Even a novice gardener knows how to grow an apple tree, because a rare site in the country can do without these trees. The variety of varieties allows you to satisfy all tastes. This culture grows well in the southern regions and in the north. But only experienced summer residents will tell you how to grow an apple tree directly from a seed.

Will an apple tree grown from a seed bear fruit

Sometimes you can hear that the apple tree was grown from a seed. This method is good for fun, although it is quite long, because the tree as a result may not have varietal characteristics. It will only take 10 years to understand what the fruits will look like, so if the goal is to get the harvest as soon as possible, then this method will not work.

Apple seeds

As for the columnar apple trees, their seeds do not even fully pollinate, let alone match the varietal characteristics of the parent plant.

On a note! This type of fruit tree differs in that the apples grow on them as on a column, close to the trunk.

As a result, an apple tree from a seed will bear fruit as follows:

  • a tree with varietal characteristics and a stable yield;
  • decorative plant - the fruits will be bright, but tasteless;
  • wild game with small fruits, suitable only for homemade preparations: apple jam or compote.

Experienced gardeners cultivate a sprout from an apple seed and then graft it onto a mature tree. Then the success in inheriting varietal traits will be 80%. With vegetative propagation, that is, such a grafting, the apple tree will turn out to be strong and frost-resistant. Low-growing varieties are used as a stock: silver hoof, Uslada and the like. This subsequently facilitates tree maintenance and harvesting.

Apple tree

Thus, when grown from seeds, good material is obtained for varietal grafting or breeding of new varieties. Several seeds are usually laid in the ground, this increases the chances of their germination.

Important!In order to get a strong and strong seedling without varietal characteristics, it is better to use the varieties Antonovka ordinary, Cinnamon striped, as well as Chinese or wild apple.

Apple trees obtained from the parent tree by the following breeding methods are guaranteed to have varietal qualities:

  • Digging in the escape.

An annual branch is buried in the spring to a depth of about 10 cm and secured with a peg. Above the ground, a shoot 35 cm in size should rise. Then it is watered and cleaned of weeds. A year later, a seedling with well-developed roots can be detached and planted in the main place in the fall. Then the branches are pruned, while the length of the shoot together with the trunk should be about 80 cm. When the seedling grows even more, it is recommended to remove the leaves.

  • Shank.

    Cuttings

It is necessary to take a strong branch up to 2 years old and cut off the bark on it in a ring 5 cm wide.The distance from the top should be about 15 cm.The prepared section of the branch is treated with a special agent (Kornevin is suitable) and wrapped in moss or other substrate that can absorb water ... Then cover with a film on top.

When growing an apple tree from seeds, you need to tune in to the fact that this is not an easy process and it will not be fast. Many seeds are sown at once, so that later weak shoots are rejected.Since the site, as a rule, does not give the opportunity to plant many trees, 2-3 of the strongest are left. For the successful cultivation of an apple tree, the seeds must be carefully selected. The seed is taken from large and ripe fruits in early autumn.

Advice! It is better to prefer apples from the outer branches - they received more light and nutrients during the ripening process. The seeds themselves should be large in size and dark brown in color.

To obtain seedlings, the seed is subjected to stratification - the creation of conditions close to real, that is, cold. Before that, they need to be rinsed well, dried and left in warm water for 3 days, changed daily. You can use the stimulant Efin. When the seeds swell, they must be put in a mixture of wet moss and sawdust. It is also permissible to use a mixture of sawdust or peat with sand. After that, the seeds are placed in a cold cellar or refrigerator for 2-3 months. You can put charcoal in the mixture against mold.

When the seeds sprout, the strongest shoots are taken and planted in pots to a depth of about 2-3 cm. Nutrient soil is used for seedlings, drainage (expanded clay) is placed on the bottom. If several seedlings are placed in one container, then a distance of 15-20 cm is maintained between them, exactly how much is required, can be determined visually, based on the size of the container.

Important! When growing seedlings in a greenhouse, it is necessary to create the required level of lighting there.

If it is not possible to create the necessary conditions at home, then the cultivation of an apple tree from seeds is carried out in the open field. Thus, the seed is planted directly into the ground, guided by the same rules as for home planting. In order for the plants to survive the winter, they are planted in special containers and placed in a greenhouse. Next spring, they are ready to land at their permanent location.

Selecting and preparing a landing site

How to grow an apple tree from a seed at home

Since the apple tree lives for a long time and it is not easy to change the location of the plant, the choice of the site must be taken responsibly. It happens that errors in determining the place for an apple tree are discovered several years later.

