It saves time until the first harvest if apple trees that have already been grafted are used when planting or redesigning a garden. With a few years of patience, beautiful plants can also be grown from seeds.
How to grow an apple tree from seeds?
To grow an apple tree from seeds, you need seeds from the core of an apple. Place cleaned kernels between damp layers of paper towels and stratify them in the refrigerator for at least two weeks. Then plant the sprouted seeds in a pot with loose soil.
Getting the right seeds for growing an apple tree
Seeds for growing an apple tree seedling are usually not available in garden centers or by mail order. On the one hand, this is because only a few hobby gardeners have the patience to experiment with sowing apple trees. On the other hand, the seeds of the apple tree can usually be used without any problems as they are found in the core of an apple.
Outsmarting the natural germ barrier of the apple core
Apple seeds are provided with natural germination inhibitors in the year they ripen on the tree, which only decompose over the winter. This ensures in nature that seeds only sprout in the new growing season and do not freeze off in late autumn. If you want to grow an apple tree yourself from a core, you have to bypass this natural germ barrier in the collected cores. To do this, place the cleaned apple cores between damp layers of kitchen paper in a container to stratify them in the refrigerator for at least two weeks. You can then plant the seeds, which have usually already sprouted slightly, in a pot with loose soil.
Keep your eyes open when selecting the core
In principle, the seeds from the cores of apples bought in the supermarket can also be used for cultivation in the garden. Please note, however, that many apple varieties sold in stores may not be truly adapted to the climatic and soil conditions in your region. It may be better to use the seeds from proven apple trees in the gardens of neighbors or relatives for breeding. Well-known and proven apple varieties in Central Europe are, for example:
- Jonagold
- Elstar
- Alkmene
- Berlepsch
- Boskoop
- Goldparmaene
Tips & Tricks
You should be aware that the seeds of an apple tree usually do not produce an identical offspring of that tree. Since apple trees are self-sterile, half of the cores always contain the genetic material of an apple tree from the surrounding area.
