Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

If you plant tomatoes in late April or early May, February is the month for you to be planning your tomato strategy and then start planting tomato seeds indoors. We talk strategy as well as good tomato varieties worth trying in 2021. 
Are you still attempting to decipher all that tomato terminology in the seed catalogs? We’ve got the help you need! 
Heavy winds and wild weather has buffeted most of the country the past few weeks. We talk with an arborist who has tips to help you to determine how well your trees will withstand the next windstorm.

It’s Episode 74 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, our tomato preview edition, Part 1.  And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go!

Pictured:
Tomato plants. Too many!

Links:
All-American Tomato Selections Winners
Farmer Fred Rant: Trees vs. Storms
Farmer Fred Rant: Tips for Starting Tomato, Pepper Seeds
What is a "Schmoo"?
Tomato varieties mentioned in the Tomato Preview (Part 1):
Early Girl
Big Beef
Better Boy
Champion
the Chef’s Choice series
Gardener’s Delight
Orange Oxheart
Carmello

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.

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.

Today, we have tips from a Master Rosarian on selecting and planting roses. Listen to this before you go out to buy your roses, because what you’ll hear just might change your mind about where to shop for rose plants now. 
Are you planting a single variety bare root fruit tree? Did you remember to cut it back by half after planting? We’ll tell you why that is necessary in a backyard garden (P.S. don't do this to multi-budded fruit trees!). And the Plant of the Week is one that’s popular throughout the country: it’s holly. And it’s putting on a show right now.
It’s February and we are back to our twice a week schedule for our podcast. Episodes come out every Tuesday and Friday. 

It’s Episode 73 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast. And we will do it all in under 30 minutes!
Pictured:
The "Double Knock-Out" shrub rose. Prolific bloomer, easy care, does well on a reduced watering regimen.

Links:
Farmer Fred Video: How to Plant a Rose
More about the Canadian Explorer series of Cold-Tolerant Roses
Dave Wilson Nursery Fruit Tube Video: How to Cut Back a Newly Planted Bare Root Fruit Tree
The Top Fruit Tree Taste-Test Winners
UC Davis Arboretum

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Friday during November through January. We’ll be back to a twice a week schedule in February.  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.

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.

This time of year, hope springs eternal in the minds of gardeners with dreams of a bountiful spring, summer and fall garden, filled with beautiful flowers, delicious fruits, and wonderful vegetables. But for many second year gardeners, as well as many more experienced gardeners, there could be a "sophomore slump".
So why does a so-so garden year sometimes follow a wildly successful garden year? Debbie Flower, our favorite retired college horticulture Professor, holds our collective hands and offers tips for thwarting the gardeners' sophomore slump.
Also, Phil Pursel of Dave Wilson Nursery has advice on how you can be harvesting fresh fruit from May or June all the way through November and for some, into December.
Plus, the University of California Davis Arboretum Superintendent Emeritus Warren Roberts, waxes rhapsodic about the plant of the week, the barberry.
And finally, Debbie Flower offers some words of reassuring hope about your 2021 Garden year.

 It's Episode 72 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast. And we'll do it all in under 30 minutes. Let's go.
 
Pictured:  The Plant of the Week - Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)

Links:
Farmer Fred Rant: Growing Your First Vegetable Garden? Some Tips.
Dave Wilson Nursery Catalog
Seed starting kits
Seed starting soil mixes
UC Davis Arboretum

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Friday during November through January. We’ll be back to a twice a week schedule in February.  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.

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.

It can take quite awhile to grow a pepper plant from seed to outdoor transplanting stage. 12 to 16 weeks, which can include up to three weeks for the seeds to germinate. But we can help you speed up that process considerably with pepper seed germination tips from our favorite retired horticulture professor, Debbie Flower. 
We start a new segment on this show today: the Plant of the Week. And for that we will turn to one of the most knowledgeable  horticulturists in the world, Warren Roberts of the UC Davis Arboretum. 
And, we talk blackberries: how to grow them, how to trellis them (more info about trellising blackberries in the links below)

Find out about all this, on Episode 71 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast. And we will do it all in under 30 minutes.

