espalier
May 29, 2020 8:03 AM   Subscribe

Howdy, looking for help in locating a good source for purchasing trees for an espalier project? and/or any good sources of information on doing espalier? Thank you metafilter!
posted by hollyanderbody to Home & Garden (7 answers total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
I think location (geographically) is important for specific recommendations, but generally your local nursery will help you pick a fruit tree that can thrive. The actual process is relatively straight-forward, Monty Don has done plenty of explainers on it.

For inspiration and general garden feel-goodness (and aristocratic living-by-proxy), I really recommend the documentary The Gardener, where you can watch old-school European gardeners prune their trees according to generational wisdom.
posted by Think_Long at 8:52 AM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


I'll memail you a powerpoint that I received when I took a fruit tree pruning class. It's specific to Minnesota but it has some good practical tips with clear illustrations. There's also a list of resources at the end.

Whoops! Memail me your email and THEN I can send it. :^)
posted by Gray Duck at 8:59 AM on May 29, 2020


Yes, location is important. Search your local state university extension office, and you can also just give them a call or email (they love that, it's their job, and most of them are tragically underutilized which also endangers their job).

E.g. here's espalier info from Oregon State extension, here's some from University of Florida.
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:21 AM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


When you say project how many trees are you anticipating? For just a couple trees here (Southern BC) the easiest place is a standalone garden centre (IE: not one of the home improvement borgs or Costco or something, you want to deal with people whose full time job is plants). If you are thinking 100' of trees or something though it would be better to find a local nursery who handles trees. The selection will be better and they'll have more copies of particular trees if you are wanting them all the same.
posted by Mitheral at 9:51 AM on May 29, 2020


The earlier you order them the better, from a good nursery - if they know how you’re going to prune them they can set aside ones with buds in appropriate places. Easiest if you want one of a common tree, or enough of anything that the order pays for the extra attention. But pomological nurseries do this regularly.
posted by clew at 10:14 AM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Thanks for all the answers so far...

Folks have asked about location, I'm in high-ish elevation western mountains, zone 4-5.

Depending on how close the trees are spaced, I might could need 10ish trees? Cordon espalier I've seen recommendations to plant 2 feet apart, which if I did that would require 20 trees! so 10-20 trees?

I get that I can go to my local nursery, but I thought trees for espalier were usually sold younger, or "espalier-ready pruned" and I also am trying to avoid spending a fortune on 10-20 3-gallon fruit trees. Seems like this is the time to go bare root?
posted by hollyanderbody at 1:06 PM on May 29, 2020


Can you find a local nursery that sells bare root trees? It’s months too late for them in the lowlands, probably too late this year where you are.

I buy bare root because I’m thrifty and have a small car, but plenty of ppl say they have better survival and catch up to balled trees within five years.
posted by clew at 4:57 PM on May 29, 2020


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