How to Grow an Apple Tree from Seed

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How to Grow an Apple Tree from Seed
How to Grow an Apple Tree from Seed

Video: How to Grow an Apple Tree from Seed

Video: How to Grow an Apple Tree from Seed
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Ever wondered if you could take seeds from that delicious apple you just ate and grow them in your backyard? Well the answer is yes you can! However, growing apple trees from seeds requires effort, planning and patience. Keep reading Step 1 to learn how, but be aware that the process can take a while!

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Simulating winter

For the seeds to germinate, they need to go through cooler temperatures, as if they were facing a real winter. Therefore, you will have to simulate this season using your refrigerator.

Grow an Apple Tree from a Seed Step 1
Grow an Apple Tree from a Seed Step 1

Step 1. Collect two different types of seeds

Apple trees need to be planted in pairs to bear fruit, as they do not self-pollinate; therefore, they need another apple tree to pollinate them. You can extract the seeds from an apple you eat or buy them at the store. Remember that growing an apple tree using collected seeds does not guarantee that the tree from those seeds will bear fruit. Try to choose or buy seeds that do well in your climate zone or the tree could die after it is planted outdoors.

  • It is recommended to buy a seedling from a nursery instead of cultivating an apple tree from seed. To learn how to transplant a young tree, click here.
  • When trying to grow an apple tree from seed, also remember that the tree produced will have no dwarf characteristics, meaning it will grow to its full height of about thirty feet. If you think you have enough space in the backyard for this tree, great! Don't forget that trees planted from seed can take eight to ten years to bear fruit, whereas a transplanted seedling will produce them much more quickly.
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Step 2. Allow the seeds to dry

After you extract them and get rid of the pieces of fruit attached to them, put them to dry in the wind until there is no more moisture in the outer skin.

Note: not every seed will bear the same type of apple, even if they all come from the same fruit. Therefore, you can plant seeds of a single type of apple to obtain different varieties

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Step 3. Cover the seeds with a damp paper towel

Place the towel and seeds in an airtight plastic bag and place them in a jar with a lid or a plastic pot. Whatever the container, it needs to be closed.

You can also use damp peat instead of paper towels if you have some left over

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Step 4. Place the seeds in the refrigerator

They need a period of exposure to cold temperatures called post-ripening, which is essentially a simulated winter. During this time, the seeds will begin to take root and sprout. They will have to stay in the fridge for eight or more weeks. Keep the temperature at about four to ten degrees Celsius, with four to five degrees Celsius being best.

If possible, do this process during the real winter so that when you take the seeds out of the fridge they are in line with the real seasons. Planting the shoots in early spring, after the last frost, will give the best results

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Step 5. Check from time to time to ensure the paper towels remain damp

After eight weeks, your seeds should be budding and will have small roots emerging from the bottom; when this happens, remove them from the refrigerator.

Part 2 of 4: Potting the sprouts

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Step 1. Prepare the pot and soil

Your seeds will need to be planted in a small pot. Use a good potting mix. Apple seeds grow best in soil with a neutral pH level. Fill the pots with soil and create a clod two or three times the size of the sprouted seed.

Do not add fertilizer. You can add mulch or fertilizer if you want to give the seeds a little extra, but it's not necessary

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Step 2. Place the seed in the clod of soil

Be very careful when handling them, as their roots will be very delicate. Put the seed in the ground and cover, compacting the soil a little. Water immediately so that the soil settles around the seed and remains moist.

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Step 3. Leave the pot at room temperature

During potted growth, the seed and soil should be at room temperature or a little warmer. The seed should have access to sunlight for a good part of the day, so it is a good idea to place it on a parapet that receives sunlight.

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Step 4. Watch your seedling grow

Several weeks after planting, your seeds should start to shed small leaves. From that point on, they will get taller and stronger. Leave them in pots until they look strong and all risk of frost is gone. If you think your seedling is getting too big for the pot, transplant it into a larger container and continue watering it every day.

Part 3 of 4: Planting the Seedling Outside

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Step 1. Choose a location for your tree

There are several factors that should determine where to plant the tree. These include sunlight, soil and space.

  • Sunlight: Apple trees need full sun, meaning they must get six or more hours of direct sunlight each day. If possible, plant your tree on a south- or west-facing slope.
  • Soil: Apple trees do not like soggy roots, so they need to be planted in soil that retains moisture but has good drainage. The soil will need to be moderately rich and with a relatively neutral pH.
  • Space: As you are cultivating your seed tree, it will grow to full size and can reach 20 to 30 feet in height. There should be enough space for her root system to grow. Plan to plant your tree at least five meters away from another tree, especially if you are planting two apple trees in a row.
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Step 2. Know when conditions are right for the transplant

Once your seedling has grown enough that no one will step on it or mistake it for a weed, transplant it carefully and without cutting any of the roots. The best time of year to plant depends on your location: in warmer climate zones, planting in the fall can work. In cooler places, plant in spring, after the threat of heavy frost has passed.

