This is one of those interesting facts I like to dredge up occasionally to impress/confuse others with. Of course, some of the most wonderful apples have come along as 'chance seedlings' in someone's orchard or out in the farmer's dooryard. There's a streak of whimsy in me that always, always causes me to toss apple cores out of my car and onto roadsides, (well back, please, and in rural locales only. Maybe an apple tree will grow up where I flung that core, and maybe it will be wonderful and delicious. At the very least, some deer or rabbit will enjoy it.

I bet many of the apple cultivars you enjoy in Australia are quite different from ours here in Atlantic Canada, Stuart, although we do grow some cultivars that came from elsewhere, of course. Do you have Gravensteins there? They are now included in the SlowFood Ark of Taste--quite an acheivement for an apple brought to Nova Scotia from Europe about 150 years ago by Charles Ramage Prescott, the father of apple growing here in the Annapolis Valley.

This is an overall great blog for anyone who wants to enhance their gardening skills. I like how this article goes in depth about apple trees. I have learned a great deal. Keep up the great work.

Jodi - I've heard of Gravensteins but I've never seen one before. The main commercial varieties here are Red Delicious, Fuji, Granny Smiths, Pink Ladies, Gala. Then there are a heap of antique apples that gardeners are now growing as they are coming back into fashion.

Donald - thanks for dropping by and I'm glad you enjoyed the post.

What a great article on growing apple trees from seeds. I know this is something I am going to try this spring actually. I have been saving all my apple seeds for the past month or so. I am going to give it a try, guess I'll have to wait 6 years to see my results, but I have a lot of land so I will wait and see what happens.

Great blog, will definitely help other people interested in gardening.

Sincerely,

Jamie Boyle

I started my 2 "baby" apple trees by putting seeds in a cup of water, only water, and waiting on roots to form. After the roots appeared I planted the seeds in 2 seperate coffee cups. Now 3 weeks into the farm, I have 2 plants that are almost 3 inches tall. I am waiting till I have about 5 inches of growth before I transplant them into larger pots.

How cold temperature needs to be for seeds to germinate in water??

i too started my apple seeds in just water! actually when i bit through to the core one of my seeds was already sprouting --just a little bit though. thats what inspired me to try to grow it. i'm not sure what the temp of the water has to be, but i did mine in cold water AND i stuck mine right against the window in a plastic baggie. it's march in Michigan so it still frigid out side. we've had snow, frost, and now its finally getting to rain. i think the cold might help-- michigan is known for it's apples, and a lot of them are grown farther north of where i live.

All I did was put water from the tap in a cup then I sat the cup in my office at room temp. I have since brought one baby tree home with me and it isn't doing too well. My office is in the city where there is cloronated water. I live in a rural area and have a well. When I started using the well water it seemed to cause the baby tree, I had brought home, not to grow much. The one I brought home I planted about 3 weeks before the one I left at the office but the one at the office is much taller and healthier looking. Anyone have any suggestions. Should I take them out of the potting soil and replant in soil? I am open for sound suggestions.

I have just gotten germination on my seeds that my son and I harvested back in Jan. We put them in moist paper towels, inside a ziplock baggie and placed them in the refrigerator. We don't care if we get tasty fruit or not, we'll see if they get big enough to plant outside and our deer will love them either way.

3 years ago i sort of did this, and now I have a tree that is growing 1-2 feet per year, probably a but more than that ()its 7' tall. It had gotten nailed with a weed wacker in its early life (i transfered it really early and didnt tell my family) but its still kicking even after the gypsie moths nested it last year and the Japanese Beatles before that,

This concept has always fascinated me. If you start with a tree that is grown on its own rootstock - and if you can control pollination - you should be able to know what type of tree the seed will produce in my estimation.

But aside from that, I found this web site selling seeds for apples of an old American southern variety. What are these? Does anyone know?

D2230 Old Homestead Apple Malus pumila var. Wrigthii
These apple trees have been growing in the south for generations providing cooking and fresh eating apples. The apples have a sweet/tart flavor that is unique to their strain. Excellent for pies. A heavy bearing fruit tree.
Package of 10 seeds $2.00

Source of info:
http://www.seedman.com/fruit.htm

I live in Jamaica (West Indies), a tropical country which I have been told is not suitable for Apples of the Northern American variety. Back in high school around 1999 I germinated a Delicious Red seed from which a healthy plant grew. I then transplanted in a cool area of my yard but it grew too slow, I assume it was the lack of sunlight since it was planted in a shady area. Unfortunately a flood came through my yard and washed it away. It has crossed my mind so many times of what could have been. Today, I purchased two Fuji Apples and I am going to attempt the process one more time. I am not necessarily looking for fruit from the tree, but just to actually have a tree growing in my yard.

