Content of the article:
On home gardens and garden farms in Russia, apple is the most common fruit tree. Thanks to the art of breeders in the northern regions, and in the steppe zone, today you can get decent yields, laying the garden on the basis of zoned varieties.
Planting seedlings, which are abundantly offered by nurseries, has become the main breeding method for the cultivated apple tree. And many do not even think about the possibility of how to grow an apple tree from a seed. And after all, this method gave an impetus to the emergence of a modern variety of varieties and types of cultivated apple trees, bred through popular and directed selection. At the same time, seedlings obtained from seeds are not only working material for breeders, but also excellent seed stocks, which are distinguished by their long lifespan, winter hardiness and endurance.
In order to grow an apple tree from a seed at home, you will have to pick up the suitable planting material and have patience, because the first ovary can appear on the tree only after 5–10 years of .
How to Prepare Seeds to Grow an Apple Treeforest apple. In this case, the developed plant will not give fruits of excellent taste, but will only be vigorous and strong. Before planting, the seeds extracted from the apple:
- to remove the inhibitor inhibiting germination, washed in warm water;
- is soaked for three days, regularly washing the bones and changing the water;
- on the third day a growth promoter is added to the water, for example, sodium humate or Appin.
Read also: Description and photo of autumn tree varieties in the apple orchard 
During the time spent in a humid environment, the seeds swell. To imitate the onset of winter, harden the seeds and get the developing sprouts at the right time, planting material is poured with sawdust, sphagnum moss or sand mixed with powdered activated carbon, well moistened, covered with perforated film and subjected to stratification, sending for 90–100 days for cold. 
At home, apple seeds can be kept at a temperature of about +4 oC in the refrigerator, regularly checking the level of humidity, well-being and the degree of germination of seedlings.
Methods of sowing apple trees from seed at home
Some gardeners, when carrying out preliminary preparation and stratification, adhere to the old-fashioned method, when seeds from ripe, just taken from the apple branch were washed and planted in the soil. During the autumn and winter months, the seed is acclimatized, swells and hardened, and in spring gives good shoots. The main thing is that from the moment of seeding the seeds into the soil and the onset of stable cold weather there should be no less than 21 days, and soaking, before growing an apple tree from a seed, will only increase the number of shoots.
In nurseries for rootstocks, seeds are soaked, stratified by the first method, and then sown in the spring in the spring. Therefore, the question: "When is it better to plant an apple tree in spring or autumn?", In both cases, you can give a positive answer. The soil for sowing in the ground or in a tank for home cultivation is enriched with mineral additives. For every 10 kg of a mixture of garden soil, chernozem and peat, add:
- 30 grams of superphosphate;
- 200 grams of woody, well-sifted ash;
- 20 grams of potassium sulfate.
Apple seeds are planted in the ground to a depth of 15 mm, while the distance between plants should be not less than 20 mm, and between individual rows - 15–20 cm.
After planting, the site or containers are watered abundantly, being careful not to blur the soil over seeds that are close to the surface.
When four true leaves are opened on the seedlings, the plants are sorted, removing notorious willows, and thinned, increasing the distance to 6–8 cm.signs of a wild look. It is possible to distinguish dikarku from a cultivated plant by smaller, brightly colored leaves and the presence of thin straight spines on the stem. In varietal apple trees there are no spines, and the leaves are larger, often pubescent, with a curved leaf blade.
Read also: Apricot does not bear fruit for many years: why and what to do? How to feed an apple tree in summer and how to take care of a seedling
In spring and summer, apple seedlings are actively developed, so the gardener needs to take care of seedling fertilization.
What are the apple trees in summer? If during planting active organic fertilizers, for example, manure or bird droppings that can burn tender sprouts and become a source of bacterial contamination of seedlings, are not used, then in the summer an organic top dressing is needed. But in the first year of growth, it is better to again refuse to apply manure, replacing it with the extract of humus or other humic additives that are safer for young plants.
