PODCAST · leisure
Beyond the Garden Basics
by Farmer Fred
Picking up where the Garden Basics podcast left off. gardenbasics.substack.com
Episodes
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The 2026 Tomato Review Show
Redwood Barn Nursery owner Don Shor of Davis, California and myself finally got around to putting the 2026 Tomato season to bed…except for the ones that are hanging on for dear life. In today’s podcast, we sing the high notes and low notes of our tomato growing efforts this year, with lots of...
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The Best Roses for Fall Color? We Have Suggestions.
In today’s podcast, I tell a long, drawn out story about what happened the night before my wedding in 1980. Yes, it is a garden story, about the Cecile Bruner rose. But, we quickly turn to a chat with Ben Hanna of heirloomroses.com, who describes how he and his wife came to own the company after...
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Tips for Growing Tomatoes in a Greenhouse in Fall, Winter, and Spring
In today’s podcast, we talk with Mark Seibert of Sturdi-Built greenhouses in Oregon. The interview covers key considerations for first-time greenhouse buyers, including choosing the right site, with emphasis on sunlight, southern exposure when possible, and local hazards such as trees or lawn...
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Pumpkins with Less Sprawl? Choose Mini-Pumpkins.
The discussion in today’s podcast focuses on pumpkins. Warren Roberts, Superintendent Emeritus of the UC Davis Arboretum, explains that the pumpkin is botanically a fruit, though it is usually eaten as a vegetable. He says the plant belongs to the genus Cucurbita, which is native to the Americas,...
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Wildfire Smoke vs. You and Your Garden
You know trouble awaits if there is a really orange sunrise on an otherwise clear morning. That usually indicates there’s lots of smoke in the air. In today's newsletter, we talk about the effects of wildfire smoke on you and your garden. In today’s podcast (above), University of California...
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Growing Cool Season Vegetables
In today’s podcast, we talk with two nurserypeople who know their cool season veggies: Don Shor, owner of Redwood Barn Nursery in Davis, CA; and professional horticultural consultant and Master Gardener Quentyn Young. They offer tips for both the usual and the unusual food crops to grow during…
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Getting the Soil Ready for Cool Season Plants
In today’s podcast, Sacramento County Master Gardener and vegetable expert Gail Pothour explains how to transition garden beds and raised beds from warm-season crops to cool-season plantings. We talk about clearing out tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, and melons at the end of summer: should...
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Cool Season Garden PLANNING Time is Here
In today’s podcast, Master Gardener and vegetable expert Gail Pothour talks about cool season greens to grow in your backyard garden during the fall and winter. There’s a human-corrected transcript at the bottom of this newsletter. Among the main points in our conversation: * Cool season…
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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…
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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...
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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…
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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…
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Tomato Troubleshooting Tips
Paid subscribers to the Beyond The Garden Basics get exclusive newsletters and podcasts each Monday! In today’s podcast (above), Don Shor from Redwood Barn Nursery in Davis, CA and I discuss common tomato problems and how changing weather is affecting them, especially in hotter summers. We focus...
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Plants for Dry Shade
Beyond The Garden Basics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. In today’s podcast, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, shows us around her yard and garden. But it’s more than talking...
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Alternative Summer Greens
Every Monday, paid subscribers get exclusive, first looks about various garden topics, such as today’s. Just one of the benefits for paid subscribers. Thank you for your support! When you live in a hot area of USDA Zone 9, where it gets over 100 degrees in the summer, and you want a fresh salad…...
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Summer Heat vs. Japanese Maple Trees
In today’s podcast, nurseryman and Japanese maple expert Chris Aycock of El Dorado Nursery provides the basics for Japanese maple care, especially in the summer months. Chris focuses on growing Japanese maples in different climates, explaining that the main factor is matching varieties to local...
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Can You Grow a Peach Tree from Seed?
Thanks for being a paid subscriber to Beyond the Garden Basics! No time to listen to today’s podcast (above) with Ed Laivo? Here’s a summary. And below that, the actual transcript, with pictures, links, and music! * Don’t expect a seed-grown peach to match the parent. Genetics are unpredictable....
