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Question

gally13kms

Apple trees from apples?

Crops:

apple

Topics:

Seed-starting and planting

Question details

So my kiddo and I started some apple seeds we had saved from apples that we used for applesauce. We put them in between wet paper towels in a ziplock, and now some of them have sprouted...

Question #1 - Will they even turn into fruit bearing trees? We did Fuji, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith.

Question #2 - if they will, what do I do with them nnow? Do I plant them indoors or outdoors? In pots or in the ground? I would like to wait on putting them in the ground, as we live with my in-laws and I would rather plant them in the ground once we have our own place...

Thanks all!

Roger Doiron

Mon, 07/09/2012 - 15:15

Hi Gally. Yes, those seeds will eventually grow into fruit-bearing trees in true Johnny Appleseed style, but just not the trees you think. The only sure way to get a new Granny Smith apple tree, for example, from an existing one is via grafting. If you want to take your chances on trees started from seed (not such a big risk...Mother Nature does is all the time), you could plant them and keep them indoors until they're big enough to survive outdoors. If you live in a mild climate, you could pant outdoors immediately.

gally13kms

Tue, 07/10/2012 - 00:47

I live in Colorado, which is what I refer to as a fickle climate. it is hard to plan anything here. I will probably put them in pots to start, until they are significantly bigger. Any suggestions on what kind of soil to use? I usually just buy the cheap potting mix and use it for everything, but I would like to use something a little more suited to this task...

Jessica Still

Mon, 07/09/2012 - 20:18

Another benefit of growing from seed - our regional extension agent, Joanne Robbins, says that only trees grown from seed have a full tap-root system. Trees grown from cuttings or cloned rely upon the upper part of the root system. Since her career in horticulture has been focused on propogation & she had her own greenhouse at UC Davis. It seems the prevalence of cutting & clone-started plants was the idea of the nursery industry - not only could they propagate more plants quicker to satisfy demand economically - but they also decreased the *root-bound* plant problem we used to complain about ...

Jessica Still

Mon, 07/09/2012 - 20:22

I think I failed to get my point into the comment above - trees & shrubs grown from seed would tend to be more drought-resistant.

gally13kms

Tue, 07/10/2012 - 00:45

That is great info! Thanks for the input! I am nnew to the gardening thing, so I know very little at this point! I appreciate the quick response!

Jessica Still

Tue, 07/10/2012 - 17:18

You are most welcome! You asked about what soil - I would think a good potting mix without added fertilizer for the aeration base - & mix it with ~ 1/3 good topsoil. If you can scrape up soil from the top 1/2" under healthy apple trees, you would be getting an innoculation of the soil microbes that live beneficially with apple roots. I think my first fertilizer additions would be a little compost worked into the top of the pot - will ask Joanne Robbins & get back to you.

gally13kms

Tue, 07/10/2012 - 19:28

thank you! These apples did ot come from existing trees. they came from store bought apples. It started as a fun thing for my daughter and myself to do...

Jessica Still

Wed, 07/11/2012 - 17:18

I got that your apples were store-bought - the soil microbial life under any apple tree would be good for any apple sprout. :-) A friend here is growing an apple tree from a seed that had sprouted in a store-bought apple he ate - Golden Delicious, so probably from Washington State. Your question reminds me to tell him this info - there are apple trees around town here where a bit of soil could be collected for the sprout. :-) So nice that your daughter is participating.