Important! 
Pruning Espalier Trees every year is essentially important and 
it is the main key in obtaining successful results. Pruning avoids 
excess wood, helps one to enjoy picking a larger and far superior 
crop of fruit every year and brings out the symmetrical pattern 
of the Espalier Tree. When an Espalier Tree makes too muck. 
wood, not only is the beauty and effectiveness of the Espalier lost, 
but the fruit crop will result in a scanty yield, if any at all. 
At planting time, avoid pruning tops and side shoots on an 
Espalier tree. If necessary, pruning may be applied the following 
year. 
Leaders or Arms are the main branches or skeleton of the 
Espalier Tree which gives the tree its symmetrical pattern. 
Side shoots are the twigs which develop along the main lead- 
ers or arms. 
The Elbow is that part of the leader or arm which forms 
the curve. 
A Bearing Spur is a small round swollen-like bud usually sur- 
rounded by a cluster of leaves, which eventually forms the fruit. 
Pruning Vertical Branched Espalier Trees—Apple, Pear, Plum, 
Cherry— 
All side shoots longer than 4 inches should be cut back during 
the summer to 4 inches. But, should bearing spurs appear on a 
side shoot which is longer than 4 inches, don’t prune that shoot, 
but allow it to bear the fruit first, for it takes 3 years for a tree 
to produce a single bearing spur. This pruning should be done 
about once a month during July, August and September. 
Should the leaders become very compact with foliage thin the 
side shoots out, leaving spaces between bearing spurs 2 or 3 
inches. 
Prune the top of the main leaders in the early spring or win- 
ter when the tree is dormant. Cut previous year’s top growth 
back to half its length with a sharp knife in a slanting position. 
The inner leaders should be kept about 6 inches shorter than the 
two end leaders. After the desired height has been attained, 
cut down to one eye each year; should they become too high, 
cut down below level of new growth, thus making space for future 
new growth. Espaliers can be allowed to grow almost any desired 
height, say from 5 to 12 feet. The pruning of the top leaders 
is very essential for it checks the future growth of the tree. 
Pruning Horizontal Cordon Espalier Trees — Apple, Pear, 
Plum, Cherry. 
Cut back side shoots to 6 inches. As a general rule, the 
fruit of a Horizontal Cordon is borne on the shoots that develop 
along the outer sides of the leader. Therefore, if thinning out 
is necessary, do so on the shoots which grow on the top or upper 
part of the main leader. Never prune the ends of the Cordon, 
unless the tree has reached its desired length, as such pruning 
prevents tree from making new growth. 
Pruning All Espalier Peach, Nectarine and Apricot Trees— 
The essential pruning should be done during the summer. 
Pinch every new shoot to two eyes, in doing so, two new young 
branches will be obtained. In the following spring one of these 
branches should be allowed to bloom, prune the other one down 
to two eyes. This one gives you the two young branches for the 
coming year. This procedure done every year creates a continual 
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