getting apple seeds to germinate

[vtm1991]

I have been trying to get apple seeds to germinate, but i have been having some trouble. Are there any specific details on what you have to do to get it to sprout?

[zxcvbob]

Put an apple in the crisper of your refrigerator for a couple of months. when you bring it out, the seeds are likely to be germinating already.

You can also put the seeds in a damp paper towel in a baggy and refrigerate it until the seeds just start to sprout. Then plant the seeds and put in a warm place. Watch out for mold while they are in the fridge.

Best regards, Bob

[bahbcat]

Yep. A good cold stratification helps. You can plant the seeds in small pots and put them in the fridge for a couple months. That should help.

Are they warm enough? The soil temp needs to be up around 65 or so for them to sprout well. It's the change that does it.

What kind of apple are you useing? It may not be a viable variety...depends on the pollinator.

bahB

[sherwindu]

There's a little something called recessive genes. Even if the OP was lucky enough to have seeds from an apple that was pollinated by the same variety of a nearby tree, the odds are very much against him getting anything that resembles the original apple. The odds are extremely low, but he could even come up with a different, but improved apple. I personally would not waste my time and effort to find out.

Sherw> Yep. A good cold stratification helps.

[Jens Egon Nyborg]

My father has allowed a number of self seeded apples grow up. Based on that I will say that, yes, the odds are against getting something that

*closely* resembles the original apples. If that's what he wants he should just buy a tree.

As for coming up with a different, but improved apple. Well, that's not that easy to answer.

You can be pretty sure it will be different, off course. And commercially non-viable.

Still one apple out of every four has been nice and edible, here.

jens

PS: I have 50-odd young apple trees out on the grounds. If they don't turn out nice then ... who cares, I need the wind breaks.

[JonnyT339]

The best bet would be to root a cutting from a tree that produces the type of apples you like! Best method I've heard of to get commercially viable apples. Takes a while though.

[vtm1991]

thnx guys---

[sherwindu]

I think he would have better luck grafting a cutting onto a rootstock.

Sherw> The best bet would be to root a cutting from a tree that produces the

[Jens Egon Nyborg]

For best 'useful' apple I'd say just buy a tree, for 'fun' (or whatever) and 'usefulness' I'd go with grafting, and for just fun I'd seed.

[Dwayne]

I put the seeds into damp dirt in a plastic bag and place it in the crisper in my refrigerator. I check it every month, and usually after the second month they have sprouted.

Dwayne

[sherwindu]

Not sure what is proven by planting a few apple seeds. I doubt the previous poster's claim that one out of four trees grown from seed were good tasters. I guess it's the same motivation that drives people to buy lottery tickets with the million to one odds against winning. At least in the lottery, you can make enough to plant up several orchards with whatever you like.

Sherw> I put the seeds into damp dirt in a plastic bag and place it in the crisper

[Jens Egon Nyborg]

I am driven by curiosity. I can graft far more different, great tasting apples than I have room for. Still whenever a seedling appears I put it in the nursery, just to see ...

Remember too that a bad or inedible apple is *not* a dead loss, as apple trees are quite nice for a lot of things. Flowers, wood, shade ...