Pronunciation: [ɛspˈali͡əz] (IPA) 
The word "espaliers" is derived from the old French word "espallier", meaning "to prop up". It refers to a horticultural technique of training trees or shrubs to grow flat against a wall, fence, or a trellis. The correct phonetic transcription of this word is /ɪˈspæljərz/. The emphasis is on the second syllable, which is pronounced with a short "a" sound. The "s" at the end is pronounced as a "z" sound because it follows a vowel.
Espaliers refer to a technique of training and shaping woody plants, particularly fruit trees, along a flat surface, such as a wall or trellis, in a specific pattern. This horticultural practice involves pruning and controlling the growth of the plant's branches in order to create a desired shape and maximize fruit production.
The term "espalier" originates from the ancient French word 'espalier', meaning "to stake or support with a shoulder." It reflects the method of attaching the branches to a support structure, typically with the use of wires or ropes, and guiding their growth in a horizontal or diagonal pattern.
Benefits of espaliers include effectively utilizing limited space, improving accessibility for pruning, harvesting, and pest control, as well as providing an aesthetically pleasing display in gardens and orchards. By encouraging lateral growth, espaliers also promote the development of abundant flower buds and fruiting spurs, resulting in increased fruit production.
To create an espalier, the gardener or arborist must carefully select and prune branches during the dormant season, removing any undesirable growth and retaining the desired branches to form the desired pattern. Regular and precise pruning is essential to maintain the shape and form of the espalier, as well as to control the plant's vigorous growth. Training the branches to grow in a particular direction, either horizontally or obliquely, is also critical to achieve the desired effect.
In conclusion, espaliers are a method of training woody plants against a flat surface, using careful pruning and shaping techniques to create specific patterns and increase fruit production.
Rows of trees trained to a frame or lattice in order to form an enclosure; fruit-trees trained upon stakes or a paling.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
The word espaliers has an interesting etymology. It originates from the Old French word espallier, which means to lean against a shoulder or to support with a stake or pole. This Old French term was derived from the Late Latin word spalare, which means to support or prop up. It eventually evolved into the Middle French word espaler, meaning to stake or prop up a vine. Over time, the term expanded in meaning to include training fruit trees into a specific shape or form, which is the modern usage of espaliers.
