Forum Humor

I've come across many interesting things in online forums. One of the most intriguing is how differently people answer what seems like a fairly straightforward question.

Now, don't get me wrong—I'm not knocking how anyone does things. I'm simply pointing out something I've observed and doing so in a somewhat tongue‑in‑cheek manner.

A good example is:

"When is the best time to cut back roses, and how much should you cut them back?"

Here are some answers:

"My mother-n-law swore by Feb. 22nd and she always had beautiful roses."

"Valentines day and cut 2/3 off"

"Don't prune roses until after the Forsythia blooms."

"I started pruning mine already."

"My aunt always told me the month that ends in “ uary… January, February."

"Valentine’s Day & Labor Day. Cut as needed. You can trim a little anytime"

"Wait until end of month."

"Trim them anytime… you’ll never harm them!"

"I do mine anytime from now till the end of Feb/early Mar. I try to get them before they start to bud out. You can prune them year round if you want, it won't hurt them but I like to do my knockouts this time of year because when I do, the first spring bloom is always amazing."

To be fair, most of these fall right in the sweet spot of mid- to late February. What gets me smiling is this: Many people don't attribute that time of year to pruning roses because of any science—they do it because that's when Grandma said it should to be done.

They know the when, not the why.

In this case, it doesn't really matter. It just reinforces the idea that many people follow guidelines without much real understanding or thought behind it. This is one reason I struggle when I put out an idea that goes against the grain. An idea can be as "deep-rooted" in science as you like—but if Grandma said differently, you’ll never change their minds.

This is why I stay away from publications like The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Yeah, I went there—blowing up the gardener’s bible. What can I say? [shrug]…To be honest, I have a lot of respect for the publication. I just have an issue with them telling you to plant something on the 12th of this month, and then twenty‑two years from now—wait an extra three days… really? How do they know?

Weather forecasters can’t predict the weather ten days from now—but the Almanac can tell you what to do decades from now? That’s a bit hard for me to swallow.

In any case, those folks in the forums get it right on this one. I’m just sitting here drinking my coffee, typing away, and poking a little fun. The forums I frequent are full of wonderful people. Whether I’m there to offer advice or pick someone’s brain, I always walk away having learned something. I’m genuinely grateful for what they post.

It's an amazing community—just don’t try to debate native vs. non-native plants, and for heaven's sake, don’t mention an invasive one. 🌱