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Espalier on a slope

jonathan.colejonathan.cole Posts: 221
in Fruit & veg
We are planning 3 pear espaliers at the back of the veg beds. The ground runs up a slope.

Would it be best to train the espaliers with the slope (so one side down, one side up) with wires parallel to the ground or true level, with wires stepped for each pear?

I suspect stepping them will potentially cost me an entire level in the final trees, but would growing them on a slope cause trouble?

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited February 2021
    I would have to step the levels for each tree. I would find sloping espaliers constantly irritating visually 😠 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • jonathan.colejonathan.cole Posts: 221
    They'll be in front of a stone wall that mostly follows the slope, and with sleeper edging that totally follows the slope, so something is definitely going to be off regardless!

  • jonathan.colejonathan.cole Posts: 221
    Would growing the branches at a slight downward angle present any problems for the pear tree itself? Or is it just a matter of visual style?
  • Mr. Vine EyeMr. Vine Eye Posts: 2,394
    At my plot I put in posts and wires for espaliers - a long row of posts, they were going uphill. I kept each set of wires between each post level. So they all started and ended at different points on the post rather than following the uphill slope. Or starting them in awkward places that would mean a wire running close to the ground.

    Looks fine like that. Probably the lesser evil
    East Yorkshire
  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    I seem to remember reading somewhere that bending the branches downwards encourages fruiting and you do see fan espaliers with the very lowest branches trained at a downward angle.

    I would think that the decider will be what works for you visually as @Dovefromabove says some people will refer a stepped effect others following the slope. I can’t quite decide which I would prefer it would probably depend how strong the slope is. I think I would do a simple sketch to help me decide before I put the wires up.
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • jonathan.colejonathan.cole Posts: 221
    Butterfly66 said:
    I seem to remember reading somewhere that bending the branches downwards encourages fruiting and you do see fan espaliers with the very lowest branches trained at a downward angle.

    I would think that the decider will be what works for you visually as @Dovefromabove says some people will refer a stepped effect others following the slope. I can’t quite decide which I would prefer it would probably depend how strong the slope is. I think I would do a simple sketch to help me decide before I put the wires up.

    That's useful, thanks.

    I think I'll put the posts in then use string to see what looks best before I wire it up.

    Thanks all!
  • chickychicky Posts: 10,410
    edited February 2021
    @jonathan.cole here is what “stepped” could look like:



    Can’t find any google examples of “sloped” though.

    Have you considered cordons?  They might work on a slope, if they are all leaning at the same angle:




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