When pruning fruit trees it is sometimes important to know where your fruit grows from on the tree so that you don't reduce your crop by incorrect pruning. If you are wanting to espallier or cordon your apple then select a spur bearing variety. If you are wanting to train a step over then spur bearing is the type for this also but ensure you select M27 rootstock as most other dwarfing rootstocks are still too vigorous.
See below for info on spur or tip bearing varieties.
The majority of apple varieties falls into this category, including well-known cultivars such as Coxes Orange Pippin and Egremont Russet. Most varieties of spur-bearing fruit trees yield fruit on three year old wood. In the second year, as the tip of each shoot extends to produce that season's vegetative growth, buds towards its base develop into fruit buds.
In the third year these buds will produce flowers which will go on to form fruit. In spur-bearing trees, fruit is produced on short, knobbly shoots called spurs that develop off the main branches. Over time spurs develop into spur systems. Spur-bearers have a compact tidy appearance and fruit is distributed fairly evenly along the branch. This makes them suitable for restricted forms such as cordons and espaliers.
N.B. All pear trees are spur fruiting.
True or pure tip-bearing fruit trees are uncommon. As the name suggests, fruit buds form on the tips of shoots. When these shoots extend to produce the next year's vegetative growth, the buds at the tip of the previous year's growth develop into fruit buds. The buds at the base of the new season's growth remain dormant or form leaves.
It is important when pruning tip bearers not to prune off next season's crop. The previous year's young shoots - maiden shoots - should be left to bear fruit the following year. However, shoots longer than 9 inches or so can be pruned back to a growth bud to stimulate the production of more short tip-bearing shoots that will produce fruit in two year's time.
In normal circumstances most trees thought of as tip-bearers actually produce fruit on the tips of young laterals as well as on spurs. Bramley's Seedling, Discovery and Worcester Pearmain all fall into this category. Partial tip-bearers can be pruned in the same way as spur-bearers, but this reduces the total yield.
Cultivar
20 Ounce
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Adore
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Akane
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Ariane
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Autento
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Ballarat
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Ballerina Bolero
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Ballerina Polka
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Ballerina Waltz
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Baujade
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Belle de Boskoop
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Blenheim Orange
Fruits From
Partial Tip
Cultivar
Blush Babe
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Braeburn
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Bramley's Seedling
Fruits From
Partial Tip
Cultivar
Cameusa de IlObregrate
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Captain Kidd Kay
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Cox's Orange Pippin
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Dayton
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Discovery
Fruits From
Partial Tip
Cultivar
Divine
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Egremont Russet
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Freyberg
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Fuji
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Gala
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Galaxy
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Gingergold
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Golden Delicious
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Golden Reinette
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Granny Smith
Fruits From
Partial Tip
Cultivar
Greenmeadow's Cox
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Harold Red Delicious
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Hetlina
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Initial
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Irish Peach
Fruits From
Tip
Cultivar
Jonagold
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Kentish Fillbasket
Fruits From
Cultivar
Kidd's Orange Red
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Kingston Black
Fruits From
Cultivar
Knotted Kernal
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Lady in Red
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Liberty
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Monty's Surprise
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Mother
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Northern Spy
Fruits From
Partial Tip
Cultivar
Oratia Beauty
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Owen Thomas
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Pacific Rose
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Peasgood Nonsuch
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Priscilla
Fruits From
Apple
Cultivar
Red Delicious
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Red Gravenstein
Fruits From
Partial Tip
Cultivar
Reinette Du Canada
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Royal Gala
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Royal Wilding
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Sir Prize
Fruits From
Partial Tip
Cultivar
Slack Ma Girdle
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Splendour
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Sturmer
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Sweet Alford
Fruits From
Cultivar
Thumbelina Candy Crunch
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Thumbelina Golden Crunch
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Tom Putt
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Tropicana
Fruits From
Spru
Cultivar
Tydeman's Late Orange
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Vailles Early
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Winter Banana
Fruits From
Spur
Cultivar
Worcester Pearmain
Fruits From
Partial Tip
Cultivar
Yarlington Mill
Fruits From
Spur