Apple tree and seed

How to Grow An Apple Tree From Seed (Easy Tutorial)

Published on January 19, 2021 Last updated November 18, 2021 ♛ By Melissa J. Will

Use this simple tutorial to grow an apple tree using the seeds found in fruit from the grocery store. It’s an excellent beginner project for anyone wanting to try simple plant propagation. This same method works for pears as well.

Want to turn other food into plants? See How to Grow Avocado From Seed.

Grow Your Own Apple Tree

Of all the ways we can encourage a love of plants, nature, and gardening, it seems that starting something quite prolific from seed—like an oak tree from an acorn or an apple tree from seed—are sure ways to create a lifelong interest in growing. And how cool is it that you take the seeds from fruit you’re eating and grow them into fruit-bearing trees?

Contents

Before You Start

Before we dive into the step-by-step instructions there are a few things to know.

• For seeds to be viable (able to grow), they need to be mature. An apple you buy at the grocery store is very likely mature but an apple picked from a tree part way through the growing season will not have fully-formed seeds. So start with mature, ripe fruit.

• Apple seeds, along with other fruit seeds including pear, peach, and cherry, require stratification (cold, damp conditions) to prepare for germination. The amount of time required to stratify varies depending on the variety. It’s generally between 60 and 90 days. The instructions (below) show you how to mimic stratification.

• Not all apple seeds will sprout. Even if you do everything right, some types never sprout, and for those that do, only half may germinate. It varies a lot. So, increase your odds by starting a bunch, preferably from several different types of apples.

• You won’t get McIntosh apples from McIntosh seeds. Or any other variety (with a few exceptions*). If your apple seeds do grow to become fruit-bearing trees, the apples produced will not be same as the ones you started with. Most apple trees require cross-pollination from another apple tree so any apples produced will have genes from both (the tree you grew and the pollinator tree) and, similarly, no two seeds will produce genetically-identical trees. In other words: every seed has a different combination of genes. That’s why plant breeders who want specific varieties do not grow their trees from seed but instead propagate vegetatively, taking stems and grafting them onto other established rootstock, to grow genetically identical apples. *Antonovka seeds are one example of apple seeds that reproduce true to parent.

Personally, I love experimenting with seed starting, watching things grow, and propagating plants from food scraps is a favorite rabbit hole to explore.

And, what a wonderful thing for a child (or anyone) to grow something from a simple seed and nurture it for years to come.

How to Sprout Apple Seeds

This is how to germinate apple seeds. You can follow the same steps to sprout pear seeds as well.

Get Seeds Ready

Some apples have many seeds, some have few, others have none or just little white cases where you’d expect to find seeds. Pay attention to store bought apples like McIntosh, Delicious, Granny Smith, Sparta, Fuji, Gala, and so on, and, as you eat them, look for fully formed (dark brown) seeds.

It’s best to start quite a few (10-20) from different types of apples to increase your odds. If you do, be sure to keep each type separate and labelled so you know what worked.

Start with a ripe apple (one you would eat) to ensure the seeds inside are mature. Cut around the core to avoid damaging any of the seeds with your knife.

I like to take clear, close up pictures at this point so I have something to compare with later on.

Ever Find Sprouted Seeds In Your Apple?

When fruits become over-ripe, the hormones that control seed dormancy decline and the seeds within the fruit can actually start sprouting. This is called vivipary (“live birth”). If you ever find germinated seeds in your apple, sow them! And thank them for making propagation so easy.

Sand Seed Coats

Next, to help the process along, you can very gently soften the seed coat. I do this by folding a small piece of sandpaper with the right (rough) sides together. Insert one seed at a time and gently sand off a little bit of the coat by rolling everything between your fingers. Easy does it: you don’t want to expose the embryo inside.

Soak in Moist Paper Towel

Once sanded, spread your seeds out on a moist (not dry, not soaking wet) paper towel (or a dish cloth), fold it up, and place everything in a food storage container or plastic food bag.

You may see other methods where the seeds are placed in moist potting mix instead of paper towel. I prefer paper towel because it makes it easy to check on the seeds and see any sign of sprouting without having to dig them out and rinse them off.

Chill in Fridge

Add a tag or write on tape or with waterproof marker noting the seed name (McIntosh, Delicious, Granny Smith…) and the date.

Place in refrigerator and set a reminder on your phone to check on the seeds weekly.

