Do Fruit Trees Need Pesticides? Rethinking Pest Control Naturally | With Matthew Priestley

Ask a Question or Leave a CommentShould 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 ProtectHydrolysed FishWood VinegarBook recommendations: Michael Phillips, The Holistic OrchardNicole Masters, For The Love of SoilEducation/Inspiration:Permadynamics, permaculture based training, PDCs and short coursesElaine Ingham - Soil food webMatt powers - Regerating soilPaul Stamets - FungiIf 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🔗 Connect with Me📍 Website: whitestrawberriespodcast.com 📸 Instagram: @whitestrawberriespodcastMay your strawberries be white and your soil full of carbon 🌱About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.Join Grounded – Be first to hear when the course opens.Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.