Fruit Trees for Training

If you're looking to train a fruit tree as a fan, espalier or stepover you've come to the right place. We offer a range of one year old (maiden) fruit trees that are suitable for training in these restricted forms.

Training a fruit tree is a very rewarding experience and there are several advantages in training a tree yourself rather than planting an older pre-trained tree.

• You can train the tree exactly as you want. For example, if you're training a stepover you can train it at the height that you want and if you're planting several trees, by training them all in situ you can achieve a uniform height.
• Buying maidens (one year old trees) saves money!

• Young bare root trees usually establish better than older container grown trees.

   

When you're choosing fruit trees for training, what should you look for? First, think about your space and the form you want. Rootstock choice matters: semi-dwarfing and semi-vigorous rootstocks work best for most trained forms. They keep growth manageable and you'll still get plenty of fruit. All of our maiden trees are supplied on these rootstocks.

Check which way your wall or fence faces. A warm south, south-west or west facing wall will suit most fruits. A north facing wall or fence is generally unsuitable for growing fruit but can be utilised for a ‘Morello’ cooking cherry.

Disease resistance is worth considering too. Trained trees need regular pruning and maintenance, so choosing varieties with good disease resistance can make your life easier.

Browse our selected trees for espalier training, trees for fan training and trees for stepover training to find the perfect maiden tree for your garden project.