Scott Roxburgh wrote:Looking good Grant.
How do you address the multiple buds that have come from the candle pruning?
Do you remove some of the buds now and leave two? or do you let them grow up until a point and them remove them?
Excellent question Scott and I believe there are 88 ways to address this matter; or at least 2 anyhow.
1.One method. Thin out now and select the buds back to 2 all over the tree with slightly bigger buds at the bottom of the tree and slightly smaller buds at the apex. That should result in even growth all over.
2. Another method. Allow all the buds to grow and elongate and select the growth in autumn. You could keep slightly stronger growth at the bottom of the tree and slightly smaller at the apex; or alternately keep it dead even all over the tree.
Each method will eventually produce the same result but each method is suitable for trees at different stages and ages.
I would use the first method on older trees that are already well budded and the latter method on younger trees.
There can be a lot more involved than what I have just said above but it is a good start.
Grant
