How Do You Fan-Train a Fruit Tree Against a Wall?

Fan training spreads the branches of a fruit tree in a wide fan shape against a wall or fence, maximising the amount of warmth and reflected light the tree receives. It is the preferred form for peaches, nectarines, apricots, figs, and morello cherries — fruits that need more warmth than they reliably receive in the open in cool climates. It also works well for plums and sweet cherries where space for a freestanding tree is limited. A mature fan-trained tree can cover a wall of 3–4 metres width and 2.5 metres height.

Setting Up the Wall and Wires

Fix horizontal wires at 30–45 cm intervals on vine eyes set 15 cm from the wall surface. A south or south-west facing wall is ideal, though west-facing walls work well for morello cherry. Avoid north-facing walls for fruiting trees. Plant the tree centrally below the wall and 30 cm away from the base to avoid the rain shadow of the wall, which is often surprisingly dry even in wet weather.

Building the Fan: Years One and Two

Start with a maiden or lightly feathered young tree. In the first winter, select two strong side shoots at about 30–40 cm from the ground and tie them down at 40 degrees to the horizontal — one to each side. Remove the central leader entirely, cutting back to just above the higher of the two selected shoots. These two primary arms form the basis of the fan. In summer, allow four or five shoots to develop from each arm and tie them in evenly spaced to the wires. In the second winter, repeat: select and retain the best-placed shoots, tie them in, and remove the rest.

Maintaining a Peach or Nectarine Fan

Peach and nectarine fans need the most intensive management because they fruit on one-year-old shoots. Each spring, select replacement shoots near the base of every fruiting shoot and tie them in as they grow. After harvest, cut the fruited shoots back to the replacement. This keeps the fruiting wood young and close to the framework. Without this annual renewal, fruiting shifts progressively to the extremities and the centre becomes bare and unproductive within a few years.

Cherry and Plum Fan Maintenance

Cherry and plum fans are pruned in summer after harvest, following the same stone fruit disease rules as freestanding trees. Shorten the lateral shoots growing from the main fan ribs to five or six leaves in midsummer. After harvest, cut these back to three buds. Remove any shoots growing directly into or away from the wall. New extension shoots can be tied in to fill gaps in the framework as needed.