Geometry in
Action:
Branching into geometry
Espaliered
fruit trees can take many forms
January 04, 2007. Source:
OregonLife.com by Vern Nelson
Winter is a good time
to consider different designs and where to use them in
your garden. When spring comes around, you'll know how
many and which types of dwarf rootstocks to buy and
which varieties of apples and pears to graft to them.
Apples and pears are the easiest to espalier because
they produce fruit on long-lasting spurs and the trees
aren't as bushy as stone fruit, such as peaches.
Figs are also easy to
train because they take pruning so well. The large
leaves and growth habit make them inappropriate for
fancy or complex geometric patterns, however, and there
are no dwarfing rootstocks.
Avoid plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines and apricots
because they demand more careful pruning and a
significant spray program.
Here are some designs that you might consider..
SINGLE HORIZONTAL CORDON
The main stem is limited to two limbs, which are kept
horizontal. Trained on wire at just 18 inches above
ground, the cordon makes a fine garden edging and can be
moderately fruitful but takes experience.
The lack of any leader above the horizontal limbs means
that no growth-suppressing hormone is being produced. As
a result, buds on the upper face of the limbs grow with
the strongest shoots nearest to the main stem. Regularly
prune unwanted shoots when they are small to limit the
size of the wounds and the amount of wood removed. Buds
on the underside are naturally suppressed because of
their position.
BELGIAN FENCE
One of my favorite designs, this simple-to-train fence
is composed of overlapping Valaisanne palmettes.
A second set of branches is sometimes created if the
tree variety has enough vigor to produce them and fruit
too. I usually use apples grafted to M 27 or EMLA 27
rootstock for such an espalier; with these less-vigorous
rootstocks, fruiting is best prevented until the limbs
have been established. An M 9 or EMLA 9 dwarfing
rootstock can be used to make a taller or wider apple
espalier.
BELGIAN FENCE VARIATIONS
Losange has some extra limbs so that apple varieties
with more vigor can be used. Getting limbs to emerge
exactly where you want them can be a small problem, but
this espalier is so gorgeous that the occasional hiccup
in the geometry is charming.
Lepage with three branches has a central leader that
supports the limbs of the trees on either side. (Lepage
can have more than three branches, but this requires
larger trees that would be too big for most espalier
applications.)
OBLIQUE PALMETTE WITH VARIABLE LIMB ANGLES
Shoot growth is easily controlled in this design because
the limbs can be detached and reattached up and down on
the wire, although the process is time-consuming. Growth
slows as you get closer to horizontal.
It is possible to keep all of the limbs growing at the
same rate for balance and productivity. Keep the limbs
straight for the most ornamental look.
SINGLE INFINITY
I've used the name given at the University of British
Columbia demonstration garden, where I first saw this
design many years ago, although I don't find it
elsewhere. It uses M 27 or EMLA 27 dwarfing rootstock
grafted to low-vigor apple varieties, such as 'Empire,'
'Freyberg,' 'Haralred,' 'Kandil Sinap' and spur strains.
The 24-inch trunk produces two leaders that are trained
around a 5-gallon bucket. Three buckets are usually
enough to use up the vigor of the tree. This espalier
form is quite productive for its size but takes careful
pruning to keep its shape.
Freelance writer/photographer Vern Nelson: The Hungry
Gardener, P.O. Box 16945, Portland, OR 97292; anewleaf1@aol.com
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