I tried this method too (a few weeks ago) on my second leaf apple trees, and I am seeing fruiting spurs formed on roughly half the stubs that resulted from the pruning. I am also getting some undesirable (undesirable because of location on the tree and time of year) vegetative growth on some of them.
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I did get some vegetative growth over and above what I desired for a number of shoots. I was initially concerned that all the responses would be like that. That hasn’t been the case. I actually nipped a few back to an outward facing bud.
Now it’s about whether they will be able to harden off properly before the cold hits. I need to keep my hands off them from here on out.
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Thank you! Great shots. I think they illustrate it better than mine.
I have two trees on MM111 that have never bloomed and they are at least 8 years old if not older. I will do a follow up on those trees in the spring and we will see if it really made a difference.
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Just looking at the video again I’ve gotten the idea that pruning back to three buds is more likely to give you “a few inches” new growth (12:41 to 14;24).
I think we’re getting just about the response he predicted!
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That would be fine compared to the 3 or 4 feet I sometimes get after winter pruning. I get what he said about stiffening up branches too. Most I cut were long and lean. They couldn’t hold an apple if they had one.
My Arkansas Black is so twiggy I have it tied up like a marionette just to hold the light fruit crop it has this year. It would be great if I could fatten up those branches. It seems to have more tip bearing than some of my other trees. Some I couldn’t prune back because of their fruit. They will go under the knife next summer!
Just for fits and tickles tie two of them up in a lover’s knot - I did this once with pear shoots and they spurred right up. Unfortunately, I lost track of them and pruned one out by mistake, so I never got them to bear. Fun, though.
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