How to Keep Water in the Soil with Bill Wilson

How to Keep Water in the Soil with Bill Wilson

Author: Susan Poizner, OrchardPeople.com January 1, 2025 Duration: 53:27

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.  


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  1. Live Audio: Listen on RealityRadio101 at 1:00 PM on Tuesday
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  • (00:00) - Journey to Texas: A Surprising Landscape
  • (00:52) - Introducing Bill Wilson: Permaculture Expert
  • (01:00) - Permaculture Principles: Water Management
  • (03:20) - Online Permaculture Courses: A New Era
  • (06:35) - Rain Gardens vs. Berms and Swales
  • (08:35) - Small Space Solutions: Urban Permaculture
  • (16:04) - Aquaponics: Integrating Fish and Plants
  • (22:11) - Permaculture Tools: No-Till Farming
  • (24:27) - Permaculture Defined: Sustainable Living
  • (25:42) - Commercials
  • (28:49) - Orchard People Radio Show Part 2 Introduction
  • (29:01) - Interview with Bill Wilson: Passive Watering Systems
  • (29:47) - Gray Water Systems and Passive Irrigation
  • (32:23) - Permaculture Principles and Practices
  • (35:49) - Using Cover Crops and Plants to Make Soil More Absorbant
  • (40:20) - Soil Drenches and Compost Techniques
  • (45:50) - Final Thoughts and Reflections

Imagine stepping into your own backyard and picking a perfect, sun-warmed apple from a tree you nurtured yourself. That tangible connection to the land and the deep satisfaction of growing your own food is at the heart of Orchard People. Hosted by fruit tree care educator Susan Poizner, this podcast digs into the practical and often surprising world of cultivating fruit trees, whether you have a few pots on a balcony or several acres to explore. Each episode feels like a thoughtful conversation with a knowledgeable friend, as Susan and her guests unpack the nuances of pruning for better harvests, managing pests without harsh chemicals, and understanding the life beneath our feet through soil health. You’ll hear from specialists on topics like grafting heirloom varieties, designing resilient food forests, and integrating permaculture principles into any space. It’s more than just tips and tricks; it’s about building confidence and community around sustainable growing. Tune in to this garden-focused podcast for grounded advice that helps both new and experienced growers foster healthier trees and more abundant yields, season after season.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Orchard People
Podcast Episodes
Growing Hardy Kiwi Vines with Iago Hale [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:17
Hardy kiwi vines produce berries that are sweeter than table grapes and they have more vitamin C per ounce than an average orange. And while the fruit is similar to the larger, fuzzy kiwis that grow in New Zealand and Ca…
Why Pests Can't Attack Healthy Plants with Thomas M. Dykstra [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:52
According to Entomologist Thomas M. Dykstra, Ph.D. of Dykstra Laboratories in Gainesville, Florida, insect pests can't attack healthy plants. Learn more and ask your questions in this live radio show.
Growing Heirloom Peaches with Lawton Pearson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:46
There are some fantastic heirloom peach cultivars that are not available at your local supermarket....but you can grow them at home! Lawton Pearson of Pearson Farm talks about his family's history of growing peaches in G…
How to Grow a Fruiting Wall with Matthew Whiting [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:07
Commercial growers are increasingly growing sweet cherries and other fruits in an easy to prune, maintain and harvest fruiting wall structure. Matthew Whiting, Extension Specialist from Washington State University, playe…
Turning Your Backyard into a Food Forest with Dani Baker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:43
Learn how to transform your backyard into a food forest, integrating existing fruit trees and shrubs into the design. Dani Baker, author of The Home-Scale Forest Garden: How to Plan, Plant and Tend a Resilient Edible Lan…
Espalier Fruit Trees for Small Gardens with Ron Perry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:07
Fruit trees can be productive, they can be beautiful, AND they can fit in small spaces!In this episode learn how to create an espalier fruit tree planting where the tree is trained up against a wall or fence.Our expert g…
Do Plant Hardiness Zones Matter with Dan McKenney and John Pedlar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:48
In the past, you would consult a plant hardiness zone map if you wanted to know whether a fruit tree or any other plant could survive in your climate. But our climate is quickly changing. Are plant hardiness zone maps st…
Grafting Fruit Trees with Steph Roth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:20
Steph Roth from Silver Creek Nursery in Ontario talks about how she grafts fruit trees. We will cover collecting fruiting wood, rootstock choices, bench grafting and more. The host of the Orchard People radio show and po…
Perry Pears for Cider with Barry Masterson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:33
Cider apples are a hot commodity these days. But what about perry pears? In this episode, Barry Masterson of Kertelreiter Cider, talks about perry and tells us how to make it and what pear varieties to use. Barry, who is…