Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

Jan 31 2025 377 ep. 35 mins 296
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Podcast artwork

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

  Leisure  Education  Health & Fitness
RSS feed Share
Copy RSS


Subscribe on Podcast Addict


377 Tomato Seed Planting Tips. Rose Pruning Success.

Jan 31 2025 65 mins  
Want bountiful tomatoes and beautiful roses in 2025? Today, we cover essential tips for starting tomato seeds and winter rose pruning. Debbie Flower shares insights on timing for planting tomato seeds and the benefits of starting them indoors. We discuss nurturing seedlings and the advantages of hybrid varieties for beginners. Master Rosarian Charlotte Owendyk explains winter pruni

376 Heal-All Herb Growing. Hackberry Aphids. Leaf Mulching Winter Garden Beds.

Jan 24 2025 31 mins  
Episode 376 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast offers more sustainable gardening tips for all gardeners. We cover managing hackberry aphids using less toxic methods with Debbie Flower; growing tips and benefits of the herb, self-heal with Master Gardener and herb specialist Ruth Ostroff; and advice from Organic Consultant Steve Zien, using fallen leaves for winter soil n

375 Cool Season Pea Planting. Tulip Tips.

Jan 17 2025 31 mins  
We delve into cool season gardening with Master Gardener Gail Pothour and retired college horticultural professor Debbie Flower. We explore best practices for growing peas, focusing on varieties like sugar snap and snow peas, while discussing germination tips, planting times related to frost dates, and inventive trellising methods using materials such as bicycle wheels.Shifting to

374 Success with Pepper Seeds and Seedlings. Fire-Wise Landscaping.

Jan 10 2025 96 mins  
Tips for starting pepper seeds. How to care for pepper seedlings. With Debbie Flower. Protecting your yard and home from wildfire. With Kevin Marini, University of California Defensible Space advisor.Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and accurate, human-reviewed transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts a

373 Greatest Garden Hits of 2024

Jan 03 2025 128 mins  
We're kicking off the 2025 season with the garden interviews that were the Top 3 topics that drew the most interest from you, the listeners, in 2024. Debbie Flower and I have the tips to start your first garden, along with advice for anyone who wants a successful. Blueberry experts, including Master Gardeners and professional blueberry growers, delve into the knowledge you need for

372 Tomato Winners (and Losers) of 2024

Dec 27 2024 59 mins  
In this episode, we reflect on the ups and downs of Northern California’s 2024 tomato gardening season, with Don Shor of Redwood Barn Nursery in Davis, California. We share insights on the successful varieties, such as Rugby, Chef’s Choice, and Jet Star. But we also point out the ones that struggled, and failed, during 2024’s record breaking July heat waves here (I’m lookin

371 America's Top 10 Vegetables to Grow (and Enjoy!)

Dec 20 2024 63 mins  
In today’s episode, we explore America’s top 10 homegrown vegetables. We are guided by Master Gardener and vegetable expert Gail Pothour. From tomatoes—America’s favorite, with 86% of gardeners growing them—to cucumbers, sweet peppers, hot peppers, squash, beans, lettuce, peas and more, we cover essential tips for garden success in your backyard.In Part 1: Tomatoes, cucum

370 Grow Your Own Immunity Boosting Foods

Dec 13 2024 41 mins  
The healthiest food you can eat is the food you grow yourself! In this episode, we speak with Dr. Laura Varich from FreshPhysician.com about the vital role of nutrition in supporting immunity, especially during the winter months. We explore the balance of immunity rather than just boosting it. And we discuss the correlation between diet and chronic diseases. Dr. Varich highlights t

369 Container Food Gardening Basics

Dec 06 2024 40 mins  
If you are about to set foot into a garden for the first time in the coming new year, or looking to expand your gardening horizons, and you are wondering where to begin, a good tip is to start small…with container gardening. Today, we talk with Pam Farley, who is the writer and photographer behind the highly successful gardening website, brown thumb mama dot com. And, she is the

368 Trees vs. Invasive Shot Hole Borers

Nov 29 2024 46 mins  
Today, we venture into the critical realm of invasive pests, zeroing in on the invasive shot hole borer (ISHB), a formidable newcomer from southern Asia threatening California's trees. We navigate through the fascinating biology of the ISHB, discussing its rapid spread and dire consequences for urban and native forests alike, not only threatening California’s tree canopy, but ove