If you grow apple trees, you understand the importance of annual pruning and training to develop proper shape and form. When done correctly, pruned trees live longer and have a much better chance of producing more fruit. Not long ago, I had wild apple collector and apple specialist, Matt Kaminski from Sunderland, Massachusetts, work on two of my favorite old apple trees here at my farm - the specimens located in the center paddock now nestled within my living maze. Matt, who is also known as Gnarly Pippins, opened up the tree canopies, cut any unnecessary branches, and improved the overall framework to support the next bounty of sweet, crisp apples.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Apples come in all shades of red, green, and yellow. My fruit trees are extremely healthy, in part because of all the care and maintenance that is done to keep them doing well year to year.
At my farm, I have many, many apple trees – some I’ve planted and others that are about 100-years old and original to the property. These are two of my “ancient” apple trees. I have photographed them many times.
Several years ago, we added these vertical struts or crutches to support the heavy limbs. I’m so glad these trees have held up well and continue to grow and produce.
This limb is very old – one can see the exposed interior, but it is still very strong and many branches still grow from it.
Here I am with Matt looking at one of the trees. We discuss the health of the tree and where he feels it needs trimming. Late winter or early spring is the best time to prune. The tree takes up a dormant state after shedding its leaves and before sprouting new buds.
There are two main goals of pruning trees. On young trees, pruning encourages a tough, solid framework. And on mature trees, they usually already have their shape determined, so it’s important to maintain that shape and size.
This is one of Matt’s trusted pruning saws. He actually makes his own saw handles for his favorite blades. This blade has a slightly curved tip, so branches can be pulled out more easily.
Pruning saws have serrated blades and are used to cut branches up to 10-inches in diameter. Matt recommends making bigger cuts before doing the small, detail-oriented pruning cuts to ensure there aren’t any redundancies.
Here, Matt cuts the smaller branches and twigs. They are snipped off with regular secateurs. Like me, Matt prefers pruning work be done by hand as it creates a more natural appearance and shape.
These are bypass loppers for branches up to two-inches in diameter.
With their single-edged blades, loppers are perfect for cutting live wood and delivering clean and precise cuts.
Matt also uses a telescoping pole saw for cutting hard to reach branches.
It is important to always use sharp tools whenever pruning so that the cuts are clean. Dull tools are difficult to use and could even damage the tree. A straight, clean-cut promotes quick healing of the wound and reduces stress on the specimen.
Matt removes the main Ds in pruning – dead, dying, diseased, drooping, discolored, and divergent, or inward facing branches. Notice this branch is almost black at the joint – it definitely needed to be cut.
As he prunes, Matt stops occasionally to see how the tree looks – the sections he has pruned and what he still has to do. He says always take into consideration how light can enter the canopy and the stability of the branches.
He cuts out branches that contribute to clogged, thick areas of the canopy.
And he thins the many water sprouts, which are the spindly branches that normally grow straight up from lateral branches and do not bear fruit. He does, however, leave some because sprouts can help a tree rebuild its energy reserves.
Pasang, who is our resident tree expert and also a very skilled pruner, learns more tips by watching Matt at work.
After the branches are cut, they are gathered, piled, and then either saved for kindling or processed through a wood chipper and returned to woods.
Here is one of the trees all finished. And don’t forget the soil. Good soil health is very important. Amend the soil as needed with compost or other fertilizer. Thanks for pruning, Matt – the trees look great! I can’t wait to see the fruits of your labor come autumn.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, we're expecting several days of cloudy skies and showers, with temperatures in the 40s - a chilly start to April, but the gardens continue to transform.
I am constantly noticing something new blooming here. While many of the spring flowers are erupting with vibrant color, we've also been taking photos of the various trees, shrubs, and bushes and all the precious buds just beginning to open on their branches.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Here on my 153-acre farm, I’ve planted thousands and thousands of trees – in and around the gardens, along the carriage roads and throughout the woodland. I love how they look in the landscape and how they change through the seasons. Most importantly, we need trees for the environment – they help combat climate change, provide habitat and food for birds and other animals, and release oxygen for us to live.
The Pin Oak Allée is the first allée guests see when entering my farm. These trees are tall and impressive. Pin oaks, Quercus palustris, are popular landscape trees because they are fast-growing and easy to maintain.
Nearby, I have a stand of weeping hornbeams, Carpinus betulus ‘Pendula’ – the branches of these trees gracefully weep creating an umbrella of foliage that reaches the ground.
Hornbeam is monoecious, meaning male and female catkins, which appear before the leaves, are found on the same tree.
Outside my main greenhouse, I have Camperdown Elms, which slowly develop broad, flat heads and wide crowns with weeping branch habits. I also have beautiful Camperdown Elm specimens outside my Winter House.
Here are the spring buds. Soon, small reddish green flowers will appear before the foliage.
Viburnum is an upright, rounded, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub or small tree that typically grows to 20-feet tall and up to15-feet wide. This too is showing spring growth.
My blueberries are located between my Flower Garden and my Hay Barn. These blueberry bushes are so prolific – we harvest thousands of fruits every summer.
The first sign of growth are the visible swelling of the flower buds.
Just outside my kitchen on the terrace parterre is a tall weeping katsura, one of my favorite trees. Cercidiphyllum japonicum f. pendulum has these pendulous branches that fan out from the crown and sweep the ground. Tiny red flowers emerge in late March or early April before the leaves.
Aesculus hippocastanum is a large deciduous tree commonly known as the horse chestnut or conker tree. This is one of the many I have here at the farm. It is located at one end of my stable at the foot of my long Boxwood Allee.
