Apple Walk Arches

Earlier this year, we planted the twenty-two trees of the apple walk, each one next to a tube that formed the base of an archway. In time, each tree will be trained up the arch (with horizontal espaliers on one side), forming a living arched walk. Of course, we're some time off that point; but several of the trees have grown strongly this year, and have reached to the top of the steel tube already (about 1m). That's meant that I've had to get round to adding the arches themselves, in order to have something to continue tying apple growth on to—and that's been today's work.

I ordered a number of 6m length, 10mm diameter reinforcing bars (rebar) some months ago, and they've sat outside the kitchen waiting since then. I constructed a bending jig out of timber, and used this to help shape the arches. Each one is a semicircle of 2.4m diameter, with straight legs around 90cm long (I had to trim kinked ends off the rebar, so they're not identical). These are then slotted into the tubes, and fixed using three A4 M5 bolts at the right height. Before they went in, I painted the straight sections: painting the rest will be another day's work, in the next couple of months).

Once they were all in, I've added a horizontal rod at the level of the third espalier tier (1.2m height), and one along the apex of the arches. I still have 4½ rebars left, which will probably all be needed in diagonal braces between arches (to stop them leaning over as one). Again, that's another day's work: bending 11 arches by hand is quite enough effort for one hot July day.

I did, however, prune and tie in the new apple growth: they're doing very well. All but a couple have the first tier well formed (Hunt House took a long time coming into growth, and is rather behind); many have a second tier tied down and growing out; a couple (Cat's Head and Grandpa Buxton) even have a third tier started, and one or two more will get there this year). I've had to order more soft-tie wire!

Elsewhere: the sweet peas keep coming.

This week's sweet pea centrepiece (© Ian 2014)