I saw your note about the sourdough starter and wanted to share what has worked for me. The biggest thing is consistency with feeding ratios. I use a 1:2:2 ratio by weight equal parts starter, flour, and water and do it at the same time each day. If your kitchen runs cool, the fermentation slows down so you might need to wait longer between feedings. I keep mine on the counter and feed once daily, but if you want to slow it down you can pop it in the fridge and feed once a week. The texture tells you a lot when it is bubbly and doubled and smells slightly tangy you are in good shape. If it smells like acetone or nail polish it is hungry and needs feeding sooner. I have found that using a mix of bread flour and a little whole wheat gives a really nice fermentation activity. Also make sure your water is not too chlorinated because that can inhibit the yeast. Letting tap water sit out overnight helps or you can use filtered. The discard is great for crackers and pancakes so nothing goes to waste. It takes a couple of weeks to build a really robust starter but once established it is very forgiving and you can dry some for backup.

I wanted to follow up on your question about pruning the apple tree. The best window is late winter while the tree is still dormant before the sap starts running. You want to remove any crossed or rubbing branches first because they create wounds that invite disease. Also cut out any water sprouts those vertical shoots that come up from the main branches as they do not produce fruit and just steal energy. Aim for an open center shape so sunlight can reach the inner branches. Make clean cuts at a slight angle just above a bud that faces outward. Do not cut too close to the trunk leave the branch collar intact because that helps the tree heal. If you have any branches that are more than half the diameter of the trunk it is better to remove them over a couple of seasons to avoid shocking the tree. A sharp pair of bypass pruners makes a big difference and always sanitize between cuts if you are dealing with any diseased wood. After pruning you can apply a dormant spray if you have had issues with pests in previous years. The tree will respond with stronger growth and better fruit set in the season ahead.