apple tree seedlings

[songbird]

last fall i planted some apple seeds to see what would happen. the method was simple. scratch a line in the dirt, scatter seeds along the line. cover with dirt. ignore for the rest of the winter/spring/summer other than to keep some weeds from taking over.

many of them sprouted and now i have several dozen saplings from 40 - 100cm tall.

i know that many of them may never actually bear edible fruits, but for animal fodder or pectin production they might work out.

i'm not sure if i'll transplant them next year or not. they won't stay where they are currently at beyond next year no matter what. i don't need apple trees in the garden.

songbird

[Fran Farmer]

We have a couple of seedling apple trees that bear good edible fruit. You can also graft onto them form more acceptable apple trees if oyu feel the need. Grafting is not complex. Here, of 26 grafts onto a number of apple trees, only 1 graft did not take.

[songbird]

Fran Farmer wrote: ...

yeah, i know chances are that a few might bear edible fruit, but i don't expect it.

i have read up on grafting techniques several times and for sure would give it a go if i had a place to plant out fruit trees.

the back area that is extra space and open for change (to the east of the large drainage ditch) would be hard to use as it now is getting overgrown with honeysuckle bushes. it would give me a good reason to get back there and get those bushes knocked back, but then to be able to plant the apple tree saplings and keep the deer off them for the next half dozen years it will take for them to get taller... i'm not sure how much of that challenge i'll take up.

songbird

[Steve Clingerman]

I've go 2 apple trees I grew from McIntosh seeds. 6 years later, no fruit, but I didn't expect any. I do have a lot of suckers coming up. Is there any way to completely get rid of the suckers?