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Too Many Peppers? Try This Popular Sweet Pepper Relish Recipe
In today’s podcast (above), we talk with renowned pepperhead Dave DeWitt, author of several hot pepper books. We talk hot pepper basics, and Dave adds advice on how to overwinter your hot pepper plants for a second year of growth (and heat!). We have a complete, human-corrected transcript of the...
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The Best Roses For Cut Flowers
Bullet Points from the Podcast, “The Best Roses for Cut Flowers” * Always cut long stems, not just the spent bloom. Snipping only 1-2 inches when deadheading causes the plant to push out short, crooked replacement growth; cutting deep into the cane produces another long stem. * Make cuts just…
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When Should You Prune Your Blueberries?
I just finished pruning my blueberry plants. In July. WHAT?!? Aren’t you supposed to prune them in the winter? It depends. It depends on where you live, the type of blueberry plant you are growing, and whoever’s advice you want to follow. For the sake of reliability, we concentrate on the advice...
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How to Plant and Care for a Shade Tree
Beyond The Garden Basics is a reader-supported publication. To receive exclusive posts and complete access to past editions , consider becoming a paid subscriber. Today’s podcast interview focuses on consulting arborists and how they help property owners evaluate tree health. Gordon Mann explains...
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Home Weather Station Setup for Gardeners
Today’s newsletter podcast is a special treat for readers and listeners of the Beyond the Garden Basics newsletter/podcast who might also be weather nerds…and what gardener isn’t? It’s an interview with climate scientist Daniel Swain, who, besides being a University of California Ag and Natural...
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More Heat-Beating Garden Tips
You may recall a couple of weeks ago on June 12, the Beyond the Garden Basics podcast featured myself and America’s Favorite retired horticulture professor, Debbie Flower, talking about protecting your outdoor plants in containers from the searing summer heat. That conversation was recorded…
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Controlling Starthistle, Summer's Most Evil Weed*
Today’s newsletter is all about starthistle, and all the ways you can control this summer weed…organically. If you want to read about chemical controls for starthistle, check out this University of California Ag and Natural Resources publication, “Yellow Starthistle”. In today’s podcast (above),...
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Your Garden vs. Summer Heatwaves
We tackle how to help your garden cope with the late spring and all-summer heat waves coming our way in today’s podcast and newsletter. In the first part of the podcast (above), America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, and I, concentrate on helping your plants in...
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Other Vegetables That Love the Heat
Today’s podcast features Sacramento County Master Gardener and vegetable expert Gail Pothour, extolling the virtues of growing okra in the summer. Gail’s encyclopedic knowledge of this warm weather crop will amaze you. Perhaps it’s her South Carolina heritage that adds to her love of okra....
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A Deep Dive Into Citrus Containers
Garden book author and citrus expert Lance Walheim, is a big proponent of growing citrus trees in containers. We discuss his techniques in today’s podcast, along with shameless plugs for his new book, “Citrus: A Gardeners’ & Fruit Lovers’ Guide.” For those of you in a hurry, here are some of the...
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Your 7 Favorite Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter Editions
The Beyond the Garden Basics newsletter and podcast has been around awhile, with over 450 editions since August of 2022. That’s a lot of gardening info! Checking out nearly four years of newsletters and podcasts to learn more about gardening can be a daunting task. So, to help ease the process a...
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The No-Turn, Easy Compost Pile
In case you need a refresher course, here are some points about the benefits of using compost in your garden, according to the UC Master Gardeners of Alameda County: • Improves Soil Structure (Tilth): Lightens heavy clay soils and adds structure to sandy soils. • Saves Water: Increases the...
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Is This the Longest Lasting Cut Flower? Perhaps. But, Beware.
Is there a better-looking, longer lasting, cut flower than the alstroemeria? Is there a more invasive, underground spreading plant than the alstroemeria? Sometimes, to get to heaven, you have to go through a little hell. Also known as the Peruvian Lily, Lily of the Incas, Parrot Lily, Princess...
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Tips For Growing Blackberries
If you’re looking for a superfood to grow, it’s hard to beat blackberries. They can be grown in just about every state in the United States. They’re highly adaptable, and they thrive in USDA zones from 4 all the way up through 10. Here in California, in USDA zone 9, they do quite well. They grow...
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All About Basil
In this episode, we discuss the essentials of basil cultivation, highlighting the basil basics for home gardens. We cover basil soil preparation, planting, timing, and a few of the various flavorful basil varieties such as Sweet, Thai, and cinnamon basil. We include basil care tips such as...
