How to Prune & Espalier an Apple Tree to Get Fruiting Spurs

This espalier is trained in an informal style.

Espalier is the art of growing trees on a trellis, saving space in the garden and creating a microclimate. The sun heats the wall and warms the trees, allowing tender varieties to grow in less hospitable climates. Espalier apple trees are noted for their high production of fruit. Generally, dwarf or semi-dwarf apple trees are grown in a horizontal, or cordon, form. Since apples are formed on spurs, or stubs of branches, the espalier form allows the gardener to pinch and prune the long horizontal branches, encouraging the growth of numerous 4- to 6-inch spurs.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Pencil or marker
• Drill
• 15 wire eye lag screws
• Wire
• Wire cutters
• Dwarf or semi-dwarf apple tree
• Pruning shears
• Shovel
• Plant ties

Instructions

Prepare the Trellis

1. Measure the wall where you plan to espalier the tree. A typical espalier is 6 to 8 feet tall. Depending on the variety and type of tree, branches grow up to 7 feet long. An espalier is usually grown on an east, west or south-facing wall that receives at least six to eight hours of sun daily.

2. Mark the center point of the espalier on the wall with a pencil. Draw a vertical line, marking in 2-foot increments up to 6 feet. Move to the left 3 1/2 feet and then 6 feet and draw vertical lines, again marking at 2, 4 and 6 feet. Repeat to the right of the center point, making the espalier 6 feet tall and 12 feet wide. Adjust the height and width according to the space available.

3. Pre-drill and screw the lag screws into the wall at the indicated marks. Insert the wire into the first lag at the bottom left corner, twisting to secure. Run the wire across the espalier form in horizontal rows, through the lag screws. Cut and twist to secure at the last lag screw.

Plant and Prune

1. Dig the planting hole a little deeper than the roots and 18 inches in diameter, as close to the wall as possible. Do not amend the soil. Fill the hole with water and allow it to soak into the soil.

2. Prune the tree if it has branches, removing all the branches on the front and back sides. Leave the side branches temporarily. Espalier usually uses whips, or saplings, that have not developed branches but your choices may be limited.

3. Remove the apple tree from the bag. If the roots are dry, soak in a bucket of water for an hour to revive them. Trim any broken or decayed roots. Arrange the tree so any side branches are aligned with the wire trellis. Gently spread the roots in the planting hole and carefully backfill with soil, keeping the tree at the same level as it was previously. Tamp firmly and water thoroughly.

4. Find a bud on the side of the whip at about 24 to 28 inches. Cut the whip off just above that bud. If you are working with an older sapling, prune the top at either the 24 or 48 inch wire. Remove all the remaining side branches except those aligning with the trellis. Gently tie the selected branches to the wire with plant ties or soft rags.

5. Prune and train the branches as they grow along the wires. The tree will grow side branches and a central stem where you cut off the whip. Continue to tie the side branches to the wire. Allow the whip to grow to the next row of wire and cut off just above a bud.

6. Train the tree along the wires, allowing it to grow until it reaches the last row. Prune the top and encourage the side branches to grow along the top row. Pinch off the top regularly; do not allow it to grow. Pinch or prune off side branches that do not align with the wire trellis.

7. Prune shoots on the horizontal branches to the first bud, leaving a stub and the leaves growing around it on the main branch. Apples develop on these stubs, or spurs. Remove the blossoms or small fruits for the first three to five years so the tree puts its energy into the limbs and leaves.

Tips & Warnings

• Consult with the master gardeners at the agricultural extension office for information on apples that thrive in your area.

• If purchasing a bare root tree at the local nursery, select one that is already relatively flat on at least one side.

• Choose a self-pollinating variety or plant two compatible trees.

• Choose a spur-type apple such as Anna, Dorsett Golden, Red or Golden Delicious or Granny Smith. Some varieties are non-spur; consult with the nursery before purchasing trees (Ref 3)

• Work slowly. New branches are flexible but it may take two years to encourage them to grow horizontally along the wires.

• Espalier is not limited to walls, wires are sometimes stretched between 4-by-4-inch posts to make fences or rows, similar to grape cultivation.

• Espalier includes informal trellising and formal forms such as fan, candelabra and Belgian fence.

• Wear gloves and safety glasses when working with power tools, wire, digging and pruning.

• Thin the fruits so they do not break the tree branches. Apples are heavy when fully ripe.

References

• Bold Depot.com: Wire (Turned) Eye Lag Dimensions
• University of Missouri Extension; Pollinating Fruit Crops; Michele R. Warmund; November 2002
• Clemson Cooperative Extension; Apple; Bob Polomski; February 2000
• Gardenality; Espalier an Apple Tree; Brent Wilson; June 2010
• Chicago Botanic Garden: How to Espalier an Apple Tree

Resources

• Mother Earth News; Espalier Trees; Patricia Fletcher; October/November 1993
• All About Apples: Varieties
• Ohio State University FactSheet; Growing Apples in the Home Orchard; Gary Gao