I plan on purchasing some additional varieties such as Red Delicious and Gala and see how well they do. And if they end up germinating and growing into healthy plants I will then plant them side by side with the Fuji to increase chances of pollination in the future to produce a healthy fruit or possibly a new variety!

I love the Fuji by the way, its my favorite and I am surprised by the abundance of seeds it contains, I got 8 seeds out of it, I must can get something working in 3 to 6 weeks hopefully.

I would like to know how long it would take to germinate an entire apple just by leaving it on the ground. Surely this method would be more successful, given that the purpose of the flesh/fruit is to provide moisture and nutrients for the seeds.... One way to simulate the 'natural' way whilst still propagating the seeds in the 'normal' way, would be to use apple juice instead of water.... I have plenty of apples for experimentation, so I think I will try lt ;)

Well, my experiment is kinda paying off. I tried Ricks suggestion of placing seeds in a cup of water and one out of 3 sprouted! I am going to try another variety Apple. Thanks again

I too have a young son who is very interested in plants. And we also shared an apple (pink lady) only to find seeds that were already sprouting. We transferred them to a pot with top soil and a few slices of the fruit (using the logic that nature wanted it that way). 4 weeks later we have 3 inch trees. Only 4 of the 6 we planted are still around but that is better than i expected.

It may take many years to taste the fruits of this labor, but for children (and adults) who love growing things, it's a most wonderful excitement to see those mini trees come from a "store bought" apple!

I came home one day to find my son had planted some seeds from an apple he had at school. To my amazement 3 weeks later they are growing. As he got them from school I have no idea which variety they are but it is great when we look at them and see how much they have grown. My son is really pleased with himself but I think he will be disappointed when I tell him my research has found out he has to wait approx 6 yrs to see any fruit. I will be patient and see if we can get them as far as planting in the ground before I start counting down the years.

Linda - if your son's young enough, perhaps you could substitute it for a grafted variety. Could save yourself a few years.

Nice idea Stuart but he is 8 and well aware of how his seeds are growing, besides that would be cheating! We are looking forward to charting our seeds growth. My son is very proud as he now has 3 out of the 4 seeds growing. We will keep you all posted.

I'm starting a preschool in 3 weeks and the second week of our curriculum is on apples (of course). I am going to have the children try different varieties of apples and then take the seeds and then plant them next class period. The problem is, I want to have already sprouted seeds ready for the next class period(classes are on tuesday and thursday). Yes, I know this is cheating, but I figured that the children will enjoy seeing their plants already popping out of the ground. Anyways, my question is, what is the fastest method of germinating the apple seeds? The paper towel method in the fridge in a baggie; the water method in a cup by the windowsill, the drying out and then planting in soil method, or is there another way??

Michelle - light and heat are the most important elements needed for germination. Combine this with some moisture and presto - you have success. Therefore, I would go with windowsill method.

I live in costa rica and I'm trying apple seeds germination. I'm extracting from fuits.

♥so Beautiful♥

Success, success! I have two healthy Apple plants growing. Nursing and watching them grow everyday. The windowsill method is definitely the best way to go. The Fuji is growing so well and I have a Granny Smith next to it. I am going to try Gala and Golden Delicious and maybe even Red. I am not taking any chances though, probably not gonna transplant into bigger pots until around January 2009. It was a 1 in many chances scenario too, other seeds never grew in the water. So, the more you plant, the better the chances.

It would be awesome if I get them growing into big trees. I am not necessarily looking for fruit, but just to have this variety of plant in my yard in 'Jamaica 'W.I.'.

NO NO NO - do not let the apple seed dry out - WHY WHY WHY would you lower your germination rate by doing this????????

Hey:-)

Great comments and good things too learn. I have 3 diffrent appletrees,here in the south of Sweden.It was the munks who grew the trees in their gardens , in Norway we have the beautiful flowering in May of the appletrees.The apple is from Asia and been in use for ages.It has been said that there are about 8000 sorts of apples today.My favorite are Norwegian applecake and varm vanillasås. The Prince apple are the best and the Aroma are very fine one also:-)

Thanks for the inspiration. Recently my parents sold a piece of property that had our tree fort on it. Well the tree fort was some 35 years ago. The fort was in a crabapple tree. I was able to get a buschal basket full of apples. Now with a little luck and lots of TLC I might be able to get a full orchard of trees and create more fun memories for my family. If not an orchard, hopefully one tree. :) Thank you for this blog.

heya all, we are blessed to have 5 heirloom/heritage apple trees. I just went to my vermicompost bin and about 20 of the seeds have sprouted and look healthy!
I don't know the name of the variety, but it's our favorite! I'm going to make an attempt at growing these seedlings. Wish me luck!
I also have a Chestnut Crab that has the sweetest little apples ever...and it has a fungus. Can I graft a scion from it to one of the healthier trees? thanks

Just wanted to give an update. The Fuji Apple has grown so big that I have had to transplant it in a bigger pot. The roots were spreading so fast when I cut open the cup. I just hope everything goes well for it in the bigger pot.

