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Espalier apple tree - overgrown and out of shape

sabeehasabeeha Posts: 344
in Problem solving
Hello

I have an espalier apple tree in my garden which was a weird shape when I moved it.  It has since not got any better as I have never known exactly how to prune it.

I will attach a drawing - but essentially, it has a few horizontal arms but a lot of the growth is vertical.

I pruned a bit today (I know it’s not the right time right now but I felt a bit mad looking at it!) but not sure what to do now.

The main stem has grown very tall and there are branches off it that are also a bit thick.  It is currently in blossom - not much on the ‘arms’ but most on the vertical branches.

I thought maybe I should leave it alone now after having tidied up the lower branches (as in photo) but should I? 

Any advice would be appreciated.  You can see the height of the fence - ideally I would like it all below but it is not possible.  Also, there are hardly any blossoms on the arms, most concentrated on the top.  

Many thanks 


Posts

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited April 2022
    It sounds like the tree has just been not pruned annually to promote espalier growth. If you can upload a photo, we can try and advise on where to prune.

    A tree will always want to grow straight up, with its greatest growth at the top. If you leave an espalier to grow over the years, untrained, that's what it will revert towards.
  • sabeehasabeeha Posts: 344
    Thank you for your replies! I’m not sure whether you can see my drawing (which seemed inaccurate anyway!) but here’s a photo
  • sabeehasabeeha Posts: 344

  • sabeehasabeeha Posts: 344
    I’m not sure why it keeps rotating
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147


    There you are. There’s a glitch on the forum but if you crop a tiny bit off the photo that usually resolves it. 


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





  • sabeehasabeeha Posts: 344
    Thank you! 💐
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited April 2022
    The apical dominance means that all the energy of the plant went straight up. Someone didin't prune the leader (where all the hormones are) and it reverted in shape towards a regular tree. Then someone tried to train the big leader horizontally. That's why there is one thick branch going to the right.

    It depends, really, if you want to rpune it back into an espalier shape or not.

    In my estimation, if you wanted to re-train it back to grow as a regular espalier, you could prune off the thick branch top right and the two others growing straight up on the left. (As pictured). Others might disagree. This will promote horzontal growth lower down.

    It needs pruning every late August or so, order to keep the shape. On the upside, the tree looks healthy.

    It's hard to see, but it looks like you might have some interesting lateral shoots breaking that could make new tiers.





  • sabeehasabeeha Posts: 344
    Thank you both for your comprehensive replies!

    I guess I need to think carefully about what to do. 

    Our seating area is near there and I had to prune a few branches which were protruding in our faces and trailing on the ground, as they branched out quite low on the tree.  

    The other issue I had, is that when there were apples on the tree, they really weighed the thin branches down.  Will these branches thicken in time? Or does this normally happen?

    Also, now that I pruned the lower branches, if I left it to grow as it is, would the shape look ugly? (Half espalier half standard tree)?

    I think the tree was an Elstar (if I remember carefully- have lost the label).

    Thank you 💐
  • sabeehasabeeha Posts: 344
    Thank you @pansyface  and @Firefor your comments.  I will think about which option to choose in autumn, as I think at this point, I don’t want to lose this seasons apples if i decide to cut.

    @pansyface I appreciate and definitely agree with character bearing a beautiful thing!

    Much appreciated x
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