permaculture

["frances and/or david" <fdnokes@hotmail.com>]

Just reflecting a bit more on the Paul Wheaton interview with Larry Korn, 
reflecting on a historic visit with Fukuoka.
The bit about tree pruning was really interesting, and I would love to hear 
more on this topic. Perhaps some others who listened (or not) have more to 
pitch in on this topic.   Basically, Fukuoka as a devotee of nature, felt 
that pruning was unnatural and controlling, but that once it was started 
(usually at the nursery), there was no turning back. A natural tree will 
develop in a suitable pattern, often a whorl.  Fukuoka, bless him, did not 
mind getting up into a tree on a ladder, and, if he couldn't reach every 
last apple, saw no harm done in leaving them for the wildlife that could 
access them.  What a different world this would be if more people thought 
like Fukuoka!  The mere fact that he spent his time in observation of nature 
would create a whole different ecosphere.
I was interested in this comment about pruning.
Also interesting was his preference for growing fruit trees from seed.  Yes, 
some of them will bear fruit you can eat and others will bear fruit that 
others will eat... (We clear off an apple tree every year, and enjoy the 
apples in all kinds of ways, mostly juicing, blending, and eating out of 
hand -- the owners of the tree see them as 'cooking apples')
And, if I'm not mistaken (but would welcome some clarification), apparently, 
some of the apple seed grown trees will just not bear any fruit at all?  At 
any rate, I am seeing that as part of a larger parcel of land, maybe even as 
part of a windbreak scheme?, apple trees from seed could be very beautiful.
Anyone have anything to add on this topic of trees -- the natural way... ?
This takes us back in time, and to a less demanding way of life, for 
ourselves and for the plants, too.
Frances