With the successful development of dwarf apple tree varieties, growing fruit on a trellis system has become more appealing, both commercially and for the homeowner. Trellising is a means to control the growth of the trees, increase the fruit-bearing area of the tree and make an interesting feature in the home orchard. As most trellises are approximately 8 feet tall, those tasty apples on the top of the tree are no longer beyond reach.
Install the trellis before planting trees. Dig two holes 2 feet deep -- about 2 inches larger in diameter than the post and 20 feet apart. Put the posts into the holes and make sure they are straight. Mix the quick-setting concrete mix in a large container and add water according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pour the concrete into the holes. The concrete should be set hard in 20 to 40 minutes. For best results, let the concrete set overnight before proceeding.
String four horizontal wires spaced 18 inches apart or three wires spaced 24 inches apart between the posts. Drill holes through the posts and install eye bolts in the holes. Attach a turnbuckle between the eye bolt and the wires so that they may be tightened if necessary.
Plant the first tree 4 feet from the end post of the trellis. Space additional trees 6 to 7 feet apart, keeping the graft union above ground. Secure the tree to the bottom wire with flexible plant ties.
Secure young shoots to the wires as they develop in the spring and summer. They should be tied loosely at 45-degree angles from the main trunk of the tree. Always tie new branches so that the tip is not lower than its point of attachment to the trunk. Make sure there is at least one main branch growing in each direction away from the main trunk. Any shoots that grow away from the plane of the trellis (poking outward) should be either bent toward the trellis and tied there or pruned off. Allow one shoot to grow straight up. This will be the main stem from which other branches will grow.
Remove any fruit that develops the first year to allow the tree to put its energy into growth and not fruiting. After the first growing season when the plants are dormant, remove the terminal ends of all branches and of the main shoot.
Prune and train newly developing branches at the beginning of the second season in the same manner as the first season. Remove any fruit that forms. The goal is to fill up the wires of the trellis with fruiting wood as soon as possible.
Prune away any away any limbs that are dying, diseased or have ceased production of fruit as the trees age. Cut these branches all the way back to the main trunk and train the new branches that replace the old.
Train the central branch of the tree along the top trellis wire when it reaches that height. Also, train one other branch in each direction along the trellis. From this point on, little pruning should be required beyond keeping the growth thinned out enough to allow adequate light and air circulation and to maintain a 3- to 4-foot width of the tree row.
Things You Will Need
- 8-foot treated 4-by-4-inch posts
- Quick-setting concrete mix
- Mixing container
- Flexible plant ties
- No. 9 galvanized wire
- Eye bolts
- 3 dwarf apple trees
- Pruning shears
- Consult with a local nursery to determine the best varieties of dwarf apples for your area.
- Periodically check that all the ties which secure limbs to the trellis are loose and not binding. Ties wound too tightly around the branches cause girdling and the eventual death of the branch.
- Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet: Horticulture and Crop Sciences: Trellis Espalier System for Supported Apple Trees
- Penn State: College of Agricultural Sciences: Pruning and Training to a Trellis
- Sunset: A lattice of espaliered dwarf apples
- Learn2Grow: Do You Know the Way to Espalier?
- California Rare Fruit Growers: Golden Gate Chapter: Fruit Growing in the San Francisco Bay Area
- IT Stock Free/Polka Dot/Getty Images