Up next is Granny Smith which is on a roll, I am gonna transplant that in a bigger pot Saturday. I also tried germinating two additional varieties, which are Golden Apple and Red Delicious. The Golden Apple doesn't seem to be doing so well, but I see one of the Red Delicious seeds sprouting.

I am trying to get as many going to increase my chances of pollination.

Just wanted to give an update. The Fuji Apple has grown so big that I have had to transplant it in a bigger pot. The roots were spreading so fast when I cut open the cup. I just hope everything goes well for it in the bigger pot.

Up next is Granny Smith which is on a roll, I am gonna transplant that in a bigger pot Saturday. I also tried germinating two additional varieties, which are Golden Apple and Red Delicious. The Golden Apple doesn't seem to be doing so well, but I see one of the Red Delicious seeds sprouting.

I am trying to get as many going to increase my chances of pollination.

I have an apple tree on an overgrown hill which has received no care in the 30 years that I have lived here. Have read your intro about starting from seed vs. grafting. Due to the location and my suspicion that this tree was here 30-50 years before I moved here, suspect that this tree did not come from a grafted plant. I ate some of the for the first time, and although they are ugly skinned, the fruit is sweet and tart and excellent. Origin of the plant might have been from Michigan. Ideas?

Can I "root" a branch from an apple tree?

You can Dave, but you will end up with the same problem as the seed-germination. It will revert to its original state.

The best thing to do would be to grow your cutting and then graft another cutting into it. This will ensure that your prefered apple variety is sustained.

a question directed to carmen mollica:
any chance I could get seeds from those Norway apples you refer to?

Question, since I have a Fuji and Granny Smith growing well, whats the possibility of both pollinating each other to produce good fruit? If Fuji was to revert back to its originality then I shouldn't even worry since they say that Fuji is a cross between Red Delicious and Ralls Genet. Granny Smith is not a cross either, which means, I must at least get back the same thing.

They are both growing nicely on the veranda. I think I can keep them growing in the pots for at least another two years.

I found a tall skinny apple tree in my back woods. The apple is the size of a cherry. I'd like to germinate and plant next spring. Also, does anyone have an idea what this apple is. It is very red and has only one seed.

Janet, sounds like its a cherry. LOL!

rick,i have tried your suggesstion of putting in water and i think they are doing well! i planted three different kinds of apple, except i don't know what they are. one is large and reddish pink, probably gala, the second is small and yellow-gold, and the third is small, green, and pink. any ideas?
charlene; i wouldn't try store-bought apple juice, the sugar might be too much for your plants. however, if you squeeze the juice out of the apples you planted and then put it in the water, that might work. i think i will try that too! (:

hello everyone out there in forum and keep up the good sowing of seeds, question for growing pomegranite tree is it the same as apple germination? also orange tree and grape vine? wish all the best and awaiting a reply, patience is a virtue so here we go...claudio..ciao...

I started 6 Gala apple seeds in a paper cup with potting soil 4 weeks ago. I now have 4 sprouts about 1" tall. I am using the "cup in window" method. We'll see!! Hopefully we will have apples in a few years.

I am planning to plant some yellow crab apple trees, from seed, on some land in central Illinois. I harvested a lot of seeds and I am drying them out right now, (DECEMBER).

My plan is to plant a lot of seeds directly in the ground and hope that a few trees make it. Do you have any tips as to how deep I should plant the seeds? Should I cover them with soil or not? Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks in advance

Okay what you do is you take five apple seeds. then you dig a hole in your yard. Then, you put potting soil in the hole. Then you take some out, then you put the apple seeds in, then, put that potting soil back in.

my 4 yer old is so excited
we put two seeds in a baggie w/a wet paper towle and hung it on our frig they both are growing so fast and we have only had them for a week!!!

