Last weekend, armed with my trusty secateurs, I braved the icy winds and ventured out of the big city to West Dean Gardens near Chichester in W.Sussex. Thought I’d booked myself on to a pruning course, but in fact the ‘Training trees and shrubs’ course encouraged only a minimal use of secateurs when working in the garden.
Through scientific explanations and a series of botanical slides, Paul Templeton introduced the whys and wherefores of training trees. By mid morning tea break, brains were whirring as different training methods were described which could replace the overuse of secateurs, encourage fruiting and restrict growth on trees and shrubs. Mind blowing, but totally making sense at the same time. It’s a vast topic and I hope I can fully reflect how exciting and thought-provoking the day was. Above in both pics is a fruit tree (pear I think), trained into a Quincunx form. What a beautiful thing! Only a few snips of a secateur are required to form this impressive shape, and the rest is done with timely manipulation of the tree stems into different directions to control all growth and fruiting.
Above is another pear tree trained into the 12 Apostles form. Paul explained that as branches are carefully coaxed away from the vertical into 45 degrees or the horizontal, the tree’s growth is turned from juvenility into its reproductive stage, hence slowing down growth and producing more fruit. Finally turning a branch straight down towards the ground should halt all growth, without a pair of secateurs in sight.
Each time the stem of tree is cut, 5 new stems will appear and unless carefully managed, either by training or removing new growth buds with your thumbs, unwanted new stems will grow. Subsequent pruning to control this new growth will cause the end of the branches to proliferate into a bushy mass. I know, as I’ve done this many times before! By reducing pruning, less new growth is encouraged and the tree produces more fruit.
I asked Paul what I could do with a mammoth Choisya that I’m forever reducing in size by pruning, and therefore constantly encouraging new bushy growth. He advised pruning the roots, or underground branch system, instead. Normally these underground branches will spread twice as wide as the crown of a tree or shrub. The reduction of these underground branches should cause above ground branches to cease extending. A very good thing to know and a practice I shall most definitely be putting into use come spring and summer.
Other methods to control growth and encourage fruiting that we touched on were ringing, notching, snapping, bending and tying down. Having attempted these amazing techniques on pieces of willow, a little more practice may be needed before being let loose on other people’s gardens, but practice and perfect I will do, as alternative methods to pruning seem an eminently sensible way to go when looking after your trees and shrubs.
More excitement followed as we started to discuss the charming nineteenth century Pomologist (fruit tree grower-lovely word) Thomas Rivers and his methods of growing fruit trees in fairly small (18inch) pots. From his very readable book ‘The Miniature Fruit Garden’ (available free to download), a publisher quotes Thomas Rivers as saying “It must be recollected that pears on quince stocks are strictly garden trees, and not adapted to orchards” and follows on by adding, ‘Those who only have a limited space and wish to grow pears, apples and other fruits, can, by the system of pinching and root pruning combined, keep as small as pot specimens’. Music to my ears (as a spaced-starved Londoner) and with bare-rooted fruit trees still available until March, I’m now planning my own miniature fruit garden starting with pear and quince trees in pots. Each year the tree is removed from the pot and the roots are pruned by 50 per cent. The tree is then replanted with fresh soil and as this is repeated year after year, the fruit tree can always remain in a small pot but will continue to produce plenty of fruit. Fantastic!
And as if that wasn’t enough, there were more discussions on root stocks, dig/no dig, whether trees should be planted directly into soil without any additional compost or not, summer as the best time to prune ALL trees, and Paul’s absolute belief that mulching with manure and compost is a bad thing. The course was then rounded off with a session of training trees and shrubs by bending and tying down (easiest when at their most pliable) and a little light knot tying. What a day!
There’s still more which I haven’t managed to squeeze in, but Paul has a tree training website with much more detail on it and most definitely worth a visit.
Looking forward to visiting West Dean again later in the year to see how these trees develop and fruit throughout the seasons. Heard there’s an ace kitchen garden too, so doubly worth another trip out of London.
