Author Topic: Stepover fruit tree recommendations?  (Read 1974 times)

essexkit

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Stepover fruit tree recommendations?
« on: October 11, 2017, 11:49:13 »
I am looking forward to giving my double plot a makeover and would like to incorporate some stepover fruit trees.Does anyone have any advice please.I am based in East Mids and adventurous in my tastes! One I would like is a quince : )

cambourne7

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Re: Stepover fruit tree recommendations?
« Reply #1 on: October 11, 2017, 17:12:01 »
ken muir sells these and will have these available to look at and ask questions on there open apple day which is quite soon

Beersmith

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Re: Stepover fruit tree recommendations?
« Reply #2 on: October 11, 2017, 23:25:37 »
Isn't the answer in your own hands?

First step, ask yourself what fruit do you like? Apples, apricots, plums, peaches, pears, mulberry?  Second step, research which fruits can be grown on a rootstock that is amenable to pruning and growing as a step over. Lots of fruits can be pruned to attractive shapes, but a step over is a very restricted shape. This may be the key issue.

For example one of the most dwarfing root stock for a peaches and apricots is VVA, but it will produce a mature tree about 8 feet tall. Could this be grown successfully as a step over? Well I do not know but I suspect it would be difficult, and I also suspect the yield may also be very restricted.

But hey, you will never know until you try! Why not simply go for it!
 
Not mad, just out to mulch!

Vinlander

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Re: Stepover fruit tree recommendations?
« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2017, 09:36:36 »
I would guess that step-overs suffer more from slugs & snails - I wouldn't attempt to be a trailblazer for apricots, peaches,nectarines.

In fact I would be looking for an apple with thick skin and very little aroma outside the fruit - unfortunately I can't think of any that I actually like the flavour of... eg. the skin of Gala tastes disgusting (a good thing maybe in this context)  but the inside tastes of not much at all - compared to the knockout flavours you could be tasting from a cordon eg. Ashmeads Kernel (AGM).

Cheers.
With a microholding you always get too much or bugger-all. (I'm fed up calling it an allotment garden - it just encourages the tidy-police).

The simple/complex split is more & more important: Simple fertilisers Poor, complex ones Good. Simple (old) poisons predictable, others (new) the opposite.

Obelixx

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Re: Stepover fruit tree recommendations?
« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2017, 11:20:15 »
Both Alan T and Geoff H liked to use stepover apples as bed edging, especially in the veggie plot of kitchen garden.  I think the main concerns will be the correct dwarfing rootstock and having pollinator varieties available to get a good crop.
Obxx - Vendée France

essexkit

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Re: Stepover fruit tree recommendations?
« Reply #5 on: October 13, 2017, 09:41:59 »
I will research some more...I believe M27 rootstock would be okay.I like a tasty apple and have a Russet already but there are a lot of apples on our site already so pollination shouldnt be a problem.I will check out Ken Muirs website...thank you.

I like the decorative aspect of stepover fruit trees for edging and have purchased a Gage and Medlar too as these fruit are rarely seen in shops. With too much time on my hands I am looking forward to trialling green manure and no dig beds. I am a newbie but loving the challenges!

Thanks guys

 

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