Orchard People

Ken Asmus of Oikos Tree Crops in Kalamazoo, MI has spent decades developing beach plums that taste great and are genetically diverse (rather than grafted clones). He talks about growing beach plum "communities."

Dig deeper into plums in this article.

The host of the Orchard People radio show and podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree care education website http://www.orchardpeople.com.

 

Formerly known as the Urban Forestry Radio Show from germination in January 2016 until December 2023, we have grown over the years, thanks to the collective knowledge and collaboration of our monthly guests, organizations, and audience from around the world.

 

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• (00:00) - Introduction and Welcome
• (01:36) - Genetic Diversity in Plants
• (03:11) - Introduction to Beech Plums
• (03:24) - Guest Introduction: Ken Asmus
• (04:24) - Growing Beech Plums: Tips and Insights
• (05:44) - Beech Plums vs. Other Plums
• (09:36) - Pest and Disease Resistance
• (18:16) - Pollination and Propagation
• (24:51) - Beech Plum Communities and Cultivation
• (32:26) - Challenges with Yellow Beech Plums
• (34:14) - Defining Plant Communities
• (36:22) - Hybrid Plants and Their Issues
• (36:52) - Listener Questions and Answers: Consider Diversity for Production and Growing from Seed
• (38:49) - Propagating Beech Plums from Seed
• (40:39) - Making Jam and Jelly from Beech Plums
• (41:35) - Book Giveaway Contest
• (48:49) - Ken Asmus' Legacy and Vision
• (54:48) - Market Potential of Beech Plums
• (57:25) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts