Last spring I successfully grafted and planted several varieties of apples on Bud 9 rootstock. Some of these trees grew in excess of 6' this summer. I am wondering how to prune these little unbranched trees in the spring to lead to earliest bearing. I am sure that many of you can help me with this simple question. Thank you!

Ted

Remove all branches more than 1/3 the diameter of the trunk at point of attachment to trunk. Leave all other branches until tree begins bearing. Once that happens things get a bit more complicated.

Spread branches to about 15 degrees above horizontal.

Some people even train the branches to below horizontal. But I've never done that. Guess I should try it once.

The Fruitnut

I first read about the 1/3 rule years ago in an article by a man who oversees the the management of thousands of acres of pears and apples in Washington and Oregon. For vigorous varieties his pruning crews would do nothing with newly planted trees except remove excessively large branches until trees would begin to bear.

In spite of all the major wood removed this leads to quicker yealds and better overall production apparently. It sure works for me, but remember that I said "vigorous varieties".

heres a vid on training young trees

Nothing is that simple.

The Fruitnut

I would've done that by pinching as it grew. But yes, now that it's a 6' whip I'd say that's the best option.
He could wait and see if it happens to branch where he wants it to but if it doesn't that's wasted time and energy.

IMO the height is where you want it. I think I start mine at 24" so I'd cut it 3-4 buds above that. But that's too low for some people, especially those battling deer.

I would wait to see them begin to grow and than cut once I saw what the lateral buds are doing. I suspect that if the rootstock is correctly labled it will begin sending out latteral branches at first growth. If not, you will at least get a better response in terms of latteral branching by waiting out the first flush of growth before cutting. Otherwise you will be encouraging the tree to continue going straight up.

At this point precocity concerns need to take a back seat to proper tree structure. If you want an open vase, cut it back now. Even a central leader I'd cut it back to form that first tier of branches. If you want a tall spindle or something like that, then don't cut it. But the later will need support, a trellis or tall stake.

The Fruitnut

Tipping during the season requires training along with it.

The first was a whip, the next the second tier was tipped in during the season and trained (and this picture was before I tied them down and really trained them into position).

The hormonal affect of dormant stub cuts is to provide apical dominance to buds immediately below the cut. You can come back and pinch off all but the replacement central leader and 2 buds beneath it you intend as your first scaffolds, but that is the slow route to your destination. It will require frequent summer pinching to keep the 2 scaffolds subdominant to the leader, as well.

By waiting until after first flush the hormonal affect of cutting back is altered, encouraging growth throughout the tree. This way you don't have to sacrifice so much of the previous seasons growth. Second season should automatically bring about the growth of lateral buds- that's just how trees tend to grow (1 year straight up, next out). The tree has not exceeded desired height so there is no reason to cut it back in my opinion.

I understand that you don't think there is any other way to get the tree to fill out properly, and you may be right, but I doubt it. Even if you are correct that the tree will fail to generate new latteral growth unless tree is lowered to the point where you want your first branches, the response will be better by later pruning.

You can also encourage branching right where you want it by shallowly notching the trunk immediately above the bud you want to grow. It stops the flow of the stunting hormones from apical tips above.

I'll have to try that notching.

Other than that I won't argue with anything anyone else has said.

The Fruitnut