Can Heirloom Apple Trees Be Started From Seed?

Seeds or Cuttings

• It is difficult to buy apple tree seeds guaranteed to provide you with a rich-red or bright-green apple. Most apple trees are started by cuttings, which are rooted, and then planted. This guarantees the same quality of apple in the new tree, since it is the same tree as the one from which it was cut. You can germinate a seed from an apple you enjoyed, but the quality of the apples produced will probably not be the same.

Germination

• It is difficult to buy apple tree seeds guaranteed to provide you with a rich-red or bright-green apple. Most apple trees are started by cuttings, which are rooted, and then planted. This guarantees the same quality of apple in the new tree, since it is the same tree as the one from which it was cut. You can germinate a seed from an apple you enjoyed, but the quality of the apples produced will probably not be the same.

Maintenance

• Maintaining apple trees is similar to maintaining other types of trees. Prune the tree yearly as needed to remove dead branches and overgrown branches. Apply fertilizer, fungicides and borax on a schedule determined by need. This will keep the pH of the soil and the health of the tree at the proper levels and helps produce a larger bounty for harvest.

Pest Deterrence

• Along with insecticides, either chemical or natural, protect the tree from rodents. Rodents usually attack the tree during the winter months when food is scarce. Placing mesh hardware cloth around the bottom of the tree, to a height of 18 inches suffices to repel rodents. Bury the mesh 1in to prevent any rodent damage below the ground surface too.