Pruning Apple Question

[KY wild]

In the past I would buy a bareroot tree and plant it and let it grow that 1st winer I would start pruning it the way I want it for the future. Now that I am grafting I am running into a new situation and wonder what is best practice.
My 1st year grafts last year grew straight up whips and made it to the top of a 5 foot tube or close to it as a whip and went into winter needing little help. I did nothing to them because I wanted the limbs above 5 foot and the whip was only at 5 foot heading into spring. Well this growing season they are up to about 7 feet or so as of this moment and some are still whips and some have two split stems. I realize the next step is to cut off all but one to make central leader and to top the central leader to make it start branches between the 5 foot and 7 foot. The question is should I do right now at the end of hot July so they will quit wasting improper growth or should I wait until Sept. or maybe wait until completely dormant. I know it would be OK to wait until dormant season but seems like wasted time and energy, but don't know if July cut would be harmful to tree. Please tell me what you think, thanks

 

[bigboreblr]

Overall summer pruning is for dwarfing a tree. Some exceptions.

Id wait till dormant.

You can make a small nick a little above a bud where you want a branch. Forgot the name of the pruning procedure.

My grafts rhis year i do prune back lesser leaders. Just the 1st and msybe 2nd leafs pairs. Not sure if it helps or not.