The Necessity of Pruning
Even though it is still January, as I sit here quietly looking out at the mostly snow-covered ninth hole fairway, it won’t be too long before warmer weather arrives, when once again the course will be green and golf balls will be finding their way into the pond that separates the golf course from our backyard. Not only will warmer weather bring green grass and golfers, but warmer weather also brings thoughts of spring cleanup, including tending to the outdoor plants.
While many people prune the many plants around their homes in the fall, generally, fall is a bad time to prune. Pruning stimulates new growth in plants and in the fall most plants are trying to go dormant, so you see the problem. According to most experts it is usually best to prune trees, shrubs and garden plants when they are in their dormant period, preceding the time of active growth so the pruning wound heals quicker. The best time to prune is generally late winter or early spring. The major exception to this rule is plants that flower in the spring from buds made the previous growing season (deciduous); winter or spring pruning would destroy the current year’s bloom, so these plants (forsythia, azaleas, lilacs, just to name a few) are typically best pruned shortly after the blossom period.
Sometimes pruning requires just minor trimming away of dead branches or stems, other times it requires cutting almost all the growth away. Grapes, for example, are pruned in their dormant period (between leaf drop in the fall and bud break in the spring) and involves heavy pruning, sometimes cutting away up to 90% of the old wood, helping to promote growth of new wood where the fruit is located. To the casual observer, it would look as if the grape grower is destroying the grapevine by cutting everything away, but in fact, just the opposite is true, heavy pruning provides for a greater abundance of fruit.
Pruning is done to remove the parts of the plant that are no longer useful for growth. We prune our plants for two reasons – it provides a functional purpose of improving the health and growth of the plant, and it also provides an aesthetic function of making the plant more attractive.
In John 15, Jesus teaches an important lesson about the relationship of his followers with him, using vine analogy. When I read John 15:1-8, I find three key points. First, the right kind of vine must be planted in order to ensure quality fruit. Jesus calls himself the “true vine,” thus it is of vital importance for us to be connected with him, or else the quality of our fruit will be less than it could be. Second, Jesus calls his Father (God) the gardener. Success in “vine growing” depends largely upon the skill of the gardener. And third, Jesus puts an emphasis on pruning, both the removal of dead wood and the trimming of live wood. Dead wood brings disease and decay while healthy live wood improves fruit bearing potential. Click here to read those eight verses.
If plants could talk, I am sure they would tell us that pruning is painful. In fact, horticulturists and arborists talk of pruning wounds that need to be healed. When our Master Gardener prunes us, it is often painful as well, but also necessary for our health, growth, and beauty. Jesus wants to cut away those things in our lives that are causing rot and decay and are getting in the way of making us more like Him.
So, I ask, are you connected to the True Vine, and are you allowing the Master Gardener to prune away of those things that are not useful (and often destructive) in your life?
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