Q: Pruning an old apple tree can encourage it to develop new growth and fruit. If the tree is brittle, dead, or diseased, then pruning it won't help. To determine whether or not your tree is worth saving, look for the following: Grayish or crinkled branches: These branches are dead or diseased. If more than half of the tree's branches appear like this, then the tree is not worth saving. Damaged or peeling bark: This is a sign that the nutrients aren't making their way into the trunk, leaving it weak. New growth at the ends of the branches: This is a sign that the tree is alive. If you don't see signs of new growth, the tree is past saving. The best time to prune is after the tree has gone dormant for the winter, but before it sprouts new growth in the spring. Depending on where you live, this will be some time between late winter and early spring. If you prune the tree too early, it may get damaged by the cold. You'll need a saw with fine teeth, a pair of clippers, and gloves. If your tree is too tall for you to reach the uppermost branches, you'll need a sturdy ladder as well. If you have a lot of thick branches to cut, then a lightweight chainsaw might also come in handy. If you have a lot of trees to prune, consider investing in a pole pruner. It is a pair of clippers mounted on a pole. Your tools must be sharp and clean. Dull tools will create jagged wounds that won't heal, while dirty tools might infect those wounds. If the tools are dirty, prepare a solution made from 9 parts water and 1 part bleach. Clean the tools with the solution and some steel wool. Sharpen your tools using the appropriate tools or take them to a hardware store or a blacksmith. This is very important. The trunk may look strong and sturdy from the ground, but it may actually be weak and brittle. If you put too much weight on it, it may break. A good way to test the weight is to step on the first rung of the ladder or lean your weight against it. If you hear creaking, the tree is not stable. If your tree is short enough for you to reach the upper branches, then you do not need a ladder.
A: Make sure that the tree is healthy. Plan to prune in late winter or early spring. Obtain the right cutting tools, gloves, and a ladder. Sharpen and clean your tools, if necessary. Lean the ladder against the tree, then test the weight.

Q: Before and while you take your gap year, you need to spend some time reflecting on your goals. This could be your goals in life or your goals for your gap year. Ultimately, determining your goals will help you better conceptualize, articulate, and experience your gap year. Consider: Whether you want to grow as a person. What your long term goals are. Do you want to devote your life to business, to family, or to philanthropy? What are your short term goals. Where do you want to be in one, three, or five years? Think about this in terms of career or family life. Whether you want to see and experience things you may not be able to do at any other time. For instance, after you enroll and then graduate from college, you may never be able to hike the entire Appalachian trail from Georgia to Maine. Perhaps the most important element of finding yourself during your gap year is to spend it doing things and visiting places that interest you. If you're fascinated with nature and the environment, find an internship or a job in which you can spend your time exploring that interest. Don't feel pressured to spend your gap year doing something that your parents, guardians, or others think will be good for you. However, make sure to listen attentively to anyone who does give you advice especially others who have taken gap years. Avoid giving in to peer pressure. You may be tempted to spend your gap year with friends doing something that your social group thinks is hip and trendy. When it comes to evaluating this, you need to listen to your inner voice and let it guide you. If you think your friends' idea of a cool gap year is a bad idea, let them know that you support them but will do something else. For instance, say something like "I think I will be more fulfilled doing something different." An important part of finding yourself during your gap year is to experience a wide variety of things that are dramatically different than what you've already experienced. By visiting far-flung places, meeting new people, and seeing new sights, you'll widen your perspective and gain a broader understanding of your place in the world. Consider a place you've never been but that fascinates you. For example, you may choose to spend your gap year in the Australian outback, China, or the desert Southwest of the United States. Think about a place you've visited and might want to attend college or live. For instance, if you're from New England, the Mountain West might fascinate you. Reflect on spending your gap year traveling nonstop from region to region and form country to country. You may be able to expand your worldview and better find yourself after experiencing places vastly different than ones you know.
A: Reflect on your goals. Focus on your interests. Travel to different places to broaden your perspective.

Q: Daylilies are difficult to start at home. Visit your local nursery and buy a few starter plants. If you know another gardener in the process of dividing daylilies, ask if they'd be willing to share some of their root divisions with you. Root divisions are created when multi-stemmed plants are pulled apart to form single stems. Daylilies are vigorous growers and often used as ground cover. They will spread and form a dense mat after a few seasons. Daylilies prefer full sun, although they will tolerate partial shade. To get the most blooms, choose a location that receives a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. However, daylilies can easily handle 8 to 12 hours of full sun daily. Daylilies planted in the shade will bloom less frequently. Daylilies are hardy and can withstand almost any kind of soil, but they thrive in well-drained soil. To test your soil's drainage, dig a hole that is 1ft (30cm) wide and 1ft (30cm) deep. Fill the hole with water. If the water drains in 10 minutes or less, you have well-draining soil. If it takes an hour or more, your soil drainage is poor. To amend soil that drains poorly, add some organic matter like well-rotted manure, wood chips, pea gravel, or peat moss. Mix it into the existing soil thoroughly. Daylilies like slightly acidic soil. Purchase a soil testing kit from your local nursery and perform a reading by following the included instructions. Anything under 7 is considered acidic. Anything above 7 is considered alkaline. To reduce acidity in your soil, add garden limestone. To reduce alkalinity, amend the soil with sulfur, gypsum, or sphagnum peat moss.
A:
Purchase nursery-grown starter plants or obtain root divisions. Choose a site that gets at least 6 hours of full sun daily. Select an area with soil that drains well. Test the soil for a pH between 6 and 7.