• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Caramel & Parsley
  • Gardening
    • How To's
    • Bees
    • Vegetables
    • Fruit
    • Flowers
    • Pests
  • Recipes
    • Canning
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups & Stews
  • Health
  • About
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Gardening
  • Recipes
  • Health
  • About
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Gardening

    Grow Espalier Fruit Trees in a Small Garden

    Published 6 June 2013 by Liz Gardner | Leave a Comment

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Having converted one-quarter plus of our suburban back yard into a raised bed vegetable garden we wanted to keep the rest in grass (and moss) to play badminton and bocce ball but we also wanted one or two fruit trees. While wandering through the new spring arrivals in the local garden centre we came across a few espalier fruit trees and these looked like the solution to our problem.

    As the fruit trees were already espalier with each tree having 3 lateral branches on either side of the main stalk we decided to buy an apple and a pear as it seemed like a quick and easy option over purchasing full or dwarf size fruit trees for our limited garden space.

    Espalier Growing requirements are minimal

    • Full sun – which means at least six hours of direct sunlight per day
    • Require fertile well-drained soil
    • A mulch is recommended
    • Training of branches as the trees grow
    • Annual pruning
    Espalier
    Plant espalier fruit trees the same depth in which they were growing in the container

    Transplanting recommendations

    • Dig a hole twice as deep and twice as wide as the original pot (about 30 inches deep and 3 feet round for our trees)
    • The main stem should be at least 10 to 12 inches from any wall or building so as not to hinder root growth
    • Fill the hole with fertile soil and a mix of compost to the height of the bottom of the container
    • Before placing the tree in the hole add a handful of bone meal to the hole
    • Plant the tree so that the final soil level is the same as in the container in which it was purchased - this is important
    • In the last few inches of soil add rich compost
    • Finally a layer of mulch to keep the roots moist (we purchased fir mulch)
    Espalier fruit trees
    After digging hole - fill with rich soil, compost & a handful of bone meal before measuring for posts

    Support Requirements

    • 4 x 8 foot posts (which were five feet apart)
    • Three lengths of galvanized steel wire  about 40 feet long
    • Turnbuckles and screw eyes
    Espalier fence - end post
    Espalier fence - corner post
    Espalier fence - centre buckle

    The surprise for me was that the fruit trees grow in less than zero degrees F in our area.  Another interesting feature was that the apple tree space requirement was 8 to 15 feet but the pear tree space requirement was an amazing 20 to 35 feet. Sideways that is!

    We look forward to picking fresh fruit with our grandsons especially knowing there are no chemicals used in our garden and these espalier fruit trees fit perfectly into our small yard space.

    Planted espalier apple and pear trees and supporting fence
    Planted espalier apple and pear trees and supporting fence

    Notes

    • For safety reasons we needed to fence the top wall of a terrace with a 5 foot drop - so espalier fruit trees were the perfect answer to cover the fence
    • We chose pear and apple trees simply as they are favourites and these two varieties are well suited to espalier type growing
    • Cherry, Asian pears, peach an plum espaliers are available and you can always train your own
    •  The pear had three varieties grafted on one trunk – Bartlett, Bosc and Red Bartlett
    • The apple tree had six varieties grafted on one trunk - Gala, Fuji, Red McIntosh, Yellow Transparent, Yellow Delicious and Gravenstein
    • We purchased two-year old root-stock so do not expect edible fruit for another two years even though there were abundant blossoms on both trees
    • Pruning requirements (we hope) will be minimal as the branches run parallel to the ground at the 1, 2 and 3 ft levels – very easily reachable and even wheel chair accessible
    • From lawn to planting including fencing - two persons - 7 to 8 hours and fence wire 4 hours
    • To train your own espalier fruit trees can take many years and be a lot of fun - for us time is of the essence

    Links & References

    • History and general espalier information
    • Bocce Ball Rules from Wikipedia
    Espalier ~ an ancient art
    Espalier ~ an ancient art

     

    More Gardening Articles

    • Stately buck deer in Fraser Valley urban city
      Fall is in the air - Watch for Wildlife
    • What's Happening in the Veggie Patch this Summer
    • Shopping at Your Local Thrift Store
    • Bright yellow squash flowers attract many beneficial insects
      How to Grow Butternut Squash
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Filed Under: Gardening

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Liz! I have been a happy gardener all my life. My goal on this blog is to share tips and resources to help you learn how to garden too. Passionate about all things "healthy". Life long learner and asker of "how".

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Vegetable gardening on a steep slope
      Vegetable Gardening on a Steep Slope
    • Fragrant fresh Meyer lemons growing at home
      Growing Citrus Trees in Lower Mainland, B.C
    • The Great Potato Debate ~ which variety to grow
    • Bright yellow kale flowers attract bees & hummingbirds
      4 Reasons to Leave Kale to Winter-Over

    Gardening

    • Fragrant lavender growing in the garden near a bird bath
      Getting Rid of Wasps with Herbs & Flowers
    • Small Fruits for the Home Garden
    • Devan Greenhouses - A "Destination Garden Centre"
    • Leah's Fabulous 2nd Year Vegetable Garden
      An Incredible 2nd Year Vegetable Garden
    See more Gardening →

    Recipes

    • Three Quick & Easy Dinners to Make
    • Chicken Cacciatore
      Easy to Make Chicken Cacciatore
    • Roast Butternut Squash Soup - the best!
    • Home grown beetroot - No chemicals added
      Beet or Borscht Soup - An easy to make Meal
    See more Recipes →

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Start Here

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Copyright © 2023 · Caramel & Parsley
    Disclaimer & Copyright