Can You Grow an Apple Tree From an Apple Seed?

Apple seeds will produce apple trees under the right circumstances.

Planting an apple tree from seed is a slow but cost-effective way of getting an apple tree. Not only is it quite easy to do, provided you live in an area conducive to growing apples, but it is enjoyable, especially for children who are not so concerned with the amount of time it takes compared to buying a tree from a nursery. Keep in mind that the resulting fruit will not be true to the apple the seeds came from, but there is a good chance it will still bear a crop of decent apples.

Stratification

Grow the apple seed after stratifying it. Stratify the apple seeds by wrapping them in a damp paper towel, folding it several times over the seeds and then sealing them in a plastic bag. Place the bag in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator for three months to break the hibernation period of the apple seed.

Media

Prepare a planting media for the apple seed the day the stratification process is complete. Fill an 8-ounce container with equal parts of dampened peat moss, perlite and potting soil so the seeds stay moist but well-drained.

Nursing

Remove the apple seed from the refrigerator and unwrap it carefully in case it has already sprouted. Plant the seed in the soil-filled container. Set the seed an inch below the surface and moisten the soil until the water runs from the bottom drainage hole. Place the pot in a spot out of the direct sunlight where it will stay warm but not hot. Keep the soil damp until you see the sprout emerge and then only water it when the top of the soil feels dry.

Transplant

Transplant the seedling after the danger of frost passes to an outdoor site you have selected where it will get full sunlight for at least eight hours a day and have good drainage. Water it every few days until it is established and then at least once a week for the first year.

References

• Purdue University Consumer Horticulture; Growing Trees From Seed; B. Rosie Lerner; Spt. 2000
• Virginia Cooperative Extension; Tree Fruit in the Home Garden; Rongcai Yuan