# Starting apple trees from seeds



## Turkeyfether (Dec 10, 2004)

I've started a few apple trees from seeds.Is there anything special I need to know?How do I let them go thru their winter dormant season when they are so small?The plants are several inches tall now & growing nicely.Also I'm doing pear trees.Any input on starting fruit trees from seeds is much appreciated.~T.F.


----------



## bare (May 10, 2002)

Are you just growing root stock from seed for the purposes of grafting?

You do know that if you plant Golden Delicious for example, that you won't end up with anything even close?


----------



## Jen H (Jun 16, 2004)

You just let them grow and do their own thing. This is how new apple varieties are found - by letting seedlings grow. There isn't any special way to get them through winter or anything.

Apples and pears don't breed true from seed, I hope you do realize that. The only way to get more Gravenstein apples (for example) is to graft Gravenstein buds onto a new rootstock or root a cutting.


----------



## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Are you saying that if I take a Red Delicious apple and put the seeds in the ground and it grows into a tree, I won't have a Red Delicious apple?

sounds strange to me....

Angie


----------



## Jen H (Jun 16, 2004)

It may sound strange, but it's true. 

This page explains it pretty well:

http://www.nsapples.com/teacher/t5slife.htm

The apples you get from seeds are a mix of the apple variety you got the seed from and whatever variety the bee that pollinated that particular flower happened to visit. Sometimes that mix works out well (Red Delicious was a seedling), most of the time you get sour hard little things that make good hard cider but are lousy for eating.


----------



## Turkeyfether (Dec 10, 2004)

BooHooHoo!!! :waa: I am so sad! My pwetty wittle twees will produce strange fruit! Oh well,they look nice on my window sill.I'll make apple dolls out of the fruit.


----------



## Jen H (Jun 16, 2004)

Hey, you never know. You might just have the next big apple craze growing in front of you! Historically, the way new apple varieties is found is by spreading the pressings after cider making out on a field and letting the seedlings grow.

Some of those trees weren't good for anything more than firewood. Some of them were darned tasty. Some of them you couldn't eat, but made really good hard cider. The only way to find out is to let them grow for about 4 years and taste the fruit.


----------



## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Now I'm going to have to get some apples and try this and see what happens.

I think a big container so I can transfer it if I get my own property.

Hmmmm.

Hope your apple tree is a great surprise for you.Turkeyfeather

Angie


----------



## thequeensblessing (Mar 30, 2003)

Just thought I'd add this into the mix. Some apples will indeed come true from seeds, however, it is a general rule that most common apples today will not. 

There are still heirloom type apples that are not grafted, and grow from seed to be identical to their parent trees. This happens in New England when old apple trees are reseeded by birds and other animals, and they grow to become the "wild apples" of New England. Some edible crab apples also grow true from seeds. 

But, as a general rule, fruit bought in the grocery store and seeded will not grow true.


----------

