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The new buzz coming from the Urban Ag movement has many gardeners looking for ways to increase their production. Some are contemplating "movin' on up" to espalier.
Espalier (es-PAL-yay) is a centuries-old technique, first used by the Romans, and then perfected in the English and French gardens of the 16th century. By practicing the art of espalier, you can achieve a system both artistic and functional. An espaliered tree creates a focal point on your property and maximizes your growing space. Using this time-honored system, you can grow multiple, healthy trees in a small space.
Plantings require maintenance throughout the growing season, but no more than any other backyard fruit tree. The espalier technique comes in handy for senior citizens and gardeners dealing with physical impairments. No more white knuckling shaky ladders -- just low hanging fruit and plenty of it!
Espalier trees produce more per foot than do ordinary trees -- mature forms can provide annually 30 to 60 pounds of delicious fruit. I've read articles about growers who have 12 apple trees in cramped backyards producing 600 pounds of apples a year. (Apple and pear trees are a common choice for espalier because they have a softer wood and are easier to train than hard woods like cherry.)
Most espalier plantings are close by a wall which absorbs warmth during daylight and releases it during cool nights. Walls also provide shelter from drying or destructive winds. They provide support and unfettered access to sunlight for the horizontal, fruit-bearing branches.
Apples seem to be the trees most likely to be encouraged by the espalier system, although if you'd like to hide the view of your garbage cans or a fence built by a no-taste neighbor, consider forsythia or magnolia or just about any viburnum. Espalier doesn't just produce fruit; it grows aesthetics as well, at least on your side of the fence.
If you'd like to try espalier, you needn't go it alone. Penn State has a fact sheet with a good illustration and helpful advice. Go to www.extension.psu.edu, then type Pruning and Training to a Trellis in the Search bar. Or refer to The American Horticulture Society Pruning and Training book. It's an excellent reference.
If you're planning to try an espalier tree or shrub, you have all summer to think about it. To establish it, first consider the "right place, right plant" commandment. And if you can arrange it, the right place should be facing south or east.
The first step in giving espalier a trial is to find a pattern. Six basic designs have been developed over the years: Cordon is the simplest and the easiest. (Think T's in a stack.) Or try Candelabra, with vertical lines growing from a single base, Palmette verrier with U-shaped branches, Fan, which is an apt description of how the tree is shaped and Belgian Fence where several V-shaped espaliers are woven together.
Place, plant, pattern, prune. Espalier is all in how you look at it.
Contact Teresa Futrick at esroyllek@hotmail.com