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Fan training Morello Cherry

goodlittleegggoodlittleegg Posts: 4
in Fruit & veg
Hello,

New round here - made an account to ask this question! I’m not a beginner and not an expert. I am definitely new to growing fruit trees.

I bought a one year old bare foot tree to grow against a north facing wall. (It was a feathered maiden eg it has branches). It’s the side of our garage so I planted quite far out from the wall. For various reasons including being mid a big garden redo, 

I have read sooo many articles about fan training fruit trees and I was a bit nervous about pruning it. But, I figure if I kill it I can always try again in Autumn!

Here is the tree, after I’ve pruned it. It’s about 46 cm/ 18 inches high 



My question: should I also take out the branches below right now? The middle branches are quite thin but could work as alternatives to the ones at the top which are the ones I was thinking would be the ‘y’. The very lowest branches could also be an option.

Also, the tree is planted quite far out from the wall because I was worried about foundations. So far that it’s quite a way from the wires! Do I just tie the tree on to canes that are attached to the wires? With long ties (I’m using old T-shirts cut up?) or do I need interim support?

here is an illustration of how far it’s off the wall! 



Sorry my phone is doing that irritating thing of rotating photos 🙄


Posts

  • batwood14batwood14 Posts: 193
    Hi - you need to give the tree chance to grow for a couple of years before going to that level of pruning otherwise you'll wait an awful long time before you get any fruit on it.
  • goodlittleegggoodlittleegg Posts: 4
    Well, it’s already been pruned pretty hard! Tbh the fruit is kind of secondary. It‘a the shape and covering the north wall that is more the aim here. Fruit is a bonus (if I ever get any). The important thing for me is getting it set up to grow as healthily as possible in the Y shape for fan training. Will it be better for the tree’s growth into the desired shape to leave the lower branches on?
  • goodlittleegggoodlittleegg Posts: 4
    I am mostly following this advice https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=626
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I was about to give you that link myself.  Looks like you've done it right so far but could maybe use some canes to guide the branches to the wires or just wait till they get long enough to tie in ad spread in espalier/fan format.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • goodlittleegggoodlittleegg Posts: 4
    Thanks, maybe I’ll leave those branches for now and can always lop later/ next year if it looks like the fan will be a bit congested. I’ll have a play about with canes - I hadn’t thought about connecting the tree to the wires with them, in my head the canes were flat against the wires!
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    They'd just be a guide till the branches extend enough to get to the wires by themselves.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
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