It’s April 1st and the cold continues. We’re still pruning and it’s been espaliers today. Our pruning will bring on the fruit buds and the strong lateral horizontal branches growing along the existing trellis.
Take the scene of three apple trees in a line trying to grow outwards and up to the sky. The idea is to train them along your wires or bamboo trellis (or whatever material you are using). By removing this years top shoots and outward growth this encourages growth along the supports and more fruit buds within that growth.
Espaliers are therefore fantastic trees for borders and boundaries and alongside paths. Where space is limited they can be incorporated efficiently and at stately homes in the kitchen gardens, you will normally see a line of espaliers in front of a brick wall providing a sun trap for early ripening fruit, and natural protection against frosts, as well as being sheltered from wind.
Despite it being overcast in the pictures below, hopefully you can see the general idea of removing unwanted growth by pruning using standard secateurs. In the spring with the sap rising, nutrients from the rootstock will flood the remaining fruit buds and branches, encouraging growth in the direction of the supports.
