9. Growing Fruit Trees in Your Small Urban Yard. Yes, You Can! Espalier!

When I moved into my home 20 years ago, I really wanted to have my own fruit trees but thought that I did not have the space for them. After researching different growing techniques, I learned how they grow fruit in Europe. Europeans have much smaller urban spaces than North Americans. Yet they manage to efficiently utilizes their small spaces. The pruning technique, espalier, has been practised in Europe for centuries but is practically unheard of in North America. I consulted with a horticulturist from my local university to make sure that this was something that I could manage. And it is.           Let me just say, for the record, that I am not an arborist and have not been trained in espalier pruning technics.

If I can do this so can you, you have the space. All you  need to do is prune your tree. Let me show you how.

This is my mature apple tree. It was planted about 10 years ago. It grows in a raised bed that is 2 1/2 feet wide and about 12 feet long. There is a lattice behind the tree. I used the lattice to train the branches of the tree to grow horizontally. It's time for it to be pruned.








As you can see. The tree is growing  in a very small area and takes up virtually no space in my yard.

This is a plum tree that is one year old. I selected the is tree because it was small and had branches that I could train to grow horizontally.

After planting the tree, the first step is to cut the top of the tree off.
Every time you cut the main trunk the tree is going to produce tree new branches. One central leading branch and two lateral branches.
 I selected branches that where in pairs to the left and right of the main trunk. I pruned all the other branches off.
I then gently bent the branches so that they were positioned at right angles to the central trunk. Bend the branches very gently or slowing bend them over a few weeks until they are where you want them to be. Be careful not to brake the branches off. Tie the branches to you fence or wires using wrapped wire (available at gardening    centres) This plum tree will grow no taller than my fence.

Wait until your tree has flowers and set its fruit. You do not want to remove the fruit as you prune.



Select branches that are new growth. Prune them off at the main horizontal branch, getting as close the the main branch as you can.

Half of the tree is pruned. You can see that a great deal of foliage has been removed.
That's exactly what you want.

Almost done. All of the branches and all of the fruit can be reached with a six foot step ladder.

Pruning is completed. I prune this tree two or three times per growing season as I have a very limited space for it to grow in. If you can afford a little bit more room, then you could get away with pruning a bit less.

I think that it looks beautiful and it definitely is a conversation piece, everyone wants to know about this unusual looking tree.

By removing a lot of the foliage the thought is that the tree will put more energy into growing fruit, producing larger, better quality fruit. Allowing the sunlight to penetrate to the middle of the tree makes for a healthier tree as well.


I can have my apple and eat it too.

Watch me do  it on Youtube.

8. Six Reasons Why You Should Mulch With Newspaper and Grass Clippings

Mulching with newspaper and grass clippings. Six reasons why you should.

1. reduces the evaporation of water from the soil
2. inhibits the growth of weeds
3. keeps your produce cleaner
4. keeps grass clippings out of the landfill
5. recycles newspapers
6. it's free

One of the challenges of urban farming is finding the time to tend to the food that you are growing. A balance between work, family, kids, husband, garden can be next to impossible to attain.

I like to use my grass clippings as a mulch to inhibit weed growth.
By taking a few minutes each time the grass is cut, I can free up time otherwise spent pulling weeds.

Here's how to do it.

These are my tomato plants. The ground is fairly moist from recent rains. If your soil is dry, water it well before applying mulch.

Lay a double layer of newspaper right on to the soil in between the plants. The newspaper provides a barrier for weed growth and slows down the evaporation of water as well. Make sure to use non glossy news print.

Cover the surface of the newspaper with grass clippings(make sure that you grass has not been sprayed with any pesticides).

Make sure to leave a space around the stem of the plant. Cover the entire surface of the soil with a two to three inch layer of grass clippings.

Even though both grass clippings and news print are biodegradable, I remove them from my garden at the end of the growing season. In my part of the world newspaper takes a long time to break down. I add the 'old' grass clippings to the compost pile at the end of the growing season.

Presto, no more weeds. Such a great thing to do. And its free!
The veggies are way cleaner too because the soil is covered. The vegetables will sit on the grass instead of the soil.
Happy growing.

1. water your garden well
2. lay a double layer of non glossy newspaper in between the plants
3. put 2-3 inches of untreated grass clippings on top of newspaper
4. leave a space around the stem of the plants
5. every time that you cut your grass, add more mulch to your garden