I've been thinking about the idea that we should mimic nature in our gardening practices, especially with principles from permaculture and the importance of soil health. But I keep hearing the saying "Nature doesn't prune. Neither should you." What's everyone's take on pruning when it comes to organic gardening? Does nature actually prune, and how does that affect our approach?
3 Answers
I've gotta laugh at that! Nature definitely prunes—just look at how deer and other animals keep munching away at my plants! It's basically free maintenance at this point. Plus, wind and storms really get in there and do their part too!
Totally! You can't say nature doesn't prune. Just watch my squirrels—they're constantly pruning my elm tree while snacking on seeds. It's all part of the cycle, and pruning can actually help encourage better growth and yield. Nature's just not as tidy about it as we are!
I get where you're coming from, but we can't overlook that nature doesn't really care about our survival. It's all about letting plants just be. However, if we want to have a thriving garden, sometimes we gotta step in. And there's even evidence from indigenous practices showing that managing land was an art form! It's fascinating!