PORTLAND, Maine — If you’re growing vegetables this year, remember you are going to need to water generously through the dry spells we are having.
You can fertilize every few weeks, but not when the plants are stressed like they are right now.
As our vegetables are growing we thought we’d turn our attention this week to something ornamental, espalier.
This is the method used to grow a tree flat either up against a wall or along wire to form a fence.
You can use many different types of trees to do this. Most fruit trees work well, especially apple and pear trees, but you can also use ornamental trees.
Plant it where you would like to grow it. Mine is up against a plain, dull area of my house. I chose a Red Delicious. If you are going to put it up against your house, make sure to put up something to keep the plant off the wood. It can lead to rot. I used a trellis with long plastic tubes on the screws behind them. It should be four to six inches away from the wood.
Pruning is key. Prune the tree so that it is flat. Any branch that goes forward, back, or down should be cut back. It may feel as though you are killing the tree, but you are not. Pruning spurs growth. As the shoots grow, continue to prune the branches you don’t want and start to train those you do. You can use rope or wire, every 6 inches or so, to make the branch growth however you want it to. You can do a fan design, or a candelabra, what ever strikes your fancy.
Remember to water and prune regularly, and fertilize at least once a year.
RELATED: The benefits of raised bed gardening
RELATED: Your Garden: Raised Bed Gardening
RELATED: Mainers go gaga over growing veggies