Flower Power Garden Hour

Review of what worked & didn’t work in my vegetable garden this summer. • Tomatoes. Florida weave vs cages. My pruning process in the future. Straw as weed block. Success of varieties including Sungold, Black Beauty, Berkley Tie Dye • Peppers. MANY successes, including ghost peppers, shishito, poblano, bell peppers, Rhenza Macedonia. Why the success? • Also deep dive review on: melons, eggplants, beans, Solanum quitoense, zucca gourd, Sakurajima giant radish, corn and more

Marlene answers a variety of listener submitted questions this week. • Fall planting – what can still be planted for Fall • Rose bushes – yellow spots on leaves • Ficus – losing leaves on only a certain portion of the plant • Comfrey – can it be planted in raised beds for winter? • How to break through hard pan in order to plant • Superblue Lavendar – for indoor growing in the Northeast US, should a ceramic or plastic pot be used • Bromeliad – help with growing a very dry

Terrariums are a great way to grow a landscape on a miniature scale. I sit down with expert terrarium builders Kyle Shankle and Eric Cendejas to discuss building a terrarium from container up. Learn what soil is best, water-proofing techniques, drainage, how to build features, which lighting system to choose and of course all the plants that will reward you with your own mini-jungle.

The focus is on flowers this week, with a smattering of vegetables thrown in. • Black tulip magnolia – not blooming, unhealthy looking • Mums – growing tall, but not flowering • Bougainvillea – growing out of control, how to train • Christmas cactus – half growing well, half not • Butterfly bushes – how to prep for winter • Japanese maples – browning as summer gets hot • “Rusty” leaves – what is causing, how to mitigate • Tomatoes – second harvest is green and h

Nathan Gonzales, instructional assistant of biology at American River College, talks about his favorite plants to use medicinally & while on the trail. Learn what California native can be used as an antimicrobial band-aid in a pinch, what plants make the best fire starting material & what uncommon plant can be snacked on to get you a bit giddy! This ethnobotany centric episode covers many of the plants people see every day when hiking & dwells into the many uses Native Americans have for them

Mighty, majestic…these are words often used to describe Oaks. For Emily Griswold, Oaks are so much more.. they are her passion. She has turned this passion into collecting & disseminating different Oak species to various collections across the world, as well as curating the 300-species-strong Shields Oak Grove on the UC Davis campus. I sit down with Emily & tap into her knowledge on all things Oaks… how to grow, diseases, species suitable for backyards, the smallest & the oldest (which will blow your mi

Marlene answers a variety of listener submitted questions this week. It’s a grab bag of topics this time, including: • Hibiscus leaves dropping – causation? • Orchids – root location • Watermelons with a black spot on bottom – fungus or? • Passion Fruit viability – Central Valley CA • Dwarf lemon not producing • Watermelons – white inside….why? • Roses – tiny holes in flowers

How did two engineers become chocolate makers? As we discuss the process of making chocolate with Karla McNeil & Eddie Houston, owners of Cru Chocolate, it becomes clear this is not only an art but part chemistry/engineering. This episode covers the history of cacao, its importance in many South American cultures and the steps to make beans to bar. Additionally, we dive into the challenges of being a company with a culture focused on sustainability & ensuring the success of their South American partners.

Growing a cover crop is a great way to incorporate nitrogen into the soil, but what does this mean? I sit down with Dr. Matt Amicucci & discuss nitrogen fixation. We talk about his involvement in the R&D of a native Oaxacan corn that makes so much nitrogen that local farmers have never fertilized the soil! We then go into detail on Matt’s research - how not all carbs are created equal. He took over 1000 fruit & vegetables, & analyzed every carb/sugar to map out exactly we eat & how it affects our health

Bees, butterflies, beetles, oh my. These are just some of the important pollinators needed to achieve great fruit and vegetable set in your garden. Find out which plants are best at attracting pollinators, as well as tips and tricks on hand pollinating when pollinators go MIA. Learn why your strawberries and squash are malformed, as well as how to plant corn to achieve high quality. This episode covers all things pollination!

An episode dedicated to answering questions submitted by listeners. Topics this week include: • Peppers – poor growth and production • Tomatoes and squash – what are the best fertilizers/amendments • Leaf curling on tomatoes • Epsom salt – good for plants (specifically tomatoes)? • Technique for disinfecting gardening shears • Marigolds as companion plants • Is peat moss effective to retain moisture in soil

Marlene sits down with “Farmer Fred” Hoffman, renown long time Garden Show radio host, writer and lifetime Master Gardener. Having decades of both practical experience and countless hours with farmers/garden professionals, Fred is an incredible fountain of knowledge, tips, troubleshooting – and a amazing storyteller in the best sense.

In this episode Marlene delves into making softwood cuttings in order to propagate clones of parent plants. Taking cuttings is a fast and reliable method of obtaining numerous plants from a small amount of source material. Marlene covers: • Auxin -- primary hormone for root production • Step by step process of how to successfully take a cutting • Common issues people run into with cuttings

Marlene answers a variety of listener submitted questions this week. It’s a grab bag of topics this time, including: • How to treat a sparse looking Daphne • How to stop insects from eating sweet basil and tomatoes • Browning Camellias • Yellowing leaves on a tomato plant • Is putting ice cubes on soil an effective method of watering • Pruning of Weeping Cherry tree

Never having farmed, but armed with a desire to transition from her corp real estate career to a rural lifestyle, Tina Reikes searched for the perfect location. A few years later, Bear Flag Farm was born. Tucked amongst nut orchards in the ag town of Winters CA, Tina began her career as a boutique farmer of lavender, olive oil, wine – & to boot, being a world renown wedding venue. Here we discuss lavender farming, including Tina's favorite varieties, how/when to prune, & aspects of her life as a farmer