Removing the “suckers” in your life: Lessons from my tomato garden
The fall is a transition time of new routines and full schedules. Sometimes I wonder how I did it all last year between work, school, sports schedules and personal life.
I know I have a tendency to just put my head down and get to work. During busy times I take care of the basic needs: sleep, food, water, exercise, home and work. This has served me well over the years however sometimes when I pause to look up, I might find myself lost in the wilderness.
The same has been true with my tomato garden this summer. I followed all the basic rules. Good soil, water every day, fertilize, lots of sun…. however I wasn’t paying much attention to how the plants were growing. They became quite bushy and tall with small green fruit. I did my best to support all the branches but it wasn’t until some of the plants began to look pale that I stopped to re-evaluate. A quick search online helped me discover that I should have been pruning and shaping the growth. I learned about “suckers” which are small branches that begin to grow out of the crux of a“Y” branch. If left unattended, the suckers create new branches that can literally “suck” the energy out of the plant and reduce your yield of fruit.
I began thinking about my own life. Do I have any suckers that need to pruned? One of my strengths is my creativity. I get new ideas every day. I love starting new programs, taking on new projects and volunteering my time. These new growth ideas are exciting and fresh and seem to have so much potential… however it’s important for me to prioritize what is best for my overall vision. Too many new ideas may leave my main branches over-crowded and malnourished with fruit that is small and unable to fully ripen.
I’d rather have a strong, well supported main branch of work with a few smaller shoots to add fullness. I’m hoping it’s not to late for this season! I’ve changed my approach to include careful mindful attention as I water each plant. I delight at the opportunity to find and remove each hidden sucker.
In my own life, I’m watching carefully as I get drawn toward too many new commitments and ideas. I may pinch them off and file them for another season. My tomato garden has taught me that I have limited resources for each growing season and it takes mindful, loving attention to create a well supported, well nourished, well pruned base. I look forward to the late fall harvest when I can reap the rewards of my summer learning.
Personal Inquiry: Do you have any suckers that need to be pruned? How might your life flourish if you put your energy toward a few main branches?