Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Fred Hoffman

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 California natives, and discusses the strategies of hydrozoning (grouping plants together based on their watering needs), designing focal points and the ongoing tasks of restraining plants (lots of pruning). Of course, we throw in all sorts of garden tips. It’s another...

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 Debbie Flower advise removing the weed cloth and using just mulch instead. The second question is about planting carrots in California's climate. Fred explains that carrots can be grown year-round in milder coastal climates, but in the Central Valley, they h...

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 them successful plants, with, of course, all sorts of garden tips thrown in. It’s the ultimate scenic bypass episode yet!It’s all in Episode 341 of today’s Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast: Fred’s Garden Tour, with Debbie Flower. Next Friday, we’...

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 location-specific knowledge in gardening.•Different perspectives on the best US cities for gardening, highlighting the influence of location on gardening success.Pictured: Bees on Flowering OnionsLinks:Subscribe to the Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter https://gardenbasic...

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...