As in the case of adult apples, in August, seedlings receive potassium phosphate fertilizer, aimed at better aging of the shoots and cessation of green mass development. Per meter square will require: 15–20 grams of potassium chloride and twice the amount of superphosphate. Top dressing bring during loosening of soil. Fertilizers sprinkle with soil and the plantation is plentifully watered. Watering for seedlings is just as important as feeding. While the apple tree grown from the seed has not formed a strong root system, seedlings are watered after 7–10 days, making sure that a dense earth crust does not form.
If the grown seedling is to be used as a stock, in October the plant is dug out, remove all remaining foliage and cut the central tap root at a distance of 20 cm from the root collar. This measure will allow the formation of branched fibrous roots and somewhat limit the growth of the seedling itself. Until spring, when the vaccination is carried out, the seed stock with a covered rhizome can be stored in a cool basement.
Read also: Instructions for use of the insecticide 30 plus How to plant in the ground and grow an apple tree from a seed?
A young apple tree is planted in a permanent place in spring or autumn, after picking up a well-lit, dry place for a large tree with a strong root system.
Planting a seedling and caring for it in the first year after planting is no different from those that are held with an ordinary apple tree seedling. Returning to the question of when it is better to plant an apple tree in spring or autumn, it should be noted:
- if the apple tree from a seed grew at home, the ideal time for transplanting it into the ground will be from April to May or early autumn;
- seedlings, initially grown in open field, are transplanted to a permanent place from spring to late October.
At the same time, it should not be forgotten that seedlings growing under room conditions as they grow require transplants to larger tanks, and in this case watering is more frequent. When the apple trees, especially the first year of life, fall into the open ground, they are very gentle and are often affected by pests and diseases. Young seedlings are desirable prey for animals. Therefore, the future fruit tree or rootstock in the early years will surely provide reliable protection against these enemies and frost.
Seed Stratification - Video
During the time spent in a humid environment, the seeds swell. To imitate the onset of winter, harden the seeds and get the developing sprouts at the right time, planting material is poured with sawdust, sphagnum moss or sand mixed with powdered activated carbon, well moistened, covered with perforated film and subjected to stratification, sending for 90–100 days for cold. Some gardeners, when carrying out preliminary preparation and stratification, adhere to the old-fashioned method, when seeds from ripe, just taken from the apple branch were washed and planted in the soil. During the autumn and winter months, the seed is acclimatized, swells and hardened, and in spring gives good shoots. The main thing is that from the moment of seeding the seeds into the soil and the onset of stable cold weather there should be no less than 21 days, and soaking, before growing an apple tree from a seed, will only increase the number of shoots. Apple seeds are planted in the ground to a depth of 15 mm, while the distance between plants should be not less than 20 mm, and between individual rows - 15–20 cm. When four true leaves are opened on the seedlings, the plants are sorted, removing notorious willows, and thinned, increasing the distance to 6–8 cm.signs of a wild look. It is possible to distinguish dikarku from a cultivated plant by smaller, brightly colored leaves and the presence of thin straight spines on the stem. In varietal apple trees there are no spines, and the leaves are larger, often pubescent, with a curved leaf blade. What are the apple trees in summer? If during planting active organic fertilizers, for example, manure or bird droppings that can burn tender sprouts and become a source of bacterial contamination of seedlings, are not used, then in the summer an organic top dressing is needed. But in the first year of growth, it is better to again refuse to apply manure, replacing it with the extract of humus or other humic additives that are safer for young plants. A young apple tree is planted in a permanent place in spring or autumn, after picking up a well-lit, dry place for a large tree with a strong root system. At the same time, it should not be forgotten that seedlings growing under room conditions as they grow require transplants to larger tanks, and in this case watering is more frequent. When the apple trees, especially the first year of life, fall into the open ground, they are very gentle and are often affected by pests and diseases. Young seedlings are desirable prey for animals. Therefore, the future fruit tree or rootstock in the early years will surely provide reliable protection against these enemies and frost. 
