The Dahlia Dilemma
A few years ago, I had to cut back all but one of the flowers on our dahlia plant.
Because… aphids.
I figured that it would be better to cut back than try to treat at this juncture. I can work on treating now that I’ve got less to treat. No pesticides, just water to dislodge them.
If I’d left the plant as-is, it’d be doomed.
I’ve learned a bit during this season about gardening. But one lesson I took before learning about gardening was from Dr. Henry Cloud’s book Necessary Endings. He says that in order for a rosebush to thrive, you need to trim some of the blooms. That may seem counterintuitive, but if the bush tries to feed every bloom then none of them will thrive.
I have three buds on this dahlia. One flower left. I want them to thrive – and I want to be able to take care of the plant better. Basically, less to process means more to progress.
The same can be said for things on your to do list. Pruning works. You should give it a try.
