Apple seeds are easy to make at home with the right preparation, and the seedlings are usually more vigorous than their grafted nursery counterparts. Give an apple seedling 3 to 4 years old and it will reach and surpass the size of a potted transplant. From there, you have a tree that can live for centuries.

The main reason apple trees are not grown from seed is that the fruits will not be identical. Like humans, offspring may bear some resemblance to their parents, but with their own taste and habits. Humans tend to want predictability and for this reason apple trees are cloned using grafts rather than seeds.

The thing is… all of the tastiest apple varieties were seedlings at some point in history. Planting an apple from seed is like playing the lottery, and since you’re probably going to compost the apple core anyway, you have nothing to lose.

Since a seedling tree will have some of the characteristics of its parents, it is enough to choose the seeds of our favorite varieties to plant. Chances are, many of them will produce apples better suited for cider or to please wildlife, but the trees will still continue to feed bees with abundant flowers and nectar in the spring. And they’ll help pollinate other, tastier trees, so it’s a win either way.

Preparing apple seeds for planting

Apple seeds need cold stratification to break dormancy. Seeds should be stored in a humid refrigerator for at least 6 weeks before planting. Place the apple seeds on a damp paper towel, then place that paper towel in a plastic bag, leaving it open just a little for air exchange. Store it in the back of the refrigerator, checking the towel every week to make sure it is damp.

Germinating apple seeds on a paper towel

After 6 weeks, some seeds may have already started to germinate. This is good because apple seeds have a very low germination rate. Some sources say it is as low as 30%.

If you buy local apples at the end of the season, months after harvest, they have already been stored in the refrigerator for several months. It’s also a good idea to cold stratify these seeds on a damp paper towel, as additional stratification won’t damage them, but not enough cold hours means no apple seedlings. When you cut local apples that have been in storage for a long time, some seeds may have already started to sprout inside the apple…

How to plant apple seeds

After a minimum of 6 weeks on a damp paper towel in the refrigerator, you can plant apple seeds as you would any other seed. They can be sown directly outdoors if it is after the last spring frost and the soil can be worked. Since germination rates are low and predation by squirrels, mice and voles can be a problem early on, I recommend germinating them in pots.

Place about a dozen seeds in a recycled nursery pot with some seed starting soil. Keep the soil warm and moist, as you would with any other spring-planted seeds (i.e. tomatoes).

How long do apple seeds take to germinate?

After 6 weeks of cold stratification, apple seeds germinate quite quickly. Many seeds will already germinate on the paper towel in your refrigerator, and these will emerge from the soil faster after planting. Assuming the soil temperature is warm enough (around 24°C), the seeds should emerge from the soil in 1 to 2 weeks.

From there, grow the apple seedlings in pots until they are at least 10-10cm tall.

Transplant apple seedlings

If you want to get them in the ground as soon as possible, simply wait until night temperatures are consistently above 10°C in spring (or early summer).

Once the apple plants are in the ground, they will begin to grow into a full-sized tree. Since they are not grafted onto dwarf rootstocks that cripple them and limit their nutrients, apple plants will grow strong and healthy, but also large. Proper pruning can keep apple trees smaller, but full-sized apple trees should always be planted at least 6 m apart.

How long do apple seedlings take to bear fruit?

Surprisingly not much longer than an expensive grafted nursery tree. Apple trees purchased from a nursery usually begin producing apples about 8 years after planting. They may have been in the pot for a while, making them a little tied and stunted. Even under the best of circumstances, large 15cm tall nursery trees do not tolerate transplanting well and are slow to recover and regrow vigorously.

After three years in the ground, apple seedlings will be taller than grafted nursery trees. It will take about 5 years to have apples, but nothing is certain, time will tell.