Vertical Cordon Fruit Trees ?

Hi,

Thinking about changing over some of our small veg plot to 6 or so vertical cordon fruit trees, mainly apples but including pears and possibly plum and cherry.

We see pictures of heavily laden such plants but of course doubt thats rarely what happens in practice ?

Being only 6-8ft high with the single stem, we are wondering how worthwhile they really are ?

Is it worth the space and effort for a dozen or so fruits off each tree each year or are we better looking to more productive things, we already have plenty of Rasps, Strawbs and Blackberries.

 

Hello Ricky, I wouldn't bother with cordons, and definitely not those dwarf totem-pole type things, but espaliers are worthwhile. I surrounded my veg plot in UK with trellis and grew apple (eating and cooking) and pear espaliers (3-tier) which produced a good crop every year after the first tiers formed. It's also quite interesting, forming them and keeping them shaped I think the advice is to go for fan-trained plums and cherries.
You'd need to make sure that you get spur-bearing apples, and could train them on posts and wire supports.

 

Hi Noisette,
Thanks, think you have confirmed what we thought that the vertical cordons/totem pole ones are not worth the trouble.
Would love some Espaliers or even Step overs but the spare ground is just too small.

If reincarnated human will ensure we get a bigger garden !

 

What about a 'family' apple or pear tree on a dwarfing rootstock? Or one of the smaller, self-fertile cherries like 'Stella' or 'Sunburst'?

 

Will give them a look, thanks

 

I've seen stepovers used to edge the big veg garden at Aberglasney. They were surprisingly productive and looked great. And they used very little of the bed

 

I gave our friends in Paris some when I re-designed their front garden and they seemed quite pleased with the results When all's said and done, though, they're just short espaliers