This is the Honeycrisp™ tree that my helper planted for me recently. It was nice being able to compare the trees at the nursery (Tsugawa), so that I could find one to Espalier, with two potential lowest tier branches, two mid tier and one center to grow the third tier. Or graft with something else. This was the closest I could find in the semidwarf size, which I wanted to compensate for the lower vigor I think Honeycrisp™ has.
I used heavy, 7 foot (above ground) steel fence posts. Those are re-used from prior tree protection fences. In a future year, if they turn out to not be sturdy enough, I can put in something sturdier. Or brace against the deer fence. A few days ago I tied bamboo, 9 foot lengths, for the horizontal parts of the trellis. If I decide later to add a 4th tier, I will figure that out then. The bamboo is harvested from my yard, Phyllostachys but I don't know the species. They were sold 20 years ago as "Timber bamboo" but so are a variety of species. This one grows about 25 feet tall, poles up to about 2 1/2 inches diameter. Not "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" size. More like "Crouching Chicken, Hidden Squirrel. but it makes nice garden size bamboo poles, strong and durable. I measured 9 foot lengths, so each arm of the tiers could be about 4 1/2 feet long. If they get one apple about every 5 inches, that will be roughly 20 apples (max) per tier, 40 for two tiers, which is plenty for an apple that won't keep more than about a month in my pantry. I may graft something else for the 3rd and potential 4th tiers.
Some of the branches were at about their limit for maturity, for bending to where I wanted them without breaking. It takes a firm yet sensitive hand although my clumsy hands worked OK this time. I tie the part proximal to the central trunk, before tying the more distal aspects. The branches don't extend to the ends of the poles. I will let the end buds grow to their maximum this year, which I hope will be 2 or three feet, then bend those down to complete the tiers.
Horizontal branches are more likely to bloom and bear fruit, compared to verticals. Plus, they are amenable to summer pruning and puttering, for my senior accessible garden and puttering meditation refuge. Summer pruning is ideal for maximizing apple production in a small space, as inspired by the in the early 20th century French pomologist, Louis Lorette. The English translation of his book is copyright 1925. The Lorette System of Pruning.
From the linked reference:
-Winter prune only for major framework.- Prune mid June when new shoots are nearly mature.
-Wait until branches are pencil thickness to prune them. Then leave the basil leaf tuft and cut two buds beyond that. Those will become fruit spurs.
-In later growing seasons, every month remove any branches that are pencil thickness.
The Espalier that is furthest along is the Redlove™ Era™, this year in its third leaf. So far, so good.
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