As a rider to this question, it's interesting how rare apple seeds germinate in their natural enviroment.
As a commercial grower for over fifity years I have never seen an apple seedling growing in our orchards of its own volition. This dispite the vast numbers of apples that have fallen to the ground over all those years.
I think that most find their way down various animals throats as the few wild apple trees that do grow are in the hedgerows and woods where the birds have roosted after eating the fruit.
That yellowing tinge of the paper towel is nothing to be concerned about. I had the same thing happen when I tried to germinate some seedlings in the fridge.
Here is a picture of a germinating apple seed:
https://farm1.static.flickr.com/169/408520865_b35ad204c0.jpg?v=0
One thing to bare in mind is that has probable been germinating for about 2/3 days I would guess - once it has this little white root you want to pot it in some soil, so that the top of the apple seed (the end opposite this root) is just below the surface of the soil.
Store bought apples are usually refrigerated anyway - so sometimes you can get lucky and have a few germinating seeds in the apple core. This is by far a quicker way to find germinating seeds.
One thing that will be interesting is going to be how your seeds cope with them beginning to grow in autumn!
A BIG tip (though this may seem like common sense) is in the first few weeks ensure that the soil is damp, but not soggy. I watered with a bottle top worth of water from a coke bottle say. Too much water - your apple seed will die. Too little - it will die. Its great fun though what your doing and I recommend taking photos to track the progress!
And finally, I cant stress enough not to use the peat pots! They potentially killed one of my seedlings, and may have killed another two if I hadn't torn the pots apart one day!
Here is a picture of a germinating apple seed:
https://farm1.static.flickr.com/169/408520865_b35ad204c0.jpg?v=0
One thing to bare in mind is that has probable been germinating for about 2/3 days I would guess - once it has this little white root you want to pot it in some soil, so that the top of the apple seed (the end opposite this root) is just below the surface of the soil.
Store bought apples are usually refrigerated anyway - so sometimes you can get lucky and have a few germinating seeds in the apple core. This is by far a quicker way to find germinating seeds.
One thing that will be interesting is going to be how your seeds cope with them beginning to grow in autumn!
A BIG tip (though this may seem like common sense) is in the first few weeks ensure that the soil is damp, but not soggy. I watered with a bottle top worth of water from a coke bottle say. Too much water - your apple seed will die. Too little - it will die. Its great fun though what your doing and I recommend taking photos to track the progress!
And finally, I cant stress enough not to use the peat pots! They potentially killed one of my seedlings, and may have killed another two if I hadn't torn the pots apart one day!
Hey guys--exciting news
One, only ONE, out of the 20 seeds is showing signs of starting to germinate!!! The seed is starting to splice open. Nothing is coming out yet, but I can see the soft white stuff inside!
What kind of a pot and soil should I buy? Where can I buy them????
12/9/10 EDIT: I bought some starting containers!!!! At the botany place, I wanted to buy some other seeds. They didn't have many, since it's winter, but the guy told me beans are pretty easy to grow, so I bought a package of them. Look for my bean thread in the respective category!!
Here are some pictures of the apple seed thats showing signs of germination. When will it be ready to plant?
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00071.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00070.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00069.jpg[/img][/img]
One, only ONE, out of the 20 seeds is showing signs of starting to germinate!!! The seed is starting to splice open. Nothing is coming out yet, but I can see the soft white stuff inside!
What kind of a pot and soil should I buy? Where can I buy them????
12/9/10 EDIT: I bought some starting containers!!!! At the botany place, I wanted to buy some other seeds. They didn't have many, since it's winter, but the guy told me beans are pretty easy to grow, so I bought a package of them. Look for my bean thread in the respective category!!
Here are some pictures of the apple seed thats showing signs of germination. When will it be ready to plant?
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00071.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00070.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00069.jpg[/img][/img]
Hey Appleman,
To answer your question - a germinating apple seed will have a little white root coming out the pointy end of the seed. The first picture on this site should shed some light on this:
When it starts to develop a root, you want to put it in some soil / a propagating disk just so that the top of the seed (the round end) sits below the top of the soil. Within a few days you should see it peeking through, and within a few more the seed case will fall off and it will start to grow (refer to first link to see how this will develop).
