How to grow limbs on the other side?

[silver_yummies]

I have a dwarf honeycrisp tree in my backyard and all of the branches are on just on side of the tree. This is its 3rd year. Anyway to force new branches to come out of the backside of the tree?

 

[Turkey Creek]

If there are buds on that weak side come spring you can notch above them just as they start to swell. Often that works or by applying one of the growth hormones such as Promalin or Maxcel.

 

[swat1018]

I scored above a couple buds in weak spots on 2 of my trees early spring. I'm 100% at getting limbs where I wanted them.

 

[chickenlittle]

http://www.habitat-talk.com/index.p...he-leader-to-create-fruiting-limbs2-pdf.9324/

If that link works, take about scoring to get a limb. If it doesn't work, go to the first part in the fruit tree guide thread (sticky at to of the fruit forum)

 

[Appleman]

scoring works great and have applied this technique many times. I pruned an orchard for a friend this spring and did this on several young Honeycrisp which were void of any limbs on one side. Since then he has reported shoots started at the point of where scoring was done.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I agree with all of the scoring folks. Maya gave me some advice in a PM on how to score because I had some big gaps on the trunks of a couple young trees. I followed his advice and it worked great !! I took a very sharp knife and pushed the blade into the bark carefully about 1/4" above a bud on the trunk. You just have to feel the bark " pop " to accomplish the task, so don't push way into the wood. Light pressure until you feel a " pop " or " snap ".

I did this at different levels vertically on the trunk, and also radially around the trunk to push limbs right where I wanted them. Now those trees are looking much better, balance-wise.

Thanks Maya for the advice !!