Send us a Text Message. 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 joins the conversation to discuss planting citrus trees on mounds for better dra ..read more

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 plants. Debbie will tell us what to look for. Plus, properly training the growth of your cucumbers can he ..read more

In Episode 330, Q&A - Gail from Orangevale, CA wants to start a vegetable and flower garden in her backyard, which is currently covered in Bermuda grass. Debbie Flower,  America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture professor, and I suggest waiting a year and using soil solarization to kill off the Bermudagrass. We also recommend starting small with container gardening and using organic mulch to keep the soil soft. We discuss the challenges of dealing with Bermudagrass and the benefits of soil solarization.  For the next question, from David in Arizona, Master Gardener and vege ..read more

This episode is entitled,  How to Water Your Garden. “What!?!” you’re probably thinking. “Of course I know how to water my garden, lawn, and indoor plants, I’m a gardener!” As Farmer Fred Garden Rule #8 says: “If it works for you, fine. But keep an open mind.”  Join us as America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, has advice on how to properly and thoroughly irrigate all your plants from newly planted seeds to vegetables to flowers to lawns, shrubs and trees. I bet by the end of our chat, there will be at least one irrigation tip that will have you sayi ..read more

The healthiest food you can eat, is the food you grow yourself.  Where have you heard THAT before? Today,  let’s grow a heart-healthy garden! What are the foods you can plant that are best suited, chemically, to help reverse what might be going on around your ticker, including high cholesterol, elevated blood sugar, and stress?  We talk with Dr. Laura Varich, the Fresh Physician, about those foods that can do your heart  a world of good.. It’s all in Episode 327 of today’s Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast - Growing The Heart Healthy Garden. You, or your family, or you ..read more

Q&A - Working with Coir, Peat Moss, Perlite, etc. Reusing Old Potting Soil. 00:24 Q&A - Runaway Plum Tree! 16:10 Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout. Pictured: Wheelbarrow with Homemade Potting Mix Links:  Subscribe to the free, Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/ Dave Wilson Nursery https://www.davewilson.com/home-garden/ Perlite Peat M ..read more

Appearing now (or soon) on a peach or nectarine tree near you: Peach Leaf Curl? What is this fungus that causes the leaves on these trees to redden, pucker, and curl? And how can you control it? (Please note, I did not say, “eradicate”). America’s favorite retired college horticultural professor, Debbie Flower has some tips. Also, we go back about eight years for an interview with Marta McDowell, author of the book “All the Presidents’ Gardens”. It’s a look at the White House gardens, through the centuries. And which president was the most active gardener while living in the White House? If yo ..read more

Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout. Pictured:  Pizza Pie Crop Rotation Garden Links:  Subscribe to the free, Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/ Dave Wilson Nursery https://www.davewilson.com/home-garden/ LaMotte Soil Test Kits (and others) Farmer Fred Rant: Pizza Pie Crop Rotation Garden Nutri-Rich Fertilizer Fish Emulsion Fertilizer Elec ..read more

Each year the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society puts out its list of Gold Medal winning Plants. Usually these plants are chosen for their adaptability to the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. This year, the chosen plants have a much wider range of possible success, including USDA Zone 9 and possibly up to  Zone 10, and down to Zone 3.  Also: Now is the time in warmer places of the nation to get outside and thin the fruit from many of your deciduous fruit trees, as the fruit is beginning to form right after flowering.  It’s all in Episode 323 of today’s Garden Basics wi ..read more

Q&A Transplanting Old, Large, Fruit Trees? (segment begins at 00:25) Q&A Why Are My Radishes Only Producing Leaves? (7:10) Q&A Remove an Overgrown Plant from a Nice Pot Without Breaking It? (12:19) Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout. Pictured:  Chanticleer Pear Trees Links: Subscribe to the free, Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter https://gardenbasics.substack.com Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/ Da ..read more