Hi peoples... Loved all your storys. I was also inspired to plant Fuji apples from already germinated seeds. I did put them directly in a pot and one managed to survive to it's second leaves. Unfortunately I live in a desert area on the West Australian coast with summers that can reach 54c but normaly only as high as 48c in summer. In the space of a day it just died and shrivelled. (yes I was keeping the water up) lol. Well a cold autum is apon me now with temps range from 18c - 30c. I reckon it might be mild enough now to try again. My hope is to have plants strong enough come summer to survive... for the love of Fuji apples!!! Thanks for the read enjoy.... CRUNCH

I found an old apple tree with fruit in a remote trout fishing area, at an abandoned Civil Conservation Corp Camp. I'm going to try germination some seeds!! Made great apple pie and I'm fascinated by the CCC history.

I had some apples too long on my kitchen counter and they went bad. I cut one open on a whim and found the seeds had germinated so I planted them and got 2 plants. One died but the other grew to about 2 inches tall. It did not lose its leaves (it has 6) over the winter. Its a granny smith.
It doesn't seem to be growing any more. Anyone know if there's a trick to getting it grow?

G.W.Close: -

If I understand correctly, the seeds you have are from a Granny Smith apple, but, because the trees are cross pollinated with poorer quality trees, the resulting offspring are not likely to produce apples of a reasonable quality.

The fact that the flowers become pollinated causes the fruit to be produced. The genetics of the fruiting tree determine the type and size of the fruit to be produced. However, only half of the fruiting tree's genetics is passed on to the offspring apples which get the other half from the poorer quality tree. Leaving you with 'half Granny Smiths'.

Please correct me if I've misunderstood anything.

As for it not growing, I'm no gardening expert, but check for limiting factors.

I assume it's well watered and has plenty of natural light. Consider the quality of the soil and / or check on what kind of plant foods are suitable for the apple.

I've just planted a few pips with our young daughter. It's a bit of fun isn't it?

after you start the "tree" should it be left outside in winter(western Canada)or kept inside until when?

I have been growing apple seeds with my classes for the past 6 years. After the apple unit the students place their seeds right into the pot of soil. At then end of the school year I take the plants and plant them in my backyard. I now have one tree from about six years ago that is about 6 feet tall, but no sign of blossoms. I have trees from every year thereafter and will plant this years batch in June. I do hope I eventually get an apple but after reading some of the websites it seems a bit iffy. We plant all the apple seeds of all varieties so I have no idea what type of trees I am growing. It is fun to watch them and the kids get a kick out of this.

I have been growing apple seeds with my classes for the past 6 years. After the apple unit the students place their seeds right into the pot of soil. At then end of the school year I take the plants and plant them in my backyard. I now have one tree from about six years ago that is about 6 feet tall, but no sign of blossoms. I have trees from every year thereafter and will plant this years batch in June. I do hope I eventually get an apple but after reading some of the websites it seems a bit iffy. We plant all the apple seeds of all varieties so I have no idea what type of trees I am growing.

Actually I don't care about apples. I'm planning to Bonsai the tree if it ever gets going.
My question is Why isn't growing. Its got a strong root system, good soil, good light. But it seems happy with its 6 leaves. Thought there was a trick I was missing.

I've been pretty unsuccessful and getting germination I've got some seed on the window in wet paper towel after have a week in the same dish in the fridge. some still in the fridge on another dish. some in the fridge in a plastic bag. and some in a glass of water. and nothing yet. im wondering if pink lady are bad apples to germinate. i just put the ones in the water to night so i hope that works.

I did as many of you have done,but I germinated mine in between two wet paper towls.Two to three days later,they began to show roots.I planted them in pots,now there 5 inches high with at least 12 to 14 leaves each.It's good to know that that there alot ppl out there that also care for living growing things too. :)

@paul
how long did it take to get get it to 5 inches tall.

one of my 30 seeds has germinated the leafs are just starting to come out of the husk

i have planted aan apple tree i dont know what variety it is but it is growing beautifully

i have planted an apple tree i dont know the variety but it is growing beatifullly.it has been two years now could you tell me how long it takes to bloom

I got my apple sapling by the blessing of dumb luck,I threw in 11 seeds from an apple i ate a while ago.See the pot was intended for a strawberry garden i was going to plant,i waited 2 months with no results.So i threw in apple seeds without doing anything.Now I'm worried if the little thing will survive.

I have two red delicious trees growing in pots. I planted the seeds directly in soil on the back porch in Feb. (South Texas) and they are both over 2' tall now. I placed a fertilizer stake in the pot with both after transplanting when they were about 3" tall and water every other day. They both have numerous leaves and 2 limbs growing now. Being in S. Texas, I have them on my back porch where they get only 4 hours of direct sunlight and the rest of the day in indirect sunlight. Does anyone know if and when I should prune the trees? I would like to continue growing them in containers and will need to prune and trim the roots on occasion I'm sure, but I don't know when to start pruning.