Grow Your Own Magazine

Espalier

Is this the best way to grow fruit up a wall. I have a lovely warm wall that I would like to try and grow some fruit up

Ideas and advice would be appreciated



T

Don't think it's the easiest way but it's certainly one of the best-looking ways. I've found fans harder work. I suppose you could have a vine, but they would probably need more space than a (constrained) fruit tree
What are you thinking of growing?

Depends what fruit you're growing. Best to pick your fruit before you pick your growing/training method. Pick something that you like to eat ~ sounds obvious, but so many people just buy whatever is in Aldi this week

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I have an apple tree like this up my fence. It was bought as a two level one and I've trained it onto a third now. Currently covered in ickle apples - yeah!

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Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

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Apples is our fruit of choice, glad to see someone has had some success will have to research varieties



T
x

For walls:

Espaliers are best but you can go for fans with apples and pears.
Fans for plums, gages, peaches, apricots and figs.

These are different because plums etc. don't produce spurs.

Yes, it can be one of the best ways to grow fruit, as bending branches to the horizontal encourages most tree fruit to crop well. It does depend very much on the variety. I'd say pears are a lot more successful when grown as espaliers/cordons as most pear varieties 'spur' more easily and have rather more compact growth than apples. They will also fruit within a couple of years of planting, whereas trained apples can take 5 or 6.

When choosing varieties of apple and pears to train, avoid any that are described as 'tip bearers'. Also, although all spur bearers should be possible to train, those with compact growth are better. One of the best pears for this is Beth (on QA); of the apples I grow, Sunset (on M29) does best as at trained form, and fruits relatively early. Bear in mind you will have to have a pollination partner for your espalier, unless you are sure a neighbour has a suitable tree that might assist.

Also have a think about distance. Cordons can be close together (these are single espaliers) at 3' but for most trees you want at least 10' i'd say... does anyone know otherwise?

Depends entirely on the vigour of the variety and also the rootstock.

I have pear espaliers/step-overs in my front garden and the central ones are about 5' apart (as they are T shaped, but meet up with ones that go in the other direction, if you can visualise). They aren't particularly vigourous varieties (Red Comice, Max Red Bartlett, Gorham, Forelle/Sucrée de Monlucon), and only make about 12 inches of new growth to tie in each year. Espalier will throw an awful lot of upright extension growth. I usually leave these until August, then remove completely at the point of origin, just leaving the fruiting spurs.

The difference between a cordon and an espalier is one of angle; cordons are usually bent to 45 degrees, whereas cordons are bent completely horizontal.

Personally, I would go for a fan trained sweet cherry such as Stella (or any of the more modern varieties, less prone to splitting).

valmarg

They are a nice fruit but the poster wanted advice on apple trees!

__________________

Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

I've looked at the original posting by tanyaste, and the question he/she poses is regarding fruit. I can't see apples as a specific.

Therefore I reiterate my suggestion of cherries, ie Stella, or any of the later self fertile varieties that are a bit less prone to splitting.

valmarg

Not knocking your choice of fruit, have considered getting a Stella myself as my friend's tree is very good, just pointing out that Tanyaste had said that the fruit of choice was apple

__________________

Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

Dont want to go off track, but part of your question was about espaliers being the best way to grow against a wall. Cordons take up less room (i.e. you can get more than one variety on a little bit of wall, whcih means you can be sure of pollination). They are alos so much easier to train and they are cheaper to buy (and you can get them mailorder). I have two planted 60cms apart and they have done really well this year. The page I used for info when I got mine was Fruit Tree Shapes

good luck
Ade

I would also have gone for cordons for easier training and growing and also more variety.

Ian

Sorry Alison. I think we were both right insofar as it was tanyaste's second posting that mentioned apples. Me! Pedantic! Given half a chance. (I would have put a smiley here, but can't seem to find the emoticons). There are more recent varieties of cherry, less prone to splitting than Stella. I believe Cherokee is one. Can't complain about ours though, a £2.99 bargain at Woolies many years ago.

I agree with adrian and goji, cordons are the best way to grow apples. Apples are not self fertile, and in some cases need two pollinators. So the more varieties you can get in a small space the better.

valmarg