How to Grow Fuji Apple Trees

Fuji apples are one of the most delicious and beautiful modern apple varieties available. Fuji apples taste crisp and juicy, sweet and very refreshing. And Fuji apples are beautiful, with a light pink to crimson speckled flush over a yellow or green base. They look as good as they taste.

Fuji apples (named after Mount Fuji) were developed in Japan during the 1930s to 1940s but are all-American apples. Fuji is a cross between the well known American Red Delicious apple, and the antique Ralls Janet apple, which is more obscure but provides for Fuji's attractive pink flush. Fuji apples were introduced to the United States in the 1980s.

Gardening is a personal joy, I love the challenge of growing real plants from kitchen produce. I grow house plants from sweet potatoes and sprout avocado pits in the window sill. We have a Meyer Lemon Tree and a Fuji Apple Tree growing in our backyard; both sprouted from the seeds of fruit we purchased to eat.

Many commercial apple growers graft apple seedlings on to dwarfing rootstock so the apple trees will produce fruit quickly. But every apple started life as a seed, and growing an apple tree from a seed is gratifying. So just for fun, here's how to grow a Fuji Apple Tree from a seed in your own backyard.

Things You'll Need

• Fuji Apple seeds
• Paper towels
• Peat pots/styrofoam cups in graduating sizes
• Water
• Potting soil
• Compost
• Sunlight

Instructions

1. 

   Collect Fuji Apple Seeds
   Purchase organic, locally grown Fuji apples whenever possible. After enjoying the delicious fruit, harvest the apple seeds. Once you have gathered all the apple seeds, spread them out in a single layer so they can dry completely. Now it's time to sprout your apple seeds.

2. 

   Sprout Fuji Apple Seeds
   Nestle your dry Fuji apple seeds between two damp paper towels and place this package into the refrigerator. Keep this germination package damp; check daily to ensure the apple seeds are surrounded by moist paper towels. Your Fuji apple seeds should sprout in about a week. Select the heartiest apple seeds that appear to have germinated the best and get ready for planting.

3. 

   Plant Fuji Apple Seeds
   Fill a peat pot or Styrofoam cup with potting soil and press the sprouted seed in the middle of the pot - one pot per seed so they don't have to compete. Make sure the pots have drainage holes and keep them on a sunny window sill. Water the apple seedlings regularly to keep the soil moist but not saturated. Over watering may cause your apple seedling to rot. As your Fuji apple trees grow, continue increasing the container size to keep up with the growth. Once your apple trees have reached about 1.5 - 2 ft. tall and appear vigorous and hearty, they can be moved outside.

4. 

   Prepare your Fuji Apple Tree Outdoor Location
   Choose a high, sunny location in your backyard away from woods and streams to avoid animal interference. Clear a 4-foot area of all grass and weeds, which would compete with your young Fuji apple tree for nutrients and water. Dig your apple tree planting hole approximately twice the diameter of the root system and 2 feet deep. Work compost into the planting hole along with some loose soil. With your shovel, chop around the walls of the planting hole so the roots can easily penetrate the soil.

5. 

   Grow your Fuji Apple Tree
   Gently remove the apple seedling from the Styrofoam cup and place it in the hole (or place your peat pot directly in the hole). Even though peat pots eventually disintegrate, I score mine so the roots can grow freely through. Spread the apple tree roots on the loose soil, making sure they are not tangled. Replace soil around the roots, tapping well so the roots maintain good contact with the soil and there are no air pockets. When you have finished planting your Fuji apple tree, water it thoroughly and watch it grow.

6. 

   Nurture your Fuji Apple Tree
   Staking the tree in the first year is strongly recommended. High winds can bend the Fuji apple tree sapling which may cause the trunk to grow at an angle or even damage the roots. Keep the growing area free from weed competition and any pests that may threaten your Fuji apple tree's growth. And continue watering your tree on a regular schedule until your Fuji apple tree is mature enough for Mother Nature to take over.

Tips & Warnings

• Fuji apples are crisp, sweet-flavored and keep very well

• Fuji is a late-ripening apple variety

• Fuji apples need lots of sunshine to ripen properly

• It may take ten years for your Fuji apple tree to mature enough to produce edible fruit

Resources

• Orange Pippin
• North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service
• How to Grow a Flower From a Seed
• How to Grow a House Plant from a Sweet Potato
• How to Trim a Fruit Tree