Inherited espalier trees

[Arran]

Hi Everyone,

My wife and I have just recently purchased and moved in to our new home.

We are young with no experience in fruit and veg gardening so are begging your help.

We have inherited 3 espalier trees; one pear, one plum and one... I have no idea what the last one is but I don't think it is a fruiting tree.

They were all very overgrown and needed some serious pruning, so I got to work and did so. The photos below are after pruning, they're full of fruit but I can't help but think they're not the prettiest espaliers that I have happened upon.

If these were your trees, what would YOU do with them?

1. Nectarine - I want to train this chap.



2. Plum



3. Pear



4. Unknown...




Best Wishes,

[Arran]

1. Nectarine - I want to train this chap.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/73wqthzhsv...arine.JPG?dl=0

2. Plum

https://www.dropbox.com/s/y14344g7si40ge6/plum.JPG?dl=0

3. Pear

https://www.dropbox.com/s/n9qy0lyqlwoknz2/pear.JPG?dl=0

4. Unknown...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9dygovlfym...known.JPG?dl=0

[veggiechicken]

Hi Arran and welcome to the Forum.
I'm not sure what's gone wrong with your photos - it may be a size issue the first time.
I know absolutely nothing about training fruit trees - sorry - but I'd be delighted to have moved to a house with those espaliers.
Its difficult to identify the last tree without a closeup of the leaf - it looks a bit peachy but I'm probably wrong

[Guest]

Hi and welcome to the vine.

Nectarine I would fan train (more forgiving than espaliers) (cut Aug-ish time)
Plum I would leave as is. (cut Aug-ish time)
Pear I would year on year remove an odd limb and encourage others to try and even out the tiers (cut in winter)
Unknown I would maybe treat for peach leaf curl (if you take more pics of the light green puckered leaves on the rhs) and I would be a little drastic. Cut the truck by about half (just above the group of thin branches) and reduce the length of thin branches and fan train. (cut Aug-ish time)

It is purely what I would do. Others will have their own preferences.

[Lardman]

There's nothing wrong with them ... true they're not the most formal looking but they're not that bad, if they're fruiting well why mess?

Having said that - I couldn't leave them like that...I'm not keen on the way the top has been flattened on them I think you'll end up with a lot of useless regrowth up there.

Plum.
Cut the top left thick branch about 2" below the top wire.
Remove the bottom right thick branch which has been pulled over.
Cut the top right fork out at 2" above the 2nd wire down.
Check the bottom of the trunk around the first wire - is that canker?

Pear.
It looks to have gone a miss at the third wire - find buds at that level on both sides and notch them, whilst your doing that notch the central leader at wire 4 on the right hand side too. If you get growth, remove the fork on the right and then the branch on the left growing on wire 3 as it starts below wire 2. Again check the bottom of the tree - it might be the light but you never know.

As NG says prune the plum in August but you can notch the pear now (just about), prune Feb.

[Guest]

Change of heart on the pear



I don't know if I made sense of the unknown (peach/nectarine) but the blue line I would definitely cut. The white is just to bring it in, with thinning and reshaping but is a case of health, pliability and training aka 'winging it'

[Arran]

Thank you all for your comments thus far, they have been very helpful.

Norfolkgrey, those pictures are unbelievably helpful. Thank you for spending the time.

The canker areas look like possible strimmer damage. I'll get closer pictures tomorrow but the plum is quite sappy in that area.

Best Wishes
Arran

[Arran]

Good morning all,

Here are some photos of the damage to the trees and a close-up of 'unknown's' leaves.

Pear: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ubmiwdzd2y...Pear2.jpg?dl=0

Plum: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6dqj3g5ek8...Plum2.jpg?dl=0

Unknown: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9se6zpm22i...nown2.jpg?dl=0

What is the prognosis for these poor damaged trees?

Best Wishes
Arran

[Guest]

What is the prognosis for these poor damaged trees?

Don't panic or worry. They are fairly decent trees like Lardman has already said.

Pear - the fact the plum is suffering in the same place I think it is fair to say that someone was a bit over zealous with the strimmer, but it looks dry and fine leave the tree to get on with it. I originally wasn't going to say remove the grass as the bottom as they seemed fairly happy and healthy on the whole but if it stops any further strimmer damage then great. No treatment just keep an eye

Plum - Gummosis, sounds scary but all it is is oozy gunk that indicates something was or is wrong. In this case I will go someone with a strimmer needs a slapped wrist. No treatment just keep an eye.

Unknown - Is a peach or nectarine. Has peach leaf curl. Used to be a case of spraying with Bordeux mix but it is now a banned substance. I made my own spray this year after reading this thread http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ch-tips-2.html and it has helped. Pick off the worst leaves but again you tree doesn't look too bad just keep on top as it will weaken and eventually kill if left. Clean secateurs regularly when pruning to reduce spread.

[Lardman]

Is it me or does it look like something has been tunnelling under the bark on the plum?

Id clear the grass from around them and give the soil a tickle over just a foot around should do it, perhaps mix in some BFB and growmore or a little liquid feed while you're at it.

[Guest]

Is it me or does it look like something has been tunnelling under the bark on the plum?

Where abouts? There is a recessed notch at the bottom (possibly left from an old died back branch) Recessed notch at the top (thinking strimmer damage) what looks like cracking in the resin/gum. Do you mean the red lines like those in the centre that forms a X (I have no idea about those)

[1Bee]

I have two thoughts:-

1) I can't get over the envy of inheriting fruiting espaliers to give any advice... ;-)

2) My giving advice would be preposterous, in the face of the generous expertise abounding on this forum.

I am in awe.

[Arran]

Happy Saturday everyone!

This morning I've been having a play with my pear tree. After taking all of your advice on I have chopped some branches, bent tier 3 arms down to become tier 2 arms and gave the ground around the tree some TLC.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bxirn9avo6...pear3.jpg?dl=0

So now I have no tier 3 arms and 1 LHS tier 4 arm. I'm imagining a RHS tier 4 arm will sprout at the top but what can I do about tier 3? I've heard of grafting some buds in, is that something worth doing?

Best Wishes,
Arran

[Lardman]

Do you mean the red lines like those in the centre that forms a X (I have no idea about those)

Yes those - I was zoomed in but looking at the whole trunk they do look like strimmer slashes.

This morning I've been having a play with my pear tree

Yes you have rather Id have left another 2-3 inches on the top, have you left a bud to form a new leader ?

It looks much nicer though doesn't it.

You may find you get some natural branching for tier 3 as you've given the tree a rather harsh prune, but if want to notch it find some buds just below the tier 3 wires around the level of the knot holes on the fence on the left and right sides and notch above the buds, NOT ALL THE WAY AROUND. The idea is to interrupt the cambium layer above the bud. Don't mess around trying to graft it.



Actually looking at it - This winter I would probably cut it back to just above the water mark, take a new leader from the branch and hope for buds to break left and right for tier 3, saves all the messing about. Might as well leave it at the moment though for that pear to ripen.

[Arran]

Yes you have rather Id have left another 2-3 inches on the top, have you left a bud to form a new leader ?

I wish I had left another couple inches now. I'm struggling to identify the buds, especially so on the main leader. I've Googled and YouTube'd but I'm non the wiser. So I don't expect I have got a bud but perhaps I can change that when I chop it down to tier 3 later in the year.