Learn how to choose the best companion plants for your fruit trees, build simple and effective guilds, and avoid common mistakes. Permaculture educator, co-founder of the Shenandoah Permaculture Institute , and co-author of Mulberries in the Rain: Growing Permaculture Plants for Food and Friendship , Ryan Blosser shares plant combinations that work — and the stories behind them — from dynamic accumulators to barrier plants, beneficial insect attractors, and more. The host of the Orchard People r...
Jun 24, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 117
Learn how "anyone can grow" by choosing the right fruit tree with Josh Davis, a Master Gardener and Fruit Tree Grower in South Carolina, on this episode of the Orchard People Radio Show. He is known as Uncle Josh Gardens and @theplanttechie on social media. The host of the Orchard People radio show and podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree care education website www.orchardpeople.com . Susan is the author of four books on fruit tree care. Learn more here: https://learn.orchardpeople.com/boo...
May 27, 2025•40 min•Ep. 116
Learn how to grow and enjoy the fruit of the overlooked and forgotten medlar (Mespilus germanica) with Jane Steward , author of MEDLARS - Growing & Cooking (affiliate link), founder of Eastgate Larder in North Norfolk, UK (which is also part of the prestigious Plant Heritage National Collection), in this episode of the Orchard People Radio Show. ABOUT Orchard People, formerly known as the Urban Forestry Radio Show from germination in January 2016 until December 2023, has grown over the years...
Apr 29, 2025•47 min•Ep. 115
Learn about the best apple trees for warm climates with Larry Stephenson , nurseryman at Southern Cultured Orchards and Nursery in Coldwater Mississippi and NAFEX director, on this episode of the Orchard People Radio Show. The host of the Orchard People radio show and podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree care education website www.orchardpeople.com . Susan is the author of four books on fruit tree care. Learn more here: https://learn.orchardpeople.com/books She is also the creator of five-...
Mar 25, 2025•46 min•Ep. 114
Learn how to make your fruit trees produce better quality fruit with specialist fruit tree pruning! In this special episode, Harold Thornbro, Host of The Modern Homesteading Podcast ( https://redemptionpermaculture.com/category/podcast/ ) interviews Susan Poizner of OrchardPeople.com . Susan is the author of the new book Fruit Tree Pruning: The Science and Art of Cultivating Healthy Fruit Trees (affiliate link). Plus, don’t miss our Spotlight on Fruit Trees segment, where we explore Nadia Cherri...
Feb 26, 2025•51 min•Ep. 113
Learn espalier fruit tree pruning and the Lorette pruning system with Andy (Apples) Lewis, Lead Grower at The Newt in Somerset , UK, on this episode of the Orchard People Radio Show. Plus, don’t miss this month's Spotlight on Fruit Trees segment, where we explore the Ó:iase® Apple Tree with Veronique Alexandre of Hardy Fruit Tree Nursery in Quebec! The host of the Orchard People radio show and podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree care education website www.orchardpeople.com . FOUR WAYS TO ...
Jan 28, 2025•47 min•Ep. 112
How can you create a self-watering permaculture garden or orchard? The secret is in the soil! We explore that topic with Bill Wilson of MidwestPermaculture.com in this episode of the Orchard People radio show. Learn about Bill's online course here: https://midwestpermaculture.com/the-heart-of-permaculture/ The host of the Orchard People radio show and podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree care education website www.orchardpeople.com . FOUR WAYS TO TUNE IN Join our live show on the last Tues...
Dec 31, 2024•53 min•Ep. 111
Best Fruit Tree Pruning Tools with Ron Perry. Learn about the best fruit tree pruning tools with Ron Perry, Ph.D, Professor Emeritus, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University (MSU). Ron Perry is the co-author of Espalier Fruit Plantings for Northern Gardens: Creating Fruit Trees as Art (Affiliate Link) and he was featured in Episode 80 of this podcast where he spoke about Espalier Fruit Tree Pruning . The host of the Orchard People radio show and podcast is Susan Poizner of the frui...
Nov 26, 2024•59 min•Ep. 110
Learn about Columnar Apple Trees for Small Gardens in this episode of the Orchard People radio show. Our guests are: Kenong Xu , Associate Professor, and Laura Dougherty of Cornell University in Geneva New York and Angela Palmer, Founder and Co-Owner of Plants Nouveau in Alabama. The host of the Orchard People radio show and podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree care education website www.orchardpeople.com . FOUR WAYS TO TUNE IN Join our live show on the last Tuesday of every month at 1:00 ...
Oct 29, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 109
Learn a Biodynamic approach to fertilizing fruit trees in the fall with Alan Suprenant of Brook Farm Orchard in this episode of the Orchard People radio show and podcast. The host of the Orchard People radio show and podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree care education website www.orchardpeople.com . This show goes out LIVE on the last Tuesday of every month at 1.00 pm Eastern Time. After that you can download the podcast. To tune in LIVE (and submit your questions to our expert guests!) yo...
