Step over fruit trees

Cordons are a practical way to enjoy heavy crops of plums, in a compact form. Grown against walls or used to create ‘rooms’, cordons can be an attractive design feature within the garden.

Stepovers are low, horizontally trained trees, ideal for bordering a pathway. Pruned annually to keep them in shape, they’re a space-saving and attractive way to grow apples and pears. Here we explain how to start and maintain stepovers

Stepover fruit tree

A step-over is a single tier, trained tree, no taller than 50cm from the ground. They are so named because you can step over them.

How to plant fruit trees, when to plant. How to train fruit trees, as free-standing trees, or as fan, espalier, cordon, or stepover trees, with step-by-step explanations and diagrams. Read the article by Dan Neuteboom on the RealEnglishFruit website.

Espalier apple trees are a year-round garden feature and easier to maintain and harvest than standard or dwarf fruit trees.

Step-over apples may be small but they are very productive and perfect for lining a path, writes Alys Fowler

Stepover apples are apple trees on a miniature rootstock that have been trained into a very low, straight-edged form. How do you train them and is it worth it?

Discover the best trees to espalier – and bring classic shape and interest to your yard