Espalier Quince Tree

So you think you haven’t got enough room for fruit trees. Think again! Espaliering a tree might be your answer. I’m currently growing a very productive quince tree, but this technique could be applied to almost anything. Apples and pears will take particularly well to this style so if you got a spare section along your boundary give this a try.

This was my first attempt at an Espalier and while I would have done a few things differently if I started over, it still produces quite well and visually, looks very nice if I do say so myself.

But it started off like this back in August 2010. If you haven’t planted a tree before then you should know winter is the time to do it when the tree is dormant. Start by digging a rather big hole, at least double or even triple the width of the roots and twice as deep. You can then backfill with some the same dirt to bring the top of the root base just below surface level. This will ensure good drainage around the tree and allow the roots to stretch out freely while they are young. And always make sure the plant never dries out, particularly when it’s first planted. If you want any other advice on planting a tree let me know.

You will also need to run some wire to train the branches along and you can get as fancy as you want here. Some thin rope between 2 stakes would work fine but mine is at the front of my house so I wanted it to look a little nicer. I used some galvanised posts concreted in and stainless steel rope wire between them. I do recommend the use of turnbuckles to take up the slack as overtime things will get loose.

If you’ve done everything right and the tree is healthy then you should get some growth pretty quickly as the below picture was taken only 2 months later in October of 2010.

Almost exactly one year later in October 2011 it was beginning to take a nice form as seen below. Now take note of the branch on the top left of the picture. This was actually the central leader which I bent down. This is probably my biggest regret as I should have been more brutal from the beginning and cut the one which is upright in the middle. You need to have patience with something like this and not be afraid to cut a branch if it’s not growing the way you want.

My Nonno has a great saying when it comes to disciplining your children;

A child is like a tree. Train them right when they are young and they will grow straight. If you let it go too long it will grow crooked and be too late to change when it’s older.

Well he says it in Italian in much better words but you get the idea. However this blog is more of the literal interpretation of that saying.

Another year on and we are in October of 2012 and while it’s filling out in some sections, it’s still pretty empty in others. Keeping in mind though this is only a 2 year old tree and already yielding fruit so I couldn’t complain too much.

Now this tree isn’t magically growing well on its own. A lot of love and care goes into all my trees which includes regular watering, fertilising a couple times a year, mulching and pruning. The trees also seem to respond well to the occasional hug.

And in 2012 I got my first decent crop.

Another year on (how time flies on this blog) and we are in October 2013 – by the way, I’m just realising now looking at the date stamps on all the pictures that I happened to take a photo in October of each year. Must be a good time of year when the tree is blooming.

That’s a big quince!

Back in October 2014 I can finally say I’m reasonably happy with the shape of the tree – 4 years later. While the branches are a little frankenstein-ish, it’s doing what it’s supposed to be doing.

And yielding a great amount of fruit - these were picked in April this year (2015).

Right now it’s pruning season as the leaves start to fall off. Here’s a before and after picture following pruning this year. Excuse the weeds but I’m losing the battle at the moment. 

And yes, that is garlic around the bottom of the tree – I like to make the most out of every patch of dirt I can find.

The fruit tends to grow mainly on two year old wood, which is why a number of verticals branches are left. It’s a balancing act each year between maintaining the shape of the tree and leaving enough new growth for fruiting the following year. So far it’s going ok year to year but at some point in the future I will need to cut it back hard and sacrifice a year of fruit.

So what do we do with all these quinces you might ask? Well we love our quince paste with cheese and my wife makes a big batch of that each year. Also a number of quince and apple pies go down a treat as the colder months roll in. And you can preserve them in jars like you would any other fruit to be enjoyed all year round.

If you think you don’t have space at home for any fruit trees then hopefully this gives you some idea on how to grow a productive fruit tree in a small space. The space I have is probably less than a meter deep but maybe 4 meters long.

Any questions please feel free to drop me a note in the comments below and I’ll be happy to help.

Not Your Average Joe