If photo is light, can photosynthesis happen under artificial lighting from
fluorescent light?
A silly question, right, but I was hoping that there could
be a CPR
for plants because my pet plant in our unit, which had been abloom with sunny
yellow flowers, was dying. I don’t mind the flowers that have turned dark
orange and dry since, as I pointed out to someone who unthinkingly commented
about and carelessly touched them, real flowers
DO wilt. However, I was bothered by the leaves that were turning dark green,
and then brown, more and more of them every morning, which I grudgingly prune.
Even the buds, which could have replaced the wilted flowers, were turning dry.
Naturally I texted the question to someone whom I knew
would take it seriously, since this was a matter of life and death (for my
plant). His answer made me realize that although I had been faithfully
watering and placing it on the windowsill (for the much-needed sunlight), I was
oblivious to the term, just enough.
Just enough is one thing I always find myself
grappling with. How much is just enough shopping,
just enough penny-pinching, just enough reward, just enough punishment, just enough play, just enough work, just enough
jealousy, just enough love, just enough annoyance, just enough tolerance, just enough humility, just enough assertiveness, just
enough suffering, just enough
understanding, just enough giving, just enough taking, just enough sacrificing, just
enough forgiving? When is it too much or too little? If I had too much today,
will having too little tomorrow even things out so I could come up with just enough, on the average? Yes, it all boils down to what one’s personality,
values, principles, priorities and goals dictate, and usually I figure it out before something/someone turns
dark and dies. But the subjectivity of just enough makes it difficult to figure out.
Now, after three days of giving it just enough water and
sunlight, my plant is showing signs of
improvement. New, fresh leaves and buds are sprouting, and the old leaves have
remained green. The jello that’s supposed to fertilize the soil
has found a better purpose in my stomach.
No matter how hard, then, we should strive to keep things in moderation. And no, nothing artificial, please. Because just like you and
me, plants
can tell.
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