The Repurposing Life

How to Grow an Apple Tree from Seed

For anyone who loves plants, nature, and gardening, it seems that starting something from seed-like an oak tree from an acorn or an apple tree from seed-are sure ways to create a lifelong interest in growing. It’s so satisfying to take the seeds from fruit you’re eating and grow them into fruit-bearing trees. Use this simple tutorial to grow an apple tree using the seeds found in the fruit from the grocery store. It’s an excellent beginner project for anyone wanting to try simple plant propagation. This same method works for pears as well.

Want to turn other food into plants? See How to Grow Avocado From Seed.

Grow Your Own Apple Tree

Before we dive into the step-by-step instructions there are a few things to know.

• For seeds to be viable (able to grow), they need to be mature. An apple you buy at the grocery store is very likely mature but an apple picked from a tree part way through the growing season will not have fully formed seeds. So start with mature, ripe fruit.
• Apple seeds, along with other fruit seeds including pear, peach, and cherry, require stratification (cold, damp conditions) to prepare for germination. The amount of time required to stratify varies depending on the variety. Generally, it is between 60 and 90 days. These instructions show you how to mimic stratification.
• Not all apple seeds will sprout. Even if you do everything right, some types never sprout, and for those that do, only half may germinate. It varies quite a bit. So, increase your odds by starting a bunch, preferably from several different apple varieties.
• You won’t get McIntosh apples from McIntosh seeds. Or any other variety (with few exceptions*). If your apple seeds do grow to become fruit-bearing trees, the apples produced will not be same as the ones with which you started. Most apple trees require cross-pollination from another apple tree so any apples produced will have genes from both trees; and similarly, no two seeds will produce genetically identical trees. In other words: every seed has a different combination of genetics. That’s why plant breeders who want specific varieties do not grow their trees from seed but instead propagate vegetatively, taking stems and grafting them onto other established rootstock, to grow genetically identical apples. 

*Antonovka seeds are one example of apple seeds that reproduce true to parent.

Personally, I love experimenting with seed starting, watching things grow, and propagating plants from food scraps. It’s a wonderful thing to grow something from a simple seed and nurture it for years to come.

Apple Tree Pollinators

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are the most common pollinators for apple trees, along with orchard masonbees (Osmia lignaria), and (in smaller numbers) bumblebee queens (Bombus genus). You may also notice that each variety of apple tree has its own time to flower from late winter to late spring. Fruit trees that flower at the same time are called pollinator partners.

How to Sprout Apple Seeds

Here’s an overview of how it works. You can use these same steps to propagate pear seeds as well.

Get Seeds Ready

Some apples have many seeds, some have few, others have none or just little white cases where you’d expect to find seeds. Pay attention to store bought apples like McIntosh, Delicious, Granny Smith, Sparta, Fuji, Gala, and so on, and, as you eat them, look for fully formed (dark brown) seeds.

It’s best to start quite a few (10-20) from different types of apples to increase your odds. If you do, be sure to keep each variety separate and labeled so you know which worked and which didn’t. Start with a ripe apple to ensure the seeds inside are mature. Cut around the core to avoid damaging any of the seeds with your knife.

Ever Find Sprouted Seeds In Your Apple?

When fruits become overly ripe, the hormones that control seed dormancy decline and the seeds within the fruit can actually start sprouting. This is called vivipary (live birth). If you ever find germinated seeds in your apple, go ahead and sow them. It’ll make propagation so easy.

Gently Sand Seed Coats

Next, to help the process along, you can very gently soften the seed coat. Do this by folding a small piece of sandpaper with the right (rough) sides together. Insert one seed at a time and gently sand off a little bit of the coat by rolling everything between your fingers. Easy does it: you don’t want to expose the embryo inside.

Related: How to Grow Citrus from Seed (Lemon, Orange, and More)

Soak in Moist Paper Towel

Once sanded, spread your seeds out on a moist (neither dry, nor soaking wet) tea towel (or dish cloth), fold it up, and place everything in a food storage container or reusable silicone zip top food bag. You may see other methods where the seeds are placed in moist potting mix instead of a towel. I prefer a towel because it makes it easy to check on the seeds and see any sign of sprouting without having to dig them out and rinse them off.

Related: How to Grow Mango from Seed

Label Container & Store in Fridge

1. Add a tag or write on tape with waterproof marker noting the seed variety (McIntosh, Delicious, Granny Smith, etc.) and the date.
2. Place in refrigerator and set a reminder on your phone to check on the seeds weekly.
3. Most refrigerators run around 1.7 to 3.3°C (35 to 38°F) and apple seeds do best around 4.4°C (40°F). With the insulation provided by the container and towel, the seeds in the fridge will do fine.
4. Depending on the variety, they may need 60 to 90 days of moist and cold conditions to germinate. Never allow the towel to dry out or become waterlogged: just add moisture as needed.
5. When they have sprouted, they are ready for sowing.
6. If they haven’t sprouted after 90 days in the fridge, try setting the container on your countertop at room temperature and give them another few weeks. Some just sprout late.

Related: How to Grow Peach or Plum Trees from Seed.

Planting Sprouted Apple Seeds

I’ve Sprouted My Apple Seeds, Now What?

While you could plant your apple tree seedling right in the garden (in spring or summer), it will be much easier to protect and care for it if you grow it in a container for as long as possible. Start with a 4 to 6 inch wide (and deep) flower pot with drainage holes and use organic potting mix. Once the seedlings get a bit bigger (about 6 to 8 inches tall), they should be transplanted into their own containers to avoid getting the roots tangled.

When Will My Apple Tree Produce Fruit?

With optimum growing conditions, it may take 7 to 10 years for the tree to flower and fruit—if it will at all. Some apple trees grown from seed will never fruit. Buy grafted apple trees if you want a tree that will provide a specific type of apple. The whole topic of pollination is worth researching if you do get this far. If you want a chance of pollination (leading to fruit), there will need to be other apple trees nearby for cross-pollination. Also, some types of apple tree including Jonagold and Gravenstein have sterile pollen and require pollen from two other trees for fertilization to take place. These are called triploids.

Are Apple Seeds Toxic?

Apple seeds do contain traces of cyanogenic glycoside, a cyanide-based compound. The traces are minute, enough to kill insects and worms, but not enough to harm a human. There are no cases of apple seed poisoning on record.

Can I Grow An Apple Tree Indoors?

Not under normal household conditions. These are cold-hardy trees needing four seasons to flourish. I hope you’ll give this a try and be sure to sign up for the newsletter for free tips and ideas for living a more zero waste, plastic-free, and sustainable life.

Source:
How to Grow An Apple Tree From Seed (Tutorial)
https://empressofdirt.net/grow-apple-seed/
January 19, 2021 by Melissa J. Will