Thank you for this very, very helpful post!
p.s. Thanks jennifer for RT too! Much appreciated. Naomi
This is really interesting stuff! I have already downloaded the book and look forward to reading up on miniature trees as we live in town as well. Thank you for sharing your course!
Hi Jennifer and Julie, good to hear that you enjoyed the post. My head is still full of what we learned, but just too cold to get out there to put into practice yet. But plans are forming, pots are being bought and trees to be ordered soon. V.best Naomi
Hello Julie you said that you downloaded Paul Templeton’s book after your visit to West Dene in 2012, I only saved the link to his website and now the site is gone I am trying to obtain a copy. I contacted Paul and he said he has not got a copy (but would also like one). He was so inspirational, if you can help it would be much appreciated.
Barry
What a great post. I’ve wanted to go to West Dean ever since I heard about it but it’s a bit far at the moment. Will definitely take a look at his website. I love the idea of being able to grow some fruit trees in a small space. I’ve always been reluctant to use pots because I’m can be away quite a bit and worry they will have dried to a crisp when I return. I have got a small space in the garden where I could possibly put a fruit tree though. Mmmmm definitely food for thought.
Hi Wellywoman, Am definitely going to have a go at going trees in pots, but the Quincunx is such a beautiful thing to behold and doesn’t take up too much space either, so severely tempted to started hunting around for a good metalworker to get the framework built!
What gorgeous trees – very inspirational. I would love to start training a few apple trees and this has made me extra keen to learn Thank you!
Hi PJ Girl-glad that trees inspired you. It was a wonderful day and can’t wait to see the trees when bearing fruit later in the year. Feel a slight obsession coming on. Thanks for dropping by. Naomi (also very happy to potter around in the garden in my pyjamas too)
Thanks for that very useful post. It’s so good to have an expert demonstrate a skill and your understanding was passed on brilliantly. I am off to tie in my pleached beech trees to fill the gaps.
Great post, with wonderful examples of ‘pruned’ trees! Have downloaded book too. Very useful.
Hi Sue and Petra, Delighted you liked the post-tree training is very exciting stuff!
Isabel, I think Paul is OK with mulching, but against using compost or manure to mulch with. More is explained on his website/book http://www.paulisinthegarden.com/ if you go to the Soil/Treatment of soil section. V.best Naomi
FYI- I posted a link to this post on WMG: http://wifemothergardener.blogspot.com/2012/02/post-202-for-love-of-blogging-and-my.html
Thanks for sharing it!
Thanks Julie!
I moved to Chichester about 16 years ago and made my first visit to West Dean Gardens soon after. It’s amazing how well these trees have established on their frames since the gardens were renovated in the early 90s.
I love the walled vegetable garden and the hot flower border, which is at its best in high summer.
[…] also wondering how a Lord Lambourne would fair trained as a Quincunx and where in the garden could I grow […]
[…] gardeners. And I’ve gathered loads more ideas that I want to put into practice next year (fruit tree training thanks to Paul Templeton). It will be great to hang up my gardening boots for a couple of weeks over Christmas, (and start […]
[…] this year, I enjoyed an amazing day out in West Dean College in Chichester, learning about training fruit trees, and their list of courses this year looks very tempting indeed. Many areas are covered, including […]
Can I find Paul Templeton’s techniques online elsewhere now? The links given here no longer work & I’m interested in learning more! Thank you :).
Hi Pussy Willow Press
Really sorry, I’ve searched myself and I can’t find any more links to Paul or his online presence. Apologies.
Best wishes
Naomi
Thanks for trying :). I appreciate your efforts!
Blessings
[…] above, here..Small garden? Quincunx can be created with a single tree, above. Pruned with 4 branching […]
Luckily, you can get to the old website of Paul via wayback machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20120214222008/http://www.paulisinthegarden.com/
That’s good to know. Thank you!