Pruning

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:1-2)

A few days ago, I happened to be driving down the road while a township crew was performing some roadside maintenance. They had a large tractor, like those often used to mow the grass medians along divided highways, with an extension arm to which was attached a mowing platform. I’ve seen these in use before, primarily to mow steep slopes or on the other side of guard rails, but in those instances, the platform was always parallel to the ground. What caught my attention this time is that the platform was held vertically, perpendicular to the ground, and they were trimming large bushes and small tree branches that were growing too close to the road. Everything was cut back so that it no longer obstructed any part of the roadway or the grass shoulder.

Pruning is a different beast altogether. It’s one of the most difficult parts of fruit tree care, in my opinion. Branches need to be evaluated for the direction of growth, overall health, and future growth potential, and cut back accordingly. The measure isn’t what’s best for the branch, but what is best for the tree as a whole and the grower’s purposes (typically a better harvest). It’s counterintuitive that one can increase fruit production by removing branches on which the fruit grows, but it’s a time-honored best practice for tree care. 

Between these two pictures of trimming, I’m thankful that pruning is the illustration for how the Father cares for us! There’s no one-size-fits-all pre-determined standard length; rather, the picture we have is a thoughtful and prudent gardener carefully selecting what needs to be trimmed back in order to promote health and fruitfulness.