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So I've decided plant 6 new apple trees as espaliers this year as well as a bunch of cordans. I'm going to graft them myself and am putting the espaliers on M26 stock cos I don't want them getting too big in my heavy but fertile soil. Just in case anyone's interested they'll be discovery, scrumptious, lord lambourne, egremont russet, kidd's orange red and adam's pearmain.
Now the place I want to put them is currently unprepared and completely infested with couch grass. Because of this I want to plant the bare-root rootstock into large pots, graft and grow them for the next year whilst starting to shape them. In the mean time I will rid the new half of the lottie with weeds and improve the soil as much as poss with manure so the trees will be nice and happy in their permanent homes.
The trees will be supported by wires and grown 2 to a row, 7 foot apart, with the rows 6 foot apart. Going to keep the trees nice and low to avoid them shading my plot and was planning on having 2 tiers spaced 18inches apart. Rows will be planted running NW to SE.
Does this sound like a good plan? Is it worth growing them in pots for a while first or should I not bother improving the soil and just bung em in? What about my spacing and orientation? Do you think I will avoid them shading each other? Could I get away with taller espaliers?
Sorry for the long post but any input would be greatfully received
Now the place I want to put them is currently unprepared and completely infested with couch grass. Because of this I want to plant the bare-root rootstock into large pots, graft and grow them for the next year whilst starting to shape them. In the mean time I will rid the new half of the lottie with weeds and improve the soil as much as poss with manure so the trees will be nice and happy in their permanent homes.
The trees will be supported by wires and grown 2 to a row, 7 foot apart, with the rows 6 foot apart. Going to keep the trees nice and low to avoid them shading my plot and was planning on having 2 tiers spaced 18inches apart. Rows will be planted running NW to SE.
Does this sound like a good plan? Is it worth growing them in pots for a while first or should I not bother improving the soil and just bung em in? What about my spacing and orientation? Do you think I will avoid them shading each other? Could I get away with taller espaliers?
Sorry for the long post but any input would be greatfully received
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