The ridiculous ways in which we grow fruit trees today just baffles me. We use dwarf apple trees for example, to maximize yields (which doesn't work), we till the soil to remove weeds, and as a result the organic matter in the ground is reduced. So you get weak trees, that attract pest and diseases. As a result, there's like 3 dozen treatments every year on apple trees, not to mention all this complex netting... Farmers who've been fed up with this and simply realized "hey I'm making my soil poor, maybe it would work better if it was rich ?" simply have gotten rid of most pests and diseases. The solution is quite simple : let the wild plants grow, and cut it once a year for harvest, leaving the green cover residues on the ground (otherwise you still lose organic matter). I saw one guy who did this except he sold the cut grass/flower as hay, and he still had to use fertilizers coz he was losing or plateauing organic matter. The same exact thing applies to grapevines... I think the worst way to grow any fruit tree on the planet is what almond farmers do in California. This is pathetic. The soil is naked, it's like a desert, they have to drill metal pipes in the ground so the water actually gets to the roots ! And where do they get that water ? They keep drilling deeper and deeper untill it's all gone. How can people be so dumb ?

@sarahktm

26 күн бұрын

But wait! A short deep dive into the history of citrus greening in FL could prove equally if not exceedingly ridiculous. The torturous practices there have been absolutely mind blowing.

Thanks Dr DeJong for exlaining some first prinicples of biphysics. With knowledge of basic prinicples I feel less dependent on experts and more confident to make decisions in our orchard :D Thanks John for organising this. Cheers from Australia

Perfect timing! Im currently battling the squirrels to leave the unripen fruits on my trees. From my visual observations over the years, I’m hesitant to do any pruning in the summer here in the Northeast. We have an abundance of predatory insects varieties right now feasting and mating. With the long days of sunlight and very hot and humid temperatures, I suspect susceptibility to disease. But, as stated in this video, I have limb breakage from heavy thunderstorms, birds, and other wildlife. I really like the idea of removing water suckers early in the spring, but I feel you should keep a select few, especially if you tree is already at an age of fruit production. I have water suckers from last year housing some nice fruit at the top of my trees. It makes sense to remove flowers in early spring as a thinning mechanism. My peaches, Asian pears, and cherries were absolutely loaded with flowers this year. The tree will naturally thin, but you are still going to have too much fruit development and smaller fruit size. I’ve always known the importance of water. We as humans have the exact same relationship to water, sunlight, and magnetism within the mitochondria of our cells. Trees grow in forests.. They need heavy mulching. To keep their feet wet during hot summer days. I’m not a proponent of fertilizing unless it’s in a raw material. I apply my own deep litter chicken compost in the fall and spring, but I think after listening, I could use another top dressing late spring as well. The trees are so nutrient dependent during the prime growing seasons (spring and summer here).

Awesome I just started reading his “Concepts for understanding fruit trees”

Would anyone know how he is measuring photosynthesis? The only way i know to do this in field is with consistent leaf brix. Is he suggesting there are false reads? That we think the photosynthesis is increasing when its not? Is he suggesting its mostly constant?

@marlan5470

27 күн бұрын

At what time of the day and during what season?

@James-ol2fr

24 күн бұрын

I'm sorry, I meant from day to day, assuming you're measuring consistent times during the same season, is he saying we cannot improve photosynthesis simply because it is a process that is going to happen? I was under the impression that John has been showing improvement in photosynthesis for years and that Dr. Christine Jones had approved of the brix reading method, though not perfect.

@kingsorchards3168

22 күн бұрын

@@James-ol2fr Ted is speaking broadly on carbohydrates as the currency of the tree. In his research he would have had laboratory-level testing to see carbohydrate levels in the plant, and could see that the efficiency improvements that researchers have sought, on a genetic level, are hard to come by since plants have been self-selecting for those traits for millennia. The topics discussed are universal to plants, and trees in particular, in that a tree with the things we actually can change, and that are needed to best accumulate sugars (proper light, nutrition, irrigation, etc.) are where our focus should be.

16 күн бұрын

@@James-ol2fr One need a hermetically sealed chamber to collect the gas emitted from the leaf if one wants to measure photosynthetic rate exacly.

Curious about ladybugs, and anyone’s input? So heathy trees fight off aphids naturally, so if i see ladybugs which previously I thought is a good thing and maybe still kinda is, but as I understand it now that means my fruit trees not as healthy as I thought. So I’m not sure this is so much a question but rather curious about anyone’s input on that.

@kingsorchards3168

22 күн бұрын

Lady bugs will eat the aphids, etc that you might have on your tree. You should always have some various beneficial insects present, and their population will expand based on their food supply as well as contract based on pesticide treatments. If things are balanced yes, you should have less aphids as well as less lady bugs, but a balanced orchard will always have even a small population of all creatures that again will expand or contract based on local conditions.

16 күн бұрын

Ladybugs are not bad, aphids are not bad either. They are there to correct an inbalance. Aphids to correct nitrate and ladybugs to reduce aphids. And then you’ll have birds correcting growth of ladybugs and then you’ll have hawks and eventually that hawk goes tovthe ground to complete the cycle. It’s just cycling to maintain equilibrium, energy can not be created nor be destroyed. Peace!

Early in this Podcast, DeJong's assertion that (his professor taught that) "Photosynthesis Happens" and we can only assist in utilizing it more efficiently".... is incorrect by at least a factor of 3X. Photosynthetic Efficiency is very much a function of Nutritional Optimization.

@kingsorchards3168

22 күн бұрын

That may be partially true in annual plants, but in trees (where Dr. Dejong has spent his career) we have many variable such as spacing, root stock, pruning, and thinning which redirect those nutrients and carbohydrates. An orchard manager wins or loses based on how and when those activities are performed. Nutrition is important, and IMO is where a regenerative mind can best improve the outcome of an orchard setting, but both factors can not be dismissed for tree crops.

@charlespaynter8987

5 күн бұрын

I think he was referring to the point that photosynthesis is fundamentally limited by physics? So if there is a deficiency of water for example, that will ultimately limit yield potential regardless of any other factors at play.

If any future guests see this comment I implore you to sit back, relax and allow John to showcase your work. This interview is an example of not knowing your host.

@kingsorchards3168

22 күн бұрын

Ted is a researcher par excellence, and as stated focus on "how trees work". He is not a regenerative ag guy, but a university professor and researcher who is used to giving a lecture rather than letting someone else "showcase their work". It's to John Kempf's, and any other podcast host's credit that he lets his guest speak on their own terms and cadence.

@robertcousins1265

22 күн бұрын

It feels like Dr DeJong might find some interesting perspectives in John’s podcast about nutritional deficiencies as they relate to photosynthesis.

16 күн бұрын

It’s great that John doesn’t interrupt his guests much and lets his guests expain themselves. Why should John showcase their work? The guests know their own work the best. The guest and John are both showing great respect.