow's Harvest
Dave Wilson Nursery
UC Davis Arboretum
Kellogg Garden Products
Episode 3: How To Plant Tomatoes and Peppers (You Might Be Surprised!)
Episode 21: Tomato Troubleshooter
Episode 7: Feed Your Soil, Not Your Plants
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
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.
37 min
May 04, 2021 099 Ants in Pots. Rose History. Vacation vs. Your Garden
Ants love to inhabit the soil in your outdoor potted plants. Maybe your indoor plants, too. And they aren’t doing your plants any good. College Horticulture Professor Debbie Flower has tips for getting the ants out of your potted plants.
We’re talking roses today, too, including the history of roses, which extends about 3000 years. Warren Roberts of the UC Davis Arboretum tells the tales.
Are you fully vaccinated and itching to take a vacation, finally? Great! But don’t forget your garden. We have suggestions on how to keep your garden looking good while you are away.It’s all on episode 99 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 Mr. Lincoln rose
Quote of the Day:
“As a little kid I loved rose flowers. I didn't like the bush, because embracing a rose bush is almost the definition of unrequited love.” -UC Davis Arboretum superintendent emeritus Warren Roberts, on the history of roses.
Links:
Smart Pots
Dave Wilson Nursery
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
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.
29 min
April 30, 2021 098 Scarlet Halo Peach. How Long to Water with Drip. Quick Salad Greens.
Are you familiar with the donut peach? If not, we will tell you all about it, on today’s edition of Fabulous Fruit Fridays. And we will shine the spotlight on one particularly delectable variety, the Scarlet Halo donut peach. Fruit tree expert Ed Laivo of tomorrowsharvest.com tells us all about it.
One of the more frequently asked questions we get here is, how long should I run a drip irrigation system. Our resident retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower answers that while contemplating the question of dying loropetalum shrubs.
You want to grow salad fixins in a hurry? We talk with Brad Gates from Wild Boar Farms, not about his tomatoes, but about a quick and easy way to grow greens, even in hot summer climates.
It’s all on episode 98 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots and TomorrowsHarvest.com
And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go!

Pictured:
‘Crimson Fire’ loropetalum
Links:
Smart Pots
Scarlet Halo Peach Tomorrows Harvest
How Long to Irrigate with a Drip Irrigation System (FF Rant)
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
Text or call 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 also to the Green Acres Garden Podcast with Farmer Fred .
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.
29 min
April 27, 2021 097 Grow Fig Trees from Cuttings. Protecting Plants From Heat. Zinnias. The Mock Orange shrub.
One of the easiest fruit trees to grow are figs. And, for the adventurous gardener, you can start a fig tree from a cutting. We have the details.
Looking for a colorful summer annual flower sure to bring a smile to your face? Grow zinnias. And they’re easy to grow.
We get tips on how to protect new or young plants from the blazing heat of the summer sun.
One of the most widely adaptable shrubs to grow across the country is the Philadelphus, the mock orange. With its very fragrant flowers, it’s definitely a show for the nose. And it’s our Plant of the Week.
It’s all on Episode 97 of the Garden Basics podcast, brought to you by Smart Pots and Dave Wilson Nursery. And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go!

Pictured:
Red Zinnia varieties, including Oklahoma Scarlet, Park's Picks, Zinderella Red, Jim Baggett, Giant Dahlia Mix...and three garlic flower heads.

Links:
Smart Pots
Dave Wilson Nursery
Zinnia Seeds at Amazon
Renee's Garden Zinnias
Park Seeds Zinnias
Burpee Seeds Zinnias
Philadelphus 'Belle Etoile'
Dallas Morning News editorial: "Coronavirus and Our Mental Health" (5/11/20)
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
Text or call 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.
28 min
April 23, 2021 096 O'Henry Peach. Downsizing Fruit Trees. Why Thin Fruit.
The O’Henry Peach has been popular since its introduction in 1968. It’s a sweet, juicy, long lasting, easy peach tree to grow. A perfect candidate for today’s Fabulous Fruit Friday. Fruit tree expert Ed Laivo of Tomorrow's Harvest tells us all about it. Plus, Ed has step by step instructions for reducing the height of an overgrown fruit tree, taking it down to a more manageable six or seven feet tall.
A frequent question new gardeners have: which way should I position my fruit trees or raised beds? North to South or East to West? Good question. Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, has some ideas on that.
Plus, this is the time to be thinning the fruit from your deciduous fruit trees, while the fruit is still small. The advantages of removing fruit so that there’s six inches of space between the remaining pieces of fruit? Bigger, healthier fruit. And fewer broken branches this summer.
It’s all on episode 96 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots and Tomorrow's Harvest.
And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go!

Pictured:
O’Henry Peach
Links:
O’Henry Peach at Tomorrows Harvest
Pruning Overgrown Deciduous Fruit Trees (pdf from UCANR)
Smart Pots

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
Text or call 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 also to the Green Acres Garden Podcast with Farmer Fred .
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.
30 min
April 20, 2021 095 Okra Growing Tips. Thwarting Rose Diseases. The Beauty Bush.
For some gardeners, fresh okra from the summer garden is a taste treat. For other gardeners, who may not appreciate the texture and flavor of okra, it is still worth growing for the beautiful flowers it produces. We have tips for growing okra.
Roses are beginning to put their first show of 2021, but several rose diseases may be lurking on your favorite plants. We talk with a Master Rosarian on how to thwart rose diseases such as black spot, powdery mildew and downy mildew.
And, the plant of the week is the beauty bush, a widely adaptable 10-foot shrub that Warren Roberts of the UC Davis Arboretum describes as having four seasons of beauty, true to its name.
It’s all on episode 95 of the Garden Basics podcast, brought to you by Smart Pots. And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go!

Pictured:
The flower of the okra plant.

Links:
Smart Pots
How to Grow Okra, from the Sonoma County Master Gardeners
Rose Diseases UCANR
UC Davis Arboretum
The Beauty Bush
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
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.
30 min

About Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

From the publisher's feed

Tips for beginning and experienced gardeners. New episodes arrive every Friday. Fred Hoffman has been a U.C. Certified Master Gardener since 1982 and writes a weekly garden column for the Lodi…