Stepover Apple Tree
Grow low, pick with ease
Grown by Mike
Roots' Cotswolds Valley Nursery
Choose your variety
In stock
Pre-order for delivery by Late November
Pre-order for delivery by Late November
Pre-order for delivery by Late November
Pre-order for delivery by Late November
Pre-order for delivery by Late November
Order before midday for next day delivery
Plant diary
- Flower
- Harvest
Stepover Apple Tree
- Undoubtedly one of the coolest ways to grow an apple tree is to train it as a stepover. Named as such because you can – quite literally – step over it, these trees grow low to the ground (at around half a metre tall) and consist of a short central trunk and two horizontal, spur-bearing branches (forming a T shape) which typically reach two to three metres in length
- With a stepover apple tree, you can grow a tree in even small spaces (around a veg bed, for instance) without worrying about shading out that part of the garden – what’s not to like about that?
- ‘Braeburn Hillwell’ is a sport (genetic mutation) of ‘Braeburn’, yielding deep red apples with good firmness that store very well
- ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’ apples are all about big, bold flavour with notes of pear and melon coming to the fore – they’re perfect for juicing, too!
- ‘Discovery’ yields brilliantly juicy dessert apples, as well as displaying great resistance to pests and disease
- ‘Bramley’s Seedling’ can (justifiably, we feel) make the claim for being the best cooking apple, thanks to its perfect levels of sharpness which work wonderfully in crumbles, strudels, chutneys and sauces
- ‘James Grieve’ is a fantastic dual-purpose variety, boasting apples with great sharpness initially, becoming sweeter when left on the tree for longer. It’s also an RHS award winner and extremely reliable
- Growing a stepover fruit tree can be tricky, but not when our growers have done the hard part of the initial training for you! To find out how to properly support and prune your stepover tree so that it retains its shape, check out our article, Stepover Apple Trees: The Complete Guide
- Bare root stepover trees arrive in a Y shape with two leading branches, which you'll need to gradually train in stages into a T shape on a horizontal frame
What to expect
Supplied as
Height on arrival
Eventual height
Eventual spread
Time to first crop
Flower colour
Habit
Hardiness
Self fertile
Pollination group
Uses
Rootstock
Spacing
Will this grow in my garden?
Can I grow this in a pot?
Yes, a stepover apple tree can be grown in a long, shallow trough or a large rectangular planter, provided it is at least 40 centimetres deep.
How big does it get?
The stepover apple tree is trained to a low height of just 0.4 to 0.6 metres, with a horizontal spread of 1.5 to 2 metres.
How much sunlight does this need?
The stepover apple tree needs full sun, requiring about 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day to ripen its low-growing fruit.
What kind of soil does this plant prefer?
The stepover apple tree thrives in a well-drained, loamy soil that is rich in organic matter, ideally with a slightly acidic pH between 6.0 and 6.8.
How much watering does this plant need?
The stepover apple tree requires regular, moderate watering of around 5 to 10 litres per week, taking care to keep the shallow root system consistently moist.
Will this plant need pruning?
Yes, the stepover apple tree requires pruning in late summer to maintain its restricted form and encourage fruiting spurs. Regular pruning is essential to preserve the trained shape.
How hardy is this plant?
Apple trees are fully hardy to H6, meaning they can tolerate temperatures down to -20°C and will thrive in almost all regions of the UK without the need for winter protection.
The wider garden
Roots' Cotswolds Valley Nursery
Meet Mike
Tree-growing skills honed right across the globe
Having started out in Australia, studied in Northern Ireland and volunteered at an organic farm in Sweden, it’s fair to say Mike’s done his fair share of travel on his horticultural journey, so far! Having happily laid down roots here at Roots, Mike is the don behind our tree-growing operation, imparting each and every one of his globally-honed skills to benefit your garden. Grown in our purpose-built nursery, in the ideal climatic conditions of the fertile Vale of Evesham, we’re proud to supply only the happiest, healthiest and hardiest trees.
What customers say about us
We do our best to provide you the best experience ever
Learn from our experts
For growing advice that's clear and easy to follow
What customers say about us
We do our best to provide you the best experience ever
Fighting plastic waste
Delivering fresh from the nursery
Supporting UK growers