Best Smart Pots Flowers Podcasts (2025)

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392 I Did Not Know That! Garden Tips for Success, Live 32:48

1d ago32:48

32:48

Send us a text Debbie Arrington of the Sacramento Rose Society club introduces Master Gardener Farmer Fred and horticulture professor Debbie Flower at a recent meeting of the club. Fred and Debbie don't necessarily talk about roses, though. They share 10 essential tips to boost your overall gardening success—from innovative seed germination techniq…

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391 A Masterclass in Melons 35:10

9d ago35:10

35:10

Send us a text If you love melons, this episode is a must-listen! In Episode 391 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, we chat with Gail Pothour from the Sacramento County Master Gardener Program about growing mouthwatering melons at home. Discover tips on germination, pest management, and the benefits of harvesting at peak ripeness for ma…

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390 Pepper Growing Basics 47:39

16d ago47:39

47:39

Send us a text Get ready to spice up your garden in Episode 390 of Garden Basics with Farmer Fred! Join Master Gardener Gail Pothour as we explore the vibrant world of peppers—discussing their health benefits, essential growing tips, and delicious culinary uses. From sweet varieties like the Gypsy to mildly hot options like the Mariachi, you’ll dis…

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389 Digging Squirrels? Soil Irrigation Basics 42:39

22d ago42:39

42:39

Send us a text In Episode 389 of *Garden Basics with Farmer Fred*, learn to deter pesky squirrels and manage soil moisture. Farmer Fred, Debbie Flower, and Steve Zien share tips on protecting gardens and optimizing watering techniques. Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with…

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388 Squash Growing Basics 44:12

30d ago44:12

44:12

Send us a text Master Gardener Gail Pothour shares tips on growing summer and winter squash. We cover variety selection, planting, pest management, harvesting, and storage of squash to boost your yield. Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. N…

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387 Q&A: Reaction Wood and Seedlings. Controlling Scale. Plants and Mulch. 34:27

1M ago34:27

34:27

Send us a text America’s Favorite College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower, and I answers questions about the importance of building “reaction wood” in seedlings, greenhouse airflow, scale pest management for fruit trees, and the benefits of organic mulch. Once again, we’re here to promote proactive gardening practices for healthier gardens. P…

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386 Grape Growing Basics (And More!) 35:19

1M ago35:19

35:19

Send us a text Farmer Fred and Debbie Flower provide practical advice on cultivating table and wine grapes, focusing on the essentials such as sunlight, well-drained soil and variety selection. Also: peach leaf curl controls, prematurely falling figs, no-till gardening benefits. Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcr…

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385 The Repurposed, Sustainable, and Creative Garden 31:05

2M ago31:05

31:05

Send us a text Prepare to be inspired as we dive into a creative and sustainable approach to gardening with Sacramento County Master Gardener Gail Pothour. We explore how to turn everyday household items and scrap materials into stunning and functional garden art. Whether it’s using an old manhole cover as a striking stepping stone or transforming …

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384 Ideas for a Successful First Garden! 56:42

2M ago56:42

56:42

Send us a text Essential tips for beginner gardeners, focusing on starting small, plant selection, spacing and companion planting, along with maintenance strategies and the value of involving children and keeping a gardening diary. Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Far…

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383 The 2025 Tomato Preview Show! 53:22

2M ago53:22

53:22

Send us a text If you’re a tomato-head, this is the episode for you! We dive into the world of tomatoes with Don Shor from Redwood Barn Nursery in Davis, California. We discuss our favorite tomato varieties to plant for the 2025 gardening season. What’s new and intriguing? What’s old and good? Plus, Don has tips for choosing reliable varieties if y…

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382 Delayed Winter Pruning of Fruit Trees, and More! 40:41

2M ago40:41

40:41

Send us a text In this episode: • The benefits of delayed winter pruning of fruit trees, with orchardist and Master Gardener Quentyn Young. • Controlling ants in raised garden beds, with America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower. • Protecting your garlic crop in winter weather. • Redwood tree roots vs. raised garden b…

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381 Backyard Chickens vs. Bird Flu. Composting tips. 39:34

3M ago39:34

39:34

Send us a text Tips for protecting your backyard chickens from the bird flu. Compost for potted plants. Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout. Now on YouTube (audio) Pictured: Back…

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380 Flower Seed Starting Basics 36:52

3M ago36:52

36:52

Send us a text Today: Practical flower seed starting techniques, such as the critical timing for beginning various flowers and the correct depth for planting those seeds. And, Debbie Flower shares with us her trick for careful watering of newly planted seeds. Also, she has important tips when transplanting those young flowering plants into the gard…

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379 AAS Award-Winning Garden Plants for 2025 48:15

