INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Check the ninebark for any branches that have died or that are broken during your maintenance pruning. Cut these down to the ground or as close to the connecting branch as you can. Don't cut the branches down to stubs. Remove them completely. The leaves on dead stems and branches will be dry and crunchy or nonexistent. Branches that are sick or dead may have flaky bark that looks different from the bark on the rest of the shrub. Check the interior of your ninebark during maintenance pruning to see how well the stems and branches are spaced out. If they look crowded, then remove some of them to thin them out and promote healthier growth. Make sure to cut them all the way down to the connecting branch. For example, if you find an area of the shrub where the branches are rubbing together, remove a few of the branches so that they are not rubbing together anymore. You may also notice that some areas of the ninebark are so full of foliage that no light can get through to the interior of the plant. This may be the case even if the branches are spaced out. Thin out these areas by cutting out some of the stems and their connecting leaves. If during maintenance pruning you spot any shoots that look weak (sagging or flimsy) or spindly (with few leaves or flowers), then remove these. Cut them as close to the connecting branch as you can. Don't leave any stubs. Pruning shears work well for pruning shoots.

SUMMARY: Remove dead and damaged branches and shoots. Thin out stems and branches in areas that are overcrowded. Eliminate weak or spindly shoots.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Ryan Leaf was going to be the next big thing. A great football quarterback, finalist for the Heisman, second-overall pick in the NFL draft. Fast forward a few years, and Leaf is considered one of the biggest busts of all time, having failed to achieve at a high level. Natural talent for playing football doesn't mean anything if you don't commit to building it into a skill. When you find your talent, think of it like a seed that you're planting. You're off to a good start, but you've still got to water it, mulch it, and weed around the edges to make sure your seed grows into a big plant. It takes work. As iron sharpens iron, so one talented person sharpens another. If you've got a talent for something, or even if you just hope to develop talent in some field, surround yourself with other talented people and model yourself after their behaviors, practice routines, and attitudes about their talent. Learn everything you can from talented people. Find a mentor who's willing to show you the ropes and coach you in developing your new skills. Blossoming guitar players need good teachers beyond YouTube. Blossoming singers need other people to play music with. Developing your talent into a skill and your skill into an ability is going to be hard. The more you learn about a subject, a task, or an ability, the more complicated it becomes. Commit to learning everything you can about your field and challenging yourself to become a master. Turn your talent into something special. Make your talent real. Playing chess might not get easier for Magnus Carlsen, just because he's a phenomenal player. Now he knows just how complicated the game can be. The more you learn about a game, a skill, or a field, the more there will be to learn. It never gets easy. Even if you've got no talent for the guitar, practicing two hours a day guarantees that you'll get a lot better. Someone who practices, whether it be sport, art, or any other field, will always end up more talented than someone who never picks up their instrument, picks up their paintbrush, someone who never practices. Hard work outruns ability every time.

SUMMARY:
Commit to building your talent into a skill. Find other talented people. Respect the complexity of your talent. Practice.