It is the dream of many garden owners to be able to harvest fresh, juicy apples from their own garden. An apple tree can develop ideally if it is planted in the garden as a relatively young tree and then cut into shape.
How to plant an apple tree seedling correctly?
An apple tree seedling should be planted in autumn, when the leaves have fallen, in a planting hole twice the size of the root ball with loose humus for good growth. Pay attention to the later root and crown expansion of the tree.
Choosing the right tree in the trade
There are several thousand different apple varieties worldwide through breeding and different regional characteristics. It is a good idea to choose an apple variety for your own garden that is adapted to the soil and climate of the region. For example, the following varieties have been common in Central Europe for many decades:
- Red Booscope
- Alkmene
- Cox Orange
- Beautiful from Nordhausen
These apple varieties are available in specialist retailers in various growth and refinement forms. By grafting at a certain height and on a certain growing base, the growth height as a bush, half-stem or standard trunk is given to you.
Pulling an apple tree yourself from a core
With a lot of patience, you can grow apple trees yourself from seeds. However, you should be aware that the resulting tree does not necessarily have the same characteristics as the tree that bears the fruit. Since each apple blossom is individually pollinated with the pollen of another apple blossom, the genetic material stored in the core is a combination of both trees. Seedlings can often produce surprisingly vigorous wild forms of apple trees. If apple seeds are to be germinated before winter, they must be stratified between layers of damp paper in the refrigerator for at least two weeks.
Planting the seedling correctly
When planting a young apple tree, it is important to pay attention to the subsequent spread of roots and crown. Espalier trees can be placed much closer to a wall than a tree with a standard trunk and a large tree crown. If possible, you should dig the planting hole for the seedling twice as large as the root ball of the apple tree. Then ideally line the planting hole with loose humus so that the apple tree can grow well as a shallow-rooted plant.
Tips & Tricks
The right time to transplant a young apple tree seedling is autumn. When the leaves have fallen, there is the least sap circulation in the tree, making transplanting easier.
