Germinating some apple seeds! Wanting to touch base....

[JustLikeAmmy]

I got a bonsai a couple weeks ago that's basically doomed for death.

So I looked up how to germinate citrus seeds for a tropical bonsai a few days ago. Yesterday, I got 2 apples from Target (only two left) and busted those seeds out of there.

I didn't listen to many of the step-by-step guides I saw online, because I like to think of things in the sense of a scientist as opposed to a gardener. A lot of gardening techniques to me seem to be orientated towards empathizing with something that isn't even sentient.

So what did I do? I got some amazing results!

I simply rinsed off the fresh apple seeds from the fruit, and stuck them in a wet paper towel and crammed it in a bag, and put it in a tiny cranny in my entertainment center that is ALWAYS above 85 degrees because I have a stereo amp that runs warm. This was yesterday at like 5pm....

Today at 10am what do I wake up to? Literally less than 24 hours later, TWO of my apple seeds have sprouted!!!

So that's my story so far Right now I'm planning the next step and I was wondering if anyone has any pointers, as I've never gardened anything in my life until about 2 weeks ago, but I read up really well on things.

Is an egg carton the best idea? Does it need holes in the bottom? I don't have a cup I can use.

I'm making a mix of soil myself to plant the little seed sprouts in. I'm going to mix about 70% fir bark with 20% river rock, then top 10% left off with crushed up eggshells and old used coffee grounds I've baked. Could this formula be improved at all? Do you think this mix will be too acidic? I hear citrus trees like it a bit shy of about 8 pH.

Pretty hopeful about these plants--one will be my new bonsai if and when my Juniper doesn't make it, and the other will go to my moms yard

Here's a snapshot of my under-24-hour apple seed sprouts. Gotta love genetic engineering, yea??

[url=https://postimage.org/image/5rlwce5cx/][img]https://s8.postimage.org/5rlwce5cx/2012_09_03_11_43_29_HDR.jpg[/img][/url]

[rainbowgardener]

great job on sprouting your apple seeds! You do know that apple is not a citrus and not a tropical? Apple trees are temperate deciduous trees, another category that can't be kept indoors. If you still are looking for an indoor tree, you need a real tropical. Fig (ficus) is good.

[JustLikeAmmy]

great job on sprouting your apple seeds! You do know that apple is not a citrus and not a tropical? Apple trees are temperate deciduous trees, another category that can't be kept indoors. If you still are looking for an indoor tree, you need a real tropical. Fig (ficus) is good.

Bahahahaha--I didn't know that xD I assumed it was citric for some reason. You know what they say about assumptions *smacks own head*

Well that's upsetting--I nearly want to throw the seedling away!!!

The whole point was to grow something that is more comfortable in an indoor environment......

I'll just let it sprout and give it to my mother or something. How irritating.

Is there any other fruit trees you'd recommend offhand from experience or word of mouth? Figs don't appeal to me too much...

Tried to germinate a couple mandarin orange seeds from an orange before I did the apple seeds. Pretty much didn't work even a little bit.

Cheers!

[applestar]

Citrus seeds can be germinated easily. Sometimes you'll find them sprouting inside the fruit, much as you did (well nearly) with the apple. I just stick them in pots and they grow.

USUALLY, though, tree seeds that are not already germinating will take about 3-4 wks to sprout. So you do need some patience. Some seeds need specific conditions -- well actually all seeds need specific ideal conditions, so that's something else to research.

For bonsai, kumquats are often recommended. I have a dwarf Trifoliate orange "Fying Dragon" -- wicked looking hooked claws/thorns and somewhat contorted shape -- which is apparently also a popular bonsai subject, though I'm growing it as a regular tree outside since it's one of rare citrus varieties that can survive the winter here.

Eventually -- another few years? -- when it fruits, they are supposed to be good for sour juice that can be made into something like lemonade, and I'll have the seeds -- I'm really looking forward to the seeds to grow too.
I intend to have learned grafting techniques by then, and plan on using the seedlings as dwarfing rootstock for compatible citrus scions.

[rainbowgardener]

Well it's kind of a bind, if you really want to do fruit trees. See many of the actual tropical fruit trees, that would be good as indoor trees, have huge leaves and are not suitable for bonsai - think banana, papaya, guava, avocado, etc.

If what you want is an indoor bonsai, you should start with a suitable tree. There are a number of them, including ficus, fukien tea, serissa, monterey cypress, bouganvillea, and others.