Have you ever tried growing apple trees from seeds extracted from an apple? You may think that they are good for germination. These are seeds and seeds are meant to grow, right?

I’ve heard people say that apple seeds harvested from apples are hybrids and therefore can’t germinate them because hybrids are sterile.

It is correct to say that cultivated apples have hybrid seeds inside. But it’s probably incorrect to say that’s why apple seeds don’t sprout.

The myth that seeds collected from hybrid apples are sterile could be due to the fact that apple seeds must be stratified before they can germinate. Stratification means that seeds need to be treated with cold temperatures for a certain period of time before they germinate. Most people probably don’t think about layering their apple seeds. Seeds never germinate without stratification, hence the idea that they are sterile or infertile.

If you collect the seeds from an apple and put them in the ground or in a pot, chances are your apple seeds won’t germinate for 2 reasons. Seeds need a dry period followed by a stratification period. If you ignore these two steps, you probably won’t have the expected success for your seed germination.

If you want to germinate apple seeds collected from an apple, first allow the seeds to dry for 3-4 weeks. Scatter the seeds on a piece of paper and roll them every 2 days. After a month or two, the seeds lose their luster and take on a drier appearance. This is a good indication that the nuggets are well dried.

Once the seeds are dry, place them in a ziplock bag or plastic Tupperware box. You can also add soil if you like. Place the container or bag in your refrigerator for about three months.

If you choose to add soil, you can moisten the soil after about 10 or 11 weeks. Take a good look at the bag from time to time and let fresh air in frequently. You should start to see leaves coming out of the ground within a few weeks if everything has gone well.

If you didn’t choose to add soil, you can try planting the seeds directly in pots or in the ground. You can let the seeds dry out over the winter and put them in the refrigerator for 3 months before freezing them. The cold weather seems to be helping apple seeds. Commercially grown apple varieties are usually grafted onto a wild-rootstock variety. The wild variety will be abundant and adapt to the local climate. Not only does this method produce more apples, but without grafting some varieties they would not be able to thrive in certain climates. Grafting allows farmers to produce more varieties in limited climates.

This brings another complication because you won’t know the new variety you’re getting and will be tolerant of your local climate. The tree may simply die after a winter or two.

If you manage to grow apple trees from seed, remember to protect them from pests. Rabbits and deer like to eat fruit trees, especially young ones. Put up some kind of rabbit fence and use other defenses against deer and the like.

A good time to harvest apple seeds is when mom is baking an apple pie. Sometimes I eat an apple, I think it’s fantastic for saving seeds. Who knows, maybe I’ll get lucky or just have a little fun.

Growing apple trees from commercially grown seeds isn’t exactly a bad thing. Ultimately, it’s beautiful to see what kind of apples you’ll get. I suggest starting this project at a young age, if you want to see the final results.

Good luck with your apple seeds!