North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Ginda Fisher" <list@ginda.us>]

I live in New England, which I've been led to believe has a climate similar to that of old England.  And I've seen espaliers both here and there.

Espaliers are generally ornamental as well as productive, gracing estates or fitting neatly into the landscaping of more modest homes.  While they seem to produce plently of fruit, I have to believe there are less labor-intensive ways to maximize fruit production per acre in commercial applications, both here and across the pond.  I have driven by many an orchard in Europe and never seen one with espalied trees, except perhaps next to a building, as an ornament.  

So my take is that espaliers work pretty much the same here as in Europe.  I've certainly never measured the total production of anyone else's tree, but I've seen fruit-laden espaliers on both sides of the Atlantic, and they seem to produce enough to satisfy their owners.

-- Ginda

---

Lee Reich wrote:

Photoperiod would be different; other environmental conditions would be similar. 

Please note that a well grown espalier does two things. First is the form developed by its branches. That form can be developed anywhere; it's not hard to coax apple or pear trees into almost any shape with repeated pruning and bending. The second part is that the branches are densely clothed in flowers, then fruits, something you rarely see on this side of the Atlantic. 

Spur bearing and columnar varieties and dwarfing rootstocks are a more sure way to get that density of flowers and fruits than pruning here. 

Take a look at the photos in Lorette's old book on Lorette pruning to see just how dense with fruit an espalier -- in northern France -- can be. I'd be interested to know if your espaliers are that dense with fruits and flowers.

Lee

Lee Reich, PhD

http://www.leereich.com/

http://leereich.blogspot.com/

Books by Lee Reich:

A Northeast Gardener's Year

The Pruning Book

Weedless Gardening

Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden

Landscaping with Fruit

On Aug 12, 2009, at 6:10 PM, ROBERT W JUDY A HARTMAN wrote:

I am located in western Washington.  Lee, wouldn't you say that the growing conditions are very similar to that area?  I am currently training 36 trees in the espalier format, thus the question to you.

 

Thanks,

Bob

---------------------------

Pruning for espalier was developed in northern Europe. Speaking, now, from personal observation, apples and pears pruned using European espalier techniques almost never respond here the way they do in Europe. As I point out in my book, The Pruning Book,  growing conditions in northern Europe are quite different from those of most of the US as far as summer and winter temperatures, rainfall patterns, and daylength, all of which could be responsible for those differences.

Lee Reich, PhD

http://www.leereich.com/

http://leereich.blogspot.com/

Books by Lee Reich:

A Northeast Gardener's Year

The Pruning Book

Weedless Gardening

Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden

Landscaping with Fruit

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