Learn wisdom from the ways of a seedling.
A seedling which is never hardened off
through stressful situations will never
become a strong, productive plant.
~ Stephen Sigmund
I don’t know if I totally agree with the above quote, but it certainly applies to growing fruit trees. Each year in the family orchard I worked on, we would prune our trees, sometimes severely, to encourage a structure of branches that would grow strong, in the right direction, and without competition in order to bear the most and highest quality fruit. I suppose those prunings felt severe to the tree, stressful, perhaps. But the tree would prosper for them.
Are you sure the quote is correct?
I’m not familiar with it, but the logic, to me, would be:
“A seedling which is never hardened off through stressful situations will become a strong, productive plant.”
I’m inspired when I realize that whatever life’s challenges would do to make me “hardened off,” (resistant to growth) has no true power. Through Love’s tender care, I am becoming a strong, productive plant! :<))
To above,
Oh interesting. I had a different interpretation of “hardened off,” than you do.
By hardened off I was thinking of the tree that becomes stronger in the wind. A tree that has never been tested by a wind grows fine until the day a storm comes through, then, because it never grew strong enough roots to stand in the wind, topples over. But the tree that knows what wind feels like grows stronger roots, a stronger trunk and stiffer limbs that can endure. Then when a huge storm comes through, it has no problem withstanding because it has been growing strong and firm all along.
Evan
When you start seeds inside or in a greenhouse, before you put them in the ground, you have to ease the transition by putting them outside in a protected spot until they can withstand the temperature variables. This is what is called “hardening off” in the gardening world. This can apply to a person who has newly discovered CS where we learn step by step how to thwart the claims of mortal mind.