Editing Fruit tree forms (section)

==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>