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Step 3. Remove all weeds within a diameter of one meter from the planting location

Dig a hole twice the diameter of your seedling's root system and about two feet deep. Then try to loosen the soil from his walls to help the tree's roots penetrate.

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Step 4. Transplant your seedling

Gently spread her roots so they don't curl or clump in the hole, and begin to replace the soil around them. Once you have covered the roots, compact the soil firmly to get rid of any air pockets that might be around them, and fill the rest of the hole with loose soil.

Again, do not add fertilizer or unaged compost to the soil around the tree. Fertilizer can actually burn your young plant's roots

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Step 5. Water the tree well to eliminate air pockets

After watering, spread cover to help your seedling retain moisture. Hay, straw and organic hardwood sawdust work well as coverings for apple trees. This mulch should be spread in a three-foot circle around the tree to help retain moisture and keep the grass from growing and competing for water and nutrients with the roots of your young apple tree.

Part 4 of 4: Taking care of your tree

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Step 1. Water your tree

While still small, about six to eight inches tall, your tree should be watered every ten to twelve days. As it grows, however, you can reduce watering as long as the soil remains moist but not soggy. Watering is expected to become less frequent, but in summer it will need to be done every one to two weeks.

During other times of the year, you can let nature do the rest, unless you live in an extremely dry region; if this is the case, remember that the equivalent of two and a half or two inches of water per week is ideal for the first year. Give the tree a good watering, not just a few drops

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Step 2. Keep pests away

If you live in a place with deer, you will need to protect your young tree. These animals love to graze the buds of apple trees and sometimes even damage their trunks. A mesh fence slightly larger than the tree attached to posts will work in most cases; in low pressure areas, spraying a homemade or purchased spray can also be effective.

  • Keep rabbits and rats away by placing a short wire net around the base of the tree.
  • Chase away the insects. You may find yourself in a fight against insects that cause disease in your fruit. You can buy a spray at the nursery or at your local garden store to keep them away.
  • Fight the apple larva. This is one of the most common pests of apple trees. Hang one or two red baseballs the size of a baseball from the tree branches in December and smear a sticky substance on them.
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Step 3. Fertilize your tree after it gets older

Your apple trees should be fertilized every spring, after the last snow has melted (if you live in a snowy place), but before the tree starts producing buds. Use a fertilizer with a triple level ten nitrogen and oxide (NPK) content. You should apply the product below the tree canopy and use two hundred and thirty grams for every two and a half centimeters of trunk diameter.

Do not use a fertilizer that contains herbicide, as this type of product can damage apple trees

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Step 4. Wait before pruning a young tree

Prune as little as possible in the first few years so as not to delay the appearance of the fruit. Remove dead or diseased branches. Apple trees want to accumulate a lot of growth before bearing fruit, as this is their way of reproduction; so let yours grow until it bears fruit.

Free your young tree from the misplaced branches before they become branches that will need to be pruned later

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Step 5. Train your tree

It may sound strange, but the branches of your apple tree will need to be shaped to maximize fruit yield. Any branch at an angle of thirty-five degrees or less from the trunk will need to be trained to a greater angle. Bend the branch down so that it is almost horizontal and tie it to stakes in the ground or to lower branches with string. Leave it like this for a few weeks.

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Step 6. Remove excess fruit

Producing too much fruit can actually be bad for the tree, as too much can weigh the branches and lower the quality of the apples produced. You should remove excess fruit so that there are only one or two apples per set and so that they are six to eight inches apart. When you can finally bite into the delicious fruits of your apple tree, you'll be glad you took that care.

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Step 7. Prune the tree to mature annually

Once your apple tree has produced fruit and grown, you will need to prune it every year. Do this when the tree is dormant. Cut the branches that grow upright and are usually found in the highest parts of the tree. Remove dead, diseased or broken branches and those that are growing inward or crossing.

  • Remove all branches that are too low; in general, they should start to grow about a foot or more above the ground.
  • Also remove the weak branches, which usually grow on the inside of the branches.

Tips

  • Put only one seed in each pot so it doesn't have to compete for nutrients and sunlight.
  • Keep the seedling in the pot until it is about 40 to 60 cm tall.
  • Never let the tree dry out or it could die.
  • Before eating the fruit, look for bugs or dents in it.
  • Pay attention to the rains in your region and the apple tree. If the leaves start to wither and rain is not anticipated, water the tree with a hose.
  • Search WikiHow for texts on apple tree care in general or read one of the many good books available at a local library.
  • Leave a space between the seedlings, or they won't grow.

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