Most fridges run around 35 to 38°F (1.7 to 3.3°C) and apple seeds do best around 40°F (4.4°C). With the insulation provided by the container and paper towel, our seeds in the fridge will do fine.

How long does it take for apple seeds to germinate?

Depending on the variety, they may need 60 to 90 days of moist and cold conditions to germinate. Never allow the paper towel to dry out or become waterlogged: just add moisture as needed.

When they have sprouted, they are ready for sowing.

If they haven’t sprouted after 90 days in the fridge, try setting the container on your countertop at room temperature and give them another few weeks. I’ve had some sprout this late, right when I was going to give up.

Planting Sprouted Apple Seeds

I’ve sprouted my apple seeds, now what?

While you could plant your apple tree seedling right in the garden (in spring or summer), it will be much easier to protect and care for it if you grow it in a container for as long as possible.

Start with a 4 to 6-inch wide (and deep) plastic flower pot with drainage holes and use organic potting mix.

This larger pot (in the photo, below) has seven apple tree seedlings. Once they get a bit bigger (about 6 to 8-inches tall), they should be transplanted into their own containers to avoid getting the roots tangled.

Frequently-Asked Questions

When Will My Apple Tree Produce Fruit?

With optimum growing conditions, it may take 7 to 10 years for the tree to flower and fruit—if it will do this at all. Some apple trees grown from seed will never fruit.

We grow from seed for fun but buy grafted apple trees if we want a tree that will provide a specific type of apple.

The whole topic of pollination is worth researching if you do get this far. If you want a chance of pollination (leading to fruit), there will need to be other apple trees nearby for cross-pollination.

Also, some types of apple tree including Jonagold and Gravenstein have sterile pollen and require pollen from two other trees for fertilization to take place. These are called ‘triploids’. So much to know!

Apple Tree Pollinators
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are the most common pollinators for apple trees, along with orchard mason bees (Osmia lignaria), and (in much smaller numbers) bumblebee queens (Bombus genus). You may also notice that each variety of apple tree has its own time to flower from late winter to late spring. Fruit trees that flower at the same time are called ‘pollinator partners’.

Are Apple Seeds Toxic?

Apple seeds do contain cyanogenic glycoside, a cyanide-based compound. But it would take a very large dose to harm someone. That’s why it’s not an issue when we accidentally swallow seeds when eating apples. There are no cases of apple seed poisoning on record.

Can I Grow An Apple Tree Indoors?

It would be fun but no, not under normal household conditions. These are cold-hardy trees needing four seasons to flourish.

More Tutorials

I hope you’ll give this a try and be sure to sign up for the free Empress of Dirt Newsletter for new growing tips and creative garden ideas.

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Can I grow an apple tree from a seed?

Can I grow an apple tree from a seed?

It is possible to grow an apple tree from an apple seed. However, in most cases, apple trees don’t come true from seeds. For example, a seed taken from a Red Delicious apple will not produce a Red Delicious apple tree. Seedling apple trees are genetically different and usually inferior to the parent tree. Most apple trees are propagated by grafting. Grafting allows growers to produce trees that are identical (genetically) to one another.

While a tree grown from an apple seed is likely to be disappointing, it’s not difficult to germinate apple seeds. Apple seeds need to be exposed to cool, moist conditions before they will germinate. The cool, moist requirement can be accomplished by planting apple seeds outdoors in fall. Plant the seeds 1/2 inch deep. The cool, moist requirement can also be attained indoors. Place a layer of moist sand in the bottom of a small container, such as a plastic margarine tub, place the apple seeds on the moist sand, and then cover the seeds with additional moist sand. Punch 1 or 2 small holes in the plastic lid and then place it on the container. Place the container in the refrigerator for 90 to 120 days. (The temperature in the refrigerator should be 37 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit.) Afterwards, remove the seeds from the refrigerator and plant indoors. Plant the seeds 1/2 deep in a commerical potting mix. Keep the potting mix moist until the seeds germinate.

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How to Grow Apple Trees From Seed

Introduction: How to Grow Apple Trees From Seed

Hello! This tutorial will show you how to grow apple trees from seed.

First, here are a few things you should know:
-If you grow an apple tree from seed, it probably won’t grow the same type of tree. This is because apple seeds don’t grow true, which means that every seed is unique.

-Since you’re growing a whole new variety of apple tree, it’s possible it might take 10-15 years to actually fruit, if it even does fruit. You aren’t guaranteed that it will!

