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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-04-22, Page 43Page 16 Grow shrubs d trees on walls Want to grow your own apples, peaches or pears, but your garden is just too small'. Or having problems finding a suitable plant to grow in that narrow bed between the house and sidewalk? Then, why not grow an espaliered fruit tree or shrub, says Horticulturist Wayne Brown of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food's plant industry branch. "What is an espalier fess -PAL -yen? My definition is one used by old European gardeners: a fruit tree or a flowering shrub trained to grow flat against a wall or trellis," Brown said. — The horizontal espalier .is most common. It has one to six tiers of" branches trained horizontally to the right and left of the trunk. Because most espaliers are trained to Fruit trees and shrubs grow in narrow spots around the house grow only to eye level, the job of pruning, thinning and spraying can be done- with ease. Modern apple cultivars grafted on semi - dwarfing rootstocks provide ideal trees to train using the old European pruning methods. Peach, pear, and cherry trees can also be trained. Shrubs such as Firethorn, Forsythia of flowing Quince can be used effectively. Before planting the young tree or shrub, you must first determine the plant's use. For example, espaliers" can be used to 7987 IS YOUR YEAR TO OWN THE BEST FROMLOBB'S We inmate you to price the rest ©09 then buy the best! Th - consistent reliability of KUBOTA® N 'Get the Lobb's Full Service Advantages: *EXCEPTIONAL INVENTORY OF NEW KU IOTA TRACTORS AND .TTACHMENTS *ALL INQUIRIES PRL MPTLY ANSWERED *NO OBLIGATION DEMONSTRATIONS *COURTE°; US SALES AND SERVICE STAFF Haven't you waited long enough for your Kubota? H. LOBB & SONS LTD. BAYFIELD RD., CLINTON 482=3409 as^ab.Nn 4ffi4t crALLElit k$6"6011@iiL .i5 4'kffi#t't..►a# Ex"A&b Em.S't Yl d fences separate the vegetable garden. from the lawn or as a screen along a fence or as a feature around the terrace or patio. Fruit trees should be planted where they will receive at least six hours of sunlight, if you want the tree to produce fruits. Usually a wall with - a southeast to southwest exposure is best. . "But be sure to place the espalier 30•cen- timetres.to 45 centimetres away from the house to minimize the influence of reflected sunlight during the late winter months when. the tree must remain dormant," Brown. added. A wire suspension. system must be set up - to train the plant to grow in this manner. If you are suspending the espalier against the house or garage wall, begin by drilling a_ pairof deep holes in the wall, about 2.5 cm deep, three metres apart and 30 cm to 45 -cm above the ground. Set 2.5 cm Lead anchors in the holes and then screw .eyebolts into the anchors until - secure. Then drill holes at 30 cm intervals above the bottom most pair, depending on the number of tiers desired. Fasten No. 14 galvanized wire, horizontal- ly between the pairs of eyebolts. Vinyl -coated wire can also be used. If the espalier is in the open or along a fence, fasten the wires to well -braced wooden posts. Ties are another important consideration.- - Pruning is the essence of training an espalier. ' It takes a stout heart because we are not used to restricting -plants to a limited area; the Europeans, on the other hand; have been required to impose a greater degree of order on Mother Nature because of the limited space -in their gardens," Brown said. Purchase a fr'uit tree -about 1.2 metres to 1.5 metres' in height or buy a "one-year whip", a tree about one metre high with a few very small branches. In either case, you must prune -the bran- ches back so that there are only three. buds left, one bud to the left of the first wire, one bud to the right of the first wire, and one to train upwards. By the end of June, these three buds will haveproduced -20 cm to 30 cm long shoots. Fasten bamboo canes at 45- degree angles from the horizontal support near the base of the two shoots up to the second wire. Tie the flexible shoots to the canes. Fasten the third bamboo cane to the upright shoot. In late August, untie the two side.shoots and attach them to the bottom wire, being careful not to break the- shoots as you posi- tion them in a horizontal line. In late winter, prune the upright shoot to a bud, five cm above the second wire: Then repeat the same procedures as the ` previous year and continue training until you reach the top wire. In June, prune all laterals that develop on the horizontal arms back to three leaves from the basal cluster -to encourage sp.ur growth. And in the fall, prune all secondary shoots produced in mid -summer, back in one bud. As the espalier matures, the laterals mai require thinning to one lateral every seven cm to 12 em. "Training the espalier takes a little time throughout the season, but the fruits of your labor in a space no greater than 60 cm to 80 cm wide, will be most rewarding over the -years," Brown said.-- Emerson aid.- Emersan GRANGER'S T.V LTD. 92 South St. Goderich 524-8925 0 .Aa. ma.. sb 000.0 to