Anyone here espalier your fruit trees?

[crispini]

I just read about this and I think I'm going to try it. Basically it's training your fruit trees to grow flat along a trellis. Fruit in less space! Does anyone here have an espaliered tree?

[Botany]

1. I know ... I know it is putting trees in bondage

O.K. for a formal garden or close to a house or fence but proper pruning on a dwarf or
genetic dwarf tree can do the same thing with less work. To keep a tree espaliered is a
pain in the ass.

and no pink fuzzy cuffs don't work on fruit trees.

[Kolesar]

2. Farm fruit trees are trained to enable them to be machine picked

You don't need that feature.

I was just reading about espalier. You want a tree that has flexible, whippy branches. Fruit trees are flexible.

You might be just as happy planting a fruit tree and training it to be small and manageable through selective pruning. I cannot tell you how to do that. We don't plant any fruit trees because of Bambi and all of her hungry friends.

[plantwomyn]

3. Choosing the right tree is important too.

When you go to buy your tree look for one that is already flat and if possible growing in both directions horizontally. It's actually quite easy to maintain once you have the growth pattern started. It's no different than the regular seasonal pruning that any fruit tree needs, just more controlled.
It's best to start with a young dwarf variety of tree. You don't really need a trellis. Check out how vineyards espalier grapvines. A post on each side with a heavy wire run between to support the branches and fruit.
I have done many of these right up against buildings and it really does allow you to grow in a confined space. 2' off of a sunny garage wall is enough bepending on the variety of fruit tree. You can also plant along fences, walkways etc.

[Kolesar]

4. Will roots grow into a home's foundation and "ruin" it? eom

[plantwomyn]

5. As long as you have a cement foundation

No. Rememeber, you are controling the growth of the tree and basicly its a large bonsai and you are planting a dwarf variety in the first place. If you are worried about root growth you can plant any plant in a container buried in the soil. Cut the bottom off of the pot. The plant roots will stay within the border created by the pot and grow out of the bottom. But most small trees can just be planted into the ground.
There are specimens of fruit tree espalier that have been planted for hundreds of years in gardens all over Europe and the U.S.

It is a good thing to worry about planting trees too close to your house though. I can't tell you how many times I've seen landscape designs with trees 5' from the house! Always check information about the mature size of the tree you are planting. A rule of thumb is that the width of the tree is the size of it's roots. Designers that give you a plan with trees even 10' from the house, when that tree will mature to 50' are NOT GOOD DESIGNERS. Too many landscapers jam a ton of plants into a bed in order to sell plants and make a profit from the labor to install them. 5 years later you end up with an overgrown landscape that is impossible to maintain. Don't trust the plan. Check the mature sizes yourself. People pay hundreds of dollars for plants that give immediate gratification but end up looking like hell.

[Kolesar]

6. Like a bonsai

I like that context. Your idea of using a pot to direct root growth downward is compelling, too. thanks