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Espaliered apple trees

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QuestionsHow to growFruitApplesEspaliered apple trees
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Esther Curiel asked 16 years ago

Hi! I’m growing two apple trees as espaliers. I got them as 1 year old maidens last winter, pruned them above a bud and they’ve grown the first level of branches this summer. However, one of them only grew one branch, on the left. Is there any way I can encourage it to produce another one on the right, so it won’t look lopsided? Thanks a million!

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Gerry Daly Staff answered 7 years ago
If you look at the main stem you might find a dormant bud in the right position or close to it. You can try cutting about 5mm of bark away in a strip that girdles the stem half-way round. This does not always work but it sometimes triggers the bud to develop.

The other way is to bring across a branch and tie it in position, or bring one down, or prune the branch you have on one side to force it to produce a second shoot.

Or you could graft in a shoot, kept dormant in the fridge until April. Cut a strip of bark on three sides and lift it carefully off the wood and insert a diagonally cut shoot and tie firmly with garden twine. Wrap it around with a strip of black polythene. If it takes, and there is a good chance it will, cuta away the polythene ties in summer when growth is good. Allow the garden twine to break away naturally.

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