The apple tree is the frontrunner when it comes to the most popular type of fruit tree in this country. It is usually planted as a free-standing specimen, but it can also be trained into a trellis. Does he have any special wishes in this case?
How do you plant an espalier apple tree?
To plant an espalier apple tree, first choose the right apple variety and an ideal location. Plant during the optimal planting time between October and March, prepare a trellis, dig a sufficiently large planting hole, loosen the soil, add compost and plant the tree. Then fill the hole with soil and water thoroughly.
Suitable apple varieties
There are over 20,000 apple varieties across Europe. Of course, not all of them are offered in a nursery, but the selection is still enormous. Don't worry, you can easily grow all apple varieties as espalier fruit. All you have to do is decide which variety you like best.
The ideal location and soil
Espalier apple should grow freely in the garden. It is less suitable for a trellis on a house wall. If so, then it should be a west wall. On the south walls the heat becomes too much for him and the apples are “cooked”.
The ideal soil for an apple tree should be as follows:
- profound
- humus-rich
- moist
The best planting time
The best time to plant espalier fruit is between October and March. Make sure that the planting happens on a frost-free day.
Buy espalier apple tree
Apple trees are offered by tree nurseries, garden centers or in numerous online shops. Since espaliered apples are often in demand, there are already pre-grown trees available for purchase. The further editing at home builds on this.
Provide trellis
The apple tree needs a solid trellis to which its branches can be fixed. You can build the espalier fruit frame (€49.00 on Amazon) yourself or buy prefabricated elements from a hardware store and assemble them in the garden.
Planting an apple tree
- Dig planting hole
- about twice the size of the root ball
- loose the soil well
- Put compost in the planting hole
- Put the tree straight in
- Fill open spaces with soil and press down
- water thoroughly
Tip
Maintain a minimum distance of 2 m between two espaliered trees. The distance to the scaffolding should be around 40 cm.
