Watching how the unstaked maples thickened up really shows how much the wind does for them, so I'd take that idea even further and plant them a little closer together too. When they brush against each other in the breeze they rub and sway, and that little stress makes the trunks even tougher than planting them out in the open. Give them that room to move and you end up with trees you never have to babysit with a stake.

Keeps the blade flat against the silver skin and saws with just the tip while pulling the skin up with your off hand. That last part is what most people miss. They try to cut the skin off instead of letting the skin pull away from the meat. Same thing works on pork tenderloins and even on skinning a whole salmon. The honing thing is real too. A dull knife makes you push harder, and pushing harder is how you slice into the good meat. Once you feel the blade start to drag, two or three quick passes on the steel and you're back to gliding.