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Training apple and fruit trees against a wall
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Apples espaliered against a fence.
So you want to raise your own food? Let me help you.
Training fruit trees to grow in very small spaces has been practiced for hundreds of years. Don't think for a minute that a small suburban lot or a mere patio size space will keep you from growing fresh fruits and nuts.
Espalier (ess-pal-yay) is just a fancy schmancy word for training fruit trees into ornamental, often whimsical shapes. Several years ago, I found three apple espaliers at a local nursery. Each tree had 6 branches, 3 per side. Each of the 6 branches grew different apple varieties: Gala, Golden Delicious, MacIntosh, Granny Smith, Red Delicious, and Pippin.
I planted the apple trees against a southwest-facing painted cement foundation (in a past life, the wall had been gray and ugly with a couple of poodle chopped junipers to spice up the look). I cajolled the husband into putting in rebar stakes so I could train the apples against them until they were strong enough to keep the straight and narrow shape I had in mind for them. Best tip: use old panty hose to tie the new branches loosely into place.
My apples have only about 12-16 inches of space from the wall to grow, but the soil is deep (4-6 feet) and rich. You can mix up the fruit varieties, using pears and plums as well. Last year I grew about 24 apples, some years many more. I also discovered my dog steals the first Granny Smiths off the bottom branches.
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There are many many ways to shape your fancy fruit trees. Pick a shape that appeals to you, and go with it. My apple trees need a good hard pruning several times a season to keep their pretty shape.
Useful and ornamental
Right now all your local nursery centers have new shipments of young, affordable fruit trees.You can buy the trees already grafted and started in the tiered shapes, or you can purchase the youngest of saplings and create your own living edible sculpture. You can't ask much more from a plant in the garden.
The single best source of information on reliable, productive fruit trees is your local extension office or your local independent nursery (read: locally owned and staffed by folks who know their stuff). The single best book on pruning fruit trees is the American Horticulture Society's Book of Pruning and Training.
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