3M ago48:15

48:15

Send us a text We talk with Diane Blazek, the executive director of All-America Selections (AAS), exploring the newly announced 2025 winners of top-performing garden plant varieties. Each year, AAS winners undergo rigorous trials, evaluated by expert judges, to ensure they will thrive in diverse U.S. and Canadian climates. Diane highlights standout…

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378 Battling Four-Legged Fruit Tree Pests 34:13

3M ago34:13

34:13

Send us a text We tackle the management of four-legged garden fruit tree pests with Debbie Flower. We discuss listener concerns about squirrels, raccoons, and rats, exploring protective measures and the importance of exclusion methods. Our conversation also covers strategies for deterring deer and effective, humane rat control tactics. We share pra…

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377 Tomato Seed Planting Tips. Rose Pruning Success. 1:05:25

4M ago1:05:25

1:05:25

Send us a text Want bountiful tomatoes and beautiful roses in 2025? Today, we cover essential tips for starting tomato seeds and winter rose pruning. Debbie Flower shares insights on timing for planting tomato seeds and the benefits of starting them indoors. We discuss nurturing seedlings and the advantages of hybrid varieties for beginners. Master…

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376 Heal-All Herb Growing. Hackberry Aphids. Leaf Mulching Winter Garden Beds. 31:47

4M ago31:47

31:47

Send us a text Episode 376 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast offers more sustainable gardening tips for all gardeners. We cover managing hackberry aphids using less toxic methods with Debbie Flower; growing tips and benefits of the herb, self-heal with Master Gardener and herb specialist Ruth Ostroff; and advice from Organic Consultant …

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375 Cool Season Pea Planting. Tulip Tips. 31:31

4M ago31:31

31:31

Send us a text We delve into cool season gardening with Master Gardener Gail Pothour and retired college horticultural professor Debbie Flower. We explore best practices for growing peas, focusing on varieties like sugar snap and snow peas, while discussing germination tips, planting times related to frost dates, and inventive trellising methods us…

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374 Success with Pepper Seeds and Seedlings. Fire-Wise Landscaping. 1:36:50

4M ago1:36:50

1:36:50

Send us a text Tips for starting pepper seeds. How to care for pepper seedlings. With Debbie Flower. Protecting your yard and home from wildfire. With Kevin Marini, University of California Defensible Space advisor. Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and accurate, human-reviewed transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics…

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373 Greatest Garden Hits of 2024 2:08:30

4M ago2:08:30

2:08:30

Send us a text We're kicking off the 2025 season with the garden interviews that were the Top 3 topics that drew the most interest from you, the listeners, in 2024. Debbie Flower and I have the tips to start your first garden, along with advice for anyone who wants a successful. Blueberry experts, including Master Gardeners and professional blueber…

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372 Tomato Winners (and Losers) of 2024 59:37

5M ago59:37

59:37

Send us a text In this episode, we reflect on the ups and downs of Northern California’s 2024 tomato gardening season, with Don Shor of Redwood Barn Nursery in Davis, California. We share insights on the successful varieties, such as Rugby, Chef’s Choice, and Jet Star. But we also point out the ones that struggled, and failed, during 2024’s record …

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371 America's Top 10 Vegetables to Grow (and Enjoy!) 1:03:52

5M ago1:03:52

1:03:52

Send us a text In today’s episode, we explore America’s top 10 homegrown vegetables. We are guided by Master Gardener and vegetable expert Gail Pothour. From tomatoes—America’s favorite, with 86% of gardeners growing them—to cucumbers, sweet peppers, hot peppers, squash, beans, lettuce, peas and more, we cover essential tips for garden success in y…

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370 Grow Your Own Immunity Boosting Foods 41:08

5M ago41:08

41:08

Send us a text The healthiest food you can eat is the food you grow yourself! In this episode, we speak with Dr. Laura Varich from FreshPhysician.com about the vital role of nutrition in supporting immunity, especially during the winter months. We explore the balance of immunity rather than just boosting it. And we discuss the correlation between d…

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369 Container Food Gardening Basics 40:08

5M ago40:08

40:08

Send us a text If you are about to set foot into a garden for the first time in the coming new year, or looking to expand your gardening horizons, and you are wondering where to begin, a good tip is to start small…with container gardening. Today, we talk with Pam Farley, who is the writer and photographer behind the highly successful gardening webs…

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368 Trees vs. Invasive Shot Hole Borers 46:57

6M ago46:57

46:57

Send us a text Today, we venture into the critical realm of invasive pests, zeroing in on the invasive shot hole borer (ISHB), a formidable newcomer from southern Asia threatening California's trees. We navigate through the fascinating biology of the ISHB, discussing its rapid spread and dire consequences for urban and native forests alike, not onl…

