Weeds must be controlled in order to produce fruit. The weeds compete with fruit producing plants for water, nutrients, sunlight, all the stuff of life. Left alone the weeds will overtake a fertile plot of soil and render it useless.
But still, wisdom must be applied to the removal of weeds. Indiscriminately plucking weeds out of the ground can do much more harm than good. So a wise Gardner will watch time and technique.
Before planting, one must remove as many seeds as possible by sprouting and killing them. This is a process of cleaning the ground before planting. The process of tilling, sprouting weeds, tilling, is carefully controlled to pull out as much of the weed seeds as possible to protect the plants that do not even exist yet.
Then seeds are planted and watered. Careful timing again can bring another round of weeding before sprouting. Weeds sprout first, so knowing the rate of germination for the wanted seeds allows a round of wedding just before emergence. But be careful, only non invasive methods work here. Disturbing the ground at this tender stage brings disaster. The seeds must be left untouched as they take root.
Then seedlings, both good and bag. The work to this point determines the balance. Lots of outside influence brings more weeds than seeds, lack of preparation before sprouting brings more weeds. Overzealous work in the crucial window destroys the seedlings. All must be in the proper proportion and timing.
Then waiting. Some weeds can be removed now, if they are far from the seedlings and small enough. Care is important to know which weeds can be removed and which are to close to seedlings. One mustn't remove all weeds, for doing so well uproot the tender seedlings.
As seedlings grow, weeds grow faster. Great wisdom and experience is required to know where the balance is between weeds left that will choke out growth and damaged done during weeding. Ultimately some weeds are left to grow alongside the plants. Some loss of good growth is accepted to prevent loss of crop. The bad is nurtured, watered, just like the good.
This balance, is parenting. Children are that fertile ground. Utmost care is needed to know when and how each plant is nurtured. No general rules apply fully, Herein is the need for wisdom, watching. Sometimes bad traits are tolerated to avoid over werding of their delicate souls. The family they are placed in is the fertile ground where they grow. Proper preparation is necessary to remove as many weed seeds possible. Tilling and planting is timing controlled.
But also this garden is God's world. We are his garden. The are weeds among us, left to grow and suck life from us. Not all weeds can be removed without destroying us. The ungodly prosper alongside the godly, the rain and sun falls on both. Such is life. Only an understanding of the highest calling and purpose explains the prosperity of the unjust. Yet, a day comes when the weeds are removed and tossed aside. When the fruit is harvested.
We have great control over the weeds in our life. It is always easier to remove sprouts than mature plants. Pulling out large weeds causes damage. Cutting off weeds at the surface lasts but a while until they regrow. The more outside exposure we allow ourselves, the more weed seeds are deposited in our garden.
Gardens are so full of wisdom. It is life, us. We have much to learn.
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