Today, we compare notes with Davis, California nursery owner Don Shor, an avid tomato grower, about our 2023 tomato successes and failures. And, we check with the tomato trials done this past summer at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center. It’s a wide ranging conversation not only about hybrid and heirloom tomato varieties that were notable for size, flavor, production, vigor..or lack thereof… it also includes some great tips for growing and caring for your 2024 tomato garden, no matter which va...

288 Tomato Review 2023

Tips for beginning and experienced gardeners. New episodes arrive every Tuesday and Friday. Fred Hoffman has been a U.C. Certified Master Gardener since 1982 and writes a weekly garden column for the Lodi News-Sentinel in Lodi, CA. A four-decade fixture in Sacramento radio, he hosted three radio shows for Northern California gardeners and farmers: The KFBK Garden Show, Get Growing with Farmer Fred, and the KSTE Farm Hour. Episode Website: https://gardenbasics.net

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The first chat today involves roof rats (and is an encore presentation while construction is ongoing here at Barking Dog). It will be particularly useful for those of you with large yards, or acreage, or even a small farm, in which you have a large orchard. And for those of you suburban dwellers who might have a few citrus trees, or, for that matter, any tree with fruit, well, you know the damage that rats can do to that fruit. But it’s not just the fruit. Roof rats, especially, can girdle yo...

335 Roof Rat Controls, Asparagus-Lemon Recipes

The first question on the Tuesday Q&A edition of the Garden Basics podcast is about growing rhubarb in hot weather. Fred and his guests, Master Gardeners Kathy Morrison and Ruth Ostroff, discuss their experiences with growing rhubarb in Sacramento. They also share a rhubarb recipe. The second question is about grow lights for starting tomato and pepper seeds indoors. Fred  and Debbie Flower explain the importance of using wide-spectrum light systems and mixing different types of bulb...

GB 334 Q&A Rhubarb for Hot Climates? Lights for Seedlings?

We are in the midst of spring construction here, so we are taking the opportunity to not shout over the whine of power saws and the banging hammers. Instead, we will be revisiting some of the most popular segments ever aired on our podcast. In Episode 83, we explained why feeding your soil yields better results than feeding your plants. Sound confusing?  We get the lowdown from Gisele Schoniger of Kellogg Garden Products.Also, America's Favorite retired college horticultural professor, D...

333 Controlling Snails & Slugs, Feed Your Soil, Grow Your Own Protein

Farmer Fred and Don Shor from Redwood Barn Nursery answer a garden question from a  listener about whiteflies on grapes. But are they really whiteflies? They discuss how to control whiteflies and leaf hoppers on grapevines, the use of organic sprays, and the importance of correct pest identification. Also, Debbie Flower answers a question about removing the first tomato that appears on your plants. Does it help, Yes or No?  Then, Master Gardener and fruit tree expert Quentyn Young j...

332 Q&A Whiteflies? 1st Tomato? Planting Citrus?

Mid to late spring is cucumber planting time in most of North America, and we have more cucumber growing tips for you today. We covered a lot of cucumber growing basics back in episode 266 last May, but today, cucumber cheerleader and America's favorite retired college horticultural professor, Debbie Flower, has more cucumber planting advice for you, whether you start cucumbers from seed or from nursery-purchased transplants.And by the way, choose carefully if you're shopping for cucumber pla...

288 Tomato Review 2023

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