Securing My Espaliered European Hornbeams
If you have any outdoor plants or trees growing along trellises at your home, be sure they are well secured for the winter.
Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata,' the columnar European hornbeam, is a medium-sized, deciduous tree. ‘Fastigiata’ means a narrow form with upright branches. This type of tree can be grown as an espalier, meaning its branches can be trained to grow flat against a wall, supported on a lattice or a framework of stakes. I have three espaliered European hornbeams planted against the stone walls of my Carriage House and Stable Office here at the farm. Last week, Pete Sherpa from my outdoor grounds crew, came up with an easy solution to reinforce them in case of any strong winds.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- I planted these espaliered hornbeams a year ago. These trees are thriving under the full sun, but winter will be here soon, and I want to be sure they can withstand any strong winds.
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- They are already anchored to the wall, but I want more supports just in case.
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- Pete gets all his supplies ready – concrete anchoring screws, a drill, the proper drill bits, and a measuring tape.
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- For many projects requiring wire here at the farm, I like to use copper coated wire. This is 20-gauge.
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- Using a measuring tape, Pete measures the distance between the trellis and the wall to determine how much wire will be needed.
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- Pete cuts two two-foot lengths of wire.
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- Pete also gets two appropriate washers and secures one on each of the anchoring screws.
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- Next, using the drill, Pete makes a two inch deep hole in the wall at about the center point of trellis level with one of the cross pieces.
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- Pete applies some pressure to ensure the drill goes in straight – the mortar can be a little tough.
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- Next, Pete measures a piece of bamboo to the width of the trellis.
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- Using a portable saw, Pete cuts the bamboo to size. Bamboo stakes can be found in a variety of sizes at garden shops or garden departments of big box stores.
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- After cutting, Pete trims off any bamboo splinters from the cut end of the bamboo.
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- Pete wraps one end of the wire around the screw under the washer.
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- Then he carefully secures the screw into the hole.
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- Here is another view showing the wire tightening under the screw and washer.
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- This is very secure and takes only minutes to do. Pete does this on the other side also – making sure both screws are level with each other.
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- Next, Pete places the bamboo stake behind the trellis at the points level with the installed screws.
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- He wraps the other end of the wire around the bamboo and the trellis making sure it remains at the same distance from the wall.
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- After doing the same on the other side, he measures the distance again to be sure it is equal on both sides.
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- Finally, Pete tests the tightness of the wire at both sides and that’s it. All three trellises are secured in less than an hour.
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