About this episode
Fruit trees can be productive, they can be beautiful, AND they can fit in small spaces! In this episode learn how to create an espalier fruit tree planting where the tree is trained up against a wall or fence. Our expert guest will be Ron Perry, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University (MSU) (Retired) and Co-Author of Espalier Fruit Plantings for Northern Gardens: Creating Fruit Trees as Art (affiliate link) . By the way, the proceeds of this book goes to the operating budget of their horticulture gardens. Show your support for Ron if you learned anything from this episode! The host of the Orchard People radio show and podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree care education website www.orchardpeople.com . Susan is the author of four books on fruit tree care. Learn more here: https://learn.orchardpeople.com/books She is also the creator of five-star rated premium online fruit tree care education at: https://learn.orchardpeople.com HOW TO TUNE IN TO OUR PODCAST The show airs on the last Tuesday of every month on RealityRadio101 at 1:00 PM ET! While it’s no longer live, you can still watch or listen anytime—and catch the recorded podcast anytime afterward. 📺 Video Podcast: Watch the recorded episode anytime on our YouTube Podcast Playlist . 🎧 Audio Podcast: Download the podcast and listen on your favorite app after it airs. 🌐 Article: Read the article linked to the show " The Art of Espalier Pruning: Four Steps to Creating a Beautiful Fruiting Wall in Your Garden " and find the video and podcast links there too! ✍️ Do you want to learn to grow organic fruit trees successfully? Sign up for OrchardPeople.com's free monthly newsletter at https://orchardpeople.com/sign-up/ For premium fruit tree care education visit: https://learn.orchardpeople.com/ . FOR MORE INFORMATION ON GROWING FRUIT TREES THAT THRIVE: ✂️ How to Prune Fruit Trees: https://orchardpeople.com/how-to-prune-and-train-fruit-trees/ 🪲 Fruit Tree Pests and Diseases: https://orchardpeople.com/protecting-fruit-trees-from-pests-and-diseases/ 🌳 How to Feed Fruit Trees: https://orchardpeople.com/how-to-feed-fruit-trees/ 🍎 The Best Fruit Trees to Grow: https://orchardpeople.com/best-fruit-trees-to-grow/ 🌱 How to Graft Fruit Trees: https://orchardpeople.com/how-to-graft-fruit-trees/ These show notes may contain affiliate links to products. We may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no cost to you. Thanks for your support! (00:00) - Introduction (01:03) - What is espalier? (02:18) - How productive are espalier fruit trees? (03:31) - How poor rootstock choice can affect your espalier planting (05:08) - Common espalier designs (06:38) - Apple trees that don't leaf out early (07:37) - Forcing a reluctant apple espalier into fruiting (10:41) - Choosing an apple variety for espalier (12:06) - Espalier in Canada (13:39) - Espalier apple trees and tip bearing cultivars (18:41) - Micro-irrigation and fruit trees (21:06) - Lorette system of espalier pruning (25:20) - Creating espalier without a fence (26:38) - Tying down branches to increase productivity (31:29) - Trellises or fences for espalier (34:41) - Distances between trees in espalier plantings (35:19) - How many apples can each espalier tree produce? (36:01) - Espalier fruit tree pruning and care (38:23) - Water sprouts and espalier fruit trees (39:46) - Grafting onto espalier fruit trees (41:02) - The best way to restore a broken espalier branch (42:08) - Training an established young tree into espalier (49:02) - About Ron's espalier fruit tree book