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On fruit trees, it’s a matter of geometry.
With a columnar tree you have the equivalent of a single branch growing straight up. That’s great in terms of saving space, but you’re getting only one branch-worth of fruit per tree. Yes, they tend to grow tall (mine are at 15 feet and climbing) but that also makes them harder to pick.
With espalier, they’re compact and easy to pick, but you’re still only getting maybe six or eight branches per tree. True, you can “train” the branches to make them longer than the branches of a regular tree. But that takes work, and the yield-per-branch is still no higher than a regular tree. And usually less.
A dwarf or semi-dwarf tree has maybe five times the number of branches as an espalier and you usually get a higher yield per branch, since the branches are thicker and can support more fruit.
I got more fruit off a single branch of my dwarf Liberty and Fuji apple trees last year than you can get off an entire espaliered plant.
Photo by DBP
In this part of the world, the only reason to go with an espalier or columnar is because you have very limited space or just because you like the decorative effect.
Katie at the Barton St. P-patch told me she wants to plant some columnar apples along the east parking strip. That’s a perfect place for them. They’re skinny enough so they won’t shade out the P-patch, and they’ll grow tall enough so that most of the fruit will be out of the reach of passersby.
Stay tuned for more chicken stories . . .
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