Topwork pruning prep

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I am topworking 3 trees at home, and maybe a few at camp IF I have scions and time.

When your pruning the herd, do you do anything special to the trees pruning wise. I gave those 3 a good prune. Should I cut back closer to where I am grafting? Will this allow the nurse branches more energy, maybe save more energy for the grafts? This is pre leaf out / bud wake up. Probably be grafting these guys in a month.

One in the dark is droptine on anty. Almost think I should go open center because its going to look huge next to m111's. 25x25 spacing. Also, I may put 8-10 grafts on the branches if I keep central leader. Should I go with 3 or 4 nurse branches? Trunk is about soda can sized. Planted fall 2022. If I didn't have a bunch of trees to plant at camp, I'd dig this one up and move it there. Might go franken crab. Put a mix of crabs I want at camp. turning point, kerr, trailman, AWHO, Violi's, and winter wildlife.

 

[H20fwler]

I would cut off all that low stuff.
I cut off anything crossing or growing in to keep plenty of sun and air passing through, and try to train it up and out. Pick nice thick nurse banches that are growing correct and cut them back.

 

[Kooch]

Soda can size and planted in 2020! I want some of what that tree is eating. Mine are not nearly that fast.


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November 2022, not 2020. Cant even guess how many hours I spent dragging 300ft of 3/4" garden hose out. Often 40 minutes daily in the summer.
Got to do my homework and put an irrigation system in. Atleast for the backrow of 22 trees.

Watering is the biggest piece of the puzzle. Want some nice trees quicker, get a watering setup. Trailer with big tires, run 1 inch pipe to a central spot. Slow watering is deep watering.

Going to look again. I think one of the daylight pics wa taken pre-prune, the other was pruned but is too low. The night picture is droptine. i thought the lowest was about chest high 4ftish. Think I will clean that up some more. too. See how the scions come in and what I get left over from the 28 apples rootstocks this year. Definitely make mixes in all those 3.