OK, you have branches at 23" already and they're staying, and you want the next branches to be at 53". Got it. Cummins suggests you head the tree at 36", and they probably know what they're talking about, but that doesn't mean you have to establish a whorl there. If you cut the leader at 36" you will get some undesirable branching going on there. You will get several upright branches just below the heading cut competing for dominance. You could simply select one of those and remove the rest, leaving a single central leader. Then you can take one of two approaches: 1) As that leader grows longer, buds lower down will break out into branches with better angles of attachment. You aren't in total control of that situation but you can simply select the best suited ones and remove the rest. You can also encourage selected buds to branch by notching above them to block the auxin flow from the leader. 2) You can dormant head the leader next year or later when it is sufficiently thick at 53" and train the subsequent branches horizontally leaving one upright leader. The advantage in my mind of establishing branches at heading cuts is that the branching is very predictable. The downside is that they tend to be upright and have to be subordinated.

If you have squirrels around you may be screwed by starting a low spreading tree. It is possible to make climbing a 4 to 5' straight trunk very difficult for a squirrel but a low spreading tree is harder to defend because squirrels routinely jump over 4' from the ground. Coons and possums only require about 3' of straight trunk before first branches. With 3in1 type trees you can't use the baffle method anyway. The scaffolds have already been selected for you. To create a long trunk you remove only branches more than about a third the diameter of the trunk at point of attachment. For stone fruit and less vigorous apples, make it a half. Leave all other branches until trees are ready to crop. don't allow the central leader of apples or pears to spur up and bear heavy fruit until the tree reaches desired height. Once trees are bearing you can choose 3 or 4 scaffolds to be your permanent scaffolds on an open center tree and gradually remove all other branches that crowd them. For a central leader tree you will probably keep two tiers of scaffold branches, usually 3 permanent ones at the base and 4 branches, starting about 4' up from the first tier, that you cycle out periodically. This means removing branches that become more than half the diameter of the trunk at the point of attachment. Branches at the top of the tree gradually outgrow branches below and shade the lower tier or become excessively vegetative from over pruning to keep the Christmas tree shape.

That is correct Konrad, they have no branches yet. I wonder if some of the buds swelling down low may simply be a leaf or two or if they will all branch out over the season. This whole apple tree growing thing is new to me. I originally figured that if I get rid of any low branches, the tree will push more growth up higher, where I want it. However, I am not sure, so that is why I posted the question. Paully

I've only done this once, on a plum, and I did just as you described. In fact, I grafted a whip and tongue with a chip back up and ended up cutting off the chip when it sprouted as well as an extra branch on the w&t scion. That tree is in its third season and seems very happy. M