Apples are the most malluable of species. If they have vigor they can be transformed from shape to shape. On the other hand, if they are on fully dwarfing rootstock (M9) you may have to prune back heavily, removing all spur wood to get the tree up to adequate vigor to reshape. What's wrong with a free-standing espallier? Or a staked one, if it needs some support.

Notching through the bark with a couple saw swipes just above a bud right before they leaf out can trigger the bud to grow a replacement branch, but I'm with Harvestman, why waste all that training effort? Any radical pruning will delay bearing and you probably have nice horizontal branch growth.

Applenut

I had a semi-dwarf that was intending on being a candelabra at semi-dwarf size.
Once it became ladder work I lost interest, took down the support and let it go. The three tiers that were trained horizontal are like well trained branches. They still retain their shape with branches coming off them.

As for moving them, you may be pruning the roots so much that you'll have to prune the top or the roots won't be able to take in enough water to grow what's there let alone put on new growth. But you didn't say how you were planning on moving them, and even your plans may be adjusted if you think you're getting a big enough root ball and end up cutting into some heavy roots.

Thanks for all the input. I really appreciate it. If I'm hearing correctly, (or rather, reading correctly), the trees will continue to grow etc, but retain their espaliered shape. And I need to prune them to make sure the tree recovers from the move. Is that right?

I guess I was wondering if the tree would produce any more branches off of the trunk, or if the best I can hope for is the 3 sets of 2 branches that it was trained with.

Thanks harvestman for the information about apples being malleable. That bit of information gave me an idea about how to "fix" the shape. I suppose I could just leave it in the espaliered shape, but where I had to put it makes it look kind of odd. Like it was misplaced, or something. Just personal taste, I guess.

Applenut, do I notch the trunk where I would like more branches to grow? That sounds like something I would like to try.

And myk1, I got most of the big roots, fully intact, and a large ball of feeder roots. I was pretty pleased with the dig, actually, although I know that any move is a big move for an established tree. I had pruned it before the move, but I will go out and see if there's any more pruning I can do to help the tree along.

Thanks again!

This is my former espalier. I did have to prune back the uprights of the lower branches and my dog at the time 'pruned' the lowest branches.
I should've taken out the top because that has turned into a dual central leader that I'm trying to remove slowly now.

{{gwi:89451}}

That one is very willing to send branches out of the main trunk.
My other 2 espaliers have given up putting new branches out long ago.

It sounds like you got enough roots, but pruning may make it want send branches out everywhere it can.

I didn't mean you necessarily have to prune hard- depends on rootstock and cultivar. M9 can easily runt out if you transplant it at bearing age. You didn't say what the rootstock is.

The notching trick is about stopping apical represion- upper buds send down hormones to stop lower buds from sprouting out. If you notch at bud break just deep enough to sever the vascular system (cambium) above a bud the hormones won't be delivered and bud will sprout.