GB 152 Mulch vs. Roots. Green Tomatoes - Will They Ripen? Mums. TRANSCRIPT
32:34
SPEAKERS
Debbie Flower, Mary in VA, Warren Roberts, Farmer Fred
Farmer Fred 00:00
Garden Basics with Farmer Fred is brought to you by Smart Pots, the original lightweight, long lasting fabric plant container. it's made in the USA. Visit SmartPots.com slash Fred for more information and a special discount, that's SmartPots.com/Fred. Welcome to the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast. If you're just a beginning gardener or you want good gardening information, you've come to the right spot.
Farmer Fred 00:32
Some of you, especially in USDA zone nine, where freezing temperatures haven't occurred yet, you just might still have green and partially red tomatoes clinging to life in your backyard garden. The big question is, are they going to ripen? Well, as always, the answer is, "it depends." We'll look into that. One listener from Virginia wants to know if that pile of mulch near her maple tree can be moved right now. Her concern: the roots of the tree have invaded that mulch pile; and, there's a bunch of suspicious, stringy white stuff inside that mulch pile as well. We'll start digging into the answer for that one with our favorite retired college horticulture Professor, Debbie flower. UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden Superintendent Emeritus Warren Roberts tells us all about a perennial that's putting on quite the show right now for many of you: the chrysanthemum. It's our Plant of the Week. We're podcasting from Barking Dogs Studio, here in the beautiful abutilon jungle, in Suburban Purgatory. It's Episode 152 of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots and Dave Wilson Nursery. And we'll do it all in, well, just a little over 30 minutes. Don't hate me for that. Let's go!
Mary in VA 01:50
Hey, Farmer Fred. It's Mary in Arlington, Virginia, zone seven B, I got delivery of shredded leaf mulch way back in the spring, and it was more than I could use at the time, so I just let it sit in a pile. It was about 15 feet away from a red maple. And it sat there all summer long. I haven't even gone near it until today when I went to get some mulch. It was just stunning to see that the roots of the maple tree had grown up through my mulch pile and encased it in this fibrous root net, like a hairnet, on my mulch pile. I tried pulling some of the roots away. And the deeper I got the thicker the roots got. The thickest I could see were about the size of a marker, but most were rows skinny skinny, like a pencil or even skinnier than that. But the vast majority of them were really sticky white fibrous, like thread-like roots. So here's my question. I wish I had moved this mulch pile back in the spring. But now I need to move it. Will moving it, and I have to dig it up to move it, will this damage all of this root growth. Will that damage my tree?
Farmer Fred 03:01
Mary, thanks for contacting us via speakpipe.com/garden basics, a very easy way to get your questions into the show and hear your voice here on the podcast. Debbie Flower is here. We hear her voice quite often on the podcast. And that's a good thing. And Debbie, what Mary is describing sounds like a normal mulch growth.
Debbie Flower 03:22
Yeah, I think I'm hearing two things. The thin, sticky white stuff is a fungus that is growing in the mulch that is common, is positive, is helping to break down that mulch and release the nutrients to the plants. Yes, you'll disturb it when you move the pile. But it will re-colonize once you spread the mulch where you want it to go. It's good stuff. It's good stuff. The thicker ones, though, that she talked about were like a marker, maybe as thick as a thumb, that could be a root. And if it is, it's a feeder root, or it's the extension of a root that will have feeder roots on it of the maple, I presume, since we don't know anything else is around that pile. And you may have to cut that to get the mulch out. Or you may just be able to scrape the mulch away from around it. However, that would expose it and it would die if it were exposed to light and air. So I would wait until the tree is dormant. That means it has lost its leaves and it has sent all the food that it has made for the season down into the stems and into the roots and it's storing it there. And if you do have to cut any part of the root off, you're taking off some of that stored food but you are not doing tremendous damage to the tree. When I say cut I mean cut. Use a sharp tool and cut the end off but you don't want to leave it exposed at the surface. If you do that it will die.
Farmer Fred 04:44
Roots are lazy.
Debbie Flower 04:45
Absolutely.
Farmer Fred 04:46
They're going to go wherever the easiest sources of water and nutrients are. And boy, that layer where the mulch meets the soil can be some of the richest stuff around.
