How would you like to grow your very own apple tree and have fresh apples whenever you want to? You can do this with the help of apple seeds and some helpful tips and tricks. But first, there are some important materials you need to have, such as: an apple, compost, pots, paper towel, plastic bag and a knife. Start by cutting the apple in half and get out the seeds. You should use more than one apple’s seeds to make sure the project will be successful. The next step will be the germination of the seeds, which is the hard part. Wrap the seeds in a paper towel, wet it and place in a plastic bag. Seal the bag and put it in the fridge. This process should take around a month, but check the bag from time to time and wet the seeds if they seem to be dry. When the seeds start sprouting you can start planting them. Plant the seeds and wait for your beautiful apple tree to grow. The entire set of instructions can be found below. Good luck!
You will need:
An apple
Compost
Pots
Paper towel
plastic bag
Knife
Later On:
Grafting tape or Cling film
Grafting Wax or Masking tape
Getting the seeds to germinate
This will work but unless you are very lucky you may not get a good eating apple. Apple seeds are pollinated by random pollen and like most fruit you will get a tree but you may get crab apples or russeted fruit or very tart or bitter apples. I have found old orchards with very few good apples most were marginal. The only sure way is to graft or bud apple scions to propagate the variety from the scions. As an exercise you may get lucky and find an apple tree that produces a new or lost variety that is very good but; it is rare. If you do and the variety is not already described you can register it and sell cuttings and scions to orchardists or home growers.
Like Rick mentioned on his comment you will most likely get crab apples or russeted fruit or very tart or bitter apples and you may get lucky and get good apples but it is very rare. All this hard work of growing it from seed and waiting years for it to bear fruit is pointless. I would suggest if you want to grow an apple tree you need to get a cutting from an existing tree that bears the apples of your taste preference. If your friend or neighbor has an apple tree that taste good ask them for a cutting. It’s the only way to grow an apple tree with out wondering if you are wasting your time.
Just actually wondering if this is something that can be grown indoors? I have a lot of direct light coming in from my windows.
As well, do you know if it can, and if apple trees are harmful to birds? Parrots example.
Would have liked to Pinterest this but Pinterest blocked it for ‘possible inappropriate material’.
Can you fix that?
I wonder if what i have germinated will be hardy in my area…not likely as the apples were shipped here from a long way off with a much milder climate. I will still try and if anything comes if it I or the birds will have a nice treat.
My great grandfather said each apple seed is like a person all different and interesting to see what they turn out to be.Grafting to good stock is the only way to get an apple true to the parent tree seedd produce random types
Be prepared to wait a LONG time. I planted one in a Bonsai pot back in March. It’s now mid-July and it’s about 1.5 inches tall.
We planted seeds from an organic apple, and a regular apple about 2 years ago. The organic seed is about 4 inches and the regular apple is about 13 inches…it will take A LONG TIME before we see fruit!
Yes, but this is not a one season project. ot even a one year. Makes a good post with the info, but is a bit remiss in not saying it will take YEARS, and outcome is uncertain.
My Grandparents had an apple tree. They called it an early harvest apple tree. Do they even exist now. It so how do I get one.
they do have them still and there very hard tree to care for the beetle they took from france to kill the potatoes think is killing the trees and some farmer just have the early one
Excellent advice. The fruit is the daughter of the tree she grew on. If you have the land, go for it. Otgerwise, you might be happier going to the Arbor Day Foundation.
Do you guys never actually check if the stories you are publishing are correct?
Plant apple seeds – yes – you will get an apple tree. Will it give you apples the same as the one the seed was from? No.
Will the tree eventually produce apples you’ll want to eat? Very unlikely.
Andy did you read the article ? It appears not as it clearly states grafting is needed to get the apples you want. I live in Denmark and there are wild apples in abundance, most are small and bitter which is exactly what is needed for apple jelly. Nothing ventured nothing gained 🙂