SO, is it the shade or the hitting of i.e. another tree that makes it grow upward? The tree is going to reach toward the light, wherever the light is. Dense trees will inhibit it, yes. Id like to see pics of the over 40 year Dogwoods kept in check, foxearth. You can see that the foliage on the left side of the tree is wider than the right, which is inhibited by a large juniper (Eastern Red Cedar) to the south of it. The dogwood that I haven't a photo of was inhibited by the presence of a nearby pecan and an evergreen oak and nibbled by cattle on the fence side, so it is not a specimen tree, misshapen and spindly. Limbs reach out to the light, and little sassafrases have come up around it. What if I surround the Dogwood on only TWO out of all four sides with trees - will it grow in very wide as a wedge filling in the two open sides, or will the tree remain uniformly in check keeping only as wide as the two obstructed sides (as per trees) keep it? It will grow toward the light. The sides that are not obstructed reach to the light, is my observation here. Trees on two sides generally result in more vigorous growth on the open sides. Growth will also vary with the position of the sun and the density of the trees. If there are trees on two sides and a tall building shading a third side, that will affect growth as well. The size of my trees is irrelevant because of the difference in climate, soil and growing conditions. My young dogwoods of the same age vary in height by several feet, given different siting conditions. Think about the natural growth of a forest. Dogwoods are lovely understory trees, growing with layered limbs in light high shade and adapting to the site. Planted out in the open, they grow more upright and symmetrical. Nell

Re your trellis: Eventually, you'll have to add heavier verticals to support the structure. Horizontals can be fairly lightweight. The vertical supports have to be very substantial, however. Commercial growers use steel wire for the horizontals, but use heavy anchored posts for the vertical supports. Think along those lines. There are many. many 'systems' to train a grapevine to a trellis or other structure. One 'system' might work best for a particular variety and another system might work better for a different variety. Grapes are very adaptable, however. As long as the vines are getting enough sun and they are pruned correctly in the spring, you can usually adapt them to just about any structure that is strong enough to support them. Good luck with your grapes.

are you done moving it ?? lol .... listen .. NO PRUNING for two years ... let it settle in.. water it properly .... and let it do its own thing ... we can work on structure later ... think of the leaves as food making machines ... converting sunshine into plant food [as compared to fertilizer] .... and for now.. we need every leaf it will make ... also.. firmly grasp.. when this thing is 10 feet tall ... all of those branches will have been removed anyway ... other than some manhandling.. and we have all been there.. done that ... your only real problems is you quest for instant gratification .... so relax ... water properly .. and grow the roots .. and a beautiful tree will follow.. IN TREE YEARS ... not in tonk years ... do NOT fert it .... good luck ken

My fiddle leaf fig is too tall for our space. It grew a TON this past spring and when I got back from vacation last week, it has officially hitting the ceiling. It's growing out of every possible place it can, both larger trunks, the smaller one down below, even a tiny stem that's hasn't grown anything in 3 years. It breaks my heart a bit to trim back all these beautiful leaves but the branches are definitely too heavy. The branch on the right has been losing a lot of leaves as well, hence the big bald spot in leaves (Probably due to lack of water due to us being out of town a lot this summer). My question is can I cut it back now? In September? It grows year round really. And how far back should I cut it back? Any tips would be much appreciated!