Debbie Flower 04:57
Absolutely yeah, it's got that fungus in it. That's breaking down the mulch, releasing nutrients, it's got the nice air that is in a large chunk mulch, and it holds moisture because organic matter holds moisture. It's got everything a root could ever want.
Farmer Fred 05:10
Yeah, I like the idea of waiting until the plant is dormant before you go ahead and move that mulch. This is my big complaint about people who use weed cloth around surrounding trees and shrubs: the roots of the plant are going to come up to the surface because that soil right below that plastic weed cloth is going to be moist and it's dark, so the roots don't see a problem.
Debbie Flower 05:38
And the roots will follow in the soil where they get the right amount of moisture and oxygen. I had a tiered backyard at one of my houses. And so I walk out at one level, go down three steps, and I'd be at the second level; go down, it was more like six or eight steps, and be at the third level. And on that third level I planted a fruiting mulberry tree. Fruiting mulberry trees have orange roots. I didn't know that until I took the tree out, but they have orange roots. When I was on the second level, the one right above that, about eight steps above that mulberry, I had the vegetable garden, I was digging in the vegetable garden one day, and I came across the mulberry roots. So the mulberry roots from eight steps below had followed up under the soil and gone out into the vegetable garden where there was regular moisture for that plant to get. So roots will follow, just under the soil surface, where they're getting the right amount of oxygen and moisture. And that's where they will live in a landscape fabric situation. The oxygen is somewhat limited because the oxygen can't penetrate through the fabric like it can penetrate through a mulch or through soil itself. And so those roots have to stay closer to the surface in order to get the oxygen that they need.
Farmer Fred 06:54
Anybody who's owned a mulberry tree and had it in a lawn know exactly what you're talking about. Yes, it's it's not a fun thing to have in a lawn. So really, she really doesn't have that much to worry about.
Debbie Flower 07:06
I agree. She just needs to understand that that white netted stuff is really good.
Farmer Fred 07:11
And I'm glad she had placed that pile away from the tree. It wasn't piled up against the trunk of the tree. And a lot of people make that mistake, especially in parts of the country where volcano mulching is still a thing, right? Yes. And I'm not sure why volcano mulching is still a thing where you pile up mulch around the base of a plant. Is it for roses, perhaps?
Debbie Flower 07:32
In cold places, places that get very, very cold. Plants like roses are mulched in winter. Mulches piled up against the woody portions of the plant. And it's because cold air holds very little moisture, if the part of the rose that is exposed can actually dry out and die. And so I suspect that that may be the origin of the idea that woody parts of a plant should be covered in winter with mulch so they don't dry out. However, with trees that are adapted to that environment, that is not necessary. In fact, it can be detrimental.
Farmer Fred 08:05
It would lead to rot. Yes. Now with the roses, it's a case of okay, you can go ahead and do that. But as soon as the weather starts warming in late winter, move it away. Yes. Yes. After all danger... it's really not a danger of frost, it's more of a danger of a hard freeze.
Debbie Flower 08:21
Yes. So you're looking at maybe 30. When it's 30 degrees. Yeah, pick a round number.
Farmer Fred 08:26
So when all danger of 30 degree weather has passed, You can go ahead and remove that mulch. Right, right. But yeah, the white mycelium growing in the mulch shows a healthy pile of mulch. Yes, it's breaking down. It's doing its thing. And that's the whole idea.
Debbie Flower 08:43
Providing nutrients to that soil below.
Farmer Fred 08:45
Don't worry, Mary, be happy. And thanks for contacting us. Debbie, thanks for putting our maple trees to sleep.
Debbie Flower 08:51
I love maple trees. You're welcome.
Farmer Fred 08:57
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Farmer Fred 10:01
Every week we like to talk with Warren Roberts. He's the Superintendent Emeritus of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden. He always has an interesting Plant of the Week. And right now it's a plant that's putting on a show near you. And there are shows presenting these plants. They are very colorful, they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. They're an amazing family of plants. The chrysanthemum. I don't know where you begin with this one, Warren.