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367 Ten Secrets of Successful Gardeners 59:57

6M ago59:57

59:57

Send us a text In this episode, along with America's Favorite Retired College Horticultural Professor, Debbie Flower, we discuss the importance of soil health, effective pruning techniques, and the value of learning from gardening failures. Water management strategies and proactive pest control are also highlighted, along with the joy of simply spe…

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366 Thwarting Ant Invasions. Fair-Winning Preserves. 32:59

6M ago32:59

32:59

Send us a text Farmer Fred and Debbie Flower discusses ant management in raised beds. Master Food Preserver Wendy Rose talks about garden food preservation techniques and how to wow the judges at county and state fairs with your homemade preserves. Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garde…

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365 Fall is for Shade Tree Planting 50:49

6M ago50:49

50:49

Send us a text If you live in the milder areas of the country, November is an excellent month for planting and establishing shade trees. Today, we cover the basics of correctly planting and caring for a shade tree. We chat with consulting arborist Gordon Mann, who reminds us, when it comes to choosing a spot to plant a shade tree, it’s all about th…

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364 10 Quick Tips for a Successful Garden 58:57

7M ago58:57

58:57

Send us a text Ep. 364 10 Quick Tips for a Successful Garden • Julia Oldfield of Big Oak Nursery in Elk Grove, CA talks about creating a container garden that would be sure to slow down cars and wowing the walkers going by your front yard, using only three plants. (at 3:19 of the podcast) • Is there a cheaper way to make seed starting mix. Brad Gat…

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363 Weed Killers Just Got More Confusing 36:31

7M ago36:31

36:31

Send us a text Listening and following the advice in this episode is more important than ever if you use herbicides, especially when we repeatedly chant our mantra: "Read and Follow All Label Directions." America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor, Debbie Flower and myself start by tackling the widespread confusion surrounding Roundu…

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362 Fall Plants for Winter and Spring Color 29:30

7M ago29:30

29:30

Send us a text Today, we chat with Diane Blazek, executive director of All-America Selections and the National Garden Bureau, about the best plants to be adding to your garden this Autumn for long, cool season blooms. We explore various options such as annuals, herbaceous perennials, and bulbs. Diane highlights her favorite bulbs, especially daffod…

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361 Defensible Space Landscaping Tips 1:05:20

7M ago1:05:20

1:05:20

Send us a text We examine the wildland-urban interface and its growing wildfire risks for homeowners, particularly in fire-prone areas like California and other western states. We talk about the concept of hardening your landscape from the Ember Ignition Zone with insights from Kevin Marini, a UC Defensible Space Advisor. He highlights the importan…

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360 Avocado Growing Basics 1:03:49

8M ago1:03:49

1:03:49

Send us a text Today, we are talking avocado cultivation with Greg Alder, he’s an avocado grower in Southern California, a San Diego County Master Gardener, and he’s the director of the California Avocado Society. Who better to answer a question about the care and feeding of a Mexicola avocado, in Northern California. Greg shares practical tips on …

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359 Tree Surrounds, Cardboard Mulch Pros-Cons. Winter Tomatoes 32:18

8M ago32:18

32:18

Send us a text They’re known as tree rings, or tree surrounds. Basically, it’s a demilitarized zone for your trees, where the trunk and roots are safe from weed whackers and lawn mowers as well as competing plants (especially lawns). It might be a short term solution for a newly planted tree. But leave it in place longer than that, and problems can…

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358 Fall Garden Prep. The Catalina Cherry. 40:44

8M ago40:44

40:44

Send us a text Have you done the necessary work to have a thriving fall vegetable garden? What about the soil? What have you done to give those new plants a great start? We talk with Sacramento County Master Gardener Gail Pothour about how they prepare the vegetable gardens for fall planting at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center. And at the Fair Oak…

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357 Plant Cool Season Vegetables Now. What is a Crisis Nursery? 39:35

8M ago39:35

39:35

Send us a text The change in the September weather is your best opportunity for a new round of planting vegetables in your garden, the cool season crops: broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, garlic, kale, onions, peas, potatoes, shallots, and all those versatile, healthy greens: lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, Chinese cabbages, and so much more. But whic…

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356 Q&A - Controlling Fruit Tree Pests, Soil Solarization around trees, The Asian Garden Beetle 32:23

8M ago32:23

32:23

Send us a text We talk with fruit tree expert Ed Laivo today about how to control the four-legged varmints (as well as the winged ones) that get to your backyard fruit before you do. Plus, he has recommendations for potting mixes to grow fruit trees in containers. Is it safe to solarize soil with clear plastic to kill weeds or a lawn, if there’s a …

