crab apple chop help. when?!

[Noodles]

So I've finally beaten my compulsive urge to buy nursery material with severely underdeveloped trunks and C grade branching that I end up lopping off anyway. *cue applause*

Not that this little crab apple's trunk doesn't need developing, in fact that's precisely why I'm posting. I picked it up from a local nursery a few days ago where it stood out amongst a pile of horribly grafted (by bonsai standards) Malus ioensis 'Plena'. Bechtel crab apple is the common name. The graft looks very workable and has created a nice little basal flare which I can only imagine will exaggerate as the roots thicken.

My question to you is... being that I'm in Melbourne, Australia, do I lop the trunk now or have I passed the optimal time for a vigorous growth response? I hear you can also cut them after the first flush has hardened off but growth will be less vigorous and internodes tighter. Sounds great AFTER I have my trunk at the size I want it, till then it seems like wasted growth?
Along with the trunk I've attached a couple of pics of the buds in an effort to make it clear where the tree is up to in its growth cycle.

Thanks for the help in advance!

 

[penumbra]

I cut my crabs back during mid summer, up to mid July, so I,m not exactly sure how that translates for you, but it seems like good timing.

 

[Shibui]

I chopped crab apples a few weeks ago before they showed leaves. New growth is now strong.
I would also be happy to chop soon after the leaves open and still expect good response from spring growth surge.
If you chop later in the season you may get slower response with tighter internodes but you will already have had all the growth of the large top through spring to add thickness. I doubt you'd actually lose any thickening by chopping later.

 

[Noodles]

Sweet, thanks for the concise response @Shibui .
Nice to know I probably won't lose much thickening if I were to chop later. Think I'll do it soon (after the leaves open) though, in aid of using that spring surge to begin healing the chop wound.
Will post updates when things are happening!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I killed a crab chopping it before leaves showed in the spring a couple years ago. Now, I do big chops during the growing season.

 

[MHBonsai]

I killed a crab chopping it before leaves showed in the spring a couple years ago. Now, I do big chops during the growing season.

I’ve had the same experience. Chopped at bud swell, it had a small flush of new shoots which promptly withered and blackened.

 

[Noodles]

It's always so interesting, albeit confusing to hear people having such varied experiences. People seem to be divided into 2 main categories on trunk chops:
1) Chop in winter, dormancy
2) Chop in spring, active growth

There seem to be a few scenarios where one might chop in summer or autumn but mainly people appear to be in either camp 1 or 2.
I assume this must be something climate related. Although I could split hairs and check every crab apple thread for the users location, I fear that would make me a maniac
If anybody knows anything about this I'd love to hear it!

P.S. bleeding?!

Settle a newbies nerves for future chops will you?

 

[Shibui]

I've never seen crabs bleed after pruning no matter what time of year.

 

[sdavis]

I have had a number of crabs over 30 years. My favorite time to prune is July/Aug to cut back the vigorous summer growth and in April 2 weeks before leafing out.