Warren Roberts 10:26
Well, I think I'll begin with the main species from which the chrysanthemums have been derived and the main species that has been used for making the hybrids, and that's chrysanthemum indicum, which is native to China. Now, when you look at the chrysanthemum, I think that means "golden flowers" out of Latin, but "indicum" means from India. But many botanists use that specific epithet, Indicum or Indica, to mean, China. I don't know why the confusion began, but there it is. And we just have to live with it. Okay. So the first recorded planting of chrysanthemums goes back at least 3500 years in China. And there are now today over 20,000 different kinds available, they go all the way from the flowers look like simple daisies to the flowers look like a spiderweb. right, amazing. And each one of the sections of the flower of the chrysanthemums, do you call them the petals or the little tiny florets in the middle? Each one of those is a separate flower. So what you have is a composite flower, and the name of the family the names of the family that includes chrysanthemum is compositae. Now it's also been called Asteraceae, which is another member of the daisy family. A lot of different kinds of chrysanthemum. The distribution is mainly in East Asia, the genus Chrysanthemum, particularly in China, many different kinds of wild, chrysanthemums have been recorded.
Farmer Fred 12:07
People here are probably most familiar with what are commonly called florist chrysanthemum, which are perennials and grow throughout the country.
Warren Roberts 12:16
Yes, they do. And if, if the soil doesn't freeze too hard, they they survive. Typically what I do... I like to have flowers in the house, and my favorite on that would be alstroemia, which lasts a long time. But occasionally I'll just buy a pot of chrysanthemums or cyclamen or something and put it on the table. And then when the flowers are out, I take it outside, put it and plant in the ground. And from where I'm sitting, I can see some beautiful maroon red chrysanthemums that we used for that purpose in the past and bloom again year after year.
Farmer Fred 12:52
What sort of care do they require?
Warren Roberts 12:54
Oh, they don't require much. But keep in mind thye are from an area that gets about an inch of rain a week, they do need some irrigation to perform pretty well. And if you don't, maybe they don't die, but they don't look very happy. It is a flower that, again, a moderate amount of water every two weeks or so keeps them going and keeps them happy.
Farmer Fred 13:18
If there's a local chrysanthemum society near where you live, there may be a chrysanthemum show and sale that goes on once a year.
Warren Roberts 13:26
Yes, and then if you're sharing from your own garden, once the flowers are gone, you can divide the plant as long as there's some roots and stem on the division. It's fun to do. They'll do well. Several years ago, there was confusion. It was decided to split up this huge genus, chrysanthemum, into other genera. The florist chrysanthemum ended up under the genus Dendranthema. But then botanists thought better of it and put it back to the present. But there are a number of related plants like Chrysanthemum Balsamita which is a mint flavored chrysanthemum. Not that you'd eat it but if you rub the leaf it has a mint-like smell. And then Leucanthemum, which are the oxeye daisies, which would include the Shasta Daisy and pyrethrum and Tanacetum, the tansies and the pyrethrums, and the pesticide pyrethrins are derived from species of chrysanthemums. The use of other chrysanthemums, sometimes you can have chrysanthemum tea from chrysanthemums that do not have that poison. And also in the Japanese cuisine tempura, which originally was brought into Japan by the Portuguese. The leaves in some percentages are dipped in batter and eaten and are quite tasty. Regarding the cultural use of chrysanthemums. In much of Europe and New Orleans, they consider chrysanthemum flowers as symbols of somebody's demise. So they are used for funerals. So if you're trying to woo somebody in France, you don't give them a bouquet of chrysanthemums. That has a bad meaning and in New Orleans.
Farmer Fred 15:21
Yeah,I was gonna say don't do it down there.
Warren Roberts 15:24
Yeah. Don't do it there as well. An interesting genus, part of our culture was brought into the United States when we were still a colony being appreciated, because they're easy to grow, and they're beautiful. What more could you ask?
Farmer Fred 15:38
I would say, if you want more information would be to go online and check them out.
Warren Roberts 15:42
Yes, for example, Wikipedia, the information goes on and on, cultural uses about chrysanthemums, way beyond what I should be talking about today. But it's still interesting stuff.
Farmer Fred 15:54
Oh, it is. And it's a big family of plants. And I would really recommend that if you do come across a chrysanthemum show when they are in bloom in the fall, is go to it and just marvel at the different sizes and shapes that chrysanthemums can come in.
Warren Roberts 16:13
And even chrysanthemum bonsai, where they look like little little old trees with daisies on them.
Farmer Fred 16:19
Oh, my heavens. The chrysanthemum, the Plant of the Week. Once again, Warren Roberts, Superintendent Emeritus of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden has come through with a great plant for us. Warren, thank you so much.
