Easy Espalier for Fruit Trees

First things first: it is pronounced es-PAL-yay, or es-PAL-yer, not espa-LEER. Choose  –yay or –yer, and stick with it.

Espalier is not difficult, but it requires patience, and sticking to a training plan for the life of the tree. The training plan itself requires cutting off perfectly good branches and sacrificing some fruit for the common good. To successfully create an espaliered fruit tree, be ruthless. The trees don't mind. And they will produce bucket loads of fruit.

The purpose of espalier is to keep the lower branches fruitful and easy to reach. The most traditional form of espalier is the Cordon. Branches are trained horizontally for a defined length. The Single Cordon (one tier) is also known as Rope. A Multi-Cordon can have three or more tiers of branches. The Fan is suited to areas requiring vertical coverage, and will cover a square space nicely. The Candelabra is formed when several vertical branches stem off one horizontal base. Palmette Verrier has three or four horizontal branches that are trained into upright positions when they reach a specific length. The Palmette Verrier or Candelabra designs are great for planting several trees against a structure without having them grow into one another.

Fruit trees can be planted in October in zone 7, or in March and April. Fruit trees that are grafted onto dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstock make the best espaliers. Purchase one-year-old trees (called one-year whips), preferably with no branches. When choosing a site for an espalier, keep in mind that fruit trees need six hours of sunlight a day, and a southern or western exposure is best. Space multiple trees six to eight feet apart. In the first season, water weekly, and twice a week or more in hot weather.Train the tree on a structure of wire supports. To create an espalier against a wall, secure two 4'x4' posts into the ground six feet apart, eight inches from the wall, to allow air flow and to give the trunk room to grow. Screw eye screws into each post two or three feet from the ground. Thread galvanized 14-gauge wire horizontally through the eye screws to create the lowest tier. Now screw in eye screws 18" to two feet up from the first and thread in the wire to create the second tier. Continue up to create additional tiers. This structure also works well as a free-standing trellis.

Here is the hardest part: making the first cut. When the tree grows to two inches above the first tier wire, cut off the top of the tree right above a bud. The plant will start producing branches near the first tier wire. Once the branches reach six inches long, choose the two strongest and attach them loosely to the first tier support wire. Use a material that won't cut into the branches, such as strips of Velcro or cloth. Do not use wire to tie espalier branches to the support wires.

Remove any branches that grow below the tied branches. Continue to tie the branches to the support wire every foot or so as the tree grows.

As the growing season progresses, keep the center trunk six inches above the first tier. Prune it back as it grows to keep it at the six inch limit.

When the bottom tier branches are three-quarters of the way to the end of the wire support, allow the central trunk to grow to six inches above the second tier, and start the process again. The tier branches will grow shoots where the fruit will form, called spurs. Keep the spurs cut back to five or six inches long.

For the first two years, prune off all the fruit. The first and second years of growth need to be focused on root, branch, and leaf production to get the tree completely established. Removing all of the fruit may seem even more severe than cutting off the top of the tree. Just do it.

In the third season and thereafter, remove all but the one best fruit from the clusters of three or four that form. The joy of espalier is harvesting large perfect pieces of fruit. Espaliered fruit trees reach their prime in four or five years, and can to bear fruit for up to or beyond 25 years.

Keep the espalier instructions handy for a few years until the process becomes second nature. Remember patience is a virtue. It is worth it.

Best fruit trees for espalier:

Any apple variety can be pollinated by any other variety if they flower at or near the same time. These three can be self-pollinating, and they all pollinate one another:

McIntosh: Most adaptable to any espalier design; very hardy, fruits ripen late in the mid-season.

Spitzenberg: Old-fashioned variety; makes very nice Palmette Verviers, horizontal cordons, and fans.

Empire McIntosh type apple but keeps longer. Ripens two weeks after McIntosh.

Pears are not usually self-pollinating, so when possible plant two varieties. Pear branches are not as pliable as apple branches, but they do make lovely espaliers.

The plum tree 'Stanley' is self-fertile and very productive. It is a medium to large plum from Europe that is excellent for eating fresh, cooking, or canning.