Garden Basics with Farmer Fred
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 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
Episodes
364 episodes
364 10 Quick Tips for a Successful Garden
Ep. 364 10 Quick Tips for a Successful Garden• Julia Oldfield of Big Oak Nursery in Elk Grove, CA talks about creating a container garden that would be sure to slow down cars and wowing the walkers going by your front yard, using only th...
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Season 5
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Episode 66
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58:57
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363 Weed Killers Just Got More Confusing
Listening and following the advice in this episode is more important than ever if you use herbicides, especially when we repeatedly chant our mantra: "Read and Follow All Label Directions."America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture ...
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Season 5
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Episode 65
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36:31
362 Fall Plants for Winter and Spring Color
Today, we chat with Diane Blazek, executive director of All-America Selections and the National Garden Bureau, about the best plants to be adding to your garden this Autumn for long, cool season blooms. We explore various options such as annual...
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Season 5
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Episode 64
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29:30
361 Defensible Space Landscaping Tips
We examine the wildland-urban interface and its growing wildfire risks for homeowners, particularly in fire-prone areas like California and other western states. We talk about the concept of hardening your landscape from the Ember Ignition Zone...
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Season 5
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Episode 63
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1:05:20
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360 Avocado Growing Basics
Today, we are talking avocado cultivation with Greg Alder, he’s an avocado grower in Southern California, a San Diego County Master Gardener, and he’s the director of the California Avocado Society. Who better to answer a question about t...
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Season 5
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Episode 62
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1:03:49
359 Tree Surrounds, Cardboard Mulch Pros-Cons. Winter Tomatoes
They’re known as tree rings, or tree surrounds. Basically, it’s a demilitarized zone for your trees, where the trunk and roots are safe from weed whackers and lawn mowers as well as competing plants (especially lawns). It might be a short term ...
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Season 5
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Episode 61
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32:18
358 Fall Garden Prep. The Catalina Cherry.
Have you done the necessary work to have a thriving fall vegetable garden? What about the soil? What have you done to give those new plants a great start? We talk with Sacramento County Master Gardener Gail Pothour about how they prepare ...
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Season 5
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Episode 60
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40:44
357 Plant Cool Season Vegetables Now. What is a Crisis Nursery?
The change in the September weather is your best opportunity for a new round of planting vegetables in your garden, the cool season crops: broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, garlic, kale, onions, peas, potatoes, shallots, and all those versatile, ...
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Season 5
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Episode 59
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39:35
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356 Q&A - Controlling Fruit Tree Pests, Soil Solarization around trees, The Asian Garden Beetle
We talk with fruit tree expert Ed Laivo today about how to control the four-legged varmints (as well as the winged ones) that get to your backyard fruit before you do. Plus, he has recommendations for potting mixes to grow fruit trees in contai...
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Season 5
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Episode 58
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32:23
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355 Rhubarb Growing Basics for Warm Climates
“Can you grow rhubarb here?” For those who have moved from colder climates to the warmer USDA zones, that might be a popular question. Memories of rhubarb pie, jams, and more while growing up back East or in the Midwest might have y...
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Season 5
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Episode 57
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40:38
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354 Lawn Substitutes
Fred and Debbie Flower discuss the trend of lawn elimination and alternative landscape options to save water. They explore lawn alternatives that require less maintenance and water, such as no-mow lawns, fescue varieties, and groundcovers...
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Season 5
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Episode 56
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34:36
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353 It's All About the Soil (for a Successful Garden!)
Today, we talk with Kevin Marini, a community education specialist with the University of California Cooperative Extension, about the topics of soil and successful gardening. We talk about the pros and cons of using native soil versus com...
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Season 5
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Episode 55
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51:14
352 Mint Choices for Cooking. All About Zinnias.
What are the best mint varieties to use for cooking? We talk with a professional herb grower about the myriad of culinary herb choices available. Is there a better summer flower than Zinnias? This colorful warm weather annual comes in a wide va...
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Season 5
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Episode 54
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32:18
351 Honey, I Shrunk the Fruit Trees!
In this episode, Farmer Fred and Kevin Marini discuss the importance of thinning fruit trees and maintaining their height. Kevin Marini, a certified arborist and community education specialist with UC Cooperative Extension, also talks about the...
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Season 5
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Episode 53
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56:04
350 New Home? First Garden Tips
Looking to start a first garden in a new home? Before digging, do some planning, and some research. Today, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticultural Professor, Debbie Flower, and I have tips for getting that first garden off to a great s...
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Season 5
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Episode 52
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29:35
349 Stressed? Your Garden Can Help.
Gardening and being in nature can help reduce stress and anxiety. Forest bathing, or simply spending time in a natural environment, has been shown to have calming effects. Having a garden or indoor plants can also provide stress relief. Aroma...
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Season 5
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Episode 51
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33:24
348 The Tastiest Peaches and Plums. Improving Sandy Soil. Raised Bed Drainage Tips.
Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Audio, transcripts, and episode chapters also available at <...
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Season 5
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Episode 50
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38:12
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347 Travelers' Garden Basics Playlist. All About Berries. Slugs in Compost.
It’s a holiday weekend and you might be traveling. What about a Garden Basics playlist for that long car ride or for listening to while lounging around someplace cool? We have suggestions for that playlist - the five most listened-to Garden Bas...
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Season 5
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Episode 49
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41:08
346 All About Soil Thermometers, pH Testing, Cardboard Mulch
How do use and adjust a soil thermometer? Why is my soil pH so variable at different soil depths? How do you use cardboard to replace a lawn and start a garden?Those are some of the questions, along with scenic bypasses - of course - tha...
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Season 5
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Episode 48
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29:08
345 The Heart Healthy Garden, Live!
Did you know rose petals are edible, and contain lots of healthy fiber? That's part of today’s podcast, recorded live, in February 2024, at the Sacramento Rose Society's monthly meeting.The main topic is growing the Heart ...
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Season 5
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Episode 47
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40:48
344 Q&A - Tomato Seed Saving? Seeding Mulched Area?
In this episode of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, Fred Hoffman and Master Gardener Gail Pothour discuss saving tomato seeds. They address the question of whether saved tomato seeds will produce the same tomato variety and pro...
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Season 5
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Episode 46
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15:19
343 A Tour of Debbie Flower's Garden
We pay a visit to the garden of America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower. It’s a living classroom on thriving low water use plants.Debbie talks in detail about the plants, many of which are Californ...
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Season 5
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Episode 45
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53:00
342 Q&A Grow Carrots in Summer? Weed Cloth - Good or Bad?
Master Gardener Fred Hoffman and his guests answers garden questions from listeners on the Tuesday edition of the Garden Basics podcast. The first question is about weed cloth and its impact on soil improvement and fertilization. Fred and Debbi...
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Season 5
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Episode 44
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18:31
341 Fred's Garden Tour with Debbie
Something a little different today. America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower and myself take a stroll through the Farmer Fred backyard garden, talking about the plants, and discussing the strategies to make...
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Season 5
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Episode 43
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47:33
340 Q&A Cross-Pollination Concerns, Best Cities and States for Gardening
Farmer Fred and Debbie Flower discuss:•The impact of climate and weather on gardening success.•Understanding cross-pollination and its implications for seed saving and plant breeding.•The importance of local conditions and loc...
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Season 5
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Episode 42
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20:05
