013 Grow Fruit Bushes Not Fruit Trees. Seed Germination Tips. Zinnias for Mental Health!

Quit growing fruit trees, will you? Grow fruit bushes, instead! We talk with a nursery person who wrote a book advocating keeping all your fruit trees no taller than you can reach from the ground. That way, you can grow more varieties of peaches, plums, apples, oranges and other fruit-bearing plants in your yard, without a need to ever get on a ladder. And you will still harvest enough fruit for you and your family…with plenty left over.

Do you have old packets of seeds around? Are they still viable? Our in-house college horticulture professor has tips for increasing seed germination from those old seed packages.

Why you should start cuttings and fruit pits in soil, not water.

Spring and summer are the colorful seasons for zinnias, an annual flower that attracts hummingbirds, pollinators, and other beneficial insects. And zinnias just might be good for your mental health because of their brightly colored blooms and their multiple uses, both outdoors and indoors.

It’s all in Episode 13 of Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, and we will do it all in under 30 minutes.

Links:
"Grow a Little Fruit Tree" by Ann Ralph
Pepper Seed Germination Tips
Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects
Plants to Attract the Pollinators
Park Seeds Zinnia Collection
Zinnia Seeds from Johnny's Seeds

All About Farmer Fred:
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The Farmer Fred Rant! Blog
Facebook:  "Get Growing with Farmer Fred"
Instagram: farmerfredhoffman
Farmer Fred Garden Videos on YouTube
Garden columnist, Lodi News-Sentinel 

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