Sep 24, 2024•57 min•Ep. 108
Learn how to look at fruit tree leaves and identify common nutrient deficiencies (ie a lack of nitrogen, magnesium or boron) with Eric Hanson, Professor Emeritus of Horticulture Michigan State University. The host of the Orchard People radio show and podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree care education website www.orchardpeople.com . This show goes out LIVE on the last Tuesday of every month at 1.00 pm Eastern Time. After that you can download the podcast. To tune in LIVE (and submit your q...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 107
Learn about the wild and cultivated apple varieties at the USDA's Apple Collection of 5000+ Unique apple trees in Geneva, New York with my guest Ben Gutierrez, Curator of Apple and Tart Cherry for the USDA . For more information visit the USDA Plant Genetics Resource Unit website. For more information on the USDA's apple collection annual open house visit USDA's apple collection annual open house page. The host of the Orchard People radio show and podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree care ...
Jul 30, 2024•53 min•Ep. 106
Learn how beneficial nematodes can control orchard pests including plum curculio and Japanese beetles with entomologist David Shapiro-Ilan at the Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory in Byron in this episode of the Orchard People radio show and podcast. The host of the Orchard People radio show and podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree care education website www.orchardpeople.com . This show goes out LIVE on the last Tuesday of every month at 1.00 pm Eastern Time. After that ...
Jun 25, 2024•54 min•Ep. 105
Have you ever found mummified and immature fruit on your fruit trees? Learn what's happening and how to prevent this using botanical sprays in this episode of the Orchard People podcast. Our guest is Plant Pathologist, Mycologist, and Bacteriologist Kerik D. Cox Ph.D. of the Cox Program at Cornell University . The host of the Orchard People radio show and podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree care education website www.orchardpeople.com . This show goes out LIVE on the last Tuesday of every...
May 28, 2024•59 min•Ep. 104
What fruit trees are illegal to propagate? Learn about fruit tree propagation law with with Jeremy Kent Tamsen of Washington State University. WSU's Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center in Wenatchee Washington developed and introduced many new specialty crops over the years, including the popular Cosmic Crisp ® apple. During the show, we talk about the WA64 naming contest. Here is the naming contest website link . The host of the Orchard People radio show and podcast is Susan Poizner of the ...
Apr 30, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 103
Learn about the best wood mulches for fruit trees with Linda Chalker-Scott, Professor of Horticulture at Washington State University in this episode of the Orchard People radio show and podcast. Linda is the award-winning author of six books including How Plants Work: The Science Behind the Amazing Things Plants Do (Science for Gardeners) . She also is one of the Garden Professors – a group of academic colleagues who educate through their blog and Facebook pages. Also check out her WSU page abou...
Mar 27, 2024•59 min•Ep. 102
Learn when, why and how to grow fruit trees in fabric pots. Our show guest on the Orchard People radio show and podcast is Kevin Espiritu of EpicGardening.com. Kevin is the author of the book Grow Bag Gardening: The Revolutionary Way to Grow Bountiful Vegetables, Herbs, Fruit and Flowers in Lightweight, Eco-Friendly, Fabric Pots . The images used in the video version of this episode were supplied Giving Grove ( www.givinggrove.org ) and by Smartpots , the original US company that invented the id...
Feb 28, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 101
Learn about grafting compatibility and what kinds of trees can be grafted together by understanding the science of graft unions! Our guest is Dr Kevin Folta , Professor of horticultural sciences at the University of Florida. Tune into Kevin's Podcast Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/talking-biotech-with-dr-kevin-folta/id1006329802 Additional Episodes on Grafting Here: Fruit Tree Grafting for Beginners: https://share.transistor.fm/s/953789b9 Fruit Tree Grafting and Legal Considerations...
Jan 30, 2024•58 min•Ep. 100
Learn about old apple cultivars with apple historian Daniel Bussey, author of The Illustrated History of Apples in the United States and Canada . The host of The Urban Forestry Radio Show and Podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree care education website www.orchardpeople.com . Tune into The Urban Forestry Radio Show LIVE by going to RealityRadio101.com on the last Tuesday of every month at 1.00 pm Eastern Time. Learn to grow organic fruit trees successfully. Sign up for OrchardPeople.com's p...
Dec 27, 2023•58 min•Ep. 99
Join Greg Peterson from UrbanFarm.org as he shares five key fruit tree lessons that he has learned from starting a new orchard in North Carolina, applying lessons from 30 years of experience growing fruit trees on his urban farm in Phoenix, Arizona. Listen live to enter our contest to win this month's prize, UrbanFarm.org's Growing Food The Basics Course - $197 value. The host of The Urban Forestry Radio Show and Podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree care education website www.orchardpeople...
