Ignorance story: Don't Judge a Plant by Its Vine - 03/24

In June 2023, I ordered 300 fruit plants of 30 varieties. My vision was to transform my one-acre farm (roughly 40,000 square feet) into a thriving tree orchard within a few years.

In November, the caretaker pointed to a particularly vigorous vine reaching eight feet tall (as compared to other plants which were 3-4 feet in height). Unsure about this unexpected plant, I took a picture and sent it to the sapling seller. Even they were clueless.

Assuming it was a rogue forest vine, I instructed the caretaker to remove it. Luckily, they hesitated. On a subsequent visit, I captured a clearer image and used Google Lens (since there was no internet access on the farm) to identify the mystery plant.

The result: "Actinidia deliciosa," commonly known as a kiwi! To my surprise, kiwi fruits grow on vines, not trees.

This experience highlighted my ignorance. As it turns out, kiwis aren't the only lesson waiting to be learned. In the past, I've instructed colleagues to delete seemingly unnecessary excel sheet or SQL views. Thankfully, like my careful caretaker, they didn't always follow my lead, potentially saving us from unintended loss.

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