Training Espaliers

At last we have some weather fine enough to get on with the winter pruning! I spent today stringing up wires and training the second tiers of branches on my espalier apple trees. I'm quite proud of this particular orchard - 24 dessert apples all grown from six-inch twigs I grafted onto rootstocks. Each tree is now four feet high with four horizontal branches, two trained to the left and two to the right of the main stem. They do take a lot of pruning, but that's half the fun! Tomorrow I have to start pruning the bush apple trees - and that's a different ball game! Lots of heavy branches to come out this year and a lot of reshaping. If I was starting over, I'd grow all my apples as espaliers - and, now that I think of it, I may try reshaping some of the bushes into espaliers - an awkward and difficult job, but I think it might be possible!

This damn new computer I made quite a lengthy comment on this topic and then "Bang". Nothing!!. Its got a touch screen and I hate it!! Ho Hum.

I have been laid up for a couple of weeks with a crook neck so nothing has been done, but well on the mend now so pruning and other seasonal stuff needs to be started. My only espalier is the peach which is showing bud break and needs no attention as I pruned it in December. Some of the apple trees do need a bit of attention but as they are goblet shaped just need a bit of tinkering here and there. Your orchard sound like a sight to see Sean.

Yes, it's a right sight this evening, with sawn-off branches strewn around everywhere! When I get finished pruning there's going to be one hell of a bonfire!