[New shoot]

and anyone else who is interested 

This is 2 very basic arches, bought from a garden centre and stood side by side.  They sit in the ends of 2 facing raised beds and there is an apple tree on each outside leg, trained as a cordon.



I stopped the main growing tip as soon as the trees each side met in the middle of the arch.



The main trunks are now quite thick and I prune all the side branches back each year so for the size of tree, they are very productive.



My garden robin was convinced I must have found something good as I was spending so much time looking at them, so he came to check up on me 



Even though they are very cheap arches, the double run makes them look better than they are and the whole thing is a really nice feature in the front garden 

[mumofstig]

How old are those trees now, NS?

[New shoot]

Not sure, but 10 years at least.  They have formed those bulges round the grafting joint that older trees do.

They hit the top of the arch and fruited pretty well from year 2 though.  The intensive pruning a cordon gets seems to focus its attention on fruit buds.

They are the original arches as well, which I think were about £20 at the time.  That plus the cost of 4 bare-root trees has made it a worthwhile investment 

[Lardman]

Ta Shoots  - they really do look good like that.    Are they all apples, can you remember which and what root stocks?

I would have thought 4 trees would be too densely planted but they look happy enough. Did you have any problems with the training ? 

[New shoot]

They are 2 Monarchs, which is a cooker, and 2 Jonagold De Costa, which is an eater.  They were all on semi-dwarfing rootstock (M26 I think  )

My soil is quite silty, with gravel underneath.  The beds generally get a top dressing of manure each year, then handfuls of pelleted chicken manure as the crops grow.  The apples seem to thrive.

The training is quite easy.  Most bare-root trees come with a clear leader.  Tie that to the arch and prune any other side shoots to around 3 buds.  Prune any side shoots off these to 1 bud.  Carry on with this pruning routine each year.  Other than that, enjoy the blossom and pick the fruit   

[mumofstig]

They look good on it - that's for sure 

[mumofstig]

Too late for this year, but I think I'll go for it next year - just need to remember to order the trees in time,

and yet more arches 

[New shoot]

Too late for this year, but I think I'll go for it next year - just need to remember to order the trees in time,

and yet more arches 

Just remember this is not in any way, shape or form, my fault.  It's yours because you can't resist temptation   

[mumofstig]

Guilty as charged m'lud 

I've been trying to see how I could fit some in the garden................this seems to be the way 

Can you still walk comfortably under the arch, I assume you keep the trees pruned well back ?

[New shoot]

I can walk easily under the arch, but I am a short bum 

They are pruned well back on the inside of the arch and I take out any branches that come out on that sides of the trees 

[mumofstig]

Okey dokey 

[Lardman]

I can walk easily under the arch, but I am a short bum 

And there in lies my problem with stuff like this...  that and the fact I can't decide what the garden will look like for a season let alone a decade 

It does seem the sort of thing which could be tested using those very cheap aldi trees and even cheaper ebay arches. Just don't tell Surbie... 

[Willow_Warren]

They look good!

They had a bit on Beechgrove this week on growing trees close together (not inventively over arches like your's though!).

Hannah

[mumofstig]

I don't suppose you remember which make of arch that is NS?

El cheapo ones with slot in joints certainly don't last 10 years, whereas those plastic connections look to add a certain stability to the joints  I'm even wrapping the joints of my new plot ones with green PVC tape to try to stop them rusting away

I've had a quick Gurgle and couldn't find any like yours 

[New shoot]

I don't suppose you remember which make of arch that is NS?

No I'm sorry, but I don't.  They were flat pack in boxes from the little garden centre up the road.  That was Country Gardens, but is now Wyevale.

Don't know if it helps, but the trees are pretty self supporting and the arch is just a shape to train them to