Sorry for the late reply to your post - how are yours getting along?!
To answer your question - a germinating apple seed will have a little white root coming out the pointy end of the seed. The first picture on this site should shed some light on this:
When it starts to develop a root, you want to put it in some soil / a propagating disk just so that the top of the seed (the round end) sits below the top of the soil. Within a few days you should see it peeking through, and within a few more the seed case will fall off and it will start to grow (refer to first link to see how this will develop).
Sorry for the late reply to your post - how are yours getting along?!
What's up sammus, hope you had a merry Christmas!
Thanks for that info. Last time I checked (about a week ago, I went back to my parents' house for the holidays), the seed wasn't quite at the point where the bud was already poking through like a lot of people here have mentioned, so I haven't planted it yet.
That article was really helpful! I've been very concerned with the watering--I was going to ask everyone basic stuff like how often to water and how much, but it was a relief to see the article guide me in saying one or two teaspoons each day for the first few days.
Thanks for that info. Last time I checked (about a week ago, I went back to my parents' house for the holidays), the seed wasn't quite at the point where the bud was already poking through like a lot of people here have mentioned, so I haven't planted it yet.
That article was really helpful! I've been very concerned with the watering--I was going to ask everyone basic stuff like how often to water and how much, but it was a relief to see the article guide me in saying one or two teaspoons each day for the first few days.
Yeah once I had it planted, I did a couple of drops every day - you don't want the soil to get too dry or too wet so err on the side of caution and if needs be you can always add more water later on.
Your best bet to finding a germinated apple seed could be to eat your way through a few apples, and look at the seeds inside - sooner or later you'll hit gold and find some. Not sure how well they will grow though atm with it being winter?
Good to hear that those links helped!
Your best bet to finding a germinated apple seed could be to eat your way through a few apples, and look at the seeds inside - sooner or later you'll hit gold and find some. Not sure how well they will grow though atm with it being winter?
Good to hear that those links helped!
HOLY ****!!!
I checked my apple seeds in the fridge for the first time in a couple weeks, and found not one, but 7 GERMINATING SEEDS!!!!
One of them had a sprout that was already a couple inches long!! Take a look at this bad boy before I planted it:
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00081.jpg[/img]
I took the Miracle-Gro seed starting soil that I bought about a month ago and filled up 7 of those black, plastic containers. For each germinating seed, I placed the seed on the soil and covered it up barely. The stuff was so dry and dusty that I'm scared I might have added too much water. On the first two, I added about 2-3 teaspoons of water. It seemed really strange! All it did was make the surface watery and swampy. It didn't look anything like damp soil that I'm used to seeing in nature.
There was one seed where I moistened the whole pot of soil first and then buried the seed. Is this way too much water???
Here are some pics of my little garden
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00083.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00084.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00085.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00087.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00088.jpg[/img]
There are two things (besides watering) that I am concerned about:
1. I have only one CFL bulb providing light for all 7 plants. It is located in the upper-right corner of this picture:
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00086.jpg[/img]
I remember reading once that plants will grow toward their source of light. Knowing that, my plants would start growing diagonally toward that light if I just leave them there. Should I rotate my plants 180 degrees daily so this doesn't happen??? I put post-its on every pot just to keep track of which side is the front.
2. This "garden" happens to be in my closet, above my clothes. If I keep the doors closed, will they get enough air circulation? Here's what it looks like with the doors closed:
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00089.jpg[/img]
All advice is greatly appreciated!!!!! It was so exciting to see all those seeds germinating after months in the fridge!!! I thought I would only have one, but there are 7!!!! I REALLY don't want them to die!
