Growing apple trees

[B.uneasy]

I live by an orchard, and I've heard that if you pick an apple off the tree late in the season when its already ripe there is a good chance of the seeds starting to grow inside the apple. This is called vivipary. Is this true? If I picked an apple off an apple tree right now would I have a good chance of finding one of these apples? If not now, when is the right time? I live in Pa and it is getting cold. That'd be nice to get some extra apple seedlings without the whole stratifying process.

 

[PABonsai]

If you're that impatient why don't you go ask the orchard owner when he is pruning the trees and you can just grab some fresh cuttings? They'd be further along.

 

[B.uneasy]

If you're that impatient why don't you go ask the orchard owner when he is pruning the trees and you can just grab some fresh cuttings? They'd be further along.

Lol I know it sounds as I am, but I've got at least 20 apple seeds inside my fridge right now. Plus I want to try seeds so I can create my own variety of apples someday. I saw a picture of an apple like this, and I was thinking about how I walk through the orchards all the time. Lol it sounds really cool, so maybe I'm just more interested in the happening then the further along plant in this case.

 

[Lorax7]

I grew some apple seedlings this year, starting with seeds from apples I bought at the grocery store. Scarification was really simple. I put a kettle on the stove, made a cup of tea, and poured out an extra cup of hot water which I left sitting out on the counter. When I finished drinking my tea, I put the seeds in the other cup of water, left them to soak for a few minutes, and then added cool tap water to cup. Left them to soak overnight and planted them the next day. Easy to do and I got a good germination rate. Didn’t need to simulate a winter dormancy period because apples from the grocery store had already been refrigerated long enough.

The only problem so far is that apple leaves are really susceptible to a whitish fungus (at least I think that’s what it is), so most of the seedlings had that. If they survive winter, I’ll spray them proactively next year to try to keep that under control.

 

[B.uneasy]

I grew some apple seedlings this year, starting with seeds from apples I bought at the grocery store. Scarification was really simple. I put a kettle on the stove, made a cup of tea, and poured out an extra cup of hot water which I left sitting out on the counter. When I finished drinking my tea, I put the seeds in the other cup of water, left them to soak for a few minutes, and then added cool tap water to cup. Left them to soak overnight and planted them the next day. Easy to do and I got a good germination rate. Didn’t need to simulate a winter dormancy period because apples from the grocery store had already been refrigerated long enough.

The only problem so far is that apple leaves are really susceptible to a whitish fungus (at least I think that’s what it is), so most of the seedlings had that. If they survive winter, I’ll spray them proactively next year to try to keep that under control.

Was the water still hot/warm? Can I see pictures of your apple plants by the way?

 

[B.uneasy]

Can anyone else show me their apple trees/ apple tree bonsais that you may be growing? I am curious.

 

[Lorax7]

Was the water still hot/warm? Can I see pictures of your apple plants by the way?

Water was warm, but not scalding hot. Unfortunately, I haven’t taken any pictures yet and the trees are already buried in snow.

 

[leatherback]

Not sure why all the hassle.

Ye seeds may germinate inside the fruit. Easier is to collect the seeds. Plant them in a container. Put the container outside and in spring you have seedlings. Forget the fridage, nature knows.

 

[eryk2kartman]

Not sure why all the hassle.

Ye seeds may germinate inside the fruit. Easier is to collect the seeds. Plant them in a container. Put the container outside and in spring you have seedlings. Forget the fridage, nature knows.

Thats exactly what ive done last year, got nearly 80% germination rate. Seeds were collceted in November from local apple trees.

 

[AlainK]

I agree with "leatherback" : apple seeds are easy to germinate. Since there are several seeds in one fruit, you can plant five or six in a pot, and when they germinate, remove the weaker ones to keep just one seedling. And that's it.

 

[MrWunderful]

Are you looking for fullsize regular “apple” bonsai?

Because crabapple (malus) is far more common.

 

[AlainK]

fullsize regular “apple” bonsai?

Good question.

"Regular apple" trees have longer internodes and big fruit. They're not so good for bonsai.

Some more suitable apple varieties for bonsai : clockwise,

Malus 'Evereste Perpetu' (Selected by the INRA)
Malus sylvestris (the wild apple-tree that is found in forests here)
Malus coccinella (red leaves, from a grafted street tree)



I also posted a picture of Malus 'Van Eseltine' here, and I'm growing Malus micromalus that haven't flowered yet.