Apple From Seed

[buckvelvet]

Hey guys, can someone repost a link about the process of growing an apple from seed. I have an old tree where I grew up i'd like to collect some from this year finally before it bites the dust from seriously old age and no tender loving care.

I'm gonna buy this, http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-4-Foot-Start-Light-System/dp/B0001XLSGQ/

Do it need to buy separate lights for this to that are better, also wondering about what kind of root bags should I grow them in?

Wondering if this wild crap that i'm gonna grow from seed would be a good root stock choice since its right in the area that I'd be growing them in if I decided to try my hand at grafting?

 

[CrazyEd]

Hey guys, can someone repost a link about the process of growing an apple from seed. I have an old tree where I grew up i'd like to collect some from this year finally before it bites the dust from seriously old age and no tender loving care.

Wondering if this wild crap that i'm gonna grow from seed would be a good root stock choice since its right in the area that I'd be growing them in if I decided to try my hand at grafting?

If you are collecting seeds because you want to grow an identical tree, growing seeds will not give you that result. The only way to "clone" an apple tree is via grafting.

Planting seeds from an apple tree could give you pea sized fruit or grapefruit sized fruit, it could be yellow, green, red or something in between. The fact is you just don't know what you'll get until you wait 5-10 or more years.

Try your hand at grafting. It's easier than it sounds and looks and there are plenty of people on this site to give you pointers.

 

[buckvelvet]

The problem is that tree does not yield new growth its been slowly dying for 5 years with only a small spot that still throws fruit. I thought at the least I could use some for a root stock since the tree is of good size and it grew well in my area.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I've planted a number of apple seeds and some of them seem to grow really well. So far only one has produced fruit and that was some type of large crabapple. The growth on that tree was unbelievable, but unfortunately I planted it in the backyard of my old house. I wish that tree was planted in my deer orchard.

I just plant the apple seeds in whatever type of pot I happen to have laying around and they do pretty well. Good luck.

 

[buckvelvet]

Would you graft to that type of root stock ben or just let it go and see what happens?

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I'm planning on just letting them grow to see what happens. I have planted a number of different varieties for early and late season food sources, so I'm just looking at these as bonus trees. I'm confident that the deer will eat whatever these trees produce.

The crabapple tree that I mentioned earlier was just grown from seeds from apples that I bought at the store. I threw seeds in buckets of dirt in my backyard and let them sit there for over a year. Some of the trees grew well and some died while they were in the pot in the winter. I planted the survivors the next spring since they proved that they were tough. Most were planted at my hunting land, but I kept the most vigorous grower and planted it in my backyard and that tree was exceptional. It would grow 3+ feet per year and I believe it produced fruit in either 3 or 4 years. That tree grew faster and produced fruit sooner than the 75+ other apple trees I purchased. I drove by my old place earlier this summer and the new owners chopped down that tree.

 

[buckvelvet]

Oh, what a kick in the shorts man!

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Yeah, they not only cut down that apple tree, they mowed a large asparagus patch, a row of raspberries, some blueberries and also some blackberries that just started producing huge berries. It took me years to get those plants to grow but I guess the new owners wanted more grass and less other stuff.

In hindsight I wish I dug up all my plants and took them with me.

 

[sandbur]

I get nearly all crab apples form what I grow form seed. Since most of the seed sources are crab apples.

I feel crab apples are the best choices for deer in my part of the country. Less work and better yields.

It also seems like the deer perfer biting sized apples.

 

[buckvelvet]

I get nearly all crab apples form what I grow form seed. Since most of the seed sources are crab apples.

I feel crab apples are the best choices for deer in my part of the country. Less work and better yields.

It also seems like the deer perfer biting sized apples.

This is kind of my train of thought for behind my house which is why i'm always talking crabby apples first a bigger normal apple. Like to get a bunch of solid 1 1/2 - 2 crabs...

 

[buckvelvet]

The maintenance factor plays into it as well. :)