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Should we be using pesticides on our fruit trees? And if not… what do we do instead?

In this episode of White Strawberries, I’m joined by Matthew Priestley, whose work and thinking around ecological systems challenges and encourages us to rethink how we respond to pests in our orchards🌿

We explore what’s really going on when pests and disease show up, and why reaching for sprays might be missing the bigger picture. From airflow (including opening up a “wind tunnel”) to soil health, tree nutrition, and system design, this conversation is all about working with your ecosystem instead of against it.

If you’re growing fruit trees and wondering how to manage pests without pesticides, this episode offers a practical, grounded alternative rooted in science, observation, resilience, and long-term thinking.

What You’ll Discover

• Should you use pesticides on fruit trees—or avoid them altogether?
• What pests and disease are actually telling you
• How airflow and pruning reduce pressure naturally for some fruit trees
• Why soil health and tree nutrition are foundational
• How systems evolve as your trees grow and mature
• What to do instead of spraying (organic and non organic pesticides)

Find Matthew on the BrotherWood site here and on Socials here.

Some of Matthew's favourite resources:

Products he mentioned (He has no affiliation with these):

Hortitech Foliar Protect

Hydrolysed Fish

Wood Vinegar

Book recommendations:

Michael Phillips, The Holistic Orchard

Nicole Masters, For The Love of Soil

Education/Inspiration:

Permadynamics, permaculture based training, PDCs and short courses

Elaine Ingham - Soil food web

Matt powers - Regerating soil

Paul Stamets - Fungi

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love your support:

⭐ Jump into your podcast app and leave a rating & review
💌 Send me a question or share your thoughts
🌱 Tell me what’s happening in your garden right now

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📍 Website: whitestrawberriespodcast.com
📸 Instagram: @whitestrawberriespodcast

May your strawberries be white and your soil full of carbon 🌱

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Discover how to design a garden that produces fruit all year long using the power of guilds. In this episode of White Strawberries, I dive into the concept of plant guilds—groups of plants, animals, and insects that support one another—and how they can transform your orchard or food forest into a thriving, self-sustaining ecosystem.

Learn why harvest gaps happen, even in productive gardens, and how understanding guild relationships ensures consistent yields, healthier plants, and richer soil. From observing microclimates to layering fruit trees with companion plants, this episode is packed with practical strategies for gardeners who want abundance without the stress.

What You’ll Discover / Key Points:

• Why gardens often have unintentional harvest gaps and how guilds solve this problem
• The role of companion planting and supportive guild members in fruit production
• Practical steps for designing a guild-based orchard or food forest
• How observation and seasonal rhythms guide planting decisions
• Ways to enhance soil fertility, plant health, and biodiversity through guilds

References & Links:

📄🌳Fruit Trees Year- Round Free Resources.

• Previous White Strawberries episodes you might enjoy:
  • Mediterranean Guild Gardening: Figs, Grapes, Olives & Companions | Mastering the Garden
    
    
  • Permaculture: Explained | With Dr. Sez the Vet
    
    
  • White Strawberries: How They Inspired This Podcast | Sparking Joy –
    
    
  • Subtropical and Topicals in a Cold Climate | With Steve Fawcett from Tropo

🌱 Keywords: fruit guilds, perennial gardening, year-round harvest, companion planting, food forest

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In this earthy and enthusiastic episode, I chat with Sarah Williams—permaculture gardener, mushroom grower, and the green-fingered soul behind Sarah’s Green Acres—about growing wine cap mushrooms, also known as burgundy mushrooms or garden giants.

We explore:

• How to grow them in a food forest or permaculture orchard
• Why yours might not be fruiting yet (ahem, speaking from experience!)
• Cooking, freezing, and eating them—especially if you're cutting back on meat
• Why they’re hard to find in shops, and why that's exactly why we should grow them
• Their role in nutrient cycling, soil health, and lazy gardening magic

Plus, we spiral delightfully into tangents about refractometers, bitter greens, the spray-heavy brassica world, and why we sometimes avoid testing our soil (just in case it bursts our bubble).

If you’ve ever wanted to grow something that tastes amazing, supports your soil, and you can’t find at the supermarket—this episode is for you.

✨ Want us to dive deeper into mushrooms, logs, bags, or bitterness? Let me know!
📸 Find me @whitestrawberriespodcast
🌱 Follow Sarah on Instagram at @sarahsgreenacres

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