Oh and one more thing, how long should I light them for? Starting tomorrow, I will have to leave home at like 5:30 in the morning a few days a week, so I would have to turn the light on when I leave. Would 15 hours a day be good? So I would turn on the light at 5:30 and turn it off at around 8:30. Would daily fluctuations in the cycle cause stress to the plants? Like if I turn on the light 5:30-8:30 one day and 7:30-10:30 the next? What if it's like 9:30-12:30? (you know, for lazy weekend mornings and crazy nights...)
I checked my apple seeds in the fridge for the first time in a couple weeks, and found not one, but 7 GERMINATING SEEDS!!!!
One of them had a sprout that was already a couple inches long!! Take a look at this bad boy before I planted it:
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00081.jpg[/img]
I took the Miracle-Gro seed starting soil that I bought about a month ago and filled up 7 of those black, plastic containers. For each germinating seed, I placed the seed on the soil and covered it up barely. The stuff was so dry and dusty that I'm scared I might have added too much water. On the first two, I added about 2-3 teaspoons of water. It seemed really strange! All it did was make the surface watery and swampy. It didn't look anything like damp soil that I'm used to seeing in nature.
There was one seed where I moistened the whole pot of soil first and then buried the seed. Is this way too much water???
Here are some pics of my little garden
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00083.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00084.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00085.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00087.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00088.jpg[/img]
There are two things (besides watering) that I am concerned about:
1. I have only one CFL bulb providing light for all 7 plants. It is located in the upper-right corner of this picture:
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00086.jpg[/img]
I remember reading once that plants will grow toward their source of light. Knowing that, my plants would start growing diagonally toward that light if I just leave them there. Should I rotate my plants 180 degrees daily so this doesn't happen??? I put post-its on every pot just to keep track of which side is the front.
2. This "garden" happens to be in my closet, above my clothes. If I keep the doors closed, will they get enough air circulation? Here's what it looks like with the doors closed:
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/DSC00089.jpg[/img]
All advice is greatly appreciated!!!!! It was so exciting to see all those seeds germinating after months in the fridge!!! I thought I would only have one, but there are 7!!!! I REALLY don't want them to die!
Oh and one more thing, how long should I light them for? Starting tomorrow, I will have to leave home at like 5:30 in the morning a few days a week, so I would have to turn the light on when I leave. Would 15 hours a day be good? So I would turn on the light at 5:30 and turn it off at around 8:30. Would daily fluctuations in the cycle cause stress to the plants? Like if I turn on the light 5:30-8:30 one day and 7:30-10:30 the next? What if it's like 9:30-12:30? (you know, for lazy weekend mornings and crazy nights...)
I was taught to rotate my plants 90º clockwise every day. There was a thorough explanation as to why it should be that amount of turn and that direction, but it was so long ago that I've completely forgotten it. All I remember is that it had something to do with the way the plants' cells grow. Not much help, I know. I apologize for that. 
Good luck with your trees! Nice progress so far!
Good luck with your trees! Nice progress so far!
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30541
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Congratulations! That must have been a treat!I'm a bit concerned that the light might still be not close/intense enough. Do you have the 26W bulb? I think I would put the pots inside aluminum lasagna pans (available from grocery or K-mart/Walmart type stores) That would help catch any water dripping out of the pot. If you raise the place the containers on top of something (wire rack, upside down shallow containers like deli containers, lids, or my latest favorite -- bunch of used plastic tape dispensers), they will be prevented from sitting in drained water and will act as humidity trays.
I also give all my container plants a 1/4 (90º) turn for even light exposure. It helps to straighten the leaning stems as well as strengthen them.
I'm sure someone else can give you the exact science for the light duration, though I tend to think longer duration would help compensate for reduced intensity of the light. I open the curtains/blinds and turn mine on when I first get to them in the morning, and turn them off when I'm getting ready to go to bed. The duration can be variable. I put a timer on my seed starting set up, but that's because they're in the garage with no windows.
It's true I don't have enough timers for all the plant locations, but doing things this way also forces me to look in on the plants and give them a through misting every morning.
Hi Appleman,
Great to hear about your seedlings sprouting!
