[Zak the Rabbit]

Does anyone grow fruit as cordons or espaliers? Im planning on doing to as part of my fruit and nut hedge

I need some advice though -

How high should the top wire be from the ground?
How far apart should the support wires be from each other?
How do i best select trees to grow this way?
What varieties work best? im looking at a nice red apple, a pair, maybe even a peach (though no idea where to get a peach tree from!) I appreciate i may need a couple of each as pollination partners.

How low would the lowest branches be trained? could i grow soft fruit in the lower half of the cordon and train the firm fruit higher up?

Ive been looking in the garden centers today for ideas. Didnt intend buying anything but saw some autumn raspberries so got two of those, and a blackberry

Trees seem to start around the £25 mark, so i'd like to make sure i get suitable varieties for my investment.

My cordon will eventually replace a laylandii hedge (cant stick them!) and hopefully provide an effective and attractive boundary 'hedge' and fresh fruit for me and my neighbour!

i cant seem to find any books dedicated to this kind of growing anywhere

[mfconway]

can some one please help Zak as this will also help me as I am too trying to grow trees like this
thank you  (I know some of you will have all the answers)

[FCG]

No idea, but i do know a member on here who has one grown like this. Wondering why she hasn't posted yet.

[happy chick]

I recommend the The Fruit Expert by Hessayon.  Lots of useul info on there about espaliers, fans, cordons stepovers etc etc.  Also about best rootstock to use for different types of fruit.
 I don't know how up to date it is though wrt all the different types of varieties around today.  The expert series can sometimes be picked up second hand at big DIY stores.  Hope this helps

[richyrich7]

My Bro' used to grow his that way, and they where quite prolific fruiters, it's more about getting the right rootstock , nothing too vigorous or too dwarfing.
I've got a book some where but I can't find it  :roll:  I'll have a better look in the morning  

[nilly71]

I am going to use the fruit trees and bushes as boundrys as well.

I was thinking of these..Here

Have you thought about family trees, they have upto 6 different apples or pears on one tree.

Neil

[Zak the Rabbit]

didnt know families could be cordon trained. They do look good, since there are two varieties or more per tree, are they effectively self fertile?

my biggest problem with the whole idea is that of the current conifer borders, they are part mine and part neighbours, so i will have to persuade the neighbours to let me take them down (probably bit by bit as the cordons/espaliers grow)

but who could say no to all that free fruit!

[gobs]

Not to be a spoil joy, Zak, but I would not plant any fruit trees whilst the conifer hedge is up and running.

[Auntie Rain]

Try these links for inspiration.....

http://agutie.homestead.com/files/world_news_map/fence_garden_espalier.htm

http://www.scenicnursery.com/archives/002422.html

[Zak the Rabbit]

ideally i wouldnt, and certainly any fruit that gets planted will have the conifers nearby removed, but its something i will have to do slowly, bit by bit. Im starting down the bottom end of the garden (which is my plot anyway) where its less noticable. On one side all the conifers are mine anyway so im slowly 'dismantling' them.

[Zak the Rabbit]

Try these links for inspiration.....

http://agutie.homestead.com/files/world_news_map/fence_garden_espalier.htm

http://www.scenicnursery.com/archives/002422.html

some nice designs there!

I was thinking of a more 'trident' or 'fork' design, 2 or three tiers, trained out horizontal a way and then back vertical, perhaps with a 'stepover' low growing tier across the bottom

[richyrich7]

Zak have you had any luck yet with finding cordon growing information ?? I've found my old RHS notes on it, I could scan and email if you want ?

[tam]

Can I ask what else you have planned for your fruit & nut hedge? We've just had our conifers removed and hope to do the same thing, espaliered pear with raspberries/blackberries underneath/infront and a hazel....  

We were thinking of filling in the gaps while they grow with runner beans or similar annual climbers.

[Gwiz]

hello Zak, The best book I have ever seen on this type of thing, was the RHS book of pruning. If you don't have any joy with other information, give me a PM..........