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hungryfrozencanuck

Help - Pruning to new leader following dieback

So you can add this to the newbie mistakes list.

Got a lovely 3 year old plumcot bare root late last spring. Heard should remove 30% and had brilliant idea to paint trunk white. Yes I used matte interior latex paint BUT did not thin to 50%. Also that 30% haircut was probably just before bud break meaning I knocked out alot of stored nutrients.

Long and short of it is that the whole trunk died back nearly to the base. Man I was kicking myself. Anyways, luckily it was tough and was able to push out shoots through the latex. So now I need to train a new leader. Snow has just melted 1 week ago. I was planning on letting everything grow this year and cut back next year but what do you all think?

Do I cut back to an inch above the longest leader (3rd down) and train it up? Do I cut back to the top smaller leader? Do I leave it alone this year? Any opinions on how I salvage this?

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