How the Fruit Tree Relates to Your Family
Growing up in church I always heard the importance of a fruit tree. I have also heard the expression, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”. I knew what those sayings meant as a child, but I never truly understood the importance of the fruit tree until my mom started growing one of her own. The amount of time and patience that goes into taking care of a fruit tree is truly an example of the word “cultivating”.
First, the fruit tree doesn’t usually bear fruit in its first year; you have to wait, sometimes through several seasons. You must care for it, protect it, and shield it from outside elements and predators such as bugs, squirrels, or distracted and unaware yard maintenance people. You must check it daily to make sure it has enough water, but not too much. You need to make sure it has enough sunlight to thrive, but not to the point where it dries out or is scorched. You need to do research and get advice from people who have effectively grown fruit trees as to when and how to prune the tree for the best production, and when is the best time to pick the fruit. You need to be sure what to look for as you inspect the tree and the fruit, what color the fruit needs to be before you pick it from the tree. The entire process of raising and growing a fruit tree is a nurturing process. It is time consuming, requires patience, fertilizer, protection, and hope for a positive outcome of healthy and delicious fruit to not only enjoy yourself, but also to share with others.
