Sugar Tyme Crabapple Trees - In Espalier - Summer Growth - Late September 2024

The last time that I checked in on the pair of Sugar Tyme crabapple trees - that are planted on the southside of our house - was in mid-March when they started to leaf-out on the tips of the branches.  

I planted the pair of these trees in September of 2021, so this was the third FULL growing season. They seemed to do fine in 2022 and 2023. They bloomed each Spring and had fruit in their first Fall, too.

I last pruned these in February of this year - February 2024.  When they were dormant.  At that time, the tree on the right was showing some 'upwards' growth and was a bit more 'ahead' of the tree on the left.  But, I pruned them back to be horizontal cordons - four layers with a 'flat' top layer.

This growing season, the trees kept-on-going.  But, the tree on the right shot WAY ahead of the one on the left.  Have a look at the trees - as they currently look - at the end of September - in the photo below:

The tree on the right has A TON of top growth.  And, upright growth.  All four layers of the espalier are filled out and flush with foliage.  My plan was to shape the tips *up* into a candelabra form of espalier, so I'm thinking that I can start that - for the tree on the right - with this Winter's dormant pruning.  I'll also need to clear out all of that top/upward growth.  

The tree on the left also has shown some good growth - but not NEARLY as much as the tree on the right.  The leader emerged.  And the layers extended out.  The bottom (right side) still is lagging behind.  But, once I prune-off that sucker, I'm hoping it will grow out.  

Why the difference?  First of all...I need to acknowledge that they were always a little bit different.  The tree on the right was 'ahead' of the tree on the left last year.  But, this year, the difference grew.  The only thing that I can think of is that the tree on the right is *closer* to the new cut flower bed that I filled with composted manure and other soil amendments.  I also watered those cut flowers more than anything else over there.  So....did this Crabapple tree benefit from being adjacent to this loamy-nutrient-rich soil?  Probably.  

I made an animated gif of these espalier trees - from February 2024 to the last day of September 2024 below.  Really shows the change over seven months.