[One Thousand Characters a Day] The Intimate Story of a Plant Caretaker 'First Plant'＜5＞

Editor's NoteThe author, who calls himself a 'plant caretaker,' does not remove the old yellowing leaves of his terrarium plants but instead cuts them into small pieces and sprinkles them back onto the soil. This acts as a substitute for the humus layer in nature, where fallen leaves decompose and create nutrients. Although it is an artificial recycling system, he says, "Returning dead leaves to the soil is the minimum courtesy one can offer to plants living away from their natural habitat." Repotting plants according to their growth rate, properly ventilating by opening and closing windows, watering according to the plant's characteristics (top watering), submerging pots in large containers filled with water (bottom watering), and finding the best spot for the plants... none of these are easy tasks without love and affection. Word count: 1010 characters.

Tropical plants also have such moments. You plant a Monstera cutting with just a single thin root in a pot, but after several months, there is no sign of new leaves, causing anxiety. Then one day, a new leaf sprouts, and soon after, new leaves emerge one after another. Until that single leaf appeared, the plant was producing fine roots inside the pot.

Plants grow well when the ratio of stem to root is balanced. This is called the Top-to-Root ratio, or T/R ratio. The reason a cutting with only one leaf did not produce new leaves for a while is not because it was unprepared to sprout leaves, but because the root-to-stem ratio was unbalanced.

If the root ratio is higher than the stem, roots need to be trimmed; if the stem ratio is higher than the root, the stem needs to be trimmed for the plant to grow healthily. Neither side should be overly dominant for balanced growth.

He was growing in balance, proportional to the roots he had established. His ability to enjoy and immerse himself in the present was his 'root.' His immersion was the driving force behind his rapid growth.

(Omitted)

Plants have what is called phenotypic plasticity. This means plants recognize changes in their surrounding environment and adjust their form accordingly. In patterned plants, the shape and color of the leaf patterns change depending on the angle, intensity, and location of the light shining on them. Plants actively adapt to environmental changes to that extent.

On the other hand, phenotypic plasticity also means that plants focus intensely on the present. No matter how 'genius' their patterns are, plants only concentrate on the angle and intensity of the light falling on their leaves right now. Plants never think, "I was born with genius patterns, so I can produce great patterns even without light." Even 'genius' patterned plants can easily produce 'foolish' patterns without hesitation. For plants, it is simply a survival strategy.

－Apisto (Shin Juhyun), First Plants, Media Saem, 17,800 KRW