Best way to Grow Apple Tree From Seed

[Nyboy]

I was just given a bushel of apples from Martha Stewarts trees. I don't know what kind they are, but would like to try and grow some trees from their seed. I don't care about taste. I just think it would be fun to have trees from hers. What is the best way to plant the seeds? Ps apple sauce was also dropped off and it is pink.

 

[bobm]

How big of an area do you have for this tree ? A regular apple tree will grow huge. I would plant the seed in a container, when after a year or two, take cuttings and graft them onto dwarf or semi dwarf root stock to reduce size. This will be a multi multi year project. Better yet, I would find out what variety of apple these are and go to a nursery and buy one to save yourself years of caring work. Also you will know how big it will grow, what type of an apple it is, as well as what decease it may be resistant / susseptible to.

 

[897tgigvib]

NYBoy, when I used to grow crabapples from seed, I came to an unusual way to germinate them. See, they are really difficult to germinate, and was getting zero percent trying everything.

They need a lot of stratifying and biological scarifying to get good germination.

I happened to know where the Raccoons always pooped, right next to 2 large Poplar trees, and things sprouted from their poop. Cotoneasters, Alpine Currants, Gooseberries, Spirea, lots of things.

So I tried something that really worked. I'd leave very ripe crabapples stashed at the base of a large Nanking Cherry tree. In the morning they'd be gone. (This was in Montana, barely zone 4). In spring when the Raccoon poop started sprouting, sure enough, little crabapple seedlings, along with Rose seedlings. (I wonder if Roxi took care of that Rugosa crossed with redtwig rose seedling).

Just leave them growing there until their first fall dormancy, then transplant them to a gallon or 2 gallon pot. Their root will be a longish taproot, hopefully with nice little side roots. So dig nice and deep not to break the root.

You can grow them as trees without grafting, but some will be kind of runtlike. They may not have been bred for good roots for generations, so selection for roots has not been done. Some will be good though. The crabapple trees did not have that problem.

The time doing this will give you plenty of time to learn about grafting. One gallon pot will work for first year after transplant, 2 gallon pot the next year, and go to a 5 gallon pot the next after that. Pruning a baby apple tree is very fulfilling! Remember, an apple tree in a container definitely needs water every day during summer. So have them near where you'll go every day with a handy hose and valve.

Wasn't it chickiesmoma in nh who grafted apple trees this past year, same part of the country as you?

Growing apple trees from seed is fun. You know not to expect large fine identical apples to what they came out of, but then, those are common. You'll get unique apples, some similar to their heirloom ancestors, some with tons of russetting, some bittersweet, and those might be just what you want for your own modified pie recipes. But who knows? You just might hit the jackpot genetically, and get the next big variety, or some improvement. Chances are most will be good apples in their own way.

Pie recipes can be heirloom too. Still have not found the old meaderville crabapple pie recipe. Someone has it somewhere in or near Butte Mt.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I got some crabapples to sprout a few years back. Not a lot for sure but at least a few.

I collected the crabapples and removed the seeds. I immediately put them in water and let them soak for a couple of days. I did not let them dry out. I dont know if drying out makes any difference or not but I did not let them. When I took them out of the water I put them in the freezer for about two months. Then, in the middle of winter I put about 8 where I wanted the tree to grow, burying them maybe deep. I did that in two different places. At one, only one came up. At the other, I got two to sprout.

Theres not that much difference in crabapples and apples. A lot of commercial orchards use crabapples as pollinators for their apple trees. Thats part of the reason I got crabapples, as pollinators. Plus they are just darn good looking, especially when they bloom.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

NYBoy, when I used to grow crabapples from seed, I came to an unusual way to germinate them. See, they are really difficult to germinate, and was getting zero percent trying everything.

They need a lot of stratifying and biological scarifying to get good germination.

I happened to know where the Raccoons always pooped, right next to 2 large Poplar trees, and things sprouted from their poop. Cotoneasters, Alpine Currants, Gooseberries, Spirea, lots of things.

So I tried something that really worked. I'd leave very ripe crabapples stashed at the base of a large Nanking Cherry tree. In the morning they'd be gone. (This was in Montana, barely zone 4). In spring when the Raccoon poop started sprouting, sure enough, little crabapple seedlings, along with Rose seedlings. (I wonder if Roxi took care of that Rugosa crossed with redtwig rose seedling).

Just leave them growing there until their first fall dormancy, then transplant them to a gallon or 2 gallon pot. Their root will be a longish taproot, hopefully with nice little side roots. So dig nice and deep not to break the root.

You can grow them as trees without grafting, but some will be kind of runtlike. They may not have been bred for good roots for generations, so selection for roots has not been done. Some will be good though. The crabapple trees did not have that problem.

The time doing this will give you plenty of time to learn about grafting. One gallon pot will work for first year after transplant, 2 gallon pot the next year, and go to a 5 gallon pot the next after that. Pruning a baby apple tree is very fulfilling! Remember, an apple tree in a container definitely needs water every day during summer. So have them near where you'll go every day with a handy hose and valve.

Wasn't it chickiesmoma in nh who grafted apple trees this past year, same part of the country as you?

Growing apple trees from seed is fun. You know not to expect large fine identical apples to what they came out of, but then, those are common. You'll get unique apples, some similar to their heirloom ancestors, some with tons of russetting, some bittersweet, and those might be just what you want for your own modified pie recipes. But who knows? You just might hit the jackpot genetically, and get the next big variety, or some improvement. Chances are most will be good apples in their own way.

Pie recipes can be heirloom too. Still have not found the old meaderville crabapple pie recipe. Someone has it somewhere in or near Butte Mt.

yep! that was me! i would suggest getting those seedlings to grow out a few years and then get yourself some rootstock. there is a guy in NY that can supply you with your rootstock. http://cumminsnursery.com/about.htm your seedlings could take over 10 years to produce an apple. but grafting it could take you less time if you had cuttings called scions, and rootstock to graft them to. out of the 27 trees i grafted 18 took well to the grafting and many have at least a foot of growth.

i have some saved seeds i want to try getting started. i know they wont be true to their name since they are more than likely cross pollinated with another variety. they were from a blushing golden i think it was called. good storing apple and actually tastes better after being in storage for a few months.

 

[Nyboy]

I have 4 acres so no worry about size. Martha's farm is less then 10 miles from me so the trees should do ok in my zone. The only raccoon I have seen killed all my chickens this spring, a trapper removed him. The house I grew up in had 3 apple trees in the front yard, in spring when they flowered they where amazing.I don,t care what kind of apples the trees produce I am doing this for fun. Ridgerunner when you put the seeds in freezer did you dry them first or put them in wet? I have about 10 crabapple trees I planted (love their flowers) so I could do grafting at some point.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I put them in wet. It's a trick I learned planting nuts like walnut and hickory. Those should never dry out. I don't know if it helps with apple seeds, probably not, but it is now part of my ritual with tree seeds.

 

[bernie5711]

I attempted several different methods to plant apple seeds and had no luck with any of them. Then I read something that explained my lack of success. Apparently apple seeds require a certain amount of time at very cold temperatures before they are capable of germinating. This does make sense as under normal, natural conditions, a seed falls to the ground with an apple and lays there after the apple rots through winter and germinates in the spring. I didn't read far enough to determine if there was a process, like keeping the seeds in the freezer or refrigerator for a set period of time before attempting to germinate them, but I suspect something like that would be required to simulate the natural process of germination?

 

[Nyboy]

I think its called seed stratification. Makes sense!

 

[ducks4you]

You can get pink applesauce by stewing red apples with the skins. You can remove the skins before you can, but it's dyed but that time.