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
357 episodes since 2020
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, ...
September 13, 2024
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Season 5
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Episode 59
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39:35
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...
September 06, 2024
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Season 5
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Episode 58
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32:23
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...
August 30, 2024
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Season 5
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Episode 57
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40:38
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...
August 23, 2024
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Season 5
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Episode 56
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34:36
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...
August 15, 2024
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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...
August 09, 2024
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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...
August 02, 2024
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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...
July 26, 2024
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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...
July 19, 2024
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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 <...
July 12, 2024
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Season 5
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Episode 50
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38:12
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...
July 05, 2024
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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...
June 28, 2024
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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 ...
June 21, 2024
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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...
June 18, 2024
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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...
June 14, 2024
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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...
June 11, 2024
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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...
June 07, 2024
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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...
June 04, 2024
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Season 5
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Episode 42
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20:05
339 How To Water Clay Soil (and more clay gardening tips!)
In this episode of Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, the focus is on how to water clay soil and other tips for gardening in clay. Debbie Flower, America's Favorite retired college horticultural professor, shares valuable insight...
May 31, 2024
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Season 5
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Episode 41
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34:15
338 Q&A Squash Flowers? Fertilizer Application? Tart Cherries?
In this episode of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, Fred and his expert guests answer questions about: • Squash pollination woes with Master Gardener and vegetable expert Gail Pothour.• The timing and application o...
May 28, 2024
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Season 5
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Episode 40
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25:14
337 How To Choose Nursery Plants. Tips for Starting a School Garden.
If you’re the type of gardener that buys flowering plants at a nursery that are covered in blooms, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, will explain why you shouldn’t do that, and a lot more nursery plant sh...
May 24, 2024
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Season 5
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Episode 39
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52:49
336 Q&A Kitchen Scraps in the Garden? When to Plant a Magnolia Tree?
In this episode, Farmer Fred answers a listener's question about burying kitchen scraps in the garden. He discusses the potential problems with this method, including attracting scavengers and affecting the quality of the soil microbiology. He ...
May 21, 2024
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Season 5
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Episode 38
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18:09
335 Roof Rat Controls, Asparagus-Lemon Recipes
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 l...
May 17, 2024
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Season 5
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Episode 37
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35:01
GB 334 Q&A Rhubarb for Hot Climates? Lights for Seedlings?
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 Sac...
May 14, 2024
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Season 5
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Episode 36
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21:20
333 Controlling Snails & Slugs, Feed Your Soil, Grow Your Own Protein
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.
May 10, 2024
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Season 5
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Episode 35
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42:12