Garden Basics with Farmer Fred

It’s the first month of 2023, and we have a look back, well, actually, it’s a listen back, to the most popular Garden Basics segments of 2022. It’s those chats that got the biggest audiences last yea…

Winter storms are ravaging the country. Heavy winds, rain, and snow are toppling trees from coast to coast, crushing cars, homes and power lines. Why are so many trees falling? It could be due to the…

We continue our chat from last episode about the future of gardening in 2023 with Andrew Bunting, vice president of Horticulture with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. And we’ll find out about …

The term, "gardening", has many facets, many meanings. And, as you might imagine, all gardeners are local, too. So what are the gardening trends sweeping the country right now? And what can we look f…

Retail nurseries here on the West Coast are already getting in shipments of berry plants and fruit trees. The rest of the country will start seeing the arrival of these tasty edible and beautiful cro…

It may not be planting time, but it certainly is planning time for your 2023 garden. Looking to plant something different? A good place to start is with the All America Selections winners. This is a …

You may have heard the term, “biochar”, being used in gardening circles. What exactly is “biochar”? And why is it being added to more and more soil products that you could find at the nursery? We wil…

You might live in a house or condo that has a narrow strip of soil right next to the house. What precautions do you need to take before you plant in that two foot wide strip? We answer a listener’s q…

I find it amazing how one simple question opens the door for a podcast that turned out to be about an hour long. Today, here on episode 240, we delve into the world of potatoes. How to grow them, how…

Today, we tackle some of the garden questions that have come in from around the country, such as: 
How do you overwinter a pepper plant indoors? 
What are these new bugs on my tomato plants? 
And, a que…

Teaming with bacteria. Now there’s a title sure to send the casual gardener to another podcast. But bear with me, please. What if I told you that the future of plant fertilizer was not fertilizer? It…

Last Spring (Episode 193), Debbie Flower and I discussed the viability of bagged worm castings. According to one study published in a peer review journal, bagged worm castings start losing their effe…

Many areas of the country suffered through prolonged heat waves in September. And now, your fruit tree orchard may have problems. We have ideas on how to help your fruit trees get through next year’s…

If you have horses, or access to horse manure, you might want to use that manure to fertilize your plants. What are the precautions you need to take? America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture P…

Besides making the autumn garden prettier, Debbie Flower mentions some early cleanup fall chores that can help reduce next year’s insect and disease problems in your garden.
Organic advocate Steve Zie…

What does your soil need for a thriving garden? Today, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, tackles your questions about what you should add - or not add - to you…

I’m big on making the garden a multi sensory treat. Something for the eyes, the tastebuds, the fingertips and especially the nose. Today’s show for the nose specialty is citrus. Lance Walheim, long t…

We have a wide ranging discussion with nationally famous TV gardener, Joe Lamp’l, about his new book, the Vegetable Gardening Book.  But we also venture into the warm season garden when he talks abou…

Autumn begins this week, and fall is definitely for planting. The air is cooler, but the soil is still warm, perfect for establishing new plants. We revisit a couple of segments to get you into the g…

Fall is just around the corner, in just a few days, September 22. Still, in the West and elsewhere, more heat waves are in the forecast. How can you protect your backyard vegetables and grapes from m…