Beyond the Garden Basics

Farmer Fred
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Home & Garden
  • Updated Semiweekly

Picking up where the Garden Basics podcast left off. gardenbasics.substack.com

  1. 14h ago

    Pruning Blackberries

    In today’s podcast, we talk with Sacramento County Master Gardener Michael Stinson about the when, how and why of pruning blackberry vines. Don’t want to listen? Here’s a summary. A complete transcript is at the bottom of this newsletter. Pruning Blackberries: Key Points From a conversation with Sacramento County Master Gardener Michael Stinson • Blackberry plants are perennials that can live 15 to 20 years, but each individual cane only last around two seasons, with a notable exception. • First year canes are called primocanes. Second year canes, the ones that flower and fruit, are floricanes. Fall pruning is all about removing the floricanes. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gardenbasics.substack.com/subscribe

  2. 3d ago

    Controlling Puncturevine Weed and Liquidambar Tree Seeds

    We tackle two prickly topics: the spiky, caltrop-like seed balls of puncturevine weed and the “sputniks” of liquidambar (sweet gum) trees. Yes, those sharply pointed spheres that fly in the autumn breeze do resemble Eisenhower-era, low-earth orbiting Russian weapons of no destruction. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gardenbasics.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Sep 4

    Saving Homegrown Tomato Seeds...and more about Tomatoes!

    Collecting, Storing and Using Home-Saved Tomato Seeds If you want to save seeds of a particular tomato variety, remember that many varieties are hybrids; they may not necessarily come back with the same traits as the tomato you enjoyed last season. According to Penn State Extension, the result of these crosses usually only lasts one generation, so the seeds harvested from hybrids may produce disappointing results. Or, may not be a disappointment. Tomato flowers are primarily wind-pollinated. So, those plants grown in isolation or covered with insect netting during their flowering period may provide satisfactory results. Experiment! One tip: note the tastiest varieties in your garden right now, in September. Save those seeds. Then, next year, put the plant that germinates far away from your other tomato varieties. Open pollinated or heirloom tomato seeds are fine for saving, as long as they are grown 10-30 feet away from any other varieties. For best results: save the seeds from tomatoes that are overly ripe; rinse off as much of the flesh and protective gelatinous coating from the seeds as is possible. Then, soak the seeds in a jar of water for a couple of days to remove the rest of the coating. The seeds will sink to the bottom, the gel will float. Discard the gel, remove the seeds and let dry on a paper towel. Then, store in an airtight container in a cool, dry location. Tomato seed saving techniques can vary. Here’s a sampling of methods from across the country. From Penn State: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gardenbasics.substack.com/subscribe

  4. Aug 28

    Heat-Tolerant Roses

    “Of all flowers, methinks rose is best”. Shakespeare said that. He lived in Stratford-upon-Avon, about halfway between London and Birmingham, England. However, the roses he saw 600 years ago never endured 100 degree heat…until recently. Although roses were found originally in Central Asia, they spread quickly throughout the Northern Hemisphere between the 12th and 18th centuries. Those old roses wouldn’t stand a chance in the heatwaves of the 21st century, succumbing to scorched flowers, leaves, and buds…as well as dying off due to a lack of regular watering in drought-effected areas. Of course, hybridization of roses in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries has created varieties that can withstand a number of modern ailments, including air pollution. So, what are the modern roses that can take the heat, when temperatures hit 100 degrees for several days in a row? What are the traits of a heat-tolerant rose? Master Rosarian Debbie Arrington of the Sacramento Rose Society (and the Sacramento Digs Gardening blog) enumerated several in the podcast at the top of this page. Sacramento (City Motto: “At Least It’s a Dry Heat”) is no stranger to prolonged, triple digit heat waves, which can occur anytime from May through September. So, the area is a good testing ground for roses that maintain their color, health and vigor throughout spring, summer - and sometimes fall - heatwaves. One trait many of these have in common: these rose bushes produce light-colored blooms of white, pink or yellow. Most red roses, Arrington explains, absorb more of the heat, and will be among the first to scorch. Sorry about that, Bobby Darin. Among the roses on Debbie Arrington’s list of heat-tolerant roses: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gardenbasics.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Aug 25

    Dealing with Tomato Blossom End Rot

    Blossom end rot is generally considered the most common tomato problem for backyard gardeners in the US. It causes a dark, sunken, leathery spot on the bottom of the fruit, and it’s usually caused by inconsistent watering (not actually a soil calcium deficiency in most cases) that disrupts calcium uptake in the plant. For those of you at home keeping score, close runners-up are early blight and septoria leaf spot, both fungal diseases that cause yellowing and spotted leaves, especially in humid climates. The big difference between blossom end rot and all those runner-up problems? Blossom end rot is an abiotic disorder, not something you can blame on a disease or an insect (“Abiotic disorder” is plant nerd talk for “it’s the gardener’s fault”). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gardenbasics.substack.com/subscribe

