dormant apple tree buds

[ioan]

Hi
I have a double tier espalier apple that has no visible growing buds between them cept
the old knobbles where it has been trained, I would like if possible to have another tier between the existing ones.
now I have read somewhere that if a cut of some sort is made above one of the dormat buds
or knobbles, the tree will regenerate from there, and give me an extra tier.
can anyone advise on how and when to try this, and explian how to go about it.
kind regards
ioan

[FB.]

It's known as 'nicking and notching'.
A small piece of bark/cambium is cut out of the stem above a bud to prevent sap travelling down to it from buds above (the more buds above it, the more growth-suppressing hormone travels down in the sap).
Alternatively, a bud or shoot's growth can be hindered (and its sapflow redirected elsewhere) by cutting a small piece of bark/cambium/wood out from under a bud to reduce its supply of water and nutrients coming up from the roots and reduce its ability to hormonally suppress growth of buds/shoots beneath it.

Winter or very early spring is the best time to do it, so don't leave it too much longer.

Results are variable. On a mature tree or espalier it may take years before any newly-created branches are up to a size to match the other branches.

I also find that 'tipping' the growing shoots on unwanted shoots or branches causes buds lower down the shoot or tree to grow out - they use the water and sap that the 'damaged' ('tipped') shoots can't use until a new tip has started to grow.

[ioan]

Thanks for that FB
the tree I have in mind has just gone in the ground and is just two years old
so it hasn't got that thick a trunk really, it has lots of dormant buds to choose from,
thing is how wide and thick do the notches need to be ? And will it upset the general health
of the tree if I do it this year, witch would be my prefered option.
thanks again.
Kind regards
ioan

[seneca196]

How far apart are your two tiers, that you plan to get a new tier growing between them? Won't that make three closely growing tiers in the space that two normally occupy? Might be a bit overcrowded.

[ioan]

How far apart are your two tiers, that you plan to get a new tier growing between them? Won't that make three closely growing tiers in the space that two normally occupy? Might be a bit overcrowded.

Hi
you are right of course , however there is easily 18 inches between the tiers, I want the extra tier in the middle so it will look more balanced on the panel it occupies,
Kind regards
ioan