James Whitfield
Why an espalier screen earns its place
A bare stretch of lawn or a gap between seating areas cries out for division, but solid fencing can feel heavy and expensive. An espalier fruit tree offers a living alternative: a flat, trained framework of branches that creates a narrow screen, filters light and gives you apples or pears within arm’s reach. In a small British garden, where every metre counts, that combination of privacy and produce is hard to beat.
Espaliers are trained against horizontal wires, usually with a central stem and pairs of branches spreading left and right. The result is a tree just 20–30 cm deep, so it can run along a path, divide a vegetable patch from a patio or screen a bin store without swallowing the space. Because the branches are held flat, the tree puts its energy into fruiting spurs rather than woody growth, and the fruit ripens evenly in the sun.
Choosing a site, rootstock and varieties
Site comes first. Espaliers need a sunny, sheltered spot — at least six hours of direct sun in summer — and good air movement to dry leaves and reduce disease. South- or west-facing walls and fences are ideal, but free-standing screens work well too if you give them a windbreak. Avoid frost pockets, where early blossom can be damaged.
Rootstock is the secret to keeping the tree manageable. For apples, M9 or M26 suits a divider up to about 1.8–2.4 m high; MM106 is more vigorous and better on poorer soil. Pears do well on Quince A or Quince C. Plums and cherries are less cooperative as espaliers, though St Julien A for plums and Colt for cherries can be tried with patience. Choose spur-bearing varieties rather than tip-bearers — ‘Discovery’, ‘James Grieve’ and ‘Egremont Russet’ for apples; ‘Conference’ and ‘Doyenne du Comice’ for pears. Always check pollination partners if you plant more than one screen.
Building the frame and planting
Set up the support before the tree goes in. Use sturdy 8–10 cm wooden posts every 3–4 metres, sunk 60 cm into the ground, and run 2–3 mm galvanised wire between them at 40–45 cm intervals. The lowest wire should be about 40 cm above soil level. Tighten the wires with turnbuckles so they stay taut under the weight of fruit.
Plant bare-root trees between November and March, when the soil is workable but not frozen. Dig a hole wide enough to spread the roots, add a bucket of well-rotted compost and a handful of fish, blood and bone, then firm the tree in so the graft union sits 10–15 cm above soil level. Water well, even in winter, and mulch with 5–8 cm of bark or compost, keeping it clear of the trunk. Tie the central stem and each branch to the wires with soft twine or reusable ties, using a figure-of-eight loop to prevent rubbing.
Training and pruning through the seasons
Training an espalier is a long game, but the routine is simple once established. In the first year, cut the central stem back to a bud about 45 cm above the lowest wire. During summer, select two strong side shoots and tie them horizontally to the next wire up; remove the rest. Repeat each year, building one tier at a time until you reach the desired height.
Once the framework is formed, prune in late July to August for apples and pears. Shorten side shoots that grow from the horizontal branches to three or four leaves above the basal cluster. This encourages fruiting spurs and keeps the tree compact. In winter, remove any misplaced or crossing branches and shorten the leading shoots of the main arms by about one-third. Plums and cherries are best pruned in June to avoid silver leaf infection. Always cut back to a healthy bud or branch, and clean your secateurs between trees.
Underplanting with wildflowers for a sustainable edge
The strip of soil beneath an espalier is often overlooked, yet it can become a modest wildflower meadow that supports pollinators and predators. Avoid grass competition within 45 cm of the trunk, but beyond that, sow a low-growing mix of creeping thyme, selfheal, yarrow, cowslip and bird’s-foot trefoil. These flowers tolerate light foot traffic, attract bees and hoverflies, and need only one cut in late summer after seeding.
Do not use rich compost or fertiliser on the meadow area — poor soil keeps flowers from being swamped by grasses. A wildflower understory also encourages lacewings and ladybirds, which help control aphids on the fruit trees. This is sustainable growing in miniature: less mowing, more habitat, and a prettier divider.
Keeping the screen healthy and productive
Water newly planted espaliers regularly for the first two summers, especially in dry spells. Once established, they are surprisingly drought-tolerant, but a mulch each spring helps. Feed with a balanced organic fertiliser in February, and top up with compost every other year.
Watch for common problems: aphids on soft growth, codling moth in apples, and pear midge. Encourage birds and beneficial insects rather than reaching for sprays. Netting against bullfinches may be needed in hard winters, but otherwise a healthy espalier with a wildflower base largely looks after itself. Harvest fruit when it lifts easily from the branch, and store sound apples in a cool, dark shed. With a little patience, your living divider will reward you for decades — privacy, blossom, scent and a proper crop from a space no wider than a wheelbarrow.