It is necessary to study climatic conditions, soil composition and terrain. Heat-loving plants in the middle lane should be grown on the southern and south-western sides, avoiding low areas. In areas with hot climates and dry summers, planting on the southern sides, on the contrary, is undesirable.

Planting an apple tree

Soil composition is also a determining factor when choosing an apple variety. Moreover, it is considered together with climatic conditions. In areas where the weather is dry and warm, clay soils are quite suitable, but in cold and rainy summers, trees on such soil will not grow. In this case, sandy, sandy loam or light loamy soils are recommended. Groundwater should run no more than 2-3 meters from the surface. You also need to ensure that there is no constant accumulation of moisture in the landing area.

How to plant an apple tree

How to uproot an apple tree

Cultural agrotechnics provides for planting an apple tree both in spring and in autumn - at the end of April or from the second half of September to mid-October.

On a note! Planting a tree is preferable in the fall, because the root system in this case manages to develop well.

Step-by-step instructions for planting an apple tree seedling:

  • For a month, it is necessary to prepare a pit 60 cm deep and 120 cm wide.
  • The dug soil is mixed with organic fertilizers, and the lower layer is placed separately - it will subsequently form a roller around the apple tree.
  • A small peg is dug in the center, protruding about 50 cm above the ground.
  • The pit is filled with soil mixed with top dressing, and they are not touched until the moment of planting.
  • After a month, the soil will settle slightly and it is necessary to make a depression in it for the roots of the seedling.
  • The tree is carefully placed in the hole, spreading the roots and tying it to the peg with a soft twine. It is necessary to ensure that the root collar is above the ground.
  • Sprinkle the roots with soil with fertilizers, shaking the seedling to avoid the formation of voids between the roots. Then the soil is lightly crushed.
  • After that, the apple tree should be watered abundantly, and the earth should be sprinkled with humus on top.

In the future, proper care consists in watering weekly and checking that the twine does not damage the bark of the trunk. The apple tree must be grown like any other fruit tree, there are no specific features here. If the variety is vigorous, the peg is removed after 2 years.

An Apple

Apple tree: care and cultivation

How to plant an apple tree

Growing an apple tree implies treatment against pests and diseases as a preventive measure. Before budding occurs, and then when buds appear, fruit trees are sprayed with fungicides. In the fall, the trunks are whitewashed to protect them from sunburn and rodents. If there are wounds on the tree, they are covered with red lead iron.

Watering

In dry weather, watering the seedlings is essential. After heavy rains, loosening of the soil is required to provide air access to the roots. To do this, it is enough to pierce the ground with a crowbar half a meter from the trunk to a depth of no more than 50 cm. You can use a pitchfork, but without turning them to the side. In the heat, irrigation is recommended weekly in the evenings by sprinkling - the crown will grow better and be cleared of pests.

Watering the apple tree

Fertilizer

The first feeding is done by the end of April. A pound of urea and 10 buckets of manure are poured around the tree in a circle. As soon as the apple tree begins to bloom, it is time for liquid feeding - urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfate. It is important that the weather is dry and warm. It is better to water the tree before and after fertilization.

During the fruiting period, apple trees need feeding with nitrophos with the addition of dry sodium humate. After harvesting, at the end of autumn, it is necessary to fertilize the tree with superphosphate and potassium sulfate. Fertilizers can be poured on the ground next to the apple tree and diluted with water for irrigation.

Pruning and shaping the crown

Strictly before the start of sap flow, the excess branches are trimmed. In spring, this procedure is done with the aim of rejuvenating the tree by removing dry, damaged or non-fruiting branches. And also to shape the crown of the apple tree.

Interesting!The first columnar apple tree was formed by random mutation and then was propagated vegetatively.

The next spring, after planting the seedling, it's time to start forming the crown. The type is selected based on the characteristics of the variety and personal wishes. The procedure for its formation takes 5-6 years, but as a result of the effort spent, the tree will become stronger and will give large yields.

Harvesting and preparing for winter

The harvest time will vary depending on the apple variety. If you plant several apple trees with different ripening periods on the site, you can provide yourself with fruits from mid-summer to late autumn. The fact that the apple is ripe is indicated by a slight separation from the stalk and the brown color of the seeds.

Harvesting apples

Until the first frost occurs, the tree bark is cleaned of moss and lichen, the damage is treated with copper sulfate. Also, the apple tree is inspected for pests and destroyed, if any. Dead and damaged branches are removed, and the trunk is whitewashed.

After all the procedures, the soil under the plant is cleaned of debris, dug up and mulch is made from compost. If enhanced protection from frost is required, then the trunks are covered with tar paper or spruce branches.

With proper care, the tree will winter well and delight with harvest annually.