Warren Roberts 16:32
You're welcome. My pleasure.
Farmer Fred 16:37
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Farmer Fred 17:28
We get questions here at the Garden Basics podcast. Cathy writes in and says, "I have a Better Boy tomato that, after a little over the summer, started producing again. It's full of green tomatoes and various sizes. Since it looks like the temperatures are going to dip pretty low in the next few days, should I pick the larger ones and let them ripen inside? We would like to know." And this is one of these California problems, Debbie Flower, retired horticultural professor, and this is something we Californians go through with every October or Novembe,r wondering if those green tomatoes out there are going to ripen before the first frost hits or the second frost or the third frost. What do you do? Do we just serve up fried green tomatoes? Or do those tomatoes that are out there on the vine have a chance in late fall?
Debbie Flower 18:21
Well, first of all, I think it's also a problem for other places because those tomatoes, genetically, are a perennial. And if the climate remained warm enough, they would ripen and continue to grow. And so wherever you are, no matter how early or if frost comes, if you've got a tomato plant and it's producing fruit, you're gonna be faced with this problem as well.
Farmer Fred 18:43
You're absolutely right in that this problem probably hits every tomato grower in America. Just some it hits them earlier than others sometimes in September; some of them in October, others in November or December.
Debbie Flower 18:57
Yes, right. My son lives in Minnesota, they've had snow already. So it's a moot point for them now. But it happened before, happened earlier in the year. So yes, we all go through this with the tomatoes. I was looking at a friend's tomato plant the other day, and there were some really nice red ones all ready to be picked. And then there are the green ones. And yes, your question is or your the caller's question is, what will happen to those? It depends.
Farmer Fred 19:23
Thank you. Yes, indeed, it does depend. So I guess what one has to do is sort of like take a sample of the tomato and perform an autopsy on it.
Debbie Flower 19:33
Yes, the tomatoes ripen over time. And they start green and then they progressed to red or orange or you know, depending on stripes, whatever color you have of tomato that you're growing. And so we need to check with the maturity of that fruit. If it has matured far enough, while it's still on the plant. Then you can bring it in, put it on a window sill or you can wrap in newspaper. I did it in the basement of one of my houses in a fruit box on a bed, wrapped each one in newspaper, so you can bring them in and they will ripen if they've matured far enough on the plant. And so you have to, as you say, dissect them to find out if they've matured far enough.
Farmer Fred 20:15
So what are the signs you look for? I imagine you kind of slice it open through the middle and then you take a look at what's going on on the inside.
Debbie Flower 20:22
Right. So a fruit exists on a plant to produce seeds so that the plant can reproduce. And so that's what we're going to look if the if the tomato is completely green and we cut it up and then we need to look at the seeds. The seeds on tomatoes as they mature, develop a gel, a sort of pillowcase around them, a coating around them. And if that if the seeds have produced that coating and they sort of push away from the knife as you cut it, then the tomatoes are mature enough to ripen. If when you cut the tomato in half if you cut right through the seeds and or there is no gel coating around the seeds then they are not ripe enough to continue ripening off the plant.
Farmer Fred 21:06
And I guess if you look and see if the seeds move or not, as you're cutting through. I noticed that Texas a&m University has some advice that after you slice through the center of the tomato, examine the seeds within the fruit. If the seeds are covered with a clear gel, which causes them to move away from the knife, then that fruit will eventually turn red and ripen. On the other hand, if the seeds are cut by the knife, then those fruits will never properly ripen.
Debbie Flower 21:36
Right, exactly. Yeah, it's an interesting aside, at least for me, is that if you wanted to save seeds from your tomatoes that you grew this year, and see what you get from them next year, they're seeds, so they won't be exactly like the parent plant that you just took them from. But what you have to do to get those seeds prepare those seeds to be able to plant them next year is get that gel that's around the seeds to ferment off to expose the seed from that gel, that gel is pretty important indicator of maturity of the plant.
Farmer Fred 22:11
And I guess this is something that you cannot put off doing. Picking the tomatoes from the yard, for ripening on inside the house. Because if a frost does hit, you're shortening the life of those green tomatoes.
