Beyond the Garden Basics Podcast
1) More Tips for a Successful Garden
While editing Episode 406 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast (out now), I was taking copious notes, about all the great garden tips Don Shor and I discussed in an episode that was ostensibl...Show More
2) This Newsletter is for the Birds
In the podcast (above) retired UC Farm Advisor Rachel Long has tips for attracting songbirds to your property.They're nice to look at, sing wonderfully and eat insects.No, we're not talking about the ...Show More
3) Garden Tips from the Experts
One of the best places to get your garden questions answered (or pick up the 2026 Sac Co Master Gardener Gardening Guide and Calendar) is at the annual gathering of Master Gardeners, gardening profess...Show More
4) Drip Irrigation: How Long Do I Water?
90% of all plant problems are water related, either too much or too little. Compounding the problem: gardeners who are operating a drip irrigation system but using a sprinkler mentality.The Beyond The...Show More
5) Aromatic Plants, and Roses Too!
This edition of the newsletter is a deeper dive into this week’s Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, Episode 398, “Aromatic Plants, Plus Roses!” Here, we’ll see what these “shows for the nose” loo...Show More
6) Grow a Gratitude Garden
The above audio track is from a long time ago, when things were - at the very least -tense. It was during the initial panic as COVID-19 struck the United States, back in May of 2020. The confusion aro...Show More
7) Prune Off Tomato Flowers?
One question I have been getting a lot of lately: Should I prune off (snip off, pinch out) the first tomato flowers that appear, in order to get more tomatoes later?Those early tomato flowers, especia...Show More
8) Growing Microgreens
Today’s Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter expands upon a topic we were briefly discussing in Episode 395 of the Garden Basics Podcast, “Survival Garden Basics”. In this case, the short chat was abou...Show More
9) What Exactly is a Grocery Store "Vine-Ripened" Tomato?
If you’re reading this as May turns into June, and you live in the West, you know you’re going through a heat wave, including triple digit temperatures in parts of California. A more widespread - and ...Show More
10) More Effective Raised Bed Drip Irrigation Techniques
Both free and paid subscribers have full access to the Friday edition of the Beyond the Garden Basics newsletter. Because cutting off free subscribers in the middle of a newsletter isn’t a nice thing ...Show More