Is there a way to select the bud you wish to grow for laterals training on the main leading shoot?,
I read somewhere about cutting the tree near the bud but didn't really understand what it referring to.

I have tried rubbing out higher buds to force lower ones but all it seems to do is replace it with another bud next to where I rubbed the old one out.

Thanks for any help

Luke

i wanna know too, please.

You cut through the green part just above the bud you want to grow.  1/3rd of the circumference of the branch centered on the bud.

thank you, bob. that's great info.

Thanks, Bob.

Luke,
The partial girdling as Bob C. describes it was mentioned and pictured in an earlier post. It stops the flow of growth inhibiting hormones (auxins) to the dormant buds (these hormones flow downwards inhibiting bud growth).

Removing the top 6 inches of the apically dominant branch or trunk will allow bud formation along the entire main trunk, by removing the auxin being produced from the dominant bud. You then rub out the buds that you don't want to grow into laterals. You can then train any bud as dominant.

By only rubbing out the apical bud, you are not removing auxin production in the apex. This causes formation of numerous apical buds to replace the missing one.

Thanks Pete, that makes sense thanks for explaining it to me.