Why are my Espalier Tree's not Fruiting?

[Snoop Puss]

Thank you. They come every year. So just keep cutting them back?

Was wondering whether there was anything that could be applied to the cut face to stop regrowth. Without damaging the tree

Each one is a new sucker, so applying something to the cut face of old ones won't stop them popping up. So yes, just keep cutting them back whenever you see new one.

[Mcintosh85]

Each one is a new sucker, so applying something to the cut face of old ones won't stop them popping up. So yes, just keep cutting them back whenever you see new one.

thank you.

[ChingfordHarry]

The suckers are very interesting; M9 is notorious for producing lots of suckers, and also needs a pretty decent soil to grow in, so my suspicion is that the apples are grafted onto that. I've got a Telstar (yes, named after the satellite) grafted onto M9 in my back garden that's getting on for 10 years old and it's never really taken off - I blame the rootstock, which I was warned would not be vigorous enough for my heavy clay. Live and learn, as they say.

[Mcintosh85]

Evening all. Reviving this thread as I was out doing some early spring work in the garden and was shocked at how much the fruit trees had grown over the winter. They were all trimmed back to the height of the fence at the beginning of winter, and as you can see they are well above that now!

My plan following the advice of others in this thread is to feed with BFB early April.

But I am wondering if I should trim them all back again to fence height, or just leave them until early winter again?

[ameno]

I'm not sure quite how to tell you this, but there is no way they grew even one inch, much less several feet, over the winter. Trees cannot grow while they are dormant and leafless, it's just impossible.

I can only assume you must be misremembering about pruning them. Either you meant to prune them but forgot to, or it was last winter that you pruned them to the top of the fence.

[Mcintosh85]

I'm not sure quite how to tell you this, but there is no way they grew even one inch, much less several feet, over the winter. Trees cannot grow while they are dormant and leafless, it's just impossible.

I can only assume you must be misremembering about pruning them. Either you meant to prune them but forgot to, or it was last winter that you pruned them to the top of the fence.

Hi, thanks for the reply.

Whilst I appreciate you taking the time to respond, I have to say you are completely wrong. The trees were all trimmed to the level of the top of the fence in October. I can assure you that I am not misremembering about pruning them.

Hence my comment about being shocked.

[Martin H]

The shoots on these trees look the same size as in your September photos.

[ameno]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

Whilst I appreciate you taking the time to respond, I have to say you are completely wrong. The trees were all trimmed to the level of the top of the fence in October. I can assure you that I am not misremembering about pruning them.

Hence my comment about being shocked.

I'm sorry, but it's just utterly impossible for a deciduous tree to even grow at all, much less that much, over late autumn and winter. There is simply no means by which it could occur.