Espalier apple trees

About five years ago, my husband and I were discussing adding an apple tree to our small residential back yard.
Since we both love apples, we needed to decide what type of apple we liked best and where in our small yard we had room to plant it. We had two cherry trees and two peach trees planted already. The decision of what type of apple to choose was split. My husband loves Gala apples and I prefer Fujis. We solved that issue by choosing one of each.
Where to plant was another big issue. We hardly had space for one tree, much less two trees. We have this family mantra “where there’s a will, there’s a way” and so we thought long and hard about a remedy to this dilemma.
The answer was staring us in the face. We didn’t need to plant in the middle of the yard, but in the back of the vegetable garden against the fence. This type of planting is called “espalier” and means trained to grow flat against a wall or fence in a symmetrical pattern.
This technique was developed in the 16th century, out of the practical need for growing fruit in such marginal climates as northern France and southern England. The early French and English discovered if they bent apple tree branches horizontally they could direct energy away from vigorous vertical growth and into producing spurs (stubby lateral branches that flower and produce fruit). In addition, this would create a favorable microclimate in which the wall radiated heat and provided shelter. As they do today, many growers kept the trees dwarfed for ease of management.
We were both novices in our knowledge of this technique and what it took to grow and manage such a planting. We began reading books and searching the Internet for information on how to begin training fruit trees into horizontal branching. From what we read, it did not seem difficult and we were encouraged to give this method a try. The trees would not take a lot of space as they would be trained to hug the fence. In fact, they were quite architectural in the photos we collected.
We also learned it is wise to choose tree varieties that will pollinate each other and if you order from a reputable nursery, they will recommend compatible pollinators. We were told you can grow these trees against any supportive structure and they are a natural living shield to hide unattractive walls, fencing or compost bins.
Espalier trees produce more fruit per foot than do ordinary fruit trees. We traveled to three different nurseries asking questions and checking their containers with dwarf plants espaliered against wooden trellises. We saw fruit trees such as pear, Asian pear, apple, plum, pomegranate and dwarf citrus as well as ornamental plants such as camellias planted in the espaliered style.
Two dwarf trees were ordered through our favorite tree nursery, one a “Grand” Gala and the other a “Red” Fuji. We were so excited when they arrived, although the trunks were very small in diameter. They were planted 10 feet apart, and 8 inches away from the fence. Guide wire was run horizontally along the fence about 2 feet apart and secured to the posts with I-bolts.
Only the growth on the right and left side of the trunk was allowed to grow (side branches); all other growth was removed. As the branches grew horizontally, they were tied to the guide wires. As more branches grew, more guide wires were added. When the trees reached the top of the fence, their tops were trimmed. Over the years, both trees have thrived even though they get “pruned” and shaped often. They are fertilized yearly with fruit tree stakes, so both remain healthy and dark green.
Our vegetable garden has been planted each year, and often tomato plants tower over and obscure the two apple trees without any adverse problems. By this, I mean we have not found any tomato hornworms on either tree. Actually, we have had few, if any tomato worms on our tomatoes over the years.
One day we discovered a white cottony looking material hanging off the branches of the “Red” Fuji. Doing some research, we discovered the culprit was the woolly apple aphid, (Eriosoma lanigerum). This was not allowed on our revered apple tree. I removed as much of the cottony material as possible with dampened paper towels, then blasted the affected branch with a swift spray of water for three mornings and no more woolly apple aphids have been seen.
You cannot imagine how excited we were this spring when we saw our first apples on these uniquely shaped trees. We were wondering when (and if) we would ever be eating apples off our own trees or if we would be traveling to Apple Hill in Camino or the farmers market to purchase them.
At the end of July we picked our first Gala. It was fabulous! In fact it was the best Gala apple we had ever eaten. We invited family and friends over to “sample” our first harvest and they agreed it was a delicious apple and the best they had tasted.
Although there were only seven Galas this year, we have savored and enjoyed each one. Next year the harvest should triple. The “Red” Fuji fruit is not quite ready, but there are about 20 apples this year and we anxiously await their ripening.
The best thing about these trees, besides the delicious fruit is the fact the trees take so little space in the garden and they look like a beautiful garden focal point; especially during the dormant season of winter when the unusual branching patterns are revealed and again in the spring when the apple blossoms in varying shades of white and pink cover the branches.
-- Sharon Rico