These are beginning to bud. They will continue to grow over the next few weeks showing leaves and flowers. By mid-May to early June, these trees will be in full bloom.
And here are the early season branches of a weeping cherry tree down behind my stable. A weeping cherry tree is at its best when the pendulous branches are covered with pink or white flowers. I’ll share photos when it is in full bloom – it won’t be long.
Outside my Summer House is this Cornus mas, commonly known as cornelian cherry – a deciduous shrub or small tree that is native to central and southern Europe into western Asia. It typically grows over time to 15 to 25 feet tall with a spread to 12 to 20 feet wide.
Yellow flowers on short stalks bloom in early spring before the leaves emerge in dense, showy, rounded clusters.
One of the earliest trees to flower here in spring is the magnolia. This one down by my hoop houses is always the first to show buds and blooms. Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol.
From a distance, everyone notices the stunning golden-yellow weeping willows. Here is one grove of weeping willows at the edge of my pinetum. The golden hue looks so pretty against the early spring landscape.
When the tree blooms in late winter or spring, yellow catkins appear. In time, the catkin flowers will blossom with hundreds of hairlike protrusions. The flowers mature to yellow before they are disbursed by wind or rain.
My orchard surrounds three sides of my pool. We planted more than 200-fruit trees here, many of which started as bare-root cuttings. Some are now beginning to flower.
Some trees are still bare or still holding on to last year’s leaves, but very soon the entire landscape will transition again and be filled with lush green layers of foliage and more colorful flowers. Watch the progression with me on my blog and on Instagram @marthastewartblog.
If you're planning to use the family's special silver this Easter, polish it now - it’s always so rewarding to complete time-consuming chores before it gets too hectic.
This week my housekeepers took on the task of cleaning and polishing my drawers of silver flatware. There are a few ways to clean silver. One nontoxic method is to fill an aluminum pan with hot water, salt and baking soda, stir until it is all dissolved, and then soak the pieces until a chemical reaction occurs that removes the tarnish. This technique is faster than hand cleaning but may cause pitting and remove the more desirable tarnish called patina. Silver cleaning cloths made especially for removing tarnish from precious metals are also available. Many experts recommend using a good-quality, non-abrasive commercial silver polish. I have been using Wright’s Silver Cream for years.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
In my Winter House servery, I have several shallow drawers specifically designated for storing silver spoons, forks, and knives. Periodically through the year, we schedule times to polish a section of silver. These pieces are very lightly tarnished – some pieces don’t even look tarnished at all, but it is always a good idea to clean silver regularly, so it doesn’t develop a thick coat of tarnish that is harder to remove.
When it is time to clean, batches of flatware are removed from the drawer and brought over to the sink. With so many to do, it is wise to use a production line process to get them done quickly and efficiently.
Here on the left is a polished fork, and on the right is one that still needs polishing. It is hard to see, but there is a slight discoloration. Tarnish is caused when the chemical element of silver reacts with hydrogen sulfide, which occurs naturally in the air. This produces silver sulphate on the surface of the silver and shows up as the common black-brown tint.
Wright’s Silver Cream is a gentle all-purpose polish that works on all types of silver. It also works nicely on stainless steel and chrome and comes in a big tub.
When we polish anything, a terry cloth towel is placed on the bottom of the sink, so the metal doesn’t bang against any surfaces. I also do this whenever washing delicate china pieces – just in case something slips through the hands.
Carlos uses a soft moistened sponge to apply the cleaner. A soft cloth can also work well.
Carlos coats the pieces completely with the silver cream. The silver will start to brighten as it is rubbed. Always use silver polishes that are non-abrasive, and opt for formulas, such as creams and gels instead of sprays. It’s also a good idea to use gloves when taking on this task, so the cleaning cream does not come into contact with the skin.
Next, Carlos rinses them clean and uses another sponge to ensure all the cleaning cream is removed.
After cleaning with the silver cream, Carlos washes the spoons with water and dish soap. And never place any silver in the dishwasher. The detergents’ aggressive chemicals, combined with the washer’s high cleaning temperature, will eventually turn the silver to gray or white, with a dull, non-reflective surface.
The pieces are passed to Enma who dries each piece thoroughly right away with a soft towel to avoid any water-marks. Do not let your silver air dry, because water left standing can cause spotting.
The finished pieces are placed on another towel, so they can be sorted before being put away.
This can be the most time-consuming part of the process – matching up all the spoons and forks.
Enma looks at each piece carefully. Some are easy to group together because of their interesting handles and stems.
And look – these spoons are engraved with “Martha” and “Stewart.”
A clean piece of shelf liner is on the bottom of every drawer. These shelf liners are available at any kitchen supply store. I like to use non-adhesive grip liners. They stay firmly in place and provide a bit of cushioning for the silver.
Here’s Enma placing them all into the drawer, lining them up with other like pieces.
Like spoons are stacked with the stems slightly spread, so they can be counted without being touched.
Some handles have very unique shapes. When buying, look for similarly shaped pieces in case you need them for larger parties.
Try to make time to use precious silver when entertaining – regular use is the best way to prevent tarnish from forming. If you have a large collection, try to rotate the pieces, so everything gets some use during the course of the year.
These spoons are organized by size and style – notice how similar they are, but no two are exactly the same. Another tip for storing silver – keep it away from high humidity and high heat.
I have thousands of silver spoons, forks, and knives – many purchased from antiques fairs and shops over the years. I love using them whenever I entertain, so polishing three or four times a year is generally sufficient to keep everything in good condition.
The joy of owning beautiful silver flatware does require some work to keep it looking beautiful, but it is all well worth the effort. Have a wonderful and safe Easter weekend!
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