Why not plant a hedge that is more than just a hedge? A hedge, for example, that still bears delicious fruit every summer. Espalier fruit may be planted close to the property line. In no time you can create a profitable privacy screen for years to come.
How do I create an espaliered fruit hedge?
A hedge made of espaliered fruit offers privacy and high-yield fruit. Ideal fruits are apples and pears, while cherries require more care. Choose a suitable location and soil, build a stable framework and plant the trees in autumn or winter.
Usable types of fruit
All types of fruit that thrive outdoors in our latitudes can, in principle, be trained as a trellis. But while apples and pears can be easily trimmed into a flat shape, cherries require a lot more work. It grows so quickly that, depending on the variety, it has to be cut up to three times per summer. Pay attention to a weakly growing base. The sour cherry is also not an ideal espalier fruit because its fruit wood is not long-lasting.
Tip
A hedge can be very long. You are welcome to combine several types of fruit in it.
Soil conditions and location
When choosing the type of fruit, it's not just your own taste that has a say. In order for the fruit yield to be right, the soil conditions and location should harmonize with the tree's requirements. Get advice from a local tree nursery. If necessary, the soil can be improved before planting.
Scaffolding for the mold
A hedge should have a straight, even appearance. No tree can do this naturally. That's why a stable framework (€279.00 at Amazon) is necessary to which the espaliered fruit is attached. You can build the scaffolding yourself.
- Anchor stable, approximately 2.5 m high posts in the ground
- A distance of 2 to 3 m is ideal
- tension wires horizontally in between
- several rows with a distance of 50 cm from each other
Planting fruit trees
The ideal time to create a hedge of espaliered fruit is all frost-free days between October and March. However, the earlier the trees are planted, the more time they have to grow until spring.
Mix the excavation with compost so that the tree starts with enough nutrients. The planting distance between two trees is between 1 and 2 m, depending on the type of fruit and espalier shape.
