Today, thousands of varieties of the apple tree are grown commercially and privately around the world. Some of these have come about through natural crossings, but also through targeted breeding measures over time.

The natural reproduction of the apple tree

Like other fruit trees, the apple tree is dependent on the pollination of the apple blossoms by insects in order to produce fruit for the harvest and thus also seeds for propagation. Most apple trees are self-sterile, meaning there is insufficient pollen from flowers on the same tree for successful fertilization. There must therefore be at least one other tree of a pollinator type within the flight radius of the bees and bumblebees in order to enable pollination. When planting an apple tree in the garden, you should keep this fact in mind and, if necessary, plant several complementary trees.

Apple trees grown from seed offer surprises

In the case of an apple seedling grown from seeds, the genetic information of the fruit-bearing tree is always linked to that of the pollen donor. Since the selection of pollen in the wild cannot be precisely determined, surprises can arise with the first fruits and growth habit. Although ungrafted apple trees can also bring a good yield of large and sweet fruits, this only becomes apparent after about seven to ten years.

Commercial cultivation relies on grafted trees

In commercial cultivation and to a large extent also in private gardens, grafted apple trees are almost exclusively found today. Nowadays, these usually consist of a substrate that grows as weakly as possible and a scion that is copulated on it. For propagation with the grafting method, you should use scions of proven varieties such as the following, cut in winter if possible:

  • boskoop
  • Alcmene
  • Landsberger Renette
  • gold parmesan

These are better adapted to the local climatic conditions than most of the apple varieties available in regular grocery stores.

tips and tricks

It is an exciting experiment, especially for children, to grow an apple tree from a core in a pot. With a seedling in a pot, always make sure that there is an adequate water supply.

Category:

Trees