Can you espalier any tree?

Almost any woody plant with long flexible branches can be used for espalier.

How do you prune pear espalier?

How to prune established espaliers

1. Cut back sideshoots growing from the horizontal leaders to three leaves from the basal cluster, 7.5cm (3in) long.
2. If any secondary growths develop after this pruning, cut them back to the base in September.

How do you train a pear tree?

Keep pruning to a minimum during the early years to encourage the trees to produce fruiting wood. Pear trees naturally develop narrow angled, upright branches. To train properly angled scaffold branches, either weight the branches, tie branches to pegs in the ground or brace the branches apart with spacer sticks.

How do you train espalier pear trees?

Pruning an unfeathered maiden (one-year-old tree with no sideshoots)

1. When planting an unfeathered maiden, cut back the main stem to 30cm (1ft) from the ground.
2. Allow the top three buds to grow out in spring, then train the top one vertically up a cane, and tie the others to canes at 45 degrees to the main stem.

How do you train a pear tree to espalier?

Allow the top buds to grow up in spring. In the winter of the second year when the tree is dormant, the vertical stem should then be cut back to two buds above the second wire and the two new side shoots will then form the next horizontal layer with the top bud forming the new leader.

How do you fan train a pear tree?

1. In spring, cut back the main stem to about 40cm (15in) to two well-placed branches to form the main ‘arms’
2. Erect two canes at 45 degrees and tie the two branches into them.
3. Now reduce each ‘arm’ by two-thirds to an upward-facing bud.

When should espalier pears be pruned?

How to prune established espaliers. Trees should be pruned annually as growth slows down in August. Renovation pruning for restricted forms of apples and pears should be started in the winter, followed by summer pruning the following year.

How do I keep my pear tree small?

The only way to keep them small is by pruning. Pruning is critical in developing a smaller size. As intimidating as it may be, do not let the ultimate size of the tree discourage you from not keeping it small to suit your needs.