The garden is growing! As usual, year after year some types of vegetable plants do better than others. This year looks to be a great year for cucumbers, first time ever! I think we finally got the growing location, nutrients, and water cycle just right!
In a moment of zeal, I planted too many cucumber seeds in my second planting so I had to thin the plants. I find the process of thinning plants very challenging. I see every plant as its potential, so when I pull a small plant or seedling I see myself taking all of its future fruit with it. But for two reasons, I don’t need so many plants. First, too many cucumbers can be a problem. I only need so many cucumbers for our eating, preserving, and farmstand sales. Second, growing more than I need isn’t doing the soil any favors. It takes plentiful nutrients to grow these plants. Such as having a overly packed calendar schedule (we have 24 hrs in a day) is too much for the human soul, having too many plants in a small space is hard on the fertility of the soil (it only has the ability to carry and provide so many nutrients).
As I pulled the cucumber plants, I set the seedlings in a pile that would end up in the compost. They slipped easily out of the soil but I saw that they still had excellent root systems started. By the time I was done with my project, I went back to gather the first plants I plucked and noticed these plants were already visibly responding to having been pulled from the soil. They were becoming limp. In otherwords, they were losing the signs of being healthy and full of life.
The soil I pulled the cucumber plants from has many elements of nutrition that the plant needs. I fully pulled the plant from the soil, so I took it from the more important thing it needed, the support of the soil which gives it a sturdy foundation to grow in. If I had left it in the soil, it would still grow but it might not be as healthy if it was lacking certain nutrients from the soil. Also, it would not be as healthy if I added too much of a certain type of nutrient. Cucumbers love potassium in the soil, but if I gave it too much, that could be as detrimental to its growth as too little potassium in the soil.
People are like this too. We have the core thing we’re rooted in. We also have various nutrients we need to feed our souls. And, what we need to grow is different for each human (such as it is for plants too!). If a person is pulled from what they are primarily rooted in, they will begin to wither. Or, if certain nutrients are removed or given too much of, a person will survive, but not thrive in this scenario.
Life in balance is an ongoing personal project for me and is always changing because of my environment. Summertime, for example, has a lot more dosing of my necessary nutrient of community. In summer I get more of that, but adjust elsewhere to make room for it. Just as the cucumbers may find perfect balance, then suddenly there is a cold snap, they may struggle. But, if they are in healthy balance in the first place, the cold snap will be less impactful on them.
What are you rooted in? Family? Community? Faith? Adventure? Learning? Teaching? Nature? Or….what else? Which one is your SOIL? Which ones are your NUTRIENTS?
Peace, Love and Nature,
-L
P.S. If you’ve been on long-time blog reader, you know I absolutely love learning from nature. I enjoy being part of it and I’ve learned that its a major nutrient I need for my soul to grow. Nature teaches me so much. And, in return I love to teach about nature. Last year I held Foraging Adventure for Beginners at White Sky Woods. This year I’m partnering with The Keweenaw Land Trust (KLT) and bringing Foraging Advernture for Beginners to KLT’s Steve Farm Nature Area. We’ll explore, identify, sketch and experience what wild plant foraging the Keweenaw region has to offer. Get all the details here!
whiteskywoods.com 