Thank you. I thought it would be a waste of southern exposure to put some kind of lattice or other material there. It turned what is usually an ugly area into something productive
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I pruned my espaliered 3 year old Moonglow Pear today. I waited until most branches had terminal buds, and the bottom of laterals were woody, not green. We have a hot, dry forecast which should reduce fireblight risk (there’s a lot of fb on Colorado front range).
First, I cut out all the new laterals growing off main trunk.
Next, I cut back any laterals off the scaffolds to three leaves above the basal whorl.
Then on the few side shoots off these laterals, I cut back to one leaf above their basal cluster.
I then selected two side branches for the third level and zip tied them to a bamboo stake.
The last thing was to cut off the remaining leader at the height for the next year’s fourth and final level.
Before:
After
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Update, and could use some advice.
The tree responded more vigorously than I wanted. Where I was hoping for a few leaves, or maybe a fruit bud, in some places I got 12” of new growth. Photo 1
An adjoining tree, pruned at the same time, responded more in line with my hope. Photo 2.
I was trying to follow Michael Phillips approach from Holistic Orchard. Photo 3.
We probably have about a month until first hard frosts and two months before regular freezing. Should I prune these back down to a few buds, or leave them until spring?
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Successive summer puning to redirect sap to base of sprout and the change physiology from vegetative to flowering. Lorette’s method.
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So just keep pruning back to basal area, even if it’s several times each season?
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So I have been working toward Horizontal Cordon- are you suggesting I consider U shape due to the way these laterals are taking off (and up) on the lower cordon?
If you dont want a cordon, then you can successively prune in june, july august. Depends on your situation and space. This is what you want to end up with in Mid august. Notice at the base of shoot, it’s surrounded by leaves. Those are the ones you want to end with by mid/ late august depending…
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Thanks @noogy - I have found a copy of this book on Cornell site and will do some reading. Appreciate your help!
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@noogy So I tried to find out what happened to M. Lorette’s trees at the Wagonville school. Was hoping to see photos of ancient , exotic espaliered pears. Can’t find anything. I suspect that WWII ended them.
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Interesting. Wish I knew French. Keep us posted on your espalier project.
My pear espalier project continues into 2025.
The two trees now have 4 horizontal cordons, all Moonglow.
The bottom 2 tiers appear to have fruit spurs. Buds are just starting to swell, so we shall see.
I am considering grafting new varieties in the top two tiers, but am not sure how to proceed.
I could graft in scions partway out the 3d tier or pretty close to the trunk on the 4th tier. But not sure how well scions will take and grow when they are horizontal like this. Has anyone had experience, and how did it go? Is it better to graft farther out on the limb, and let them grow upward for the summer?
I don’t want to add a 5th tier- too high to prune, thin, pick, etc.
I have scion wood for Ayers, Giant Seckel, Magness, Harrow Delight, Warren and Anjou. Suggestions on best pairing(s)? Why?
Thanks for your advice!
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I have grafted apple on laterals and they do fine. I wouldn’t foresee a problem with pear and don’t remember ever having read anything saying to avoid it. I graft onto a 2-3 inch stub. Maybe let them grow at a 45 degree angle for a while, then bring them down, but you could snap the graft.
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Left one tree alone. On the other tree, I replaced 3d tier with Warren and 4th tier with Starking Delicious. Grafted pretty close to trunk, where branch was at a decent upward angle. Hope the grafts take. Plan will be to let them grow upward all summer and then bring them down.
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Can you post some pictures? You might regret letting them grow upward too long, the wood tends to not be flexible later on.
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