Missives

The latter days of wintertime begin various garden activities at the Kluth estate. One of the most urgent matters is to prune the blueberry bushes.  It is an art form that’s been slowly developed over the years, and you only get one chance a year to do it right.

I painfully discovered this some years after I chose and planted six varieties, having only pruned small dead branches in the spring. I was quite happy every year to get an ever-increasing volume of berries as the bushes matured; but alas, in the seventh year, berry production collapsed. It seems pruning is an absolute essential, else the plant literally works itself to death. Some plants continue to produce a quart of tiny berries, which are tasteless and painstakingly slow to pick.

I found some blueberry-specific pruning advice from independent growers and state agricultural resources, but their directions were confusing. Now in my third year of pruning, I’m starting to get the hang of it.  Blueberries have different types of stems (canes), either vertical “whips” or horizontal “laterals.” The fruit comes from the laterals while the whips support the laterals and must be the right age and of sufficient size. Two of the oldest canes must be cut each year, regardless of how big they are, along with any dead wood, crisscrossing branches, or whips that are too short or small. Laterals at this time of year begin to show fruit buds, which makes it emotionally difficult to cut. Sparing the shears will spoil the bush since you’ll get too much small fruit. The picture gives an example of fruitful laterals as compared to an unfruitful cane, the latter of which joined a small pile of dead wood yeeted [1] outside the estate.

A pruned blueberry whip supporting 8 fruit-budding laterals.  The author’s hand holds an unfruitful black branch.

As the the bushes are pruned, verses in John 15 spring up:  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth [2] it, that it may bring forth more fruit. … If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.. … I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain. Pruning has only two purposes: maximize large, juicy, rich-tasting blueberries, and maintain health canes for future fruit production. Failure to prune results in many seasons of poor production and delays vitality, if the plant recovers at all.  I’ve lost two bushes thus far, and I fear a third this year.

Likewise, Jesus is looking for spiritual fruit. In Psalm 1, David compares believers to a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season, meaning there are times and seasons for the believer to bear fruit. Daniel the prophet was not prematurely lowered into the lion’s den as a youth; he bore fruit at an early age, middle age, and all the way into old age. He was well pruned when the time came to be lowered into his ultimate test of faith.  Isaiah declares judgments against Judah, prophesying that God will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned.  This speaks to God’s removal of the blessing of pruning.  Isaiah also foretells of a time of peace, when men shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks, implying that pruning is done in times of calm, with purpose and patience, not in a time of war.

The month of June will tell whether my third year of pruning was successful.  A master pruner is knowledgeable about his particular cultivar and cuts wisely to improve its output.  Some professional fruit growers can prune their bushes such that they achieve a per-plant crop of 1.5 to 4 gallons/plant.  Suffice to say I’m a long way from that level of optimization – but I know One Who can and does prune (purge) His people expertly!