Ken Asmus of Oikos Tree Crops in Kalamazoo, MI has spent decades developing beach plums that taste great and are genetically diverse (rather than grafted clones). He talks about growing beach plum "communities."
Dig deeper into plums in this article.
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For more information on this topic, click on the links below:
How to Prune Fruit Trees:
https://orchardpeople.com/how-to-prune-and-train-fruit-trees/
Fruit Tree Pests and Diseases:
https://orchardpeople.com/protecting-fruit-trees-from-pests-and-diseases/
How to Feed Fruit Trees:
https://orchardpeople.com/how-to-feed-fruit-trees/
The Best Fruit Trees to Grow:
https://orchardpeople.com/best-fruit-trees-to-grow/
How to Graft Fruit Trees:
https://orchardpeople.com/how-to-graft-fruit-trees/
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- (00:00) - Genetic Diversity in Plants
- (01:35) - Introduction to Beech Plums
- (01:48) - Guest Introduction: Ken Asmus
- (02:48) - Growing Beech Plums: Tips and Insights
- (04:08) - Beech Plums vs. Other Plums
- (08:00) - Pest and Disease Resistance
- (16:40) - Pollination and Propagation
- (23:15) - Beech Plum Communities and Cultivation
- (26:19) - Challenges with Yellow Beech Plums
- (28:07) - Defining Plant Communities
- (30:15) - Hybrid Plants and Their Issues
- (30:44) - Listener Questions and Answers: Consider Diversity for Production and Growing from Seed
- (32:42) - Propagating Beech Plums from Seed
- (34:32) - Making Jam and Jelly from Beech Plums
- (37:06) - Ken Asmus' Legacy and Vision
- (43:05) - Market Potential of Beech Plums
- (44:42) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts
