Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

This is the time of year when you may be wandering in your garden and your drawn to some funny looking aspects of your tomato plants. What is that brown leathery spot on the bottom of that tomato? Wh…

Ticks. They’re bad enough when you’re taking a stroll in the country. They’re worse when they’re near your garden. What can you do to thwart ticks? We have tips.

It’s summer, and both you and your pla…

We’ve told you about the benefits of adding worm castings to your garden soil. And we’ve also told you about the limited lifespan of bagged worm castings. Maybe you ought to become your own worm farm…

Want to grow fruit trees? But the only area you have is a sunny, narrow side yard? Not a problem, if you trellis those fruit trees. Today, Master Gardener Quentin Young walks us through step by step …

If you been in a supermarket lately, you may still be in sticker shock at the higher prices for basic commodities. One of those has almost tripled in price over the last few months: eggs. As a result…

Right now, in Mid-June, is still an excellent time to be planting tomatoes from transplants. It’s not too late, even for those of you in colder climates where frosts may occur in September. You just …

Currently, 40% of the United States is dealing with moderate to extreme drought conditions. New outdoor watering restrictions are popping up throughout the west, southwest, intermountain regions, mid…

Welcome to Garden Basics Greatest Hits, Volume 2.  This episode features the Top 7 most listened to segments of the last 100 episodes, from Episode 100 to  Episode199, as determined by you, the liste…

Tulip growing is easy, in cold climates. In warmer climates, getting tulips to rebloom year after year is a challenge. Today, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower,…

Just because your houseplants might look OK, are they really thriving? Do you know how to water and fertilize houseplants correctly? We talk with the author of the book, Houseplant Warrior, Rafaele D…

We’ve had a lot of segments on this podcast lately about roses. The best ones for long lasting cut flowers. Controlling weeds around roses. Even the best tasting roses. But we haven’t answered one of…

You’re familiar with compost. But, what do you know about compost tea? Your plants might appreciate the microbial boost provided by compost tea. Please note that I did not say, "nutritional boost". T…

You’ve heard of the benefits of adding compost to your garden soil. You may even have a backyard compost pile. Or a compost tumbler. Or, a bin full of worms who are making compost out of your garden …

Roses are beginning to put on a show throughout most of rose-growing country, especially USDA Zones six through 10. What are the best roses to grow that not only look nice in the garden, but do espec…

We’ve reached that point in the gardening year where people have more plants than space in the garden.  So, out come the pots that have been sitting behind the garage! Which brings up a perennially p…

If you’re in the habit of buying bags of worm castings for your garden, don’t delay putting them in your soil. They have a limited shelf life. And a lot can go wrong if you wait too long. America’s F…

May is tomato planting month for most of the nation. Maybe you’ve had problems growing tomatoes in the past, or maybe you’re fairly new at planting, raising and harvesting America’s favorite backyard…

Ahh, yes….Springtime….when the prevailing question among some backyard tomato growers is: should I prune off the first tomato flowers I see in order to get more tomatoes later on? The answer is eithe…

Who in their right mind would plant bamboo, close to a house, as a privacy screen? Bamboo, which after a few years, could become an impenetrable jungle, spreading in every direction! Well, America’s …

I can tell what season it is by the tomato questions I get. In fall, it’s "Can I get these green tomatoes to ripen?" In Winter, the question is, “Is It Too Soon To Plant Tomatoes?” In Spring, it’s, "…