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Growing Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are one of the most under-appreciated crops you can grow. But it will reward those gardeners who give sweet potatoes what they really need: heat. As you will hear in the podcast with Master Gardener and vegetable expert Gail Pothour, sweet potatoes have some very particular needs.…
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Mycorrhizal Activity and Your Plants' Health
Soil mycorrhizae. What is it? If you’ve seen any of the “Avatar” movies, you would know that James Cameron probably has a good grasp of the subject…and you would have a basic understanding of what we are going to talk about today. Without mycorrhizal activity, there would be very little…
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How Safe is Rain Barrel Water? When to Plant Warm Season Vegetables and Flowers.
We talk about water safety and rain barrels with Sacramento County Master Gardener and vegetable expert Gail Pothour who swears up and down on her stack of Ruth Stout gardening books that she would NEVER drink water from a rain barrel…nor would she water her edible plants with it. What’s a…
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The 2026 Tomato Preview Show!
If we sound excited, we are! It’s getting close to tomato planting time! In this week’s podcast and newsletter, Don Shor of Redwood Barn Nursery in Davis, CA and I discuss this year’s unusual weather, emphasizing the importance of proper soil temperature and patience when planting. Don shares...
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Growing Citrus Trees in a Non-Citrus Environment
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.com Farmer Fred interviews horticulturist and commercial citrus grower Lance Walheim about the history and cultivation of citrus fruits, covering varieties, growing tips, pest challenges, and the joys of homegrown...
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The Preserver's Garden
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.com In this podcast episode, I speak with Staci and Jeremy Hill, authors of "The Preserver's Garden," at their 11-acre farm Gooseberry Bridge in the Ozark Mountains. We explore their transition from urban life to...
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What is Backyard Orchard Culture?
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.com What is Backyard Orchard Culture? According to Dave Wilson Nursery, the goal of Backyard Orchard Culture is the prolonged harvest of tree-ripe fruit from a small space. This means planting close together…
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Stock Tank Gardening
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.com Some passersby or visitors might think you have a yard full of shiny coffins in your front or backyard. OK, using large steel cattle watering troughs as gardening containers might not appeal to those who heed...
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All About Grapes
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.com Today’s podcast here on Beyond the Garden Basics is all about grapes. We have two interviews with two Sacramento County UC Master Gardeners, who specialize in grape selection, planting, trellising, feeding,...
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First Food Garden? New Garden? We Have Tips.
Please share this with any of your friends or family embarking into the exciting world of backyard gardening, especially starting a food garden! America’s Favorite Retired College Horticultural Professor, Debbie Flower, and I explored these “lessons learned the hard way” (aka “Garden Wisdom”)…
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All About Blueberries
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.com Blueberries Grow Well in Containers At our former residence, the blueberry harvest from our six plants was outstanding; there was plenty for us, as well as the birds (note: add netting). The six southern...
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New Roses for 2026
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.com In today’s newsletter podcast, Master Rosarian Debbie Arrington waxes rhapsodic about the new rose varieties that will be at nurseries in 2026. In USDA Zone 9, those roses may already be available locally. If...
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How to Protect Your Fruit Trees When a Frost or Freeze is Forecast
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit gardenbasics.substack.com We are entering the shivering season for the Central Valley, Bay Area and low foothills of California, along with other mild winter states, especially those that grow citrus. Late November through mid-February...
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Onions Can Bring Tears to Your Eyes...
Growing onions can be confusing and try your patience, as listening to the above podcast will demonstrate. As our resident vegetable expert, Master Gardener Gail Pothour, knows first hand, growing green onions is a snap. But bulbing onions? Gail has more or less given up on trying to grow bulbing...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Beyond the Garden Basics have?
Beyond the Garden Basics currently has 208 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Beyond the Garden Basics about?
Picking up where the Garden Basics podcast left off. gardenbasics.substack.com
How often does Beyond the Garden Basics release new episodes?
Beyond the Garden Basics publishes regularly with 208 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Beyond the Garden Basics?
You can listen to Beyond the Garden Basics on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Beyond the Garden Basics?
Beyond the Garden Basics is created and hosted by Farmer Fred.
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