Stepover apple trees

Jenny_Aster

I know it's a bit late in the 'season' but does anyone know where I might be able to buy a stepover formed apple or pear tree? Chris Bowers, Pomona Fruits, and fruit-trees.com look to be all sold out.

Unfortunately I've now set my heart of having one, so do you think it might work if I cut down an espalier (they appear to be the same price)? If I did prune an espalier to be a stepover perhaps I could try and root the 'branches' that's been cut off?

Jenny_Aster

Just had a reply from Chris Bowers, my idea about the espalier wont work! 

Pete.8

I see them for sale quite often in at least one local garden centre, and they seem to be available most of the year round.
So if you can't find any online you may find them at a local GC - worth a phone call

Jenny_Aster

Thank you @Pete.8 I may be searching in GCs.

I've just found one online and bought it, it's a Peasgood Nonsuch. At least I think I've bought it.

When filling out the form the website asked for a shipping address, so I thought shipping was included in quite high price (£40). The invoice says it's to be collected from the nursery in Kent. I've emailed them for clarification, if they can't deliver at a reasonable cost then they'll just have to give me my money back.   

Pete.8

Oh good - hope it all turns out well for you
I've never heard of a Peasgood Nonsuch - what a marvellous name

Jenny_Aster

 

"Peasgood's Nonsuch is a good-looking traditional English cooking apple from the Victorian era. As the name suggests, it was raised by Mrs Peasgood of Stamford, Lincolnshire - probably in the middle of the 19th century.

Peasgood's Nonsuch has all the qualities expected in a traditional English cooker - large size, plenty of juice, and a sharp tangy flavour. The coarse light flesh readily cooks down to a puree. The apples ripen mid-season and can be kept for a few weeks, filling the gap before the late-season cooking apples become available.

As well as being one of the better English cookers, in Victorian times it was also considered a good eating apple as well.

History

Peasgood's Nonsuch (also known as Peasgood Nonesuch) was probably raised in the middle of the 19th century. It received a first-class certificate from the RHS Fruit Committee in 1872, and soon became a popular garden variety.

The term "Nonsuch" is seen in several apple variety names, and had a more favourable meaning in Victorian times than it sounds today. The French form of the same word is "sans-pareil" or "non-pareil", and is also found in several old English apple names. When translated this gives the true meaning of "non such", i.e. "unsurpassed".

The parentage is not known, however it is a parent of another well-known English cooker, Reverend W. Wilks. "

Pete.8

Thanks Jenny it's nice to understand the meaning behind the name.
Sounds like a really good apple - crumbles-a-plenty

Mrs-B3-Southampton,-Hants

One of my uncles grafted a Peasgood Nonsuch onto my mum's cooking apple tree and I watched him do it. This was about 60 years ago.
The fruits are large.

Jenny_Aster

That sounds really clever @Mrs-B3-Southampton,-Hants, to graft a different variety of apple onto another tree. I must learn how to do this. Saw a lemon tree once that had different varieties grafted onto it, think there was an orange, mandarin, and a kumquat.

Heard from the nursery, they want another £30 to courier the tree (I guess that's because of the awkward shape). I honestly can't square spending £70 on a young tree, sadly I've asked for my money back.

So now I'm going to do some research to see if I can turn an apple whip into a step-over tree, I believe it'll take about a year to pull the branches down to form a step-over. Now there's a challenge....