Soil Microscopy for Healthy Fruit Trees with Matt Powers

Soil Microscopy for Healthy Fruit Trees with Matt Powers

Author: Susan Poizner, OrchardPeople.com September 30, 2025 Duration: 54:52
Orchard People
LeisureGardenHobbiesHome

How do you know if your soil is truly thriving?
Soil microscopy can give you the answer by actually seeing who's living in your soil.
Learn how to identify who's there, encourage the good guys, and build a living soil that feeds your trees naturally with Matt Powers.

Matt is a bestselling author, an educator, a citizen scientist, and the creator of the website regenerativesoilscience.com.
He’s also a family man who teaches people around the world how to live more regeneratively.

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-star rated premium online fruit tree care education at: https://learn.orchardpeople.com


HOW TO TUNE IN TO OUR PODCAST


📺 Video Podcast: Watch the recorded episode anytime on our YouTube Podcast Playlist.

🎧 Audio Podcast: Download the podcast and listen on your favorite app after it airs.
📻 Radio: Tune in to RealityRadio101 at 1:00 PM ET!


IS READING YOUR THING?

🌐 Transcript: Read the full conversation at your own pace.

🌐 Article: Read the article linked to the show "Harnessing the Power of Soil Microscopy for Fruit Trees" and find the video and podcast links there too! 

 

✍️ Do you want to learn to grow organic fruit trees successfully? Sign up for OrchardPeople.com's free monthly newsletter at https://orchardpeople.com/sign-up/


For premium fruit tree care education visit: https://learn.orchardpeople.com/. 


FOR MORE INFORMATION ON GROWING FRUIT TREES THAT THRIVE:


✂️ 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/


MORE PODCASTS TO EXPLORE WITH RELATED TOPICS:
Healthy soil (Bury your briefs test)

Homemade foliar spray

Regenerative spray

Biochar

Wood chips

Beneficial nematodes

These show notes may contain affiliate links to products. We may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!


  • (00:00) - #120 Soil Microscopy for Healthy Fruit Trees with Matt Powers
  • (01:19) - Exploring Soil Microscopy
  • (01:37) - Interview with Matt Powers
  • (03:04) - Understanding Soil Testing and Microscopy
  • (05:05) - The Role of Microbes in Soil Health
  • (11:08) - Practical Soil Testing Techniques
  • (20:23) - Water Quality and Soil Testing
  • (29:45) - Balancing Fungi and Bacteria in Soil
  • (30:37) - Introduction to microBIOMETER and Its Benefits
  • (31:38) - Understanding Fungal and Bacterial Ratios
  • (32:28) - Exploring Nematodes and Their Role
  • (35:16) - Amoeba and Their Interactions
  • (39:24) - The Importance of Mycorrhizal Fungi
  • (43:26) - Endophytes: Microbes Inside Plants
  • (51:07) - Microscope Technology and Its Applications
  • (53:54) - Conclusion and Resources

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: English Episodes: 123

Official website RSS
youtubelinkedin
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.In the show, Thomas…
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…

«123456789...13»