Am I meant to prune stepover apples?

[SkyChild]

I put my stepover apples in in the Autumn, three are producing a huge flush of leaves all the way along the length, one snapped right back to just about the "trunk" but even it has managed a couple of leaves to show me it's still there.

My question is - I believe the fruit comes all along the branches on "spurs", is this right? If so, am I meant to cut back the tips in the Spring time or am I too late or does it not really matter this year anyway? I think they were 1 or 2 years old when I bought them but obviously their first year in our garden.

Any advice much appreciated!

[Martin H]

Once the framework of branches is complete, summer pruning is all you need. You should do this around July when the new growth is ripening. Basically cut back all current seasons growth coming from the main branches leaving just 3 buds. These will make the spurs that you need. At the same time, cut back any new-season growth from the spurs leaving just one bud. Then if anything regrows in the autumn cut it all back to one bud.

If you still need it to grow new branches - e.g. do you need to grow a new one where it has snapped back? - then, leave the new branch alone during the summer and maybe shorten it a bit in the winter.

This is how I've been doing my two-tier espaliers (basically a double-stepover!) and it's working fine. Should get a decent crop this year.

In summary, you never need to do anything in spring, just summer to keep it where you want it and winter if you want to do structural stuff.

[seneca196]

I was thinking of growing some 2 tier espaliers, so am interested in how yours are doing Martin H. What kind of width (ie. length of "arms") did you get your trees to grow to, and on what rootstock. I was thinking that m26 might be used to get a 2.5-3m width of 2 tier trees. However, I have always been a bit confused over rootstock for espaliers. Commonly, stepovers always use small rootstocks - m27 or m9, yet espaliers usually go for mm106, to get the height (3 or 4 teirs.) So what do you get for 2 tier espaliers of around 2.5-3m width? Did you grow your own from scratch (starting with a maiden) or buy a 2 tier on mm106 (the only ready made espaliers) and not grow the third? Any advice on what to go for would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Martin H]

Sorry Seneca, you really need an expert like FB, I'm a bit of a novice. I've got the hang of pruning, though...

My own experiences are in this thread, starting with my trees arriving by mail order back in 2011 and finishing with last month's photo. I've got two espaliers, this one is Braeburn on M9 and the other, which started as a maiden, is a Bramley, not sure of rootstock, Marshalls didn't put it on the despatch note or the label.

There's some comments on suitable rootstocks in that thread.

Both of my espaliers have about a 2-metre wingspan, i.e. branches 1 meter long. I'm sure they would have stretched further if I'd had the room for them.

[SkyChild]

Thank you for the advice. Seneca... I know it's not exactly the same but my stepovers are doing well on m26, and expected to grow arms of around 2-3m if that helps

[seneca196]

Most books say an espalier on mm106 can manage 3 to 4 tiers (based on vigor of the variety) with a total width of almost 3m. Not sure of the exact size difference between mm106 and m26, but it looks like its 2 tiers of around 2.5m total width seems possible. Not sure an m26 can manage 3 tiers, but again, I'm guessing. Clear as mud!

[orangepippin]

M26 sounds like a good starting point to me.