The trees look awfully sparse- what is their rootstock?

My experience suggests that southwest injury described as a winter injury is incomplete as an explanation of cause, as you suggest yourself. I agree that much of this cambium scalding probably occurs in spring. I believe that the cause can be excessive pruning.

If the trees have inadequate leaf (or leaf bud) to wood ratio the trees may draw inadequate amounts of sap in spring to cool the wood- the new leaves work as a sap pump and pull sap through the wood during transpiration and keep it cooler. At least that's my opinion.

I've seen sun scald often on old apple trees under aggressive renovation but rarely on trees as young as yours. But as I mentioned, your trees seem unusually sparse in terms of small wood and leaf area, although it's hard to do accurate diagnosis from photographs.

It surprises me that scald could be sufficient to kill entire scaffold branches- this is something I've never seen. In fact, severely scalded scaffolds on old apple trees usually recover, although they are more subject breakage, especially under crop load.

Maybe this has something to do with the difference of zone which could make my personal experience somewhat irrelevent.

You may be able to generate new branches much more easily by scoring wood above a node when trees are in bloom. Just put an inch or two wide cut through the cambium an inch above the node with a pruning saw. This can often awaken a dormant bud.

Thank you harvestman for your valuable input. After reading through your response to me, I feel I have a bit more explaining to do. I would also like to mention that last Winter was an unbelievably cold one. Ongoing -20 to -30 actual temps, should that be any consideration here as well.

Because of deer problems, I have kept my scaffolds up a bit to alleviate some of their browsing activity on both foliage and fruit. I open prune as well, in order to get the optimal sun exposure on the fruit of this variety. That's a big part of what it takes to get the Honey Gold variety to sweeten up favorably for my palate. The canopy is therefore in somewhat of an umbrella effect. Hopefully this will explain some of why you don't see much foliage in my photos. Canopy is higher up from where my scaffolds are joined to the main trunk, which is where this problem was mostly taking place down lower. So yes, is a low foliage factor in that area. This tree is on M-7 rootstock. I like the semi dwarf so I can keep them trained for maintaining off of an 8 foot standard ladder.

So maybe this helps to explain why I was inquiring about some grafting option for on the main trunk too. I want to be able to train several new main scaffolds. Right now this tree has two balanced scaffolds opposite to each other. I had to eliminate the other two that it previously had. Most likely there are not any dormant buds on the mature portion of the main trunk in the vicinity where the new scaffolds need to be situated. I will definitely double check that when I am able. I don't live where these trees are situated. They are out of town out on an acreage that I own.

Below is a pic of the exact tree in question, I thought I should at least show a few leaves - lol. In this photo, one main scaffold has already been removed from the back side. The forking branch to the far right seen here was the next to go after this pic was taken. I actually did an extended stub cut on it should I want to go with a cleft type graft at that particular spot. I'm thinking I would like to start any newly grafted scaffolds above the remaining existing ones, but below the main canopy. So possibly still go with the side grafts for here or ??? FYI - these Honey Golds were my first attempt at growing apple trees. I have definitely learned more training and framework techniques since these were planted.

So in fact would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all who post and advise here on this site. It has been a very informative go to place for me for the last several years. Any additional input or evaluations from you harvestman or any of the other fine folks on this forum would be greatly appreciated.

Mike/Q-3

{{gwi:59508}}

You won't see a bud just a bit of a bump which I see plenty of in your last picture. I have often generated new wood off of similar wood- it's still young enough.

As far as the inadequate foliage issue, I was referring to the picture above part 2 where I get a good look at 5 of your trees. There just isn't enough branching and foliage there. How old are those trees?

You don't have to rush to train trees to the permanent shape and lower branches would be very helpful until the trees are fully established.

Sincere thanks for working through this matter with me harvestman. I'm pretty sure I understand the dormant bud suggestion now and how to best utilize it. Very good info for me to bank on for possibly another time. My current goal is to add another variety onto this tree while it is lacking canopy growth. That is why I am curious about the best graft method for several new scaffolds without loosing another years worth of time. What method will give me the strongest graft union at the trunk to form new weight bearing scaffolds with?

The five trees you mentioned are mulched Plum trees in their second leaf last year. I just through that photo in for fun. Sorry if I confused things by doing so. They had just been Summer pruned is why they also look thin. I also did some training on them at the same time, as I don't always get around to it properly in the Springtime. So just got it all done at once. Now they are good to go in the pruning department for now. My intention for that is that they can now put all of their new energy into directed growth come this growing season. I'll lay off of them some this next time around.

The next photo below shows both of my Honey Gold trees. The left specimen is in fine shape health wise. It has been Summer pruned and painted here, but not the right side problem tree yet. These guys put on alot of vertical growth, with very little horizontal. By the time I cut out the water sprouts, they do look a bit thin. I have been training any outward growth as best as possible over their entire existence. So the umbrella shape that I seek is a bit slow in coming. But they are slowly getting there. WE had ongoing cold, wet, cloudy, windy weather during last years bloom-time, so I had very poor fruit-set as can also be seen in this pic. My crab apples didn't come through for me this time around for pollination. I have more varieites coming along adjacent to these that will greatly help for future pollination needs.

Hope I have sufficiently explained things now. If not, I'll continue to answer as best as I can. Any additional advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks again,,,Mike/Q-3

{{gwi:59509}}

You did fool me completely. I wouldn't recommend summer pruning of trees not yet large enough to bear a heavy crop except of the guidance type done by pinching small shoots.

I don't know about bark grafting but if you do what I suggest you can graft to any shoots you generate the following year and it would take just as quickly, most likely. If you want to graft this spring it would be easiest to graft onto a well positioned upright shoot which can be spread in a couple of years and take the place of the existing branch it's connected to.

Even if it's possible to make a graft into old bark it would be very difficult to get the thing to grow well although you could use the method I described to generate new shoots to help the graft grow.