I don’t know of the Hudson variety, but Fuji flat out likes to make wood and doesn’t take kindly to being kept smaller than its rootstock “wants”. What rootstock are your trees on?
Fuji is also as determined a biennial bearer as they come and a fine candidate for the French axe system of tying down shoots below horizontal to coax fruit production. When I used to grow it, I pruned the tree to a weep and that helped inspire annual bearing.
Hi @Roland,
Would you recommend this for tip bearing trees as well? I am doing espalier but was recommended heirloom trees for my climate that seem to be tip bearing… making my espaliers more creative to say the least! Last year as a test, I left a few vertical branches on the tree, trimmed back in early summer enough to grow new shoots, and a few buds. Those are the ones that flowered. It seems like I tricked the trees into thinking they had terminal buds.
Now, I’m trying to figure out a system for these vertical branches so they don’t get out of control. If I trim to 8 leaves in the summer, does that leave enough fruiting wood for buds to grow from for the following spring?
My 89 year old Dutch teacher is his full life busy with espalier fruit trees. He have so mutch knowledge how to manipulate the growth of fruit trees.
For espalier fruit trees I got there are a few very important rules:
a) Growth rules of Vöchting and Koopmann.
b) First establish the lower or outer branches (depending on type of espalier shape) before u start the next layer. If not, these branches will always be weak and give less fruit.
c) Pruning in winter gives extra growth.
d) Pruning in summer can produce fruit buds.
e) 1 kg fruit reduces 1 meter of growth.
f) By bending horizontal the growth reduce.
g) By bending vertical growth increase.
h) Buds in upwards direction grow fast (mostly we don’t want this).
i) Buds in horizontal or downwards direction grow slow.
j) Growth can be reduced by root pruning.
k) Growth can be reduced by sawing a cut of 1/3 deep in the branch (sometimes 2 on each side but at 20 cm height difference). Do this when buds just wake up.
l) Rootstock and quality of ground influence growth and size of the tree.
m) By notching u can wake up buds. Do this when buds just wake up.
n) Length cuts through the bark give extra thickness and growth. Do this when buds just wake up. Use this for example when main branches are not symmetric in thickness.
o) Fruit buds are produced because of slow growth.
p) 1 fruit needs 20 leaves to get the perfect tasted and aroma (pear and apple).
q) Apple have to be in full ‘wind’. In front of a fence/wall it’s too hot and less air circulation, what can give extra deceases.
r) Pear can grow in front of a fence/wall. Some varieties are better for full sun and other for more shade.
Waterspouds grow vertical and strong on top of branches. They have to be removed in may by pinching at 2 a 3 leaves. Pinch these the full summer. If there are still left, prune them in winter fully to the branch. Don’t leave a stomp and side buds.
So to get back to your problem. You’re apple trees are trained in a horizontal espalier shape. They do not produce fruit buds.
Probably u prune to shot and because of this u wake up new growth bud no fruitbuds. Every time u prune there will be 2 ore more new branches and u again u prune them to short hence u get more short branches. U get a big wood cluster with small branches but not fruit.
Fruit buds on apple exist on “vruchtzetels” fruitclusters:
A established vruchtzetel exist on the main branch and is in winter 15cm long with several types of fruitbuds and fruit wood. The last bud of the vruchtzetel is a normal bud that produces new growth in summer (1)
The fruitwood can exist from long fruitwood with at the end a fruitbud (2), short fruitwood with at the end a fruitbud (3) or flowerbuds (4).
At the end of summer the young branch (1) will be between 50 to 70 cm. The young branch is feeding the fruit with sugars.
The goal of a vruchtzetel is to produce quality fruit at the first 15 cm of the main branch.
Vruchtzetels are produced as follow:
If this all will not work there is also a different method to create fruitwood. It’s called Lorette snoei. This can only be used by specific varieties and there have to be a very strong growth.
If you have the time, could you share how to do Lorett snoei? I have an espalier apple on a vigorous rootstock. Would this be appropriate for this method?
Maybe we can go on in this toppic for Lorette snoei:
Place some pictures of youre trees. Overall pictures and details.
Thank you, this is a method I have never heard of. Sounds interesting.
Roland, you mention ‘length cuts’. Do you mean to slit the branch going with the grain? The long way on the branch?
Lengtesnede:
To increase thickness and grow of a branch. Make a lengtcut on the downwards direction of the branch. Start 5 cm in the main branch and cut through the cambium.
Perform this technique in spring when buds start to give leaves.
Roland Thank you. This is very interesting. I don’t believe I remember ever having read about this technique.
Where is that image of lengtesnede from?
pear or apple
I mean the source - which book or document?
Information from my dutch teacher and he wrote this book:
I’ve just pruned back my 2 espalier apples and finally noticed somethings from my trees that I have not paying attention to!
Some of the twigs simply terminated itself at about 5-6 inches. Could these be the one to produce flowers? So I leave them alone, no cut back!
The stronger growths gain fatter girth but still producing leaves. The angle ones I pruned them back to 8 leaves, last bud facing the ground.
One of the strong, vertical growths, about 8 inches away from the main arm presents with a short stub (and only one… so far) that I strongly believe it’s a flower cluster for next year. Hoping I’m right for this one! I cut about 5 inches away from the stub. Winner or not, I’m going to wait until next spring!
The trees overall look is a little odd due to this “issue”! The trees also need some fungicide treatment next year. I wonder how much impact would leave fungus caused for flower/fruit production?
The trees look very nice, I’m hopeful for you to get some fruit
It seems u did a good summer pruning. Let me give u some feedback.
Pic 1, The top stop growing and this can be converted to long fruitwood. At the end there can grow a fruitbud.
Pic. 2 Like i write in my previous post. U are correct to prune this to a downward bud.
Pic. 3 This bud can be converted to a fruitbud. In Netherlands we need minimal 5 leaves to feed the bud. If there is enough feed and light it will be converted to a fruitbud.
Always prune one or 2 buds behind a fruitbut. If u prune closer the fruitbud, it will be converted to a branch.
Overall, the trees (special the top layer) looks very crowded. Maybe next year in May u can remove some vruchtzetels that are spaced to close. Remember a vruchtzetel need enough space. U can place about 8 to 10 in one meter main branch.
Don’t forget, the pruned branches in Pic 2 will start to give new growth over 2 weeks. 6 weeks later u have to pinch the new growth like i write in my previous post.
About the fungi: In Netherlands its better not to espalier a apple in front of a wooden fence or wall. A apple need a lot of air circulation to prevent diseases like fungi and aphids.
Pear and peach are very good in front of a wall.
I think I finally found the thread I need! Pruning espaliers!!!
I planted these 2019 on Mother’s Day. This spring I had loads of flowers on apple on right. Nothing on pear on left.
In June I pruned them back for size management and left only a few apples on.
Now, they have grown to the sky. Can I safely take them back down to 3-4 leaves?
@Colleen7
As to the apple…
I would prune to 3-5 leaves now. Expect some new shoots to start and if they are in a good spot leave them grow until late Sept and tgen prune those off the same way and then mercilessly cut off ANY new growth that comes after the Sept haircut.
As to the pears, do the same but, depending on the cultivar, the pears may take 3 years plus to flower. Most of the pears I planted in 2012 only started some fruiting in 2018 and only this year will I have more fruit than I can use myself.
This is what worked for me.
Mike
My espalieried Reinette du Canada is pumping out new shoots and blossom cluster and pollinated new fruit. I am just pinching out the leaf buds I do not want. I want it to have a certain shape, A giant pitch fork! Its working.