-Statistically, only about 30% of the seeds successfully germinate. And some that successfully germinate may not live long afterwards. Don’t be scared off, when I started I had around twenty seeds and after a month i ended up with only five seedlings. This is completely natural, don’t give up!

-If your trees do eventually produce fruit, you aren’t guaranteed they will taste good. Since you’ve created a whole new variety, there’s no sure way to tell!

Step 1: Germinating the Seeds

To start, you’re going to need to gather a few things:

-A plastic sandwich bag
-Somewhere cold, like a refrigerator
-Paper towel/napkins
-Apples!

First, you need to gather the apple seeds. Some apples may only have a couple, while others may have six or seven! I usually use four or five apples worth. Whatever you do, make sure not to damage the seeds, as they most likely won’t ever grow. It’s best if you cut the apple with an apple cutter, or eat the apple down to the core then split it in half with force. You can use a knife if you wish, but it might damage the seeds. Once you’ve gathered your apple seeds, make sure to wash any remains of the fruit so that they don’t rot. I find it easiest to use a small strainer, so that you don’t lose any of the seeds.

Now that your seeds are prepped and ready, you will need to prepare your paper towel. All you need to do is stick it under a faucet so it becomes slightly damp. Then you will need to squeeze most of the water out so there isn’t too much moisture. Once you’ve done that, you can place the seeds on the napkin, and then fold it up and place it inside of the sandwich bag.

Now that it’s in the sandwich bag, make sure it’s sealed up and place it inside of your refrigerator. You can expect to wait up to two months before you see any signs of growth. Essentially what you’re doing is simulating nature. When apples mature and fall from the tree, they decompose yet the seeds remain on the ground. Unless animals get to them first, they remain on the ground throughout winter. Once spring hits, the seeds come out of dormancy and start to sprout! Essentially, they’re programmed to germinate after a period of coldness. Make sure to check on them around once a week, and if any seeds start to rot, it would be best to remove them and replace the paper towel so the rest of the seeds don’t rot as well. Also keep an eye on the moisture level, if it seems a little dry you should add a small amount of water to it.

I checked on my seeds after a month, and it turns out they all sprouted! But don’t be surprised if they don’t before, or even after the first two months. If they haven’t, it’s okay! They really aren’t supposed to sprout yet. Take the bag out of the refrigerator and place it in a sunny location. South facing windowsills work best, but any sunny location will do. Blow some air into it (which creates a mini greenhouse), and then seal it up.

Leave them in the bag until they sprout. They should start sprouting within two weeks. If they haven’t all sprouted within a month and a half, the ones that haven’t probably never will. You can pitch them if you wish, or just leave them to see if they finally sprout.

Step 2: Planting the Seeds

After the seeds have sprouted, you can plant them right away. Generally, it doesn’t matter what direction you plant them in as eventually they will make their way up, but it’s best to plant them root-end down. (That little green bit poking out of the seed? That’s the root!)

It would be best to plant them individually in a cell tray, but if you wish to plant them in one pot until they’re more established that works as well! Generally you can fit three or four in a decently sized pot, just make sure they have room to grow as once you have them covered it’s best to leave them sit until they’re much more mature.

I planted mine about half an inch deep, but I wouldn’t go much further as the seeds will probably die before they finally poke out of the dirt. Keep these seedlings inside for the first month or two, as they’re quite fragile and will need some time to grow.

Step 3: Saplings!

With luck, it’s been a few months and your saplings have grown quite a bit! Now it’s time to think about planting them outside. The best time to plant them depends on when you first started the seeds. It’s generally a good idea to plant them in the spring (once all dangers of frost have passed) so that they have the whole summer to establish a good root system before winter, but it’s also alright to plant mid-summer. However I would not recommend planting any later as the cold temperatures of winter will most likely kill them if they aren’t established! If you started too late in the year, the plants should survive the winter inside. Once the saplings are a foot tall, they should be alright to plant. I would put some sort of mesh around them at first, because I learned from first-hand experience that deer enjoy the saplings quite a lot!

Now, as I originally stated, the seeds never grow true to their parent plant, so there’s no telling what kind of apple you’re going to end up with, if one at all. Most people who grow apple trees from seed are only doing so for a rootstock, which is used to graft a branch from a specific variety of tree onto to create another tree of the same fruit. If you wish to learn more about grafting, Progressive Farmer has a fantastic tutorial that can be found Here.

Enjoy your trees, and good luck!

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