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Fruit trees fan/espalier training

lchartenberg23516lchartenberg23516 Posts: 6
in Fruit & veg
Hello all,

I have recently been gifted a couple of fruit trees. 3x plum, 2x peach and a pear. I believe these are called ''Feathered Maiden'' trees. From doing my own research I have learned that these are not ideal for fan/espalier training, and I should rather have gotten whips, alas here we are. My question is; with the trees looking like they are, is it my best bet to plant them as they are in their respective spot, make the trelis system accordingly, and then after coming winter prune them as shown in the image? Any recommendation would be greatly appreciated :)

Kind regards from the Netherlands!

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  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Who owns the wall you want to train the Trees along? I foresee problems with the raised bed being higher than the damp proof course, and the neighbours if you affix anything to it.
  • lchartenberg23516lchartenberg23516 Posts: 6
    Its the neighbours garage. I wont be fixing anything into it, as my concrete posts are set into cement. Our building regulations are probably different than where you are at, I dont believe this will be a problem. There has been a raised bed in this exact location for 15 years prior! Thanks for thinking along :)
  • lchartenberg23516lchartenberg23516 Posts: 6
    Any tips?
  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    I am sure if you do not mind waiting an extra year or two for fruit, you could spend some time really looking at the growth on each of your feathered trees and you will find a side of them where the stems are more widely spaced. These can be pruned back to the trunk and you will over two or three years be able to turn them into fans or espaliers.
    Once you have decided which is going to be the flat back of the trees, rubbing off backward-growing buds also helps with developing the desired framework. 
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    One question is what direction is the sun going to take, some of those won't like too much shade.
    Second are they on dwarf root stock, if not plums will be nearly impossible to keep small enough, on a dwarf rootstock think 8 to 10 foot with pruning in five years.
     Apples are more manageable and slower growing.
     Peach are too, but I haven't grown them, so maybe others can help there.
  • lchartenberg23516lchartenberg23516 Posts: 6
    Hi! They are on dwarf root stock. The wall is basicly a S/SW wall and has the son for most of the day, except early morning. I was told that these trees grow to around 2m, or 6ish feet. The fencing is also that height. Thanks!
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited October 2023
    The trees look fine for training to me. One thing is to find out if they are spur bearing or tip bearing - just to check. Each group behaves differently. Ideally you want spur bearing trees to espalier. Read up on the cultivars you have - what they are like, when they flower, when they fruit; also how and when to prune (important with espaliers, it's quite specific). For example, my apple gets ripe very early - at the start of July and if I leave the apples too long the get wormy.

    Don't plant anything else anywhere near the base as they won't like the competition. Give your trees the best start in life. Don't but any manure or woodchip in future years anywhere near the trunk or it can start to rot the bark (words of bitter experience). Keep the trees really well watered for the first few years (several buckets or equivalent a week when there is no rain). Fish blood bone fertiliser should be fine to feed them in the spring and summer.

    And the main thing - don't plant them right close to the wall. The roots will appreciate the space to spread, the roots will avoid the concete foundations of the wall, the base will get more rain watering away from the wall, and the plants will have more ventilation, which will help against fungal diseases on leaves and fruiting (mental note to self 🙄). 

    If putting in concrete posts, carefully plot out first where to place the trees in relation to these foundations and the wall foundations. It might be restrictive so take your time to measure it out. 

    Check if there are any utlility pipes or cables running along at the base of the wall. Maybe dig a few of the tree holes first to see what is down there and what the soil is like. Plant one or two trees and make adjustments as necessary. Don't do all the hard digging and then realise you have put the holes in a silly place (very easily done). Take your time. Have some tea. Stand back and assess the spacing. 

    Have a lot of patience and enjoy seeing the trees grow away!

  • lchartenberg23516lchartenberg23516 Posts: 6
    Thanks for that! They are all dwarf root stock. 
    Plums; Aprimira, Opal and Mirabelle de Nancy, Peaches; Rubira, Saturn, the pear is Conference. I will look into their respective needs!
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Plums and peaches etc need to be trained as fans rather than espaliers. The training is quite different.  This explains 
    https://www.orangepippintrees.com/articles/fruit-tree-advice/fruit-tree-fans-and-espaliers#:~:text=Plums%2C%20cherries%2C%20apricots%2C%20peaches%2C%20and%20nectarines%20are%20not,easier%20to%20maintain%20and%20a%20bit%20more%20productive.

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





  • lchartenberg23516lchartenberg23516 Posts: 6
    Dovefromabove said:
    Plums and peaches etc need to be trained as fans rather than espaliers. The training is quite different.  This explains 
    https://www.orangepippintrees.com/articles/fruit-tree-advice/fruit-tree-fans-and-espaliers#:~:text=Plums%2C%20cherries%2C%20apricots%2C%20peaches%2C%20and%20nectarines%20are%20not,easier%20to%20maintain%20and%20a%20bit%20more%20productive.
    Yes! Thats what i'm planning to do as mentioned in the intro. I suppose the plan remains the same, as they talk about pruning when buds are visible. That would be in spring right... so, plant them now and prune in april'ish?
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