Editing Fruit tree forms

{{Short description|Shapes of fruit tree}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2007}}
[[Image:Fruit tree forms at Gaasbeek.JPG|thumb|right|285px|A test site with several fruit tree forms located at [[Gaasbeek Castle]]]]

Fruit trees are grown in a variety of shapes, sometimes for aesthetic appeal but mainly to encourage fruit production. The form or shape of [[fruit trees]] can be manipulated by [[Pruning fruit trees|pruning]] and training. Shaping and promoting a particular tree form is undertaken to establish the plant in a particular situation under certain environmental conditions, to increase fruit yield, and to enhance fruit quality. For example, pruning a tree to a [[pyramid]] shape enables trees to be planted closer together.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} An open bowl or cup form helps sunlight penetrate the canopy, thus encouraging a high fruit yield whilst keeping the tree short and accessible for harvesting.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} Other shapes such as [[cordon (plant)|cordon]]s, [[espalier]]s and fans provide opportunities for growing trees two dimensionally against walls or fences, or they can be trained to function as barriers.

==Forms==
[[Image:Fruit tree forms.svg|upright=1.2|thumb|Fruit tree shapes]]
Some of the following fruit tree forms require training by tying the branches to the required form. Most also require pruning to retain the desired structure. However, not all types of fruit tree are suitable for all forms; [[Apple (fruit)|apples]] and [[pear]]s do well as cordons and espaliers, for example, whereas cherries are better suited to the fan form.

===Bush===
An open-centred crown on a short trunk of less than {{convert|1|m}}. This is a traditional and popular form for apple trees. Bush trees are easy to maintain and bear fruit at a young age. Final height is between {{convert|2|m}} and {{convert|5.5|m}}, depending on which [[rootstock]] is used.<ref name=Hessayon>[[Hessayon, Dr D. G.]], ''The Fruit Expert'', Transworld Publishers Ltd, 1997, p10</ref>

===Standard===
Larger than the bush form, with trunks of {{convert|2|m}} or more. Standard trees can reach a total height of {{convert|8|m}}. They eventually produce high yields but, being large trees, are not easy to maintain.<ref name=Hessayon/>

===Pyramid===
Similar to the bush form, although the main leader shoot is allowed to maintain its dominance, resulting in a pyramidal shape.

===Spindlebush===
A variant of the pyramid form in which the lateral branches are tied down to a horizontal position. 
Designed for dense orchards by [[Otto Schmitz-Hübsch]] and Heinrichs in Germany in 1936, this is currently the most popular training system for dwarf apple and pear trees.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.actahort.org/books/322/322_3.htm|title=TRENDS IN FRUIT TREE TRAINING AND PRUNING SYSTEMS IN EUROPE|website=www.actahort.org}}</ref>

===Cordon===
Single-stemmed trees planted at an angle (usually 45°), with [[fruiting spur]]s encouraged to form along the stem. Any side branches are removed by pruning. Cordons take less space and crop earlier than most other forms, so more varieties can be grown in a given space, but yields are smaller per tree.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.brogdale.org/choosetreeforms.html |title=Main fruit tree forms |access-date=2008-07-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080808121522/http://www.brogdale.org/choosetreeforms.html |archive-date=2008-08-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A special cordon set-up is the Bouché-Thomas system.

===Espalier===
A central vertical trunk with three or four horizontal branches on each side. A special espalier in this group is the LePage-system.

===Fan===
A short central trunk with several radiating branches growing from the crown.

===Step-over espalier===
Espaliers with just one tier of horizontal branches {{Cvt|30|cm}} above the ground. These make a novel and productive border for a vegetable plot.