In terms of watering - when you first water the soil it might take some time for the water to soak through, it might appear to just sit on the top like a puddle, but given time it will soak through. You then want to keep checking on it a couple of times a day the first few days - checking that the soil immediately surrounding your seedling is damp to the touch but not swampy. Then just pop your head in each day and give them a little drink.
Light - I think you may want to check the strength of the bulb is high enough, but that there is enough distance between it and your pots that you don't burn them! You've got a nice amount to have an experiment with though. I guess my tip would be to look back at my topic (think there is a link on the first page of posts here?) and see how quickly they grew - that was in summer in good light so could be a rough guide if yours appear to be getting abit leggy. If this is the case - research lights to grow plants with?
Ventilation - One thing you want to be careful of in the very early stages is a fungus called "damping off":
[img]https://blog.lib.umn.edu/magrabow/plantpath/damping%20off%20mycelia%20(Small).jpg.[/img]
I don't think it would have an effect on your seedlings, but can be triggered by poor ventilation / wet conditions. It basically looks like white fluff on the surface of the soil and can be removed by improving ventilation. Might be worth to leave your wardrobe doors open if your out in the day? Just let a little air circulate?
Finally, I think applestar is on the money about putting them in a container - you don't want any soil or water falling onto your clothes! ha
Looks great though! Keep us updated, and check out my topic for those pictures.
Sam
Great to hear about your seedlings sprouting!
In terms of watering - when you first water the soil it might take some time for the water to soak through, it might appear to just sit on the top like a puddle, but given time it will soak through. You then want to keep checking on it a couple of times a day the first few days - checking that the soil immediately surrounding your seedling is damp to the touch but not swampy. Then just pop your head in each day and give them a little drink.
Light - I think you may want to check the strength of the bulb is high enough, but that there is enough distance between it and your pots that you don't burn them! You've got a nice amount to have an experiment with though. I guess my tip would be to look back at my topic (think there is a link on the first page of posts here?) and see how quickly they grew - that was in summer in good light so could be a rough guide if yours appear to be getting abit leggy. If this is the case - research lights to grow plants with?
Ventilation - One thing you want to be careful of in the very early stages is a fungus called "damping off":
[img]https://blog.lib.umn.edu/magrabow/plantpath/damping%20off%20mycelia%20(Small).jpg.[/img]
I don't think it would have an effect on your seedlings, but can be triggered by poor ventilation / wet conditions. It basically looks like white fluff on the surface of the soil and can be removed by improving ventilation. Might be worth to leave your wardrobe doors open if your out in the day? Just let a little air circulate?
Finally, I think applestar is on the money about putting them in a container - you don't want any soil or water falling onto your clothes! ha
Looks great though! Keep us updated, and check out my topic for those pictures.
Sam
Hey guys!!!
Thanks so much for all of the quick replies!! I've been incredibly busy the last few days and read all of them, but this is literally the first time that I've gotten a chance to sit down at the computer.
The babies still have not poked through the surface of the soil yet, so I'm a bit worried. Applestar, I fear and believe that you are correct in saying the light is insufficient. I did raise the plants like you suggested, and I have been rotating them 90 degrees every day. I'm not at home right now, but when I get back I'll check the strength of the CFL bulb, as well as put up some more pictures.
I have two other main concerns:
1. Was I supposed to pack the soil in in the pot before planting the seed or something? The stuff seems incredibly loose, and it just occurred to me that their current fluffy texture is not like a natural growing environment.
2. I think I've been over-watering. For the first few days, every time I checked the soil and felt it with my fingers, it was completely dry (and it's still this way now). It's so dry that it actually feels like dust. However, a couple days ago I dug in a tiny bit with my finger and found that beneath the surface, the soil was damp. I had been watering the plants once a day with about three teaspoons each Sunday-Monday or Tuesday. Since then, I have only given one teaspoon a day. The water still beads at the top, seeming to not soak into the soil. Due to my tight personal schedule, I've only been able to see the plants reeeeeeally early in the morning (like 5-6 am) and pretty well into the evening (like after 7:30 pm), so the watering has only taken place once a day. Should I water in the morning (when I turn the light