San Antonio Dwarf trees for Espalier

Hello all! I was looking to start a small polyculture orchard in my backyard in San Antonio. I want to maximize variety and production and minimize space and anguish.

After ages of reading and videos, mostly not developed for our area, I have liked the space efficiency and ease of harvesting/supervision that espalier technique offer.

A. Has anyone had success with espalier in the area? If so, with what varieties?
B. Any good eapalier examples or local learning resources to visit/look at/learn from?
C. I have not been finding fruit trees on dwarf stock at local nurseries. I have read that this can be important for long term espalier success. Any ideas for sources locally or at least in Texas that would be appropriate to the area?

Many thanks all!

Jamie, welcome to the forum.

I am surprised that you are not finding dwarf fruit trees.

I would try calling some of the local fruit tree nurseries to ask about dwarf fruit trees,  If they don't sell them maybe they know who does.

Here is some information about the Extension Education
in Bexar County which lists phone numbers that you can call to ask about dwarf fruit trees.

https://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/homehort/archives-of-weekly-articles-davids-plant-of-the-week/fruit-trees-in-san-antonio/

https://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/earth-kind-horticulture/best-plants-for-bexar-county-south-texas/suggested-list-for-fruit-nut-varieties/

I am sorry that I cannot help answer your questions.

Jamie Lawrence wrote:

A. Has anyone had success with espalier in the area? If so, with what varieties?
B. Any good eapalier examples or local learning resources to visit/look at/learn from?
C. I have not been finding fruit trees on dwarf stock at local nurseries. I have read that this can be important for long term espalier success. Any ideas for sources locally or at least in Texas that would be appropriate to the area?

Hi Jamie. I'm well north of you near Fort Worth. I am by no means an expert in espalier but I have dabbled successfully. I did my research on the web and decided to start with pears for a couple of reasons. Lower chilling hours, vigorous growth, disease resistance. Fireblight is bad here and there are two pear trees that seem to handle it best, Orient and Kieffer. I've also done a couple of apple trees, one of which is doing well and the other succumbed to blight last year.

I did not aim for dwarf when I started. There's a place in East Texas called Legg Creek Farm. They were responsive when I asked for whips to start with. I have a 3 tree espalier that is now several years old and doing very well. The vigorous growth helps hide my mistakes. I need to be more aggressive in my pruning but I'm not entering my work into any contests so I can live with a slightly unsightly tree.

So I wouldn't let the dwarf issue slow you down. Just prune more aggressively and enjoy the tree.

Best of luck,

James

Anne - the extension office is a good idea, I may need to just go to that home in orchard class they are offering.

James - thank you for your experience. I am also not trying for artistic beauty as much as compact and trees that are easier to protect from cold/birds/bugs with tarps and nets. (Though if the deer ever break in, they would have a feast.) I may just go with standard trees and sharpen my pruners.

I had seen a few places that dwarf was suggested, but I believe it was this podcast where an academic guy (from the cold northland's, not really our situation) really emphasized dwarf stock for espalier applications.

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL3VyYmFuLWZvcmVzdHJ5LXJhZGlv/episode/MDk5M2NmNmItOGM3My00YzdmLWE0ODMtM2YwN2YyYWQ4YjUy?ep=14

It was a good listen because he had other interesting tree/apple management tips.

Thank you all!

Thank you for that link Jamie. I will take a look.

Prompted by your post I went and looked at my espalier which is sorely in need of pruning. Being in the dead of winter I surely have plenty of time….but no! It was 85 degrees here today. The buds are swelling on the pear trees already. Started pruning like crazy. Hoping the trees won’t bloom and lose it all in a February freeze.