Table of Contents
Growing Fruit Trees as Cordons
What are Cordon Fruit Trees?
- A cordon is in effect one branch grown at an angle on a very short, small trunk, maintained by strict pruning twice every year.
- That branch is thick with fruiting side shoots, and must be supported by wires to hold the weight of the crop.
Cordon fruit trees:
- Take up far less space than any other form
- Allow you get to grow the widest range of varieties along a row
- Will cross-pollinate well
- Are easy to keep in shape, protect, pick
- Look attractive, clothing a wall or fence very well
- Benefit from the warm microclimate of the walls or fences they are growing on
You can buy maiden apple, quince, and pear trees from our nursery to train into a cordon: only spur-fruiting apple varieties are suitable for growing as cordons, please check each type for details.
Fruit trees grown on intermediate rootstocks, meaning semi-vigorous and below, are suitable for cordons.
Cordon stems can double or triple up on one plant, at with point they usually become espaliers or fans.
Cordon fruit trees are capable of carrying up to 10kg of fruit per tree.
Grown at an angle of 45 degrees the trunk is longer while still remaining within picking height and so the crop can be increased.
Where should you grow Cordon Fruit Trees?
To grow fruit cordons, they need permanent supporting wires to last 40 years.
Sunny walls and fences make good homes for cordon fruit trees; on a North facing surface, we recommend you grow a Morello cherry maiden into a fan.
South facing walls in particular are warm and encourage plants to fruit earlier than their freestanding equivalents.
Cordon fruit trees as internal garden dividers, in place of a hedge, trained with a light clematis for more ornamental value, squeeze fruit into a tight space.
Which fruit make the best cordons?
Apples, pears, and quinces are the most popular choice for growing as cordons.
Choose spur fruiting varieties for apple cordons; when they are mature, you have the option of grafting on tip fruiting varieties.
Stone fruit like cherries and plums are best wire trained as fans, which are like a fan of cordons coming off one trunk.
If you want to try, Czar is a decent plum for cordons.
Planting Cordon Fruit Trees
There are four things you need to remember about planting cordon fruit trees that do not apply to ANY other fruit.
- Cordon fruit trees are grown at an angle of 45 degrees
- Cordon fruit trees are spaced closely together – 60 – 80cms is enough between plants
- Cordon fruit trees must be planted so when the trunk is at its angle of 45 degrees, the scion (that is the wood ABOVE the graft) is uppermost i.e the union is facing down towards the ground. Any other way and there is a risk the tree could break.
- Still on the scion – make extra sure that it ends up above soil level; being planted at an angle of 45 degrees brings it closer to the ground and it is easy to plant the tree too low as a result.
Otherwise, planting cordons is pretty much the same as planting any other fruit tree.
Unless the ground is true clay and does not drain, prepare it by digging it over and removing perennial weed roots, large stones and debris.
For every tree add at least one full bucket (two is better) of well rotted compost, horse manure or other organic matter and a small handful of bonemeal if you are not using Rootgrow.
Mix these in well with the existing soil, breaking up any clods as you go.
Now firmly tie long bamboo canes (2.4 metres are ideal) to the straining wires at 45 degree angles to the ground so that their bases are where you want your cordons planted, between 60 and 80 centimetres apart.
You will use these canes to train your cordons, and they make good guides to ensure your trees are evenly spaced when planted.
Plant your cordons so that:
- The trunks are at an angle of 45 degrees, in line with the canes; they can be more upright at first, and lowered later
- they are spaced evenly
- the scion (the wood growing above the graft) is uppermost, and the union is facing down towards the ground.
Tie the main trunk to the bamboo cane, firm the soil around the roots, and water well. Remember that all newly planted trees need to be watered well in the spring following planting if there is even a hint of a dry spell.
Caring for Cordon Fruit Trees
Generally care of cordons is the same as for free standing fruit trees – if you see a pest, disease or wound you deal with it in the same way irrespective of tree shape.
The big difference comes with pruning. With a “conventional” fruit tree, pruning is all about building a shape that will crop to the maximum.
The objective is the same with cordons, but you are trying to stunt their growth.
Trees will grow as much as they can, but never at the expense of flowering and fruiting.
Therefore, you prune your cordons to deprive them of the food reserves necessary to both grow fast and flower/fruit.
As autumn approaches and leaves begin to fall, tree sap falls and is stored in the root system.
In Spring, those reserves of sap are used to “jump start” growth.
Cordons are pruned in August or early September, often when fruit is still on the tree.
All excess wood is removed before its sap has fallen, depriving the tree of some of its winter reserves.
Next spring, it concentrates on building flower buds, which is exactly what you want.
Cordon Fruit Trees Take Grafts Well
Cordons’ controlled growth rate and stable support wires are perfect for grafts.
Grafting is and easy gardening skill to practise, you can start on most trees before your precious fruit!
How to plant a cordon fruit tree, and how to prune it as it grows
Cordon fruit trees are usually apples and pears, as stone fruit such as plum and cherry don’t develop the short fruiting spurs that cordon shapes need.
