Shoutout to the old dude at the community garden who changed my mind about pruning

I used to think pruning was just hacking off branches whenever. But this guy Lenny at the Oakdale garden last spring showed me his rose bushes and said 'you gotta cut at a 45 degree angle just above a node or you're asking for rot.' He had this calm way of explaining it that made me actually listen. Anyone else have a random stranger teach them something about plants that stuck?

3 comments

3 Comments

king.stella27d ago

Isn't it funny how the people who know their stuff are usually the ones who don't make a big deal about it? It's like the louder someone is about gardening, the less they actually know. Lenny sounds like the real deal.

reesemiller27d ago

That part about the loud ones not knowing as much really hit home for me. I had a neighbor who would talk nonstop about his organic soil mixes and heirloom seeds but his tomatoes looked like they were fighting for their lives. Meanwhile there's this quiet lady down the street who just nods and keeps watering her perfect peppers. It's like the people who actually put in the work don't feel the need to prove anything. Lenny sounds like he knows his stuff and he's just passing it along because he cares about the plants, not because he wants to show off.

thomas27511d ago

Read a study once that said overconfidence peaks when people know just enough to be dangerous.