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355 Rhubarb Growing Basics for Warm Climates 40:38

9M ago40:38

40:38

Send us a text “Can you grow rhubarb here?” For those who have moved from colder climates to the warmer USDA zones, that might be a popular question. Memories of rhubarb pie, jams, and more while growing up back East or in the Midwest might have you hankering for fresh rhubarb. The plant, however, dislikes climates where summers get over 90 degrees…

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354 Lawn Substitutes 34:36

9M ago34:36

34:36

Send us a text Fred and Debbie Flower discuss the trend of lawn elimination and alternative landscape options to save water. They explore lawn alternatives that require less maintenance and water, such as no-mow lawns, fescue varieties, and groundcovers like dymondia, kurapia, and clover. They also discuss the need for proper irrigation and mainten…

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353 It's All About the Soil (for a Successful Garden!) 51:14

9M ago51:14

51:14

Send us a text Today, we talk with Kevin Marini, a community education specialist with the University of California Cooperative Extension, about the topics of soil and successful gardening. We talk about the pros and cons of using native soil versus commercial soil, the importance of improving native soil, the use of bagged mixes in raised beds, an…

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352 Mint Choices for Cooking. All About Zinnias. 32:18

9M ago32:18

32:18

Send us a text What are the best mint varieties to use for cooking? We talk with a professional herb grower about the myriad of culinary herb choices available. Is there a better summer flower than Zinnias? This colorful warm weather annual comes in a wide variety of sizes, colors, and flower shapes…and it makes for a great cut flower, too! America…

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351 Honey, I Shrunk the Fruit Trees! 56:04

10M ago56:04

56:04

Send us a text In this episode, Farmer Fred and Kevin Marini discuss the importance of thinning fruit trees and maintaining their height. Kevin Marini, a certified arborist and community education specialist with UC Cooperative Extension, also talks about the benefits of keeping fruit trees at a manageable height, the process of bringing down the h…

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350 New Home? First Garden Tips 29:35

10M ago29:35

29:35

Send us a text Looking to start a first garden in a new home? Before digging, do some planning, and some research. Today, America’s Favorite Retired College Horticultural Professor, Debbie Flower, and I have tips for getting that first garden off to a great start at your new home. And, we answer about how to garden when there’s a concrete patio in …

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349 Stressed? Your Garden Can Help. 33:24

10M ago33:24

33:24

Send us a text Gardening and being in nature can help reduce stress and anxiety. Forest bathing, or simply spending time in a natural environment, has been shown to have calming effects. Having a garden or indoor plants can also provide stress relief. Aromatic plants, such as jasmine, lavender, and mint, can have a soothing effect on the mind and b…

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348 The Tastiest Peaches and Plums. Improving Sandy Soil. Raised Bed Drainage Tips. 38:12

10M ago38:12

38:12

Send us a text Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and transcripts at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Audio, transcripts, and episode chapters also available at Buzzsprout. Pictured: Garden Gold Peach in Bloom Links: Subscribe to the Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter https://gardenbasics.…

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347 Travelers' Garden Basics Playlist. All About Berries. Slugs in Compost. 41:08

11M ago41:08

41:08

Send us a text It’s a holiday weekend and you might be traveling. What about a Garden Basics playlist for that long car ride or for listening to while lounging around someplace cool? We have suggestions for that playlist - the five most listened-to Garden Basics episodes. Also: wherever you live, you can probably grow some kind of berries. Today, w…

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346 All About Soil Thermometers, pH Testing, Cardboard Mulch 29:08

11M ago29:08

29:08

Send us a text How do use and adjust a soil thermometer? Why is my soil pH so variable at different soil depths? How do you use cardboard to replace a lawn and start a garden? Those are some of the questions, along with scenic bypasses - of course - that we’ll be tackling today. And there’s a lot of great garden tips in those scenic bypasses today.…

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345 The Heart Healthy Garden, Live! 40:48

11M ago40:48

40:48

Send us a text Did you know rose petals are edible, and contain lots of healthy fiber? That's part of today’s podcast, recorded live, in February 2024, at the Sacramento Rose Society's monthly meeting. The main topic is growing the Heart Healthy Garden! And roses can be an edible part of that healthy landscape. This podcast episode features foods t…

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344 Q&A - Tomato Seed Saving? Seeding Mulched Area? 15:19

11M ago15:19

15:19

Send us a text In this episode of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, Fred Hoffman and Master Gardener Gail Pothour discuss saving tomato seeds. They address the question of whether saved tomato seeds will produce the same tomato variety and provide tips for ensuring seed purity. The conversation covers topics such as flower structure, poll…

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343 A Tour of Debbie Flower's Garden 53:00

11M ago53:00

53:00

Send us a text 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 waterin…

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