So, I tried notching with BAP and it seems to work

[ramv]

I posted about this a while ago

Other tree training techniques: spreading, bending, notching, girdling, etc

Other techniques that are almost never mentioned is considering the root cause of why trees branch in particular ways or have a tendency to central leaders or heavy branching. It is the hormonal relationships of auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins. Administering these hormones in specific ways can allow trees to branch in very specific ways. For instance, applying Keiki paste (a paste of 2% BAP-- a cytokinin in Lanolin) can allow a tree to branch. I’ve used this technique to promote branching …