Debbie Flower 22:27
Yeah, there's some important temperatures to keep in mind. Fruit development on a tomato plant slows way down based on night temperatures when night temperatures get in the 40s. So night temperatures in general are very, very important to plant development and maturity. And so if temperatures are going to drop into the 40s, or below 50, then the plant is unable to produce the pigments that and the chemicals that allow that fruit to ripen. And so it'll just stall, it'll just stop. So yes, you got to watch those night temperatures and bring those fruit in before the temperatures drop too low.
Farmer Fred 23:03
And from what I understand too, it's a good idea to not rip the fruit off of the plant, but leave a little bit of the stem. Because if you rip the stem out of the fruit, that'll open them up to more decay.
Debbie Flower 23:16
Yes, true. Any, we're taking a plant that a fruit that's been growing on a plant outdoors and been exposed to whatever is in the air. And if we make any holes in it, whether we're picking a tomato that has maybe a slug hole or, or some other kind of browsing hole in it, or we we rip that stem out of the top, we've opened the fruit up to to the fungus and particularly bacteria that are in the air around the fruit and it's all downhill from there, you're just gonna end up with a whole bunch of mush. So cut the fruit off, don't rip it off.
Farmer Fred 23:48
I guess if you're just going out there to pick the mature green tomatoes, I guess a couple of things is to look at the size of the tomato, and any sort of coloration change that might be going on?
Debbie Flower 24:01
Yes, a mature green tomato kind of needs to be defined. Right? Yes. They're well-sized. So, we tested whether it was time to pick them by cutting them. So obviously that one tomato is not going to continue to ripen. So now we're gonna go out in the garden and look for ones probably of similar size. And we will look at color, if they were green, which all tomatoes are in the beginning. And they're going to become a red tomato, they'll go through a phase where they have turned sort of more white, if they're that color, and they're good size and they have the chance to become red and and produce the flavor that we'd like so much.
Farmer Fred 24:39
And I guess if that tomato is completely green, maybe start looking for others that show some sort of color change.
Debbie Flower 24:46
Yeah, obviously there's gonna be some that have gone beyond going from green to white, and then they're going to start to become red. And if they become red, and you bring them in and put them in a well ventilated area, they don't need to be in the sun. As I said, I've done it in the basement. We didn't have windows in the basement, not that produced sun anyway, they will ripen without being in the sun and you'll have great tomatoes.
Farmer Fred 25:09
What is the proper storage temperature for these mature green tomatoes?
Debbie Flower 25:14
Well, you certainly want something above 50 degrees and below 85. Probably around room temperature would be the best. I don't know about your house but 65 to 75 degrees, you could probably go lower than that 60 degrees to 75 degrees. You don't want it too high because then they're going to dry out you don't want it too cold because then they won't ripen as quickly.
Farmer Fred 25:37
And once that tomato is fully ripe what is the best storage for tomatoes?
Debbie Flower 25:42
Tomatoes, which should not really be put in the refrigerator, because refrigerators run around 40 to 42 degrees Fahrenheit and that will destroy some of the flavor molecules in the tomato so you want it to be 45 to 50 degrees. In my world that's a hard temperature to come by, if you've got some kind of maybe a wine refrigerator that you can control or special little produce refrigerator, where you can raise the temperature a bit higher than what your normal refrigerator is, then you're you've got the ideal situation, maybe a root cellar, yes, if you have a root cellar that might work, but in my house, I don't have any of those things. And so I just leave them on the counter, but not next to the stove, not next to the oven, not near a heat vent. I want them to have good airflow. So put them up on a rack and space them so that air can flow between them. wrapping them in newspaper can also be used because it helps dissipate the moisture that alive, these fruits are alive, that alive fruit is producing, and it will result in less rot.
Farmer Fred 26:53
I guess, then, for the next couple of weeks or so, if they are maturing at room temperature and probably take about two weeks for them to mature, is to check them every few days and find ones that may have gone bad.
Debbie Flower 27:06
Yeah, absolutely. Hopefully you get them before they go bad and get to use them. Can them freeze them, dehydrate them, whatever your processes.
Farmer Fred 27:15
And then if you store them right again, again, build that root cellar while you're waiting and put them in there. And they'll last a few more weeks. Right? Right. Have you ever tried pulling up an entire tomato plant and hanging it upside down in your garage?
