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submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/gardening

15 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Here are my apple seeds. I read some tutorials online about keeping them in the fridge to simulate stratification before they germinate. Someone suggested doing more than one seed just in case they don’t take. Much to my surprise after nearly three months in the fridge, this is what they look like today. Anyone know if I should plant these in dirt now? I live in a northern wintery Canadian climate so they can’t go outside. I don’t know what I should do!

#trees #gardening @gardening

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[–] [email protected] 36 points 11 months ago (2 children)

You may already be aware, but apples don't grow true to seed, so the tree growing from the seeds of an apple won't produce apples that taste the same.

Good tasting apples are rare genetic freaks, so the tree making them has a branch cut off and grafted onto a other tree.

Apples trees planted from seed will give you a crab apple, unless you're uniquely lucky. If you're looking for crab apples though, you're all set!

[–] Bye 24 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Good tasting apples are more common than we are led to believe; my town has many naturally recruited (not grafted) apple trees that bear edible fruit. They are on some hiking trails and in mountains and generally in places nobody would think to graft a tree. Are the apples store quality? No. But they are tasty enough, and edible while you’re on a hike or whatnot. True that for every one of those, there are many crab apple trees though.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago

There are lots of volunteer apple trees where I live and they’re all edible in a pinch… I’d say about half of them are actually good!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

They’re all good for hard cider!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Apples are such a crapshoot. Good luck!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

*crabshoot

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Duly noted! Never even realized!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

Oh no, sorry. It’s crapshoot, after shooting dice in the game craps. I was making a crab apple pun. 🍎🍏🍎

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

Yes, pop them into some indoor pots and underneath grow lights for the winter. Make sure soil stays moist (basically another chore now, lol - such is plant life!). You won’t have to worry about nutrition until they put on their first set of true leaves. Then you can feed weekly or so with diluted fish emulsion. I’d suggest putting them in pots with holes, so you can “bottom water,” aka just put the whole pot bottom into the water/emulsion so the soil will wick it up, versus watering the top, which can cause fungal issues. Good luck!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

@thomaswm @gardening
I'd houseplant them until the spring.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

@thomaswm @gardening
The roots will plunge first, use a deep container with drain holes poked. Light watering. Once the daylength drops below 10 hours it *likely* will stop and sleep. Transplant into deep hole after last frost.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

@thomaswm @gardening can you plant them in pots & keep them somewhere cool till you can plant them out/put them outside for summer?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (2 children)

@Hellybootwader @gardening Thank you for the advice. Yes, should be doable! I wasn’t sure if I should get them out of the fridge now given where they are at in their growth stage. If I pot all six, I’ll have to find somewhere in the spring as we won’t have enough room in our yard for a permanent home.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

I'd suggest that you pot them all. I've planted about thirty apple seeds over a few years and usually four or five come up but only one or two live to be sapling / small tree. You can always give them away later.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

@thomaswm @gardening they may not all survive. I’d pot them all up so it won’t matter if you lose a couple- you can also keep them in pots for a few years.