It is possible to give your tree a specific appearance by shaping it in a certain way using various pruning techniques. There are seven primary tree shapes, each of which offers its own set of advantages in a specific set of circumstances. You can easily form the tree into any desired shape during the growth of the tree by trimming away any branches that aren’t needed, then tying the branches that you do want into the desired shape. However, in order to achieve some of the more complex shapes, you will need to practice equally complex pruning techniques. On this particular topic, a great number of books have been written.
In general, you should do all of the tying and pruning in the fall if you want your tree to have a specific shape and you are trying to achieve this shape. As a result, the shape will be more likely to persist, even though there will be no fruits produced at that point in time. There are a variety of contexts in which each of the shapes can be put to very good use. The following is a selection of the various kinds of shapes from which you can make your selection.
The standard trees don’t require much of an explanation. These are the most common types of trees, and they are probably what come to mind whenever you think of a forest or a forest tree. There is no particular shaping that needs to be done in order to achieve this form with the shape. Simply let it grow as it will and prune it as you normally would, and, unless you have a tree that is abnormally malformed, the result should be a tree that looks like any other.
By performing some selective pruning on a typical tree, one can transform it into a bush tree. The shape of the branches remains the same, but the stem or trunk of the tree is noticeably more condensed. If you want to grow trees but don’t want them to obscure your view, this might be a good option for you. For instance, from my home you can see the Rocky Mountains in all their splendor. Because I didn’t want to miss out on this breathtaking panorama, I trained my trees to grow in a bushy fashion.
There is a species of tree known as a cordon that you may not be familiar with. There are no branches on it; it only has one main stem. Because of the angle at which it was planted, it forms an arch over the ground below it. During the course of its development, each and every branch is pruned away. These are advantageous due to the fact that they take up very little space and a greater number of them can be crammed into a given area of floor space. The only drawback is that each tree tends to bear a lesser quantity of fruit than other varieties.
Espalier trees are characterized by their growth pattern, which consists of a single upright stem in the middle and several horizontal branches on each side. These enable the planting of much longer rows of trees while maintaining a high level of fruit production. If you run an orchard, you most likely plant your trees in this configuration so that you can cram as many fruit trees as possible into the space you have.
The concept behind fan trees is identical to that behind espaliered trees. The shape, on the other hand, is a little bit different. They grow in the same pattern as a standard tree, only they are only two dimensional rather than three dimensional. The central vertical stem is the same, but the connected branches are not horizontal. They are also used to save space, and in some cases, they are substituted for espaliered trees in the case of species of trees that thrive more when their branches are trained to slope downward.
The step-over espalier is yet another variation of the espalier. They are similar to a standard espalier, but they have only one horizontal branch that is placed quite low to the ground. They are especially intriguing due to the fact that they can continue to produce delectable fruit while also functioning as a border for whatever you choose. My garden is surrounded by a fence that is made of step-over trees. In large part due to the fact that they resemble a fence that produces fruit, they are without a doubt my favorite form of tree. What’s not to adore about it?
As you can see, each of these forms comes with its very own set of advantages as well as some drawbacks. If any of these sound like they might be a good fit for your garden, you can ask the employees at your local nursery for recommendations on reading material that will assist you in achieving the goals that you have set for yourself. The majority of the time, shaping the tree into the form that is desired is a straightforward process that calls for little more than some direction at the outset.
It is possible to give your tree a specific appearance by shaping it in a certain way using various pruning techniques. There are seven primary tree shapes, each of which offers its own set of advantages in a specific set of circumstances. You can easily form the tree into any desired shape during the growth of the tree by trimming away any branches that aren’t needed, then tying the branches that you do want into the desired shape. However, in order to achieve some of the more complex shapes, you will need to practice equally complex pruning techniques. On this particular topic, a great number of books have been written.
In general, you should do all of the tying and pruning in the fall if you want your tree to have a specific shape and you are trying to achieve this shape. As a result, the shape will be more likely to persist, even though there will be no fruits produced at that point in time. There are a variety of contexts in which each of the shapes can be put to very good use. The following is a selection of the various kinds of shapes from which you can make your selection.
The standard trees don’t require much of an explanation. These are the most common types of trees, and they are probably what come to mind whenever you think of a forest or a forest tree. There is no particular shaping that needs to be done in order to achieve this form with the shape. Simply let it grow as it will and prune it as you normally would, and, unless you have a tree that is abnormally malformed, the result should be a tree that looks like any other.
By performing some selective pruning on a typical tree, one can transform it into a bush tree. The shape of the branches remains the same, but the stem or trunk of the tree is noticeably more condensed. If you want to grow trees but don’t want them to obscure your view, this might be a good option for you. For instance, from my home you can see the Rocky Mountains in all their splendor. Because I didn’t want to miss out on this breathtaking panorama, I trained my trees to grow in a bushy fashion.
There is a species of tree known as a cordon that you may not be familiar with. There are no branches on it; it only has one main stem. Because of the angle at which it was planted, it forms an arch over the ground below it. During the course of its development, each and every branch is pruned away. These are advantageous due to the fact that they take up very little space and a greater number of them can be crammed into a given area of floor space. The only drawback is that each tree tends to bear a lesser quantity of fruit than other varieties.
Espalier trees are characterized by their growth pattern, which consists of a single upright stem in the middle and several horizontal branches on each side. These enable the planting of much longer rows of trees while maintaining a high level of fruit production. If you run an orchard, you most likely plant your trees in this configuration so that you can cram as many fruit trees as possible into the space you have.
The concept behind fan trees is identical to that behind espaliered trees. The shape, on the other hand, is a little bit different. They grow in the same pattern as a standard tree, only they are only two dimensional rather than three dimensional. The central vertical stem is the same, but the connected branches are not horizontal. They are also used to save space, and in some cases, they are substituted for espaliered trees in the case of species of trees that thrive more when their branches are trained to slope downward.
The step-over espalier is yet another variation of the espalier. They are similar to a standard espalier, but they have only one horizontal branch that is placed quite low to the ground. They are especially intriguing due to the fact that they can continue to produce delectable fruit while also functioning as a border for whatever you choose. My garden is surrounded by a fence that is made of step-over trees. In large part due to the fact that they resemble a fence that produces fruit, they are without a doubt my favorite form of tree. What’s not to adore about it?
As you can see, each of these forms comes with its very own set of advantages as well as some drawbacks. If any of these sound like they might be a good fit for your garden, you can ask the employees at your local nursery for recommendations on reading material that will assist you in achieving the goals that you have set for yourself. The majority of the time, shaping the tree into the form that is desired is a straightforward process that calls for little more than some direction at the outset.
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