If you have a weak lateral that you want to increase in size/vigor to match other stronger laterals, do you head back that weak lateral in winter to help it catch up? Would you avoid heading the more vigorous laterals?
On young trees I avoid heading altogether except on varieties that require it because they droop below horizontal or don’t produce secondary wood. If all oversized scaffolds (over 1/3rd to 1/2 the diameter of trunk at point of attachment to trunk) are removed, the rest will eventually come into line by virtue of cutting away competing wood of scaffolds that violate another’s territory.
In a three scaffold tier, each scaffold owns 1/3rd of the circle of light harvest- like cutting a pie in three equal pieces. The size of a larger scaffold will eventually be limited by limiting its access to only its share of space.
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I removed this and posted it on the proper thread…