Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Remove basal suckers. Do away with emerging water sprouts. Keep aesthetic pruning to a minimum. Eliminate entire sections of the tree that are infected with fire blight. Remove any other diseased wood you come across.

Answer: Suckers are spindly, invasive branches that grow underground and sprout around the bases of mature trees. Most suckers are thin and weak enough to remove using a pair of gardening shears. Clip the suckers down low, at the exact point where they emerge from the ground. Basal suckers most often originate at the rootstock that the crabapple was grafted onto. If left alone, these tiny branches can develop into whole new trees, complete with different flowers and fruits. Removing suckers as soon as you spot them will redirect energy to the parts of the crabapple tree you want to preserve. Water sprouts are slender shoots that grow vertically out of the main branches of the tree. Like basal suckers, water sprouts can be snipped with a pair of sharp gardening shears where they emerge from the branch. Cut them away at the base with sharp shears. Try to catch emerging water sprouts when they're still young and green. At this stage, you'll be able to simply pull them off by hand, which makes it harder for a new one to grow in its place. Too many of these undesirable shoots can crowd out the other branches and reduce airflow within the tree, leading to disease, rot, infestations, and other complications. Many arborists are tempted to spur their crabapples' to grow by continually pruning their live branches. However, this can be risky, as over-pruning can backfire and trigger an explosion of water sprout growth. If you want to shape up your tree, restrict yourself to a few scattered cuts, thinning out smaller branches all the way back to the parent stem. The tree's upper crown is especially likely to produce an overabundance of water sprouts if cut back too much. Never remove more than 20% of your crabapple tree's total live growth in one year. Doing so could severely stunt its growth or even kill it. Fire blight is a bacterial infection that's common in crabapples, especially after pruning. If you encounter growth that's suffering from fire blight, remove the diseased branch along with the parent stem it's growing from. Dispose of both parts in a leaf bag or similar container and thoroughly disinfect your tools afterwards. Trees affected by fire blight typically have branches that appear burnt or blackened, and may produce shriveled, "mummified" fruit. If your notice fire blight on a major limb, you may be able to save it. Try scraping off the outer layer of bark all the way down to the healthy tissue underneath to ensure that the disease doesn't spread. In addition to fire blight, crabapples are also susceptible to other common plant diseases like scabs, rust, and powdery mildew. Branches showing signs of disease should be cut at the collars and disposed of or discarded a safe distance away from the rest of the tree. Always disinfect your gardening tools thoroughly to prevent disease from spreading from one part of the tree to another. The simplest way to do this is to dip the blades in rubbing alcohol before making each new cut. If the trunk or root system of the tree appears to be infected, it may be too late to save it.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Pick a sharp size 14, 16, or 18 needle. Choose a polyester thread in your choice of color. Adjust stitches to 3.0 mm or longer.

Answer:
Since some clear vinyls are thick, use a very sharp needle that can cut through the material. Use a leather needle size 14 or a universal needle in 16 or 18. These won't bend when you sew through the vinyl. If you can't find needles for leather, you can also choose needles made for denim. If you're making something that will be stored outside, use a bonded nylon thread because it's weatherproof. For most other projects, you can use a standard polyester thread. For an eye-catching project, consider using several different colors of thread. To prevent the stitches from pulling and tearing the clear vinyl, adjust your machine to make stitches that are at least 3.0 mm or longer. This will make stronger seams that those made with shorter stitches. The stitches should be at least 2.5 mm wide.