Before you do anything find out if anybody wants to trade cuttings. If your main is too short,you could straighten the strongest side shoot and make that your new main and get rid of all the others. After that new main branch gets taller, tip of the top, this will start your scaffold branches much higher, just keep four, spread out equally if possible.

This is just one way doing it.

Unless you have a greenhouse, You might consider waiting to prune until next spring. You might get a lot of weak growth if you prune now.

I would leave a tree that small alone.

At this point, I have no plans on cutting anything. I need some advice and do some research. I wish I had waited until Four Winds Growers had premiums in stock, but at the time I didn't think they would have them available for another year.

Thank you Kelley for posting the picture.

Another thing is that the trunk is about 8" tall where all the branches occur so that means I would be having a bush rather than a real tree. It has crossed my mind to consult Four Winds Growers with my dilemma.

They grow fast so there is no need for a premium tree

January 2018

New Zealand lemonade on US897 rootstock. · More Info

Today

Just let it bush out

My trunk to graft is also 9 inches.