Luther Burbank's Garden of Invention with Rachel Spaeth

In this episode we explore the story of plant breeder Luther Burbank and we'll see how his discoveries still live on in our edible gardens today. Our guest is Rachel Spaeth, the garden curator of the Luther Burbank Home & Gardens in Santa Rosa, California.

Rachel also serves as the Secretary for the Redwood Empire Chapter of the California Rare Fruit Growers (CRFG), an adjunct faculty at Santa Rosa Junior College in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department, and is currently working on a PhD in Historical Plant Breeding and Genetics from UC Davis.  In her spare time, she enjoys multi-grafting fruit trees and identifying insect specimens.

This month's recommended resources/books:
-A Gardener Touched With Genius, the Life of Luther Burbank by Peter Dryer
-The Garden of Invention: Luther Burbank and the Business of Breeding Plants by Jane Smith

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

Susan is the author of four books on fruit tree care. Learn more here: https://learn.orchardpeople.com/books

She is also the creator of five-star rated premium online fruit tree care education at: https://learn.orchardpeople.com

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For premium fruit tree care education visit: https://learn.orchardpeople.com/. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON GROWING FRUIT TREES THAT THRIVE:

✂️ How to Prune Fruit Trees:

https://orchardpeople.com/how-to-prune-and-train-fruit-trees/

🪲 Fruit Tree Pests and Diseases:

https://orchardpeople.com/protecting-fruit-trees-from-pests-and-diseases/

🌳 How to Feed Fruit Trees:

https://orchardpeople.com/how-to-feed-fruit-trees/

🍎 The Best Fruit Trees to Grow:

https://orchardpeople.com/best-fruit-trees-to-grow/

🌱 How to Graft Fruit Trees:

https://orchardpeople.com/how-to-graft-fruit-trees/

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• (00:00) - Introduction and Apple Tasting Event
• (01:41) - Luther Burbank: The Legendary Plant Breeder
• (02:16) - Interview with Rachel Spaeth
• (02:55) - Luther Burbank's Famous Creations
• (04:23) - The Magic of Plant Breeding
• (05:49) - Luther Burbank's Legacy and Influence
• (08:27) - The World of Plums Before and After Burbank
• (14:38) - The Pluot, Plumcot, and Modern Hybrids
• (19:24) - Grafting and Propagation Techniques
• (20:31) - The Multi-Grafted Apple Tree
• (21:29) - The Apple Dilemma
• (21:46) - Luther Burbank's Quince
• (22:40) - Innovative Berries by Burbank
• (25:03) - The Himalayan Blackberry Invasion
• (28:14) - Luther Burbank Home and Garden
• (30:19) - Growing Heritage Fruits
• (35:26) - Grafting Techniques and Tips
• (39:43) - Genetic Modification vs. Traditional Breeding
• (41:50) - Conclusion and Farewell