On the first weekend of April, I had the pleasure of attending a holistic orcharding seminar with Wayne and Dave (we call him Doctor Dave for some reason; he’s not a doctor, but it helps to distinguish him from Wayne’s brother Dave nevertheless). It was SO AWESOME AND ENLIGHTENING! Michael Phillips was the guest speaker, a renowned orchardist based out of New Hampshire, and has been giving talks about holistic and organic orchard practices for years, and has written quite a few books on this up-and-coming concept.
The talk discussed two large topics: boosting tree immunity, and engaging in competitive colonization. To boost tree immunity, we need to consider the tree health AS WELL AS support the intricate mycorhizzal (fungal) networks underground that connect all the trees together! The trees (and all organisms, us included!) need enzymes to facilitate protein synthesis and other physiological functions, and the fungi are essential in tapping into mineral resources throughout the soil, often reaching all the way down to solid rock layers! Fungi cannot produce their own food, so they trade these minerals with the trees for carbohydrates during periods of feeder root growth in the spring and fall. They also carry carbohydrates from stronger,healthier trees to younger or not so healthy trees that cannot produce as much themselves. Fungal networks also provide a messaging system for the trees, so trees can alert each other of oncoming pests and diseases that may be heading their way. MIND. BLOWN.
To promote this fungality, you can add wood chips and mulch beneath the trees. These are both very high in minerals. In fact, the brush pruned from the trees is especially mineral- and nitrogen-dense compared to trunk wood (which is much more carbon-dense)! Organic compost mixed with mulch is also a great soil amendment to add around the trees.
Pests feed on incomplete proteins (amino acids), so when they have the minerals to produce the enzymes to fully synthesize proteins, you have less of a pest problem! And the idea behind competitive colonization is that many bacteria and pests are opportunistic- they attack where there is a vulnerability, for instance, in the blossoms or leaf stoma. So if you surround the leaf and blossom surfaces with beneficial microbes by spraying things like liquid fish, neem oil, seaweed, or kelp cytokinin, you feed those beneficial microbes, leaving no room for competitors.
After the talk, we headed to High Hill Orchard, where Wayne talked about the history of the orchard, and went over the basics of his treatment plan (which I’ll get into more later when it’s time for Wayne to treat the trees). Michael gave us a lesson on pruning, and complimented Wayne on his own pruning job - which has certainly been perfected over the last 50 years or so! Above are some pics of our little field trip.
Overall, an awesome learning day! I learned so many new things, and definitely had that I-need-to-tell-the-whole-world-this-is-so-awesome! feeling for the rest of the week. Lessons learned: 1) Don’t let anyone tell you trees don’t talk; 2) treat your trees; and 3) eat more mushroom
