These are Harrison apples, year three for the espalier.
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This is the current state of my vertical espalier. There are 42 upright cordons. If I keep six, I can graft 36 varieties on to it next spring. Currently I have Melrose, Yellow Transparent, Esopus Spitzenberg, Calville Blanc, Hoopoles Antique Gold, King David, Kidd’s Orange Red, and Rubinette. All of the upright growth will be cut down to 3-4
inch stubs to graft upon. Then next year (year 4) they will start their permanent growth. They are on M-111 and G-890 rootstock. So the 36 varieties will be interstems of the current varieties. Once the uprights become ten feet tall, I will have 420 feet of fruit bearing branches in a 40 foot long area.
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Here are some recent photos. I have been judiciously pinching off new growth all summer long. The first cordon is well established and dense, and I started the second cordon this year, but probably won’t let it set fruit until 2025. Some of the first cordon G-11 rootstock is planted in an old limestone parking lot and are struggling, so I planted a Wealthy and a Baldwin on G-890 to fill in the weak areas. I also dug deep holes for them into the soil beneath the gravel.
. I think I’ll get thousands of blossoms and will have to thin much of the fruit set. I grafted a Goldrush last year and this year there are five nice apples on it already.
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