Pruning the plants has become one of my major jobs around the farm. With over a thousand plants in the ground, and another 1800 holes coming, there are a lot of plants that have to be inspected and pruned. Seems like you just get through the fields once, and the plants back where you started are needing it again. We prune for several reasons, and prune differently for different results: we prune a plant that is, or will be soon, producing flowers to cause the plants to put more energy into the flower's stem, thus elongating it; we prune away disease; we prune to shape the plant and promote growth in specific directions; and, we prune to encourage growth in younger plants.

In pruning, I have found my own understanding of the green thumb. When you look at a plant you can either see its energy, or you cannot. When you can see a plant's energy it becomes very obvious what to prune. When a plant is pruned correctly you can see the energy coming up from the earth, through the plant, and shooting out the top into the sky. Prior to pruning, you can look at a plant and see where it's energy is confused, corrupted, or just discombobulated; it is the same sort of empathy that lets you detect when a person is ill.

I guess "seeing" isn't really the right word for it, although sight is as close to the sensation as any other, like smell. It registers as a sensation, a feeling. And, it is very difficult to describe to someone who cannot "see" it.

Labels: Flowers

link | posted by Reese at 8:41 PM

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