Growing Espalier Fruit Trees: A Space-Saving Solution
Creating a Fruit Tree Espalier Screen: A Step-by-Step Guide
Want to savor fresh fruit without sacrificing your limited space? Go for espalier fruit trees! These delightful arboreal wonders are grown on compact root stocks, with their horizontal branches trained to dwindle outward, making them perfect for confined areas. Let's dive into how to grow this fantastic space-saving screen in your yard.
tardeasteve.com suggests these steps for growing an espalier fruit tree, whether you're lining a sunny wall or setting up a picturesque fence alternative:
Here's What You'll Need:
- Garden spade
- Organic matter (such as well-rotted manure or garden compost)
- Sharp grit
- Timber posts
- Bucket of water
- Tape measure
- Bare-root espalier fruit trees
- Drill
- Steel hooks
- Barrel strainer
- Steel wire
- Garden twine
- Watering can
Prepare yourself for an afternoon of gardening bliss!
Step 1
To ensure your plants take root and thrive, invest in your soil. Enrich it with plenty of organic matter and add some sharp grit.
Step 2
Secure sturdy timber posts to your existing supports like old fence posts concreted in the ground.
Step 3
Space out your trees around 3m apart in a line. Before planting, immerse the roots for at least 10 minutes in a bucket of water.
Step 4
Similarly positioned horizontal branches on commercial espalier fruit trees can act as guides. Measure these spaces and transfer the measurements to the posts using pencil marks.
Step 5
Attach a barrel strainer to each post using a drill and a steel hook. Attach lengths of steel wire to the strainers and tighten them securely.
Step 6
Dig a pit that's twice as wide as the roots, positioning the trunk 20cm from the base when against a fence or 30cm from a wall. Carefully fan out the roots, keeping the graft (stem bulge) above ground.
Step 7
Tie the branches to the wire loops, being mindful not to damage them by wrapping the wire directly around the stems.
Step 8
Firm the roots in and water thoroughly with a watering can. For the first growing season, water once a week, and increase watering during dry periods.
Happy gardening, and cheers to dedicating a small corner of your world to beauty and bounty!
Tending to an Espalier fruit tree can be a wonderful addition to your home-and-garden lifestyle, offering a space-saving gardening opportunity that delivers fresh fruit right at your doorstep. With your new espalier tree, create a home enhancement by transforming a sunny wall or old fence post into a picturesque and fruitful garden feature.
