The Key Component - Balance

I have recently found that learning how to grow plants is like learning many other things, for example; Riding a bicycle. Learning to ride a bicycle is a good example because learning how to do it requires balancing yourself upon two wheels while working against gravity. You use the controls you have, the handle-bars, the pedals, and your body to keep yourself upright. Balance is a hard concept to teach because of its nature as a skill rather than knowledge. Humans often learn quickly and automatically when presented with a stable test vehicle which is why teaching a child to ride a bike is often done using either training wheels and/or personal guidance rather than deep explanations of gravity and the controls. It may not seem that this relates at all to plants but please read on.

Learning how to balance is the key component when growing plants, and is often explained by those who can do it as "Knowing what the plant needs." The controls in the case of growing plants are each aspect of the plant's environment which you have control of. The feeling of growing plants is much like that of riding a bike. It is fun to successfully keep plants alive, and losing any of them is like having a bruise on your arm for a week.

The similarities of learning any balancing act are abundant, but what is most important are the differences. Growing plants for starters is a much slower process, requiring more than just hopping on a bike and pedaling down the street. The effect of each action takes much more time to effect the plant and it is certainly never as dramatic as seeing pavement heading rapidly toward your head. Learning how to read the effects of your actions is the first and most important process. Like riding a bike the only way to learn how to read these signals is through experience.

I have learned how to grow plants by getting on the bicycle and trying what I have learned from others. Luckily killing a plant doesn't cause me physical damage otherwise I would need another learning method, but I have found my balance by trial and error. Now with the ability to read the signals which signify my actions I can experiment with techniques and document their results over time.

Balance will remain a constant aspect of the process of growing plants and will provide improving results through time. Every environmental aspect must be balanced within possibility to provide the most efficiency. Balance cannot be taught, but must be learned and is a skill which requires sharpening, and in my opinion is the single most important aspect of growing plants.