How-to Guide
Espalier Basics: Training Fruit Trees Flat
The short answer
An espalier is a fruit tree grown flat against a wall, fence, or free-standing wires: one vertical trunk carrying three to five pairs of horizontal side branches (tiers). The RHS is specific about scope — espalier suits apples and pears only; plums, cherries, and figs should be fan-trained instead. The support comes first: horizontal wires spaced 35–45 cm (15–18 in) apart, fixed to the wall or stretched between posts, strong enough to carry laden branches for decades.
The shape is built slowly and maintained forever. Building: each winter you prune the central stem back to just above the next wire, which stimulates strong shoots — two are trained sideways along the wire as the new tier's arms and one continues upward as the replacement leader. The RHS advises training only one tier per year, so a three-tier espalier is a three-to-four-year project. Maintaining: every August, on established trees, cut the upright shoots growing from the horizontal tiers back to about three buds (roughly 4 cm) — this annual late-summer pruning is what converts vigorous vertical growth into the fruiting spurs that line each arm. Skip a year and the flat tree starts reverting to a thicket.
Build it, tier by tier
- 1Install the wires — Fix horizontal wires 35–45 cm apart on the wall, fence, or between posts before planting. Plant a young tree (an unbranched maiden is the classic start) centered on the lowest wire.
- 2Winter: cut to make a tier — Prune the central stem in winter to just above the lowest wire's buds. Of the strong shoots that respond, train one up as the new leader and a pair sideways along the wire as the tier arms.
- 3Repeat one tier per year — Each winter, repeat the cut at the next wire up until you have your three to five tiers, then stop the leader above the top wire.
- 4August: prune for spurs — On established espaliers, cut upright shoots on the horizontal arms back to about three buds (~4 cm) each August to build up fruiting spurs along the tiers.
⚠ Espalier is apples and pears only. Stone fruits like plums and cherries are pruned on a different calendar for disease reasons and should be fan-trained, not espaliered — the RHS treats them as a separate technique.
Why bother
- Space: a productive fruit tree occupies a strip barely deeper than its trunk — walls, fences, and garden dividers become orchard.
- Warmth: a sunny wall stores heat that helps fruit ripen in cool climates.
- Everything at arm's reach: pruning, thinning, and picking happen without a ladder.
- The honest cost: it is a permanent commitment to one winter shaping session (while building) and one August pruning session (forever).
Sources
Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.
- RHS — Apples and pears: starting an espalier — Espalier form (vertical trunk, three to five pairs of horizontal branches); apples and pears only, plums/cherries/figs fan-trained; wires 35–45 cm apart; winter pruning of central stem to create tiers; one tier per year.
- RHS — Apples and pears: espalier pruning and training — Annual late-summer maintenance: each August cut upright shoots on established tiers back to three buds (~4 cm) to encourage fruiting spurs.