Fruit trees are available as bareroot plants from November through to March, and many are also available pot-grown for most of the year.
Planting a New Fruit Cordon
In this video, you will learn how to plant a cordon fruit tree. Only apples and pears are usually trained as cordons. Cordons are grown on a frame, wires on a wall, or against a fence. They’re grown at an angle of 45 degrees to maximize the amount of crop within picking height. Cordons are initially trained along a cane to help keep the main trunk straight. They are planted much close together than others fruit tree forms. 60 to 80cm apart is fine, which means you can grow a wide variety of fruit in a small area. Remove the tree from the bag and position at the point of planting. This will allow you to gauge the size of the hole needed for planting. Always keep the roots moist and in the bag until the hole is dug and ready for planting the tree. Even two or three minutes out of the bag on a windy day, begins to dry the roots out. Dig a hole approximately one quarter bigger than required. This will give you room to spread the roots. Break up any compacted soil for the new young roots to grow into. Soil improver can be added if the soil is of poor quality, but do not enrich by more than 25%. Remove the tree from the bag and position the roots in the hole with the main stem of the tree running up the cane at a 45 degree angle. Like all grafted trees, the cordon comes in two parts. Firstly, there is the rootstock which controls the vigor and size of the tree and which can offer some pest and disease assistance. Secondly, there is the scion. This is the top half of the tree and is the variety of Apple or Pear you have purchased. Do not plant too deep, as the scion should not touch the soil when your cordon is planted. So the knuckle part of the union, which is the joint between the rootstock and the zone should always face upwards. This will stop the scion rooting into the sword and losing the vigour and disease resistance of the rootstock. The rootstock will have a tidemark left by the earth where it was grown. You can see it just below the thumb. Place the tree in its planting possession and backfill the soil around the roots. If you want to use rootgrow (friendly fungi), which helps trees establish more quickly, now is the time. Gently firm the soil around the roots with your boots to fill the air pockets and ensure that there is a good contact between the moist soil and the roots: don’t stamp! It is best to tickle over the top of the planting hole to loosen any compacted soil and allow water to penetrate through the roots with a full watering can of water to hydrate the roots and to settle all the fine soil around the roots. Don’t forget to water and dry periods in the first spring and summer after planting, you can let your cordon flower in first year, but it’s always best to pick fruit off a tree in its first year so it concentrates on building up a strong root system. Thank you for watching. Don’t forget to have a look at our video on pruning a maiden to become a cordonVIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Pruning a New, Maiden Cordon
Welcome to Ashridge Trees (Nurseries). In this video, you will see how to prune a bareroot maiden apple or pear fruit tree, in the first winter planting to help it become a cordon. Formative pruning is carried out in the winter of planting. Pruning at this time will encourage the buds below the pruning cut to burst and produce shoots, which in the future years will themselves be pruned to form fruiting spurs. You will need a sharp pair of secateurs and disinfectants, so they can be sterilized between trees. Here is a newly planted maiden apple tree planted at 45 degrees angle. Measure up approximately 45 to 50cm from the rootstock to a downward facing bud. The fact that it is downward facing is important! Cut just above the bud with a sloping cut away from the bud to prevent water settling in the wound and so allowing rot to set in. After pruning, the maiden needs securing to the training cane. Use a flexible tie to allow the tree to increase in girth without causing damage by girdling the stem. If you must use wire, keep it loose and check it regularly. Always tie the knot into the cane rather than the stem of the tree to avoid damaging the bark. Well done! You have now successfully pruned a maiden fruit tree in its first winter to form a cordon. It can now be left through the coming summer growing season to be pruned again next year. You can see how in our film on how to prune a cordon in year two.VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Pruning a Cordon: Year 2 and Beyond
Welcome to Ashridge Trees (Nurseries) in this video, you will see how to prune a cordon fruit tree in its second year. As for the formative pruning in its first year (above), year two, pruning is also carried out in the winter. As before, you’ll need a pair of sharp, clean, sterile secateurs and disinfectant to sterilize them between trees. This is a typical example of a two-year-old cordon fruit tree. It was pruned in the winter a year ago, and this year’s growth has produced side shoots. The main stem has also extended. The side branches produced on the two-year-old wood are cut back to three to four buds, counting up from the main stem. These pruned branches will become fruiting spurs in future summers. The long extension of the main stem, which was also produced over the last 12 months. Is reduced in length by about one third to a suitable downward facing bud. This pruning cut is made just above and sloping away from the bud so no water settles in the cart and causes rot to set in. As in year one, reducing the length of the mainstem encourages side shoots to form below to becoming fruiting spurs. After pruning, the newly pruned leader is tied back against the training cane with a length of flexible tie, please remember to avoid damaging the bark by tying the knot against the cane, not the tree. Your cordon can now be left until the late summer for autumn spur pruning. We show you how in a separate video. In subsequent winters, you will prune exactly as shown in this video to continue to encourage growth of the main stem and further spur side shoot formation. Thank you for watching and good luck with your pruning.VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Cordons are mostly spur bearing apples and pears, but plums like Czar are also fine.