Planting Apple Tree

[BobT]

Okay, the way I understand nature a fruit tree produces fruit for the purpose of reproduction. So, if an apple falls to the ground that apple has the potential to produce another tree. The way I have always understood it was that the fruit served as a fertilizer for the new seedlings. What I don't understand is why virtually every page I visit regarding planting apples from seed suggest that the seed needs to be removed from the fruit and planted without the fruit. 

The reason I'm asking is that a neighbor has some apple trees that produce a great apple and I'd like to plant some to hopefully get a tree or two myself. Would it not work to just place a couple of the apples shallow in the ground this fall and would the seeds then potentially sprout and grow next spring?

Can someone explain this?

Thanks.

[Paradice]

The ones that actually become trees may not be the ones left in the apple.  Many seeds need some sort of stratification, including apple.  Some don't become viable unless they actually pass through the gut of a bird or deer, or are exposed to fire (like jack pine).  My guess is that many wild apple trees you see along fence lines and under powerlines are the byproduct of bird poo stratification. 

Before you get too far into this.  Do you know what kind of apple it is?  If It's a grafted variety, you likely won't get the same tree.  You'll need to buy one, or graft one of his buds onto a host tree. If you want to try one from seed, I would pop it out of the apple now and plant about a dozen of them in a very small area to ensure you get one to pop.  Simply riding out the winter in the soil is also a method of cold stratification. 

Edited November 3, 2015 by Paradice
More wisdom.

[delcecchi]

Unfortunately apples don't stay true to variety when grown from seed, for one reason or another which is why apple trees you buy are all grafted. 

The easiest thing would be to figure out what variety of apple he has.  Maybe he knows, or you can take a couple and go to the orchard and try to see what they are.  Then buy one or more trees of the same variety.  (my personal favorite is honeygold)

Or if you are up for a challenge, get an apple tree of your choice and graft some branches from his onto your tree. 

 

[Powerstroke]

If you want to taste an apple from your own tree in the next 10 years, then you need to have a seedling or a grafted tree. 

 

Grafting is a very easy process. If you're excited about the one variety your neighbor has then buy a good rootstock, cut some scions from your neighbors tree and then graft the two together. Plant a few and you will see an apple in 5-7 years. 

Buy a larger tree or two and plant them and you will see apples in 2-5 years depending on transplant shock. 

[pushbutton]

Yep, almost any nursery stock now days is from cuttings, tissue culture and/or grafted. This is the only way to ensure a true replica. By planting from seed, a variety of outcomes may occur.....some close to the original, some not as desirable..... although some maybe even better......but not the same. For our climate,  think most  apple tree cultivars are grated on old fashioned crab tree rootstock or even plums....to ensure hardiness and  preferable smaller  growing size. If wanting to plant from seed, would let the apple almost rot, put the seeds and some pulp in a cup of water for a few days and pick out the ones that sink and not float...... this will kindnof mimic a criiters stomach. Not sure if they need statification to germinate ...freezing and thawing....or not. Google would tell.

[delcecchi]

Not much information around because the only people growing apples from seed are fruit breeders like the ones at the University of MN. 

If you really want to try it I bet a phone call to one of those guys would get you everything you want or need to know. 

They basically cross pollinate two varieties, grow a whole bunch of seedlings, see what kind of apples each seedling has and pick the best one.   That is where pretty much all the Minnesota apples came from.   Another way is to find apples that are growing wild from seed that have fruit you like.  That is what led to many of the heirloom apple varieties, although folks have been breeding apples for a long time. 

If you plant seeds it is a crapshoot that takes 10 years..... 

There already are many apple varieties to choose from.  Just be careful since not all are suitable for Minnesota climate. 

For example I have a Granny Smith which ripens so late there is a fair chance that I end up with green apple popsicles on the tree. 

 

[BobT]

Wow, lots of quick responses but it seems you are all saying about the same thing. I do know the variety but the name escapes me at the moment. I'll have to try to find a nursery that has a young tree that I can plant. 

Thanks a bunch for the input.

[delcecchi]

You might want to wait until spring, although I planted an apple tree in the fall and it did ok. 

[NWKR]

I have a few 100 seeds from a dolgo crab I plan to start this winter. I will keep the most vigorous ones and pull the plug on the rest in the early summer. I plan to leave a couple to see what apple they produce long term, but otherwise I was planning on treating them as home grown rootstock, and grafting with dolgo and chestnut crab, and also a wild crab that is similar to dolgo.

I picked ripe apples, cut out the seeds, rinsed, and they have been drying for a while. I then plan on putting them in a plastic bag with a paper towel in the fridge for a couple months. Transfer to growing trays in late Feb possibly. 

I am a noob to all this and failed with both crab and wild plum seeds last winter, which I believe was due to poor storage. I neglected them when we moved and they froze and unthawed a few times and got damp and moldy. I should have aired them out or something. I am young to I have a few years to try to figure this out.  

