Train your fruit tree to grow your way with espaliering

Want to build an edible landscape without sacrificing a lot of yard space? Consider planting a fruit tree using the espalier method, a technique for training tree branches along a wire fence or into a shape against a wall.

It can add sculptural interest, help define a small garden area and wow your neighbors. All it takes is patience and adherence to a few basic techniques.

To start, consider the type of fruit tree and the structure it will grow on. Determine the right site, and build the structure. Finally, plant your tree and train it over time.

Start with an apple

Although many types of fruit trees can be espaliered, apples are most commonly chosen because they are easily trained. There are many varieties for our region, and they bear fruit on long-lasting "fruiting spurs" rather than on new wood, so shaping and pruning the tree will not reduce its production.

The "rootstock" on which your apple is grafted is a primary concern, says Kristan Johnson, president of the Western Washington Fruit Research Foundation in Mount Vernon. "The biggest mistake people make is using a rootstock that is too vigorous and grows too large."

Rootstock known as EMLA-27 is ideal for espalier techniques, he says, and you should always confirm rootstock when buying. Trees may be labeled "mini-dwarf" or "patio bush," but a good nursery should also know the rootstock number, and should be able to steer buyers to a tasty variety that will grow well here.

Now is the right time to buy and plant, says Sam Benowitz, owner of Raintree Nursery in Morton, which specializes in fruit trees and berries. "Buy by the middle of April," he says. At the nursery, "look for plants in fiber pots, so you can plant the whole pot."

A sunny, roomy site

The size and type of tree must correspond with where it will be grown.

For best ripening and sweetest fruit, "the more sun, the better," says Johnson. Plant at least a foot away from a wall for easy maintenance of structure and tree.

Spacing of trees is crucial. "They take more room than you think," says Benowitz. In general, fruit trees grow a bit wider than their height, so even a small tree predicted to grow 8 feet high will be more than 8 feet across. If you plant multiple trees four feet apart, their branches would touch, which could enhance disease conditions.

You bend that rule, however, if you're creating a Belgian fence. In a typical Belgian fence, the branches create a diamond pattern made by a series of V-shaped trees. So the trees can be much closer because you're pruning them to overlap. You can plant the trees at 45-degree angles with one branch coming off the trunk to form a V, or a header cut can be made a foot above the ground so they will branch into a V.

Perhaps the easiest espalier can be done in a pot, says Benowitz. "Buy a wood lattice in a square, and train your little EMLA-27 tree the same as the grid. Put the lattice right in the pot, and you don't have to build anything."

Create your look

Many gardeners want to make their own trellis or fence for the espalier to create a unique look or fit a particular location. Galvanized stranded cable attached to fence posts and spaced vertically 12 to 18 inches apart makes a good base upon which to attach angled or shaped materials. The tree is then tied to the fence and, as it grows, to the shaped materials. The tree can be trained up bamboo, cedar or even copper pipe.

Johnson's favorite is copper, which he's used to train honey crisp apple trees into a 40-foot sign that spells out "Welcome" at the fruit research group's display gardens in Mount Vernon.

"Come up with your design and implement that while the tree is still small," he advises. Solder or epoxy the copper pipe pieces into the desired shape. "Even if it takes a while for the tree to develop, you still have something that looks good." Plus, "if you move away, the next people would be able to maintain it without needing to know anything about espalier."

Install the fence or trellis first, then plant the trees at the base of the design.

Practice patient pruning

Your first pruning efforts will establish the "scaffold" of main branches off the trunk. At this stage, which will take a few years, be patient. Let the tree grow up above first scaffold height, then cut it back to produce lateral shoots. Bend the two strongest shoots to attach to your structure, and cut the others to short stubs. When the leader is 6 to 10 inches above the next scaffold, repeat.

"New branches are very supple, and it doesn't hurt at all to bend them or loop them around a wire," says Benowitz.

Tie the branches loosely, using garden tape that will eventually disintegrate, or plastic zip ties that you can cut as the tree grows.

During the scaffold-building years, study up on auxin, the tree's hormone manufactured by the apical bud at the end of each branch. The flow of auxin determines where growth occurs. By creating a scaffold of branches on angles of 45 to 60 degrees, you can encourage the auxin to stimulate fruiting buds rather than branch growth.

The tree must be regularly pruned to maintain the desired shape. Cut back upright shoots on the scaffold branches. Learn to recognize fruit spurs so you can prune for fruit production while maintaining air circulation to avoid disease. Fruiting spurs on an apple can produce for eight to 10 years.

By choosing the right rootstock and a fruit variety appropriate to our region and pruning to keep an open, airy structure, you can create a living, edible piece of art.

The main danger of creating an espalier, says Johnson, comes from putting it in a place visible to your neighbors.

"They'll think you know everything about gardening, and start asking you for advice on things like pruning roses."

Bill Thorness is a freelance garden writer in Seattle: bill@thorness.com.