PRUNING ESPALIER FRUIT TREES

Select two stong sideshoots, secure them to canes and gently bend to horizontal. Tie in place.	The following summer, cut sideshoots back to four leaves and tie in two stems for the next tier.	Once at the planned height, cut back the main leader and prune new growth to three leaves.

Suitable for: Apples and pears but not stone fruits.

Aim: Pairs of branches are trained opposite each other creating a formal, symmetrical effect. Espaliers are ideal for south or west facing walls. Step over trees are low level espaliers that grow on a non-vigorous rootstock. Espalier trained trees are available from the Nursery.

Pruning: If you start with maiden trees, cut back the single stem by half. In the second year, select the two strongest lateral stems and tie them to canes. Bend them gently to a horizontal position and secure. Later, as the main stem grows upwards, select a second pair of lateral branches above the first two and tie these similarly to create a symmetrical frame work. Each main stem will produce a lot of sideshoots.

In summer, from July to September, cut each of the new sideshoots back to within four leaves of the main stem. Each little stump will them become a fruiting spur next season. On mature trees, you may need to thin out the spurs, reducing the numbers of twigs in winter.