A study on orchard mango trees in [[Nelspruit]], South Africa, compared the open vase, closed vase, central leader, palmette and standard pruning systems and recommended a modified pyramid, somewhere between a central leader and a closed vase system, for high-density mango orchards. The study also evaluated both post-fruit-set and post-harvest pruning, indicating that late mango cultivars benefit from pruning while bearing fruit in late fall, while early cultivars may be best pruned immediately after harvest.<ref name=Stassen>
{{Citation
| last1 = Stassen
| first1 = P. J. C.
| last2 = Grovè
| first2 = H. G.
|last3=Davie
|first3=S. J.
| title =Tree shaping strategies for higher density mango orchards
| journal = Journal of Applied Horticulture
| volume = 1
| issue = 1
| pages = 1–4
| orig-year =1999
| year = 2001
|publisher=Society for Advancement of Horticulture
| url =http://horticultureresearch.net/jah/1999_1_1_1_4.pdf
}}
</ref>

==Yield and spacing==
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan=2 | Apples and pears
! colspan=2 | Yield
! colspan=2 | Spacing
|-
! Apples
! Pears
! In rows
! Rows apart
|-
| Bush
| 25–50&nbsp;kg
| 20–45&nbsp;kg
| 4–5 m
| 4–5 m
|-
| Dwarf bush
| 15–25&nbsp;kg
| 10–20&nbsp;kg
| 2.5–5 m
| 2.5–5 m
|-
| Dwarf pyramid
| 5–7&nbsp;kg
| 3–5&nbsp;kg
| 1.5–2 m
| 2 m
|-
| Espalier (two tier)
| 10–12&nbsp;kg
| 7–10&nbsp;kg
| 3–6 m
| 2 m
|-
| Fan
| 5–15&nbsp;kg
| 5–15&nbsp;kg
| 4–5 m
| -
|-
| Single cordon
| 2–4&nbsp;kg
| 2–3&nbsp;kg
| 0.5–1 m
| 2 m
|-
| Standard
| 50–200&nbsp;kg
| 40–100&nbsp;kg
| 6–10 m
| 6–10 m
|}
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan=2 | Other tree fruits
! rowspan=2 | Yield
! colspan=2 | Spacing
|-
! In rows
! Rows apart
|-
| Bush (sour cherry)
| 15–20&nbsp;kg
| 4–5 m
| 4–5 m
|-
| Bush (plum and peach)
| 15–30&nbsp;kg
| 4–5 m
| 4–5 m
|-
| Bush, standard (sweet cherry)
| 15–50&nbsp;kg
| 5–12 m
| 5–12 m
|-
| Fan (all stone fruits)
| 7–15&nbsp;kg
| 4–5 m
| -
|-
| Fan (sweet cherry)
| 6–15&nbsp;kg
| 5–7.5 m
| -
|-
| Pyramid (plum)
| 15–25&nbsp;kg
| 3–4 m
| 3–4 m
|-
| Standard (plum, peach and apricot)
| 15–50&nbsp;kg
| 5–7.5 m
| 5–7.5 m 
|}

==Images==
<gallery class="center">
Image:Orchard3.jpg|A community apple orchard originally planted for productive use

Image:BoucheThomas fruittreeformdescription.JPG|Description of the Bouché-Thomas fruit tree form
Image:Lepage fruittreeform.JPG|Photo of the LePage fruit tree form
Image:Lepage fruittreeform description.JPG|Description of LePage fruit tree form
Image:Singlerow fruittree system.JPG|Description of the single row fruit tree form setup
Image:Spindlebush description.JPG|Description of the spindlebush fruit tree form
Image:Spindlebush fruittreeform.JPG|Photo of the spindlebush fruit tree form
Image:JeukseHaagDescription.JPG|Description of the "Jeukse Haag" fruit tree form
Image:Standard fruittreeform.JPG|Photo of the standard fruit tree form
Image:Dubblerow fruitttree system.JPG|Description of the double row fruit tree form setup
Image:Triplerow fruittree system.JPG|Description of the triple row fruit tree form setup
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Fruit tree pollination]]
* [[Fruit tree propagation]]
* [[Orchard]]s
* [[Pruning fruit trees]]
* [[Tree shaping]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Books and publications==
<!--Leave this book ref; it is an old book and may be soon publicly available at Google Books, hereby allowing the schematics to be used/viewed for anyone-->
* Burvenich, Frederik (1879). ''Snoei der Fruitbomen''.

[[Category:Edible fruits|Forms]]
[[Category:Horticultural techniques]]
[[Category:Agronomy]]