Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Fred Hoffman

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 insights on the topic. The episode covers the characteristics of clay soil, the importance of organic matter, watering techniques, mulching, and the use of cover crops. The conversation also delves into the impact of soil structure on crop production and the b...

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 of plant fertilizer, with America's Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower. • Choosing tart/sour cherry trees for cooking purposes, with Phil Pursel of Dave Wilson Nursery. Pictured: Male, Female Summer Squash FlowersLinks...

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 shopping tips!Also, we have tips for starting an elementary school garden. And you don’t have to be a school teacher to do it. We talk with a couple of very enthusiastic California Master Gardeners who are spreading the word with tips on how to start a sc...

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 suggests composting the kitchen scraps first or using alternative methods like African keyhole gardens. Debbie Flower recommends the Green Cone composter. In the second part of the episode, Farmer Fred and Debbie Flower discuss the best time to pl...

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...

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...