If you liked an apple purchased at the market and wanted to have the same variety in your area, then you can try to get a fruiting apple from a seed. To get a full-fledged tree is a lengthy process, and you need to take into account that the exact same fruits are most likely not to be obtained due to cross-pollination.
Seedlings from sunflower seeds are mainly grown by breeders to get a new variety.
Seed selection and preparation
An apple tree in nature reproduces with the help of seeds, but at home it is important to choose the right seed, and properly prepare it for sowing. To do this, you need to take several large, fully ripened fruits, and from them to get the seeds, which must be stratified before planting.
Stratification significantly improves seed germination, and seedlings that appear will be stronger. To create conditions, such as during the autumn-winter period, it is necessary for a certain period to place the seeds in a humid and cool environment. In the initial period, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of about 5-7 degrees, and it is necessary to provide free access to fresh seed for fresh air.
To seed germinated faster, it is advisable to lay them in one of the substrates:
1. The seeds of apple trees are placed in a moistened mixture of peat and sand, so they stand for 6 days, during this period they should swell well;
2. To improve gas exchange, instead of a substrate, you can use a mixture of moss and sawdust;
3. Sand mixed with charcoal and sawdust. This substrate provides excellent protection against mold growth.
A week later, a moist substrate with seeds is transferred to the lower shelf of the refrigerator, here they are kept at low temperature for about 2 months.
At the end of stratification, the seeds will be released by white seedlings - the roots of roots. Stratification is carried out 3 months before the seedlings are transplanted into the soil, for this reason, seed should be prepared and sowing should be carried out in January. By the onset of spring, seedlings will be prepared for transplanting to a permanent place.
Growing seedlings
For sowing germinated seeds in a container, choose the most viable and strong seedlings. If several varieties are planted, it is advisable to stick special tags on the containers so that in the future they do not confuse the plants. At the bottom of the tank, lay a drainage layer, pour the soil mixture and sow the seeds. You can buy ready-made soil mix in a specialty store intended for growing fruit trees. Germinated seeds can immediately be sown in peat pots, they will subsequently allow to plant a seedling without injuring its roots.
When growing a seedling, one needs to pay attention to the branches of seedlings. If there are thin thorns on them, then surely from a seed, a wild apple has grown, from which it is impossible to wait for normal apples. They can be immediately destroyed so as not to waste time and effort.
Cultivated seedlings on which normal fruits can grow are distinguished by a thick stem, large leaves and a symmetrical arrangement of buds.
We must not forget that you can plant a wild annual tree and subsequently grow a crop of delicious apples.
Choosing a place for planting a seedling
For an apple tree, it is advisable to choose a sunny place, it is best that the young tree is illuminated by sunlight for at least 6-7 hours during the day. Well, if it grows at a small elevation, waterlogging of the soil or stagnation of water can destroy the apple tree. It is also undesirable to plant an apple tree in an open place, blown by cold winds, in such places the soil dries quickly, blows out, and the roots can become bare. Clay and boggy areas are not suitable for planting apple trees. It must be remembered that the tree obtained from the seed will not have the signs of a dwarf and can grow up to 9 meters, this must be taken into account when planting. An apple tree should be planted no closer than 5 m from other trees. When planting an apple tree near a fence or building, you need to retreat 3.5 m.
Planting apple seedlings in open ground
To transplant a seedling to a permanent place, you need to make sure that one hundred soil has already been warmed up and there is no longer any risk of night frost. Having chosen a suitable site, they dig it up, within a radius of 1 m, they pull out all the roots and weeds. There is no need to fertilize before planting, it will only harm the plants by burning the roots. Prepare a landing pit 2-3 times more than the volume of the roots of the seedling. Inspect the seedling, carefully remove the dried roots, and plant the apple tree. After that, fill the hole in the soil layer by layer, gently crushing the soil to remove air voids. After planting, the soil is well watered, and the trunk circle is mulched with hay or peat to prevent drying of the topsoil and prevent weed growth.
Expert Advice
An apple tree from a seed can be obtained if you know a lot of details, and experienced gardeners say that these experiments are not always successful. But there are several recommendations that can increase the chances of success:
• After the seeds are removed from the apples, they must immediately be washed well. It is advisable to do this in running water;
• When soaking the seeds, change the water daily. In stagnant water, the seeds will begin to mold, and will become unfit for sowing;
• To seedlings grow better, they can be treated with growth stimulants. This complex compound provides the plant with nutrients and strengthens it;
• Only fresh seeds should be used for stratification. If they are stored for a long time, then the chances of obtaining seedlings are greatly reduced;
• To strengthen the plant, you can immediately grow it in soil taken in the place where the apple tree will grow. Thanks to this, the plant enhances its winter hardiness;
• It is necessary to choose a suitable place for planting on the site - the seedling should be provided with sunlight, it is undesirable to place it on the place where the cold winds blow. To improve the pollination of future apple trees, several seedlings of different varieties can be planted nearby. Before transplanting the seedling, fertilize the soil with wood ash and humus, this will provide it with nutrients for a long time;
• An apple tree from a seed, quite often it turns out stronger and healthier than plants grown in a vegetative way. This is due to the resulting mixture of genes of 2 completely different plants, while the most powerful qualities of the plant triumph.
It is possible to grow an adult apple tree from a seed, but each such tree will require a lot of work. Timely and proper care, makes it possible for seedlings to take root firmly in the soil, and after a while the owner will be able to try the first apples.
