Posts Tagged ‘dwarf fruit trees’

As the hyper-local movement takes hold more and more people are looking into growing their own fruit.  But fruit trees, even the dwarf variety, take room to grow and in a majority of the single-family dwellings this room is not available.  So what is the urban gardener to do?

Espaliers

The Romans created a solution to this problem years ago and referred to it as espaliers.  This term comes from the Italian term spalliera, which translated means, something to rest the shoulder (spalla) against.  It also refers to a training technique used for trees.  This technique consists of training fruit trees to grow up a flat plane such as a wall, fence and/or trellis.  The Europeans refined the design so the trees could easily fit into their garden style.

To create an espalier starts with the plant. Vines, shrubs, and trees are easily turned into espaliers. The process involved is simple. If planting in containers, make sure to allow enough space for a trellis.  Plant the fruit tree as usual and begin the pruning process.

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