Debbie Flower 27:31
I have not. I think once in the past, I took the some branches and hung them in the garage. And that would have been the basement when I had a basement. It just seems like such a messy job to pull up the whole plant and drag roots and dirt and all around inside anywhere. The house, the garage, the basement, wherever. So no, I have not done that.
Farmer Fred 27:56
For those who have tried it, they probably know that you need to avoid sunlight, because the tomatoes will spoil and ripen unevenly. And again, that root cellar temperatures wouldn't be ideal for that in the 55-65 range.
Debbie Flower 28:11
They would. And it wouldn't be a big problem to bring the dirt into the root cellar. So yeah, I envy the root cellar people.
Farmer Fred 28:19
Now one thing about storing unripe tomatoes, I think this is a good idea, too, is to store them by color. Have several different cardboard boxes in which to place these tomatoes and then basically put the ones of similar coloration together because they all tend to ripen together.
Debbie Flower 28:39
Yeah, you're absolutely right. The ones that are red or to begin with are going to ripen first. The ones that are closer to that white green color are going to be the last ones. And so you look at everything in between. So that would help you organize your harvest.
Farmer Fred 28:51
Now here's the dirty little secret about doing this. You're not going to get summertime flavor out of that tomato.
Debbie Flower 28:57
No you won't. But you'll get something that's a lot better than what you find at the grocery store. You go.
Farmer Fred 29:01
That's our criteria on this program.
Debbie Flower 29:04
Yeah, that's the point, right?
Farmer Fred 29:07
Yes, exactly. So basically, if you do all that, you can extend that to the enjoyment of tomatoes. Instead, keep having BLT sandwiches for a few more weeks or maybe a couple of months.
Debbie Flower 29:19
Right. Thanksgiving's coming, maybe you can have it then.
Farmer Fred 29:22
Could be. What about fried green tomatoes? I mean, that's just not the title of a movie; that's an actual delicacy in some parts of the country.
Debbie Flower 29:30
It is and and I've made that because I've had green tomatoes that I realized we're never gonna ripen and if they still have good flavor, they taste like tomato despite all the milk and egg and flour. It comes through that little bit of acid. Yeah, it comes through. I like an acidic tomato so I'm typically growing an acidic tomato.
Farmer Fred 29:49
Okay and they are fried, correct?
Debbie Flower 29:52
Yes, they are fried.
Farmer Fred 29:53
Alright, so there is that.
Farmer Fred 30:02
Well, we learned something about extending the tomato harvest. So if especially if you're in USDA zone nine, head out to the yard real soon, start looking for those green tomatoes that may be turning color, clipping them off, bringing them in, putting them in cardboard boxes. And perhaps enjoying them in a couple of weeks. Debbie Flower, retired college horticultural professor, thanks for letting us harvest the last of the tomatoes.
Debbie Flower 31:09
Oh, it's such a pleasure. Thank you, Fred.
Farmer Fred 31:14
If our chat about green tomatoes sounded familiar, you are correct. It originally aired back in November of 2020, in Episode 63. What’s new this time around, is the accompanying article in the Garden Basics newsletter. So, If you’re still curious about the harvesting and ripening of green tomatoes, go beyond the basics in the latest edition of the Garden Basics Newsletter, on Substack. We’ll have pictures of the various ripening stages of tomatoes, along with specific information about whether they will ripen indoors…or not. As the Garden Basics newsletter grows, so will the subject matter. So, yes, it will be a good supplement for the Garden Basics podcast, along with a lot more garden related material. Find it in the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter on Substack. And best of all, it’s free! There’s a link in today’s show notes; there’s a link near the top of the page at farmerfred.com. Or, just go to Substack.com, and do a search for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred. That’s substack.com slash garden basics (one word). Think of it as your garden resource that goes beyond the basics. It’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred newsletter. And for you, it’s free. So, remember me in your will. Thank you.
Farmer Fred 32:43
Don’t forget, if you want to learn more about the topics covered on today’s episode of Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, subscribe to the free Garden Basics newsletter, on Substack. Details are in today’s show notes. The Garden Basics Podcast will be on its winter schedule from November through January. Which means there will only be one episode per week during this three month period. It’ll come out on Fridays. Garden Basics with Farmer Fred is brought to you by Smart Pots, we thank them for their support. Garden Basics is available for free wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening, subscribing and leaving comments. We appreciate it.
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