First Seed, Second Fertilizer, Third Cultivation: Japanese Proverb Meaning

Proverbs

How to Read “First seed, second fertilizer, third cultivation”

Isshu ni hi san tsukuri

Meaning of “First seed, second fertilizer, third cultivation”

“First seed, second fertilizer, third cultivation” is a proverb that shows the order of priorities for success in farming.

It teaches that the most important thing is choosing good seeds. Next comes giving proper fertilizer. Third is doing solid soil cultivation.

This proverb is used when planning farm work or teaching techniques to young farmers. It serves as a guide for where to focus limited time and effort.

No matter how carefully you till the soil or how expensive your fertilizer is, you cannot expect a good harvest if the seeds themselves are poor quality.

On the other hand, if you choose excellent seeds, you can get decent results even if conditions are not perfect. This represents wisdom gained from experience.

Even today, this proverb is understood as a basic principle of farming.

It matches the priorities of scientific agricultural techniques: the importance of breeding improvements, proper fertilizer management, and soil environment preparation.

Origin and Etymology

The exact first appearance of this proverb in written records is unclear. However, it was likely already being passed down among farmers during the Edo period, when Japanese agriculture developed significantly.

Looking at the structure of the phrase, it uses the numbers “one,” “two,” and “three” to show priority order.

This is a common expression method in Japanese proverbs, with the same structure as sayings like “First Fuji, second hawk, third eggplant.” It is designed to be easy to remember and spread by word of mouth.

The three elements—”seed,” “fertilizer,” and “cultivation”—are all fundamental farming tasks.

Seeds determine the genetic properties of crops. Fertilizer supports growth. Soil cultivation prepares the environment where plants grow.

The fact that these three were deliberately ranked shows agricultural wisdom condensed from years of experience.

What is interesting is that soil cultivation, which requires the most labor, is placed third.

This does not mean it is less important. Rather, it is based on the realistic observation that no matter how much you till the soil, good crops will not grow if the seeds are bad.

This tells us how decisive variety selection was in an era when agricultural technology was underdeveloped.

Usage Examples

  • If you are starting a new field, remember the order of first seed, second fertilizer, third cultivation—begin by getting good seeds from a reliable seed shop
  • My grandfather used to say first seed, second fertilizer, third cultivation, and he never compromised on seed selection

Universal Wisdom

“First seed, second fertilizer, third cultivation” teaches us the truth that there are decisive factors in all things.

We want to believe that effort can overcome anything. But in reality, our initial choices often determine most of the outcome.

This is universal wisdom that applies not just to farming, but to every aspect of life.

Perhaps this proverb has been passed down for so long as a warning against our “faith in effort.”

We tend to find value in sweating to till the soil and applying expensive fertilizer. Visible effort brings a sense of achievement and is easily appreciated by others.

But our ancestors saw through this. They understood that the unglamorous decision of initial seed selection was more decisive than such visible effort.

This insight contains an understanding of fundamental human weakness. We are not good at changing course once we have already started something.

Even when we realize we have planted bad seeds, we pile on more effort thinking “since I have come this far.”

Because they knew this human tendency, our ancestors repeatedly emphasized that “the beginning is crucial.”

This proverb is not just about efficiency or rationality.

It teaches us the importance of choosing where to pour our limited life time and energy.

When AI Hears This

Why is choosing seeds the top priority? From a systems thinking perspective, this is intervention at the deepest layer: “setting initial conditions.”

Increasing fertilizer is “adjusting quantity.” Improving cultivation methods is “process improvement.” But seed selection is “changing the starting point of the system itself.”

In Donella Meadows’ leverage points theory, intervention effects on systems are divided into twelve levels.

Lower interventions are “parameter adjustments” with limited effects. For example, doubling fertilizer only increases harvest by about 1.5 times.

Middle level is “improving feedback loops,” which corresponds to improving cultivation methods. The highest level is “changing the system’s purpose or paradigm.” Seed selection is exactly this.

What is interesting is that good seeds work “multiplicatively.”

If seeds are disease-resistant, all subsequent work becomes easier. If the variety has high yield, the same fertilizer produces different results.

In other words, seed selection is an “amplifier” that affects all subsequent processes.

Edo period farmers did not know the terminology of systems science. Yet from experience, they saw through the hierarchical structure of “where effort has the greatest effect.”

This is suggestive for us today too. When considering how to allocate effort, reviewing fundamental preconditions is more important than surface-level adjustments.

Lessons for Today

What this proverb teaches modern people is that “what you choose” is more important than “what you do.”

We tend to focus on the amount of effort or the carefulness of our work. But there is something we should stop and think about first.

That is the question of whether we are choosing the right thing in the first place.

In work or study, initial choices determine most of the results.

No matter how hard you try, if you are moving in a direction that does not suit you or has no future, you will not get the results you want.

Before starting to make an effort, you need the courage to ask yourself if this is really right.

This teaching might free you from perfectionism. You do not need to do everything perfectly.

Identify the most important points and focus there. Pour your limited time and energy into truly effective places. That is the smart way to live.

Starting today, why not pause a little before beginning something?

Is that seed really worth planting? The wisdom of our ancestors can serve as a signpost to make your life more fruitful.

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