Myk1- this country boy is definitely not fertile! I hope you're right that it sends up a shoot from there. I will be keeping a close eye on it. I have noticed huge variability in vigor with these old time favorite varieties. [Thankfully, I took advice from you nice folks on this forum and planted some modern ones as well (like Liberty and Goldrush).] I spent a good deal of effort getting the soil right. Soil test after soil test revealed good levels of most minerals and I had very little amending to do in the way of nutrients. It was the pH that was off the chart in some areas. Most trees have done very well on my land except for losing two nice apples on mm111 to collar rot. Some pics attached of yesterdays pruning. I take a lot of pics! "> this is a Hewe's Crab planted in Nov 08 and pruned to a whip in Feb 09: "> The same tree a few months later in September: "> The same tree before yesterday's pruning: "> After pruning, I think this tree has good structure: "> This pic is of a Smokehouse tree I planted in Nov 07, before pruning yesterday: "> What I don't like about this tree is it's low branches but I was just starting out when I planted it and had lots to learn. Still do! This pic is after pruning yesterday: ">

Kristi, I've personally only grown it as a Shrub, but I have partially espaliered it -- pulling canes out horizontally along the fence next to it. If you go to the site linked below, and look at the "cordon" technique, that's more or less what I'm suggesting. As you can see, you really can't make it 2 ft. wide. Growing NATURALLY, the hormones that trigger bloom rise to the highest point on a cane. When canes are pulled out horizontally, the hormones spread out along the cane, triggering many blooming laterals all along the cane. Mind, if a shrub arches naturally, the same thing happens, only the whole thing is wider, and less "disciplined." I am not, personally, a fan of this sort of thing. It's too much work, for one thing, and too disciplined, for another. I've done ALL this stuff -- pegging, espaliering, and I'm not likely to do it again any time soon -- but I am a dedicated Lazy Gardener. :-) Jeri Here is a link that might be useful: HOW TO ESPALIER

I prefer using the velcro tape for training my roses as horizontal as I can get the canes to go. This is supposed to make more laterals (side branches off main canes) and produce more flowers. If you wanted to train yours like the picture submitted to your other post, I wouldn't start to go sidewize until you got to the height you wanted the branching. Marie

I had the same idea about using something with a hook at the end to grab the canes. This is not on a trellis- I mispoke. It is on an arbor, and so the tips of these canes may be 10 feet up- a ladder job. The arbor sides are lattice work- the simple diamond pattern, about 4 x 5.5. This may turn out to be an overpowering rose, but it will also be beautiful! If you know ZD, tell me more about its blooming pattern. After the first big flush, does it bloom sporatically all over, or are the intermittent flushes throughout the season, does deadheading where you can reach increase subsequent blooming? All this new wood popped up just now, as the days are noticably shorter and the weather is cooling down (except for heat waves that will surely come again) Will all these new canes have flower buds this season? Is this new growth stimulated by the shortening daylight or cooler weather/