[delcecchi]

Penn state to the rescue....

http://extension.psu.edu/plants/gardening/fact-sheets/home-orchard-production/growing-new-fruit-tree-plants-from-seed

Growing New Fruit Tree Plants from Seed

Many people mistakenly believe that fruit trees come true to name from seeds. In reality if you collect seed from a fruit grown on a plant these seeds will produce plants that will be a hybrid of two plants.

Seeds from a Gala apple are not guaranteed to sprout another Gala apple tree. Grafting and budding allows you to get your desired variety. First, you will need to chill the seed for it to germinate, and you can do so by following one of two methods.

 

The new plant will be the same kind of plant, but its fruit and vegetative portions may not look the same as the parent, because the plant is "heterozygous." Therefore, all fruit trees must be vegetatively propagated by either grafting or budding methods.

Grafting and budding require that you have a compatible rootstock or mother plant onto which you can attach your desired variety. An inexpensive way to obtain a seedling rootstock is to collect seeds from the type of plant you are propagating. This sheet gives a simple method to help germinate seeds to produce grafting rootstocks.

The seeds of all common tree fruits (apple, pear, peach, and cherry) require a chilling period before they will germinate and form new plants. The chilling period occurs after the fruit portion is ripe. This period is known as either dormancy or afterripening. During this period the embryo develops until it is mature. This is accomplished by subjecting the seeds to a cold treatment.

There are two systems whereby the necessary after ripening could be accomplished:

Method 1 - Out of Doors

Prepare a garden-soil plot in the fall as you would for planting any other type of seeds. Make a furrow that is no more than 1-2 times deeper than the longest dimension of the seed. Cover the seeds with a light cover of soil and add an inch or two of sand over the row. The sand will prevent crusting of the soil which inhibits germination.

Next, place wire screen, or hardware cloth, over the row—be sure all the edges are pushed down into the soil several inches and the ends are closed. This prevents chipmunks and squirrels from digging up the seeds' The following April watch the seeded area closely for newly germinated seedlings. As they grow, remove the wire-screen to prevent restriction of the new plants. (see Handling in Nursery, below)

Method 2 - Refrigerator

Extract seeds and/or pits from the fruit of which you wish to reproduce new plants. Remove all adhering fruit portions and allow seeds to air dry. Then, place them in a glass jar or other suitable container to which a loosely fitted lid or cover may be added. Set the seeds aside in a cool place until mid-January.

Seeds require a period of cold exposure called "after-ripening" The length of this period varies by type of fruit (see Table below). The temperature the seeds are stored will also impact the success of germination. Seeds should be stored dry in a sealed container at the appropriate temperature. Most seeds can be stored in airtight containers for up to 1 year if temperature is controlled.

If seeds have not been previously received a cold treatment then in mid-January mix the seeds with either moist (not wet) peat moss, sand or shredded paper towels. Return mixture to the container and replace lid. Place container and seeds in the refrigerator until after the last severe spring frosts. The seeds should remain in the refrigerator for at least 60 days. In early April prepare a garden-soil seedbed, with furrows as described above, and plant the seeds. Keep the soil moist but not wet. No fertilizer should be added.

Handling in the ‘Nursery’

When the plants are 6 to 8 inches tall, apply 1 to 2 tablespoonful of urea along each 12 inches of row in a band on one side of the seedlings. Keep the fertilizer about 3 inches away from the seedlings. Water thoroughly every 10 to 12 days.

The new seedling has a taproot. To facilitate transplanting we suggest you cut the taproot by pushing a spade under each plant. The spade should be pushed into the soil to cut the taproot about 5-6 inches below the surface.

Peach, nectarine, almond and apricot seedlings may be budded the first summer, usually in late July or early August. Apple, cherries, pear and plum should be allowed to grow through to the July-August period of the second year before budding is done. Apple and pear are the only tree fruit plants which the home gardener may expect to bench graft with success. The peach-cherry plum group are very difficult to propagate by any other means than budding. The budding and grafting procedures are described in Pa. Agr. Extension Special Circular 153, entitled "Methods of Grafting" available through the Agricultural Extension office in your county.

After-ripening requirements for certain fruit tree seeds.

Kind	Effective Temperature ('F)	Best Temperature ('F)	Days Required
Apple	40-50	40-41	70-80
Apricot	40-50	45	60-70
Cherry	33-50	41	90-140
Peach	33-50	45	120-130
Pear	33-41	40	60-90

by Dr. Robert M. Crassweller, Professor of Tree Fruit, Penn State University

Contact Information

Robert Crassweller

• Professor of Tree Fruit

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 814-863-6163

And when you get ready, here is a good writeup on grafting and budding.

Your tax dollars at work. 

http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/fruit/grafting-and-budding-fruit-trees/