Links:
Farmer Fred Rant: Tips for Speeding Up Pepper Seed Germination
Seed starting kits
Seed starting soil mixes
UC Davis Arboretum
UCANR: All About Blackberries
UCANR: What Kind of Trellis System Do Blackberries Require?
UCANR: Growing Berries and Grapes in the Home Garden (including lots of trellis pics)

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Friday during November through January. We’ll be back to a twice a week schedule in February.  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.

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.

If you’re venturing into flower and vegetable seed starting in 2021, good for you! It’s fun, and with seeds, there are plenty more varieties to choose from. You may have some leftover seeds hanging around. But will those old seeds germinate? Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, has a surefire way to tell.

Are you familiar with the pluot? It’s a fruit, it’s a cross between a plum and an apricot. And it truly is one of the sweetest treats that you can grow in your yard. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you will want to grow the pluot. We’ll tell you all about the pluot today. 

A lot of gardeners like to grow flowers among their vegetables. That’s a great idea! But if you grow tomatoes, there is one very alluring flower that you definitely do not want to grow anywhere near your tomatoes. What is it? Find out on this, Episode 70 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast. And we will do it all in under 30 minutes.

Links:
Seed starting kits
Seed starting soil mixes
Farmer Fred Rant: Tips for Speeding Up Pepper Seed Germination
Farmer Fred Rant: Make Your Own Planting Mix
Farmer Fred Rant: Grow a Pluot tree!
Farmer Fred Rant: The Life Cycle of a Tomato Worm
UC Davis Arboretum

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Friday during November through January. We’ll be back to a twice a week schedule in February.  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.

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.

For those of us in USDA Zone 9, protecting citrus trees from a frost or freeze is a primary concern. But what about all the gardeners in USDA Zones 9, 8 and 7 that have a yard full of succulents? What is the best way to protect them from cold damage? We talk with the Plant Lady, Marlene Simon, from the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory, who has tips for keeping your succulents alive through the winter. And one of her tips involving water might be the direct opposite of what you are doing!
It’s Episode 69 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast. And we will do it all in under 30 minutes.

Picture: a frozen succulent, the aeonium (Photo courtesy Debra Lee Baldwin)

Links:
Marlene Simon, The Plant Lady, Website
UC Botanical Conservatory
Book: "Succulents" by Robin Stockwell
More Succulent Cold Protection Tips from author Debra Lee Baldwin
The Miracle Berry that Marlene referred to
Growing the Miracle Berry from Seed
Farmer Fred Rant:  Preparing your Yard  for a Frost or Freeze
Farmer Fred Rant: Hard Freeze Coming? How to Prepare
Farmer Fred Rant: What To Do (And Not Do) After a Hard Freeze
Heavy Duty Frost Cloths by Agribon

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Friday during November through January. We’ll be back to a twice a week schedule in February.  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.

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.

Happy New Year, and welcome to the beginning of Season 2 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast. For many gardeners, planning the 2021 garden is underway this month. Perusing seed catalogs, making choices for the warm season vegetable and flower garden, and perhaps checking out all the dormant plants that are arriving, or will be arriving soon, at area nurseries and garden centers this winter.
One of those popular bare root plants that brings out the customers are all the rose varieties that are available. Don’t know much about roses? Not a problem! We cover rose basics on today’s episode with Master Rosarian Debbie Arrington. Check out her "Sacramento Digs Gardening" blog page/newsletter, too.
And, we get a sneak peak at the future of gardening with Diane Blazek of the National Garden Bureau. Plus, she has results of a survey where gardeners like you told the National Garden Bureau what they want to ease their garden chores.
It’s all on Episode 68 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast. And we will do it all in under 30 minutes.

