Espalier Trees

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G A R D E N & Y A R D

Your fruit trees will hit their prime in five years and will continue producing fruit until the
ripe old age of 25.

By Patricia Fletcher

From midsummer through late fall, John Hooper harvests 600 pounds of apples a year from his garden. Yet he lives in a mild, often fog-shrouded coastal climate in northern California—not exactly opti mal fruit-growing weather. His orchard, consisting of 12 seven-year-old trees, is tucked away in the tight quarters of his backyard. How does he achieve such high production in such a compact space without a lot of fruit-inducing chill or summer sun? He practices the old art of espalier (es-PAL-yay)-training dwarf species to grow in flat, two-dimensional forms, usually against fences and walls. "I've counted 70 apples on just one of my espalier trees," boasts Hooper.

The 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 that if they bent apple-tree branches horizontally, they could direct energy away from vigorous vertical growth and into producing spurs (those stubby lateral branches that eventually flower and produce fruit). In addition, by growing the tree flat against a wall or fence, they could create a favorable microclimate in which the wall radiated heat and provided shelter. As they do today, growers kept the trees dwarfed for ease of management.

"If you have a small garden but big ambitions, you can grow fruit without having one or two trees dominate the entire area," says Hooper, who, along with caring for his orchard, owns a nursery dedicated to espaliered fruit trees and ornamentals. Espalier trees produce more fruit per foot than do ordinary fruit trees-mature forms reap from 30 to 60 pounds of deli cious-tasting fruit, from apples and pears to peaches and pomegranates.

Some growers simply enjoy the aesthetic value of espaliered trees, with their traditional symmetrical branch forms resembling fans and candelabras. These forms are created by snipping off unwanted branches and training others to move down toward the desired position. These unique forms make exquisite garden focal points: during the dormant season of winter, the unusual branching patterns are revealed; during the spring, apple trees become festooned with blossoms in varying shades of white and pink; during the summer, the trees go through a two- or three-week stage of dramatic blossoming. Also, because you can train them to grow against almost any supportive structure, espaliered trees are naturals as living shields to hide unattractive walls, fencing, or compost bins.