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

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

Orchard People
Podcast Episodes
Creating a "Tree of 40 Fruit" with Sam Van Aken [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:00
Sam Van Aken is an award winning artist and an associate professor in the Art Department of Syracuse University who uses grafting techniques to create his "Tree of 40 Fruit" art installations across North America. His tr…
When To Fertilize Fruit Trees with Robert Crassweller [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:41
When is the best time to fertilize fruit trees? In this episode Tree Fruit Production Extension Specialist Robert Crassweller, Ph.D. from Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences talks about how fruit trees' nutrition…
Native Apple Trees with Paul Kron [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:36
Most apple trees that we grow in our gardens and orchards are not native to North America. DNA tells us that these trees originate in the mountains of Kazakhstan in Central Asia. But there are some crabapple trees that a…
Apple Tasting Party with Yael Hickok and Dr. Amy Bowen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:46
Yael Hickok is a volunteer who cares for Boyer's Orchard in Alaska. Each year she has an apple tasting party or gathering in which she and other volunteers are able to taste over 120 different varieties of apples planted…
How to Prune Old Fruit Trees with Bob Lever [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:57
Old fruit trees may be hollow but they can still produce fantastic fruit and they provide invaluable habitat to wildlife, sometimes for very unique and specific species.In this radio show learn how to prune old apple tre…
Growing Fruit Trees in Extreme Climates with Greg Peterson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:13
Growing fruit trees can be very difficult in extreme climates and no one would understand that better than Greg Peterson of UrbanFarm.org, who grows his fruit trees in Phoenix, Arizona. There, the summer temperatures can…
Community Orchards in the UK and Beyond with Lewis McNeill [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:00
In this episode of The Urban Forestry Radio Show and Podcast, host Susan Poizner interviews Lewis McNeill of The Orchard Project about how they help nurture and support groups that want to start community orchards in the…
Bee Garden Design and Fruit Trees with Lorraine Johnson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:37
Lorraine Johnson, co-author of the free eBook: "A Flower Patch for The Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee" explains how to use native plants to create a pollinator or bee garden. This month's recommended resource was Keeping Bees…
Vertical Mulching and Worms in Soil with Glynn Percival [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:22
In this episode of The Urban Forestry Radio Show and Podcast we speak to Dr. Glynn Percival, Manager of Bartlett's Tree Research and Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Reading, UK who has been using vertical mulc…
Biochar and Fruit Trees with Mark and Laurie Mann [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:14
In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about how biochar can help boost the carbon levels in your soil. But what is biochar and how is it made? How is biochar different than other types of soil amendments? And is…