Thank you both for your replies. Clearly there are some differences of opinion, but that’s what these forums are for! I’m sure both scott and impala have grafting experience, perhaps on different types of tree projects. I’m certainly not quibbling with anyone, and I’m willing to strip whole scaffold branches, but I just want to be very specific, since different types of trees may require different treatment. I’m going to ask further questions about stone fruits and pomes separately. I have trained my trees to the open center form. I’ll post a photo of my apricot, with two bagged grafts at the tips of limbs, about 4 feet high. (I would have grafted lower down if I could have found thick twigs to match the scions.) Pardon two things–lack of weeding which makes it hard to see, and the fact that my grafts seem like they’re dressed up for a vigilante outing! Ugh. In the first picture, should I strip all the little lateral twigs all the way down to the base of the tree? @scottfsmith will they grow back later on an apricot?
The second picture is a close up of the little twiggy laterals on one of the branches that are grafted on top. I should remove all of these right down to the branch, is that the proper technique? Again, they’ll grow back?
Then on my old apple tree, good form would require that I get rid of everything (all the fruiting spurs, etc.) except the two grafts, right down to the main scaffold branch?
I’m willing to take my chances, I just want to make sure I’ve got the right idea. I remember that @alan haigh had mentioned on another thread that he likes to leave more branches in order to have things to tie the graft branches to eventually, but I don’t know if that referred to very different circumstances. @Appleseed70 maybe you don’t consider the tiny laterals on the apricot to be vigorous growth so ou would leave them there? Thanks for your time, folks! --Lizzy
