How to Grow Red Delicious Apples From Seed

Pick about two dozen apples from a Red Delicious tree during September. Avoid gathering those that have dropped or buying apples for seed from a grocery store. Store-bought apples are often infertile, advises Jeff Meyer in "The Tree Book."

Core the apples and remove the seeds carefully without damaging them. Wash off all the pulp from the seeds and rinse three times. Use room-temperature water.

Measure 3 cups of coarse-grade perlite in a large bowl. Add 3 cups of water and mix well.

Use a slotted spoon to place the moist perlite in a resealable plastic bag. Add the seeds to the bag and toss lightly. Close the top.

Place bag in the refrigerator at 40 to 44 degrees F and leave for one to two months. This process is known as cold stratification and is essential for proper germination.

Open the bag every 10 days and check to see if seeds have any mold. If you see mold, remove the seeds and rinse in a solution of 10 parts water to 1 part household bleach. Mix a fresh batch of perlite, and put seeds back in bag and in the refrigerator. Count time from original date.

Fill a 3- to 4-inch-deep planting tray with well-drained, loose potting soil. Remove the apple seeds from the bag, and sprinkle them on the soil in rows spaced 2 to 3 inches apart. Cover with 1/2 inch of soil. Add a thin layer of sawdust over seeded areas to prevent mildew.

Place the tray in a warm, bright, sunny area. Mist soil regularly to keep moist. Dilute a liquid fertilizer with 5 parts of water, and use to mist every other watering session.

Transfer seedlings to individual, medium-sized containers filled with potting soil. Water enough to keep soil moist. Continue the use of fertilizer at the same strength.

Transplant to a permanent spot in the garden when seedlings are about 2 feet tall and the trunks are about the diameter of a pencil.