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Easy Espalier Trees

• Buy a tree that has two tiers already trained and in place. This will fruit earlier and benefit from the work already done by an expert.
• Make the most of your wall space by planting apple and or pear trees to be trained against the wall.
• Before planting stretch three or more wires horizontally along the wall about 18 inches apart matching the two lower tiers to the branches on the tree you have bought.
• Use sturdy, pressure treated supports driven in to the ground and galvanised wire fixed with vine eyes.
• Plant trees 10 inches away from the wall and lean it slightly inward towards the wall to help tie in the branches.

Training and Cultivating the Trees

• In the first winter cut back the main stem to just below the third wire where there are buds growing on either side of the trunk
• As the buds develop train each of them by tying to a cane which is gently lowered progressively so that by autumn you can tie them to the third wire
• To get even growth and girth raise or lower the cane to stimulate or check growth. Eventually you will have branches 5-6 feet long.
• For subsequent tiers support the central growth with another cane then repeat the process. Five branches are an optimum size though you can have more tiers if you narrow the width.
• If you are only growing one variety use a self pollinating type or a family tree with two sorts grafted on to the same stock.
• Peach trees may produce good crops if maintained on a south-west facing wall in a sheltered spot

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Training Fruit Trees