I am training these plants in a Japanese style... close to the ground to take advantage of the heat created by the black mulch. I live in a zone 5 climate and we have reasonable winters but the plants need to be protected. This makes it much easier to cover them as they are only about a foot from the ground. In Japan, it's used to protect the plants from high winds... but here, I've found it really effective in heat absorption. I have the usual Brown Turkey but Goutte d'Or and Bornholm seem to really take to this way of growing! Looking forward to trying some new types of figs...

 This is also how I train new plants before putting them in the ground. The wood has to be a bit thick to survive the winter... I don't protect it too much. It will go down to -20C but never for long.

Tadsamson,
Thanks for sharing your photos and procedures.

From my limited experience with fig espaliers, the horizontal tiedown step should be done later in the growth of the tree after the main and secondary branch calipers have increased, http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/show_single_post?pid=1283500747&postcount=1 because otherwise the overall growth of the plant is affected negatively. My post from an earlier topic had an example and simple diagram, http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/show_single_post?pid=1283427473&postcount=4 . The selected branches should be trained to grow vertical before placing them horizontal then the tip should be pruned to remove apical dominance, this increases the branch caliper faster and produces more fruiting branches than placing them horizontal earlier in their growth.
 
Good Luck.

check this out  http://point09acres.blogspot.com/search/label/Espalier

Good to know! Thanks!

It occurred to me after looking at the above photo of the Bryant Dark espalier, that for those who want to concentrate on the possibilities of  propagating fig trees for profit, growing and training figs with horizontal stems, induces buds to grow straight upwards.  Each horizontal stem after sprouting dormant buds, can produce many potential places for air-layering.  Every one of those newer, sprouting stems that are growing straight up can be air-layered and sold as small trees.

A nice project idea to raise money for Boy/Girl Scouts, churches, class projects, etc.  Have a fig sale!  Celebrate (literally) the fruits of Capitalism.


Frank