One unique way to provide a decorative accent along a wall or a trellis is to plant and prune an espalier (prounounced es-PAL-yay).
It’s a French word derived from the Italian“spalliera,” which means “something to rest the shoulder (spalla) against.” It’s the art or process of controlling plant growth along a flat plane, usually against a wall or fence, or along a trellis.
This horticultural technique shapes woody trees or shrubs through pruning and tying to create two-dimensional plants, often in specific patterns. Because a plant pruned in this way uses far less space, the technique ideal for small gardens and in narrow spaces where spreading trees or shrubs will not fit.
“Some plants adapt better to the techniques of espalier than others,” says Susan Mahr, master gardener coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Horticulture. “The best candidates have long, flexible branches and ornamental flowers or fruits. Fruit trees are the most common subject. The intensive pruning directs energy away from vigorous vertical growth into the shorter, lateral fruit-bearing spurs, resulting in heavier yields than on ordinary trees.”
Because they’re less susceptible to breaking branches, Mahr says espaliered trees can have an incredible life span — some espaliered apple trees are still producing fruit after 150 years.
Some other advantages to espaliering fruit trees include:
• Being able to grow several different cultivars in the space of a single normal tree for greater diversity in fruit types and cross-pollination requirements
• The trees bear fruit earlier and for a longer time with deeper fruit color
• Fewer pest problems as air circulation is enhanced and any needed treatments are more easily applied
• Harvest is much easier
The different patterns are created by pruning to remove unwanted branches and “training” or forcing others into the desired position. The highly symmetrical, formal designs require much more effort than the informal types.
According to Mahr, some plants or cultivars are more suited to certain patterns than others because of their natural growth form, so will require less effort to train and maintain if well-matched. The more complex patterns take longer to develop.
This ancient practice may go back as far as the early Egyptians (tombs from about 1400 B.C.E. have been found with paintings of espaliered fig trees), although many believe the Romans originated the technique. It was commonly used in the Middle Ages in Europe to grow fruit inside walled monastery gardens or castle courtyards without filling the open space.
How To Grow Espalier
“Espalier is a long and labor-intensive process, so it really isn’t suitable as part of a low-maintenance landscape,” Mahr says. “The basic framework of simple designs may be established in three or four years, while intricate designs will take longer.”
Here are some steps:
- To develop your own espalier, choose a young tree without much branching, as this will require much less effort to manipulate. The main pruning should be done annually in late winter/early spring when the plant is dormant (or after it flowers, if it’s a spring bloomer) to remove branches that don’t fit the plan.
- Redirect the growth by pruning to buds that face the direction you want the plant to grow. Move branches into place and tie onto the supports in spring and early summer, while branches are still young, soft and easy to manipulate. This often has to be done gradually over a period of time each spring.
- Use soft string ties, and check every few months and loosen if the ties are restricting growth or damaging the branch.
- Remove the ties once the final form has been achieved. Maintain it by simple, minor pruning once a month to remove all stray branches and twigs that are growing out of the pattern. Specific directions for pruning the different patterns can be found online.
- Shape the plant every month or so, removing branches or twigs that aren’t in the correct plane of growth.Maintenance for espalier plants is the same as for normal plants of their type, except for the more intensive, regular pruning and shaping.
“Some nurseries offer pre-trained trees that already have a basic shape if you don’t have the patience to develop your own espaliers,” Mahr explains. MKE