Author Topic: Advice on where to start espalier with this dwarf navel?  (Read 322 times)

goalaso

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Advice on where to start espalier with this dwarf navel?
« on: March 24, 2021, 06:25:07 PM »
I received this Dwarf Navel on 897 rootstock from Brite Leaf and am getting ready to plant it in my South Florida (sandy soil) backyward. While I have 1000 newbie questions, my first has to do with wanting to Espalier this little guy. The first branches diverge at about 18 inches or so and seem perfect for the first level (horizontally). I am going to do it about ~10 inches from a wooden fence as support, using eye bolts and wire. Since I will have to prune afterwards, my question is: of the 3 branches in the photo, which should I choose to train horizontally, i.e. which is the central one to leave vertical and then prune to stimulate horizontal shoots?
The right-side one (in the photo) seems to be a bit thicker than the other two. And you can see in the overhead shot, that "right-side" is relative, as they all are oriented roughly 120 degrees around the central stem. So the choice of a center branch seems... confusing.
Any advice much appreciated, esp with regards to where to prune the central branch after tying down the two horizontal branches.