#SOL22 #6
On this spectacularly beautiful early spring day, I started tackling some of the gardening cleanup, including pruning my one grape vine. I know nothing about growing grapes. I read through materials from the extension service, as well as other gardening guides, and also consulted several YouTube videos. I still have a very limited understanding, but the one point that was invariably emphasized is that each year 90% of the previous year’s growth needs to be removed. Multiple guides stated that the most common error home gardeners make is not pruning enough.
I flinched every time I cut through one of the canes, but understand the experts know what they are talking about. In the end, I will have better, more abundant fruit.
I also mused that it would be a good idea to apply this pruning to my life. I definitely am juggling too many responsibilities right now, and know it is not healthy long-term. I need to cut back to the essentials and let the rest go.
Oof, what a great connection and metaphor. Pruning the old growth from our lives to make room for the new. I’m always a sucker for a gardening metaphor. Pruning tomatoes down to a few main stems with limited offshoots always feels counterintuitive and violent to me, but the plant.always flourishes after, yielding fantastic fruit. Let’s get pruning!
Absolutely, Caroline! Now I need to prune my Hardy kiwi!
What an important simile–I’ll bet there are a lot of us who could use that reminder! I love the specificity in the beginning, as you describe your pruning.
Thank you, Natasha. I needed reminded of pruning on at least a weekly basis! 🙂