Super column's

[pops]

Hi guys
i ordered my first ever super colomn apple tree's recenrly,They were delivered stopped at 4foot,my question is,Should they have been stopped at all ?,Iknow the average hight is around 6 to 8ft,but are my tree's ruined,Or can i just continue to grow the tree on Via the next shoot?
many thanks

[veggiechicken]

Hi pops and welcome.
I know absolutely nothing about supercolumn fruit trees. It seems they are cordon apples grown vertically.

https://www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/...te-fruit-trees

Have you asked your supplier about the pruning process - especially if you are concerned about the tree?

[nickdub]

Hi guys
i ordered my first ever super colomn apple tree's recenrly,They were delivered stopped at 4foot,my question is,Should they have been stopped at all ?,Iknow the average hight is around 6 to 8ft,but are my tree's ruined,Or can i just continue to grow the tree on Via the next shoot?
many thanks

I'd be reasonably confident that if you let the top shoot grow up it will become the new leader - how high this tree will then grow to is another matter - the height figures given for any tree are only estimates and can be misleading if taken be an absolute guide.

[Jay-ell]

To me th super columns look like vertical cordons. If this is the case then the top third of the new growth gets pruned back wach year to create a stronger main stem. Next year the buds at the top few leaves will produce new shoots and they will all try and grow vertically to become the new, select the strongest one as the new leader prune back the others to an outward facing bud/leaf and remove any of the old the leader above the new leader

Remember pruning in summer creates the shape and form and reduces vigour as it takes the energy in the prunings away, pruning in winter stimulates vigorous growth as the sap held in the roots rises and promotes growth.

For a cordon summer pruning is better as you want any growth to be short with leaf nodes tightly spaced and not spindly and wide spaced.

[pops]

I'd be reasonably confident that if you let the top shoot grow up it will become the new leader - how high this tree will then grow to is another matter - the height figures given for any tree are only estimates and can be misleading if taken be an absolute guide.

I would be happy with its final hight of 6ft,ofcourse i would like to go higher,are you saying i can?

[nickdub]

I would be happy with its final hight of 6ft,ofcourse i would like to go higher,are you saying i can?

Yes - If you let the topmost new shoot grown upward, that will eventually become an extension of the trunk vertically, albeit with a bit of a kink in it.