Nov 28, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 98
Learn how to cultivate thriving fruit trees and gardens even if you don't have the best soil by using the Hügelkultur technique. Tune in to this Tuesday's live radio show and podcast with guest Paul Wheaton from Permies.com . Explore this month's recommended resource is the Garden Master Course by Helen Atthowe , an expert in "Beyond-organic" gardening, integrating fundamentals of a master gardener program, Masanobu Fukuoka's practices, and ecology. The host of the Orchard People radio show and ...
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 97
In this radio show and podcast, fruit tree educator Susan Poizner usually interviews experts in fruit tree care. But in this episode, Harold Thornbro of The Modern Homesteading Podcast interviews her! Topics covered include easy-to-grow fruit trees, how to prune fruit trees and improving harvest quality. Learn more about Harold and check out The Modern Homesteading Podcast here: https://redemptionpermaculture.com/category/podcast/ Sign up for Susan's courses on fruit tree pruning, pest and disea...
Sep 26, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 96
What do you do with your bumper crop of apples? In this episode, learn how to can apples easily while keeping your loved ones safe from risks like botulism and mold! Our guest is homesteading and canning expert Melissa K. Norris of the Pioneering Today Podcast and Academy . Listeners who tune into the show live will be able to enter this month's contest to win Everything Worth Preserving: The Complete Guide for Food Preservation at Home by Melissa K. Norris valued at $29.00. The host of The Urba...
Aug 29, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 95
In this episode, Susan Poizner talks to Tom Spellman of Dave Wilson Nursery in Hickman California about the book "How to Prune Fruit Trees and Roses". Tom is one of a team of experts who have updated and revised the classic fruit tree pruning book by R Sandford Martin. Listeners who tune into the show live will be able to enter this month's contest to win How to Prune Fruit Trees and Roses - The Revised Edition by R Sandford Martin and Ken Anderson. The host of The Urban Forestry Radio Show and ...
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 94
Once you had to choose: Either grow American persimmons that are hardy, but not great for fresh eating - or grow the sweet and tasty Asian persimmons that thrived in warmer climates. Well, now you can enjoy the best of both by sourcing a hybrid persimmon. So in this episode I will chat with Darren Bender-Beauregard of Brambleberrypermaculture.com about growing hybrid persimmons in this episode.
Jun 27, 2023•59 min•Ep. 93
Learn how to turn fermented plant juice, eggshells and other locally sourced materials into effective fruit tree fertilizers with Nigel Palmer, author of The Regenerative Grower's Guide to Garden Amendments: Using locally sourced materials to make mineral and biological extracts and ferments . Learn more in this article on homemade fruit tree fertilizer sprays . Learn more about Nigel, his online course offerings and his work here . The host of The Urban Forestry Radio Show and Podcast is Susan ...
May 30, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 92
Javier Rivera of Stone River Nursery in Central Florida talks about the potential of grafting when creating multi-cultivar trees, fruit salad trees, and even trees that grow in places that you wouldn't expect them to - like apple trees in Florida! The prize for today's show is ColourPoint Bypass Pro Pruners by Dramm valued at $28.62. The prize winner will be able to pick the vibrant colour of their choice! The host of The Urban Forestry Radio Show and Podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree c...
Apr 25, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 91
If you want to enjoy a harvest, you need to protect the blossoms on your fruit tree from late season freezing events. Learn how to do that with Dr Kevin Folta, Department Chair, Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. The prize for this episode's contest is Grow Your Own Mini Fruit Garden: Planting and Tending Small Fruit Trees and Berries in Gardens and Containers by Christy-Wilhelmi (Valued at 27.99 US). Order the book from Quarto.com, to access a 30% ...
Mar 28, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 90
Learn how to find and propagate wild fig trees with Sam Hubert, a passionate "fig hunter" and nursery manager of One Green World Nursery and Garden Center in Portland Oregon. The host of The Urban Forestry Radio Show and Podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree care education website www.orchardpeople.com . Tune into The Urban Forestry Radio Show LIVE by going to RealityRadio101.com on the last Tuesday of every month at 1.00 pm Eastern Time. Learn to grow organic fruit trees successfully. Sign...
Mar 01, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 89
B9? EMLA107? What's the difference between the many different types of rootstocks used for apple trees. And which is the best for you? In this episode, John Strang, Retired Extension Fruit and Vegetable Specialist from the University of Kentucky, will chat with us about apple rootstocks. If you listen to the show live, you can enter this month's contest to win The Modern Homestead Garden: Growing Self-Sufficiency in Any Size Backyard by Gary Pilarchik ($24.99). Here is a link to the Geneva apple...
Feb 01, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 88
