Just looked at your blog, and at the espaliered fig trees.

Very impressive. It gives me some ideas. I have several young trees in my yard and may try this myself.

Thanks....Dave

I don't often say this but here goes... WOW!!! Great job. I read that part about the ants. I can totally relate to problems with ants and birds. Which is why I have changed my focus to closed eye green and yellow figs. No ant problems and the birds for the most part leave them alone.

In end of 1700 in France was cultivated figs on espaliers, (les figs d'Argenteuil), the branches was bended on ground and coverd by straw and soil in winter, every spring are extracted and putted again in vertical.
The cultivation was an important trade for the peasants that sell fruit on the market of Paris to rich people.
The fig was the Blanc d'Argenteuil.

From: "la culture du figuier ÃÂ Argenteuil" (1700-1800)

Pour pouvoir les proteger facilement contre le froid, on cultivait les figuiers dans de larges tranches peu profondes. Les arbres etaient plantès obliquement sur un des talus, et tailles de maniere e former une touffe de branches souples. Aux premiers froids, on effeuillait les dernières feuilles, puis on couchait les arbres en les attachant au fond de la tranchèe, et on les recouvrait de paille sèche et d'une couche de feuilles àdècomposition lente (platane). Au printemps, on dècouvrait les arbres, par temps gris pour leur èviter les brùlures.
Cette mèthode est la meilleure qui soit pour assurer la rècolte des figues-fleurs dans les règions septentrionales, et rien ne vous empèche de vous y essayer. En 1890, on estime qu'àMontreuil 70ha de vergers ètaient consacrès àcette culture du figuier.

Free translation:
To protect them against cold easily, figs were cultivated in large shallow slices. The trees were planted on a slope obliquely and sizes so as to form a tuft e pliable branches. The first cold, it "plucking" the last leaves, then flattened the trees by tying them to the bottom of the trench, and were covered with dry straw and a layer of slowly decomposing leaves (sycamore). In the spring, we discovered the trees on a cloudy day to avoid burning them.
This method is the best one for the harvesting of breba-figs in the North, and nothing prevents you to try. In 1890, it is estimated that 70ha of Montreuil orchards were devoted to this crop of figs.

Is any type better than another,, or a better question would be which fig type works the best ??

Hi, vaplantman! I haven't seen you post this year, but I hope you're still lurking.

I'm considering a fig espalier in the Japanese style, just as you've shown in your blog. Thanks for the great photos and updates on how it's growing!

The candidate space for my espalier is a long narrow strip between fence and pond - from 2.5' to 3.5' wide. There will be room enough for the fig to grow, but possibly not enough room to get in and harvest. I'm curious how wide from the shed your espalier fig will grow at its peak?

Thanks!

I would like to try this method too once my fig babies
are bigger.