I have 2 7 year old apple trees planted against a fence behind my greenhouse. For the last 6 years I have been attempting to train them espalier fashion up the fence. After a couple of false starts ( had to lift and replant one after a year) one of the trees has finally grown enough and in the right way to train all the way up the fence (6' closeboard type). it now has 3 full tiers and one developing tier, and is fruiting well. The second tree has been far more frustrating. To date it only has one full tier and instead of strong upright growth in the centre of the plant it produced it from the ends of the horizontal branches, so I have nothing to train upwards to start another tier, this is despite hard pruning in winter to stimulate vigorous new growth. It is clearly a confused plant as it doesn't really flower or fruit at all (hasn't this year), and instead of an attractive espalier all I have is a slightly messy stepover!
In somewhat desperation I have cut away as much of the unwanted vigorous growth on the ends of the tiers as I dare, even going back into older wood, now while doing routine summer pruning. My thinking is that by doing this the vigor is reduced where I don't want it and be stimulated where I do want it. I have obviously not touched the growth I want to develop at this time as this will no doubt confuse the plant still further! I just hope I have done the right thing, although I probably cant make things much worse that they already are! Just have to wait and see and 'correct' things with winter pruning.
Havent got any up to date photos to share yet, as I have only just done the pruning and training! The varieties by the way are Newton Wonder and Tom Putt. Offhand I think its Newton Wonder that's 'misbehaving'. Will check before next post (photos).
Any thoughts or suggestions as to what I can do or might have done wrong?
