espaldero

An espaldero is a horticultural support framework used to train climbing plants and to create espalier forms. It consists of vertical posts linked by horizontal wires, slats, or boards, creating a trellis or panel that directs growth and supports fruiting wood. Espalderos are widely used in vineyards, orchards, and ornamental gardens to maximize sun exposure, improve air circulation, and simplify pruning, thinning, harvesting, and pest management. They can be freestanding or mounted along walls or fences, and they are designed to hold canes or shoots at a prescribed height and angle.

Materials vary: wooden posts and rails, metal or galvanized steel wires, and sometimes treated wood or composite components. Typical configurations include single-face trellises, two-face or two-sided espalderos for both sides of a row, and arched or pergola-like frames. The choice of orientation, height, and spacing depends on the crop cultivar, vigor, training system, and local climate. For grapevines and other climbers, espalderos are often paired with wire tensions to maintain a level, open canopy that promotes even fruit exposure and reduces shading of lower shoots. In fruit trees, espalderos enable the shoots to be trained in a flat plane (espalier) or along a structured framework.

Maintenance involves regular inspection for structural integrity, replacing worn components, adjusting wire tension, and performing pruning and tying to maintain desired form.