Links:
Best Roses for Northern California
American Rose Society's Best Roses for each USDA Zone
The Best Selling Book: "Pruning and Training"
Farmer Fred Rant: Rose Pruning Time is Here
Sacramento Digs Gardening Blogpage, by Debbie Arrington and Kathy Morrison
National Garden Bureau's Future of Gardening Survey

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Friday during November through January. We’ll be back to a twice a week schedule in February.  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.
• Phone or text us the question: 916-292-8964. 
• E-mail: [email protected] 
• 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.

If you live in the West or the South, Perhaps Santa left you some new bare root fruit trees. Back East or up North, maybe it will be the Easter Bunny making those deliveries.
Wherever you live, we have tips for planting bare root fruit trees, those six foot tall bare sticks with pretty pictures attached, arriving this winter at nurseries and garden centers (just in case Santa and the Easter Bunny don’t come through for you).
Also, which blueberry plants are right for you?
Phil Pursel of wholesale grower Dave Wilson Nursery has some ideas about that. 
And, for those of you nursing tender plants through frosty nights, what are the best ways to protect sensitive plants such as citrus trees and succulents? Our favorite retired college horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, talks about the good ways, and the not-so-good ways of offering your plants a few degrees of protection on freezing nights.

It’s all on Episode 67 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you by Smart Pots. And we will do it all in under 30 minutes.

Dave Wilson Nursery Fruit Tube Video: Good Soil Mix for Blueberries
Dave Wilson Nursery Fruit Harvest Chart
Frost Protection Tips at the Farmer Fred Rant Blog page
Frost Protection Tips for Citrus and Other Subtropicals (University of California)
Frost Cloths for cold weather plant protection
Warm Christmas-style lights for citrus tree frost protection

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Friday during November through January. We’ll be back to a twice a week schedule in February.  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.

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.

 If you’re thinking of adding a fruit tree to your garden in 2021, here’s one criteria to think about: of all the fruit trees available, which are the tastiest?  Dave Wilson Nursery's Phil Pursel  talks about the tastiest peach tree varieties. Plus, he has advice for pruning and training those new backyard fruit trees so you can have multiple varieties of trees, even in a small garden. It’s all about size control. Or, choose a tasty miniature peach tree variety, such as the Garden Gold peach tree (pictured).

What’s new in the way of annuals, perennials and vegetables for 2021? Diane Blazek of All America Selections tells us about the highest rated new plants,  tested across the United States.

Plus, tree sunburn protection tips.

It’s Episode 66 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you by Smart Pots. And we will do it all in under 30 minutes.

Links:
Smart Pots
Dave Wilson Nursery Taste Test Winners
All-America Selections Winners for 2021
American Society of Consulting Arborists
UC information on tree sunburn
my favorite bypass loppers
my favorite hand pruners

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Garden Basics comes out every Friday during November through January. We’ll be back to a twice a week schedule in February.  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.

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.

A fully grown, properly placed, healthy tree can add thousands of dollars of extra value to your property.  Yes, your trees can put extra money in your pocket when it comes time to move! In the meantime, how do you know your trees are really healthy? And, how do you know if your neighbor’s trees are healthy? After all, those trees on the other side of the fence might be causing you a lot of extra work, expense, or danger. The only way to find out is to hire a consulting arborist. What does a consulting arborist do? We’ll find out, with Consulting Arborist Michael Santos. And, we have tips for you to determine whether your trees need help, especially during storm season.
It’s Episode 65 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you by Smart Pots. And we will do it all in under 30 minutes!

Links: 

American Society of Consulting Arborists: Find A Consulting Arborist
International Society of Arborists: Find an Arborist Near You
Inspect Your Landscape Trees for Hazards

More episodes and info available at Garden Basics with Farmer Fred
Garden Basics comes out every Friday during November through January. We’ll be back to a twice a week schedule in February.  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.
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.