Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Grubbypaws on March 12, 2019, 10:16

Title: Help constructing a trellis for an espalier apple
Post by: Grubbypaws on March 12, 2019, 10:16

I  want to grow an apple espalier against a south facing wall. I have read and searched and found out a lot but nowhere can I find out how far the supporting trellis should be from the wall. One of the YouTube videos used 12" eye-bolts. Does it need to be this far out?

Thank you

Title: Re: Help constructing a trellis for an espalier apple
Post by: mumofstig on March 12, 2019, 10:32

In the Victorian Kitchen Garden the trees were all fixed directly to the wall with strips of fabric, but Ashridge Nurseries say

Quote

The wire needs to be held away from/ stand out from the wall or fence by about 2-4 inches / 5-10 cms. You can use wooden battens or  metal angle brackets to do this.

https://www.ashridgetrees.co.uk/gardening-advice/fruit-tree-advice/how-to-wires-fruit-growing

Title: Re: Help constructing a trellis for an espalier apple
Post by: Grubbypaws on March 12, 2019, 13:19

So far I have had three answers to this question;

1. Ashridge trees 'The wire needs to be held away from/ stand out from the wall or fence by about 2-4 inches / 5-10 cms'.

2. Permaculture 'the support wires need to sit about 6" to 8" (15-20cm) away from the wall'

3. Harrod Horticulture 'leave approximately 12" between the wire and wall, to allow for growing room

 :wacko: :wacko: :wacko:

Help! I dont think 2" would be enough to allow for the trunk of the tree in future years but 12" would almost make it too seperate from the wall. What have other people done?

Title: Re: Help constructing a trellis for an espalier apple
Post by: New shoot on March 13, 2019, 20:12

I have seen espalier trees grown on wires about a foot away from walls and it does let you have fruiting spurs on both sides of the branches.  You can stagger them down the branches so they don't shade one another.  If you put the wires closer, you just prune off the twigs that face backwards and concentrate the fruiting spurs outwards.

I've not got espaliers myself, only cordons, but the more spurs, the more fruit.  As you say it would make the tree stand pretty far away from the wall, so maybe not the best option for an exposed site or you lose any warming effect the wall would have.  The Ashridge measurements do sound a bit mean.  I would go for the middle route suggested by Permaculture.

Title: Re: Help constructing a trellis for an espalier apple
Post by: Grubbypaws on March 14, 2019, 14:16

Thank you New Shoot, that is the conclusion that I have come to as well. I have bought 8" eye-bolts which I am going to fix into the wall about 2". Through these I am going to thread Harrod Horticultures 2mm steel plant support cable tightening it with their steel gripples. Excited  :D

I have bought an old variety of apple called Norfolk Royal recommended to me by the wonderful Bernwode nursery in Buckinghampshire.

Title: Re: Help constructing a trellis for an espalier apple
Post by: FM79 on November 01, 2021, 14:29

Hi, new to this forum. I wanted to ask a quick question. I would like to build a espalier structure in my small garden, but I don't have much tools and also not great skills. Is that something that a gardener/landscaper can do? Or should I rather ask a general handyman?

Thanks.