hello!
i was curious… a month ago, i cut a honey crisp apple I bought from the store and 4 of the seeds had germinated. I’ve never seen this in my life so i decided to plant them in soil, in a small container, and 2 of them seem to be growing fine. How often does it happen to have apple
seed that have sprout inside the fruit? What would be the best way to grow them? I have them in a small pot with a grow light shining on the new growths 16 hrs a day… is that ok?
Thank you!
It is exciting to find seeds that have germinated inside of an apple. This condition is known as vivipary- the sprouting of seeds while they are still attached to the mother plant.
Vivipary occurs when the fruit is overripe before it is harvested, which causes the abscisic acid hormone that controls seed dormancy to weaken it’s control over the seeds. If there is ample moisture surrounding the seeds when this happens, then they can sprout.
Most apples are grown from grafted trees and will not come true from seed. The seeds might germinate, and they could develop into productive trees, but the fruit might not be similar to the fruit you purchased. Fruit breeders plant thousands of apple seeds every year from controlled crosses they make.
The seeds should be planted in an inch deep pot containing potting soil or seed germinating mix. Moisten the soil. The pot should be buried outdoors in the ground in fall, or placed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, away from ripening fruits and vegetables.
Periodically check the soil mix to make certain it stays moist but not wet. After 3-4 months of temperatures just above freezing, move the pot to a location at room temperature (or wait for warm temperatures to develop naturally outdoors). If properly chilled, the seeds should germinate in several weeks.
The following site provides more detail.
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/sprout-care-apple-seed-28437.html
Good luck with your seedlings.