  6. Aug 21

    What To Do When a Wildfire Approaches Your Home

    Today’s podcast and newsletter of Beyond the Garden Basics is something a bit different, but very important: what to do around your home, both inside and outside, if a wildfire is in the area, and you have a few hours before an evacuation becomes mandatory. That was the topic in a Youtube video presented by Todd Lando, a battalion chief and wildfire mitigation specialist for the Central Marin Fire District. Marin County is in northern california, just north of San Francisco, a bucolic area with hills, mountains and forests abutting the Pacific Ocean. As you might imagine, especially with its proximity to San Francisco, it is one of the more heavily populated areas that can be described as the urban-wildland interface, where suburbia meets a very fire prone area. More information can be found at the website fire safe marin dot org. Among the practical tips that Lando discusses in the video include what should be done to prepare if a wildfire is getting to be an imminent situation. Of course, if you hear the order to evacuate immediately, you do want to leave immediately. Here’s a summary of his advice. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gardenbasics.substack.com/subscribe

  7. Aug 18

    Zinnias vs Powdery Mildew

    Before we attempt to rid our zinnias of powdery mildew disease, let’s first hear from Debbie Flower, who has plenty of zinnia growing tips for us in today’s podcast. Here’s the quick summary of our chat, which included how to cut outdoor flowers for indoor use. A complete transcript can be found at the bottom of today’s newletter. * Plant zinnias in full sun. They’re heat and drought tolerant, and bloom most prolifically when days are under 12 hours (expect peak blooms in fall). Planting zinnias where they get full sun, with proper spacing (18”-24” apart) is also great cultural controls for thwarting a powdery mildew breakout. * Succession-plant every two weeks through early summer for a continuous supply of cut flowers. This is also a good powdery mildew control strategy. Trash (don’t compost) heavily infected zinnia plants. Plant new seeds where you want them to grow! * Wait until soil is at least 70°F to sow seeds. Germination requires warm soil. * Cover seeds lightly with vermiculite. It marks where seeds are planted and retains moisture during germination. * Don’t plant two seeds per spot if using fresh seed. One is enough; double-sowing is only needed to compensate for old/marginal seed. * Avoid overhead irrigation. It spots flowers and splashes soil onto foliage, promoting disease. Use drip or soaker hoses instead. Another powdery mildew prevention strategy. * Space plants so they never touch neighboring plants. Good airflow prevents powdery mildew and Alternaria leaf blight. * Transplant zinnias early. Don’t let nursery starts become root-bound; roots disturbed at that stage cause double-flowered varieties to revert to singles. And don’t buy zinnia plants with powdery white substances on the leaves! * Pinch young plants (at 4 nodes, remove 1–2) for a bushy, branched plant with more but shorter stems. Skip pinching if you want tall stems for large bouquets. * Cut flowers in the morning. Plants move carbohydrates (food) into flowers overnight, so blooms are fullest and will last longest when cut early. * Cut stems at a node, leaving at least one axil bud on the remaining stem. That bud becomes the next flower stalk. More axil buds left = more future stems; fewer = longer current stem. * Strip leaves that will sit below the waterline and remove side branches from the cut stem before putting in a vase. * Use floral preservative in vase water, or try hot water. Zinnias last 5–7 days as cut flowers. They will last longer if you do refresher cuts from the bottom of the stem every other day, and add fresh water. * Use California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) as filler in zinnia arrangements. Outdoors, California buckwheat attracts pollinators and has attractive clustered flower heads. * Support tall varieties in windy or rainy locations with a small tomato/pepper cage. The small cages sold at big-box stores that are useless for tomatoes are well-sized for large zinnias. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gardenbasics.substack.com/subscribe

  8. Aug 14

    Growing a Cool Season Garden

    In today’s podcast, Master Gardener Gail Pothour and myself discuss some of the most popular cool season vegetables to grow in the cooler months here in USDA Zone 9 and elsewhere: carrots, lettuce, peas, and beets. Now’s the time to start the cool season vegetable garden! Do you want your family to eat healthy year-round? The healthiest, freshest foods are the fruits and vegetables you grow yourself. And in many areas of the West and South, the 365-day vegetable garden is easy to achieve. And now, summer, is the time to be planting the seeds and transplants for the vegetables your family will enjoy throughout the fall, winter and following spring. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gardenbasics.substack.com/subscribe

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Picking up where the Garden Basics podcast left off. gardenbasics.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Farmer Fred
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    200
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Fred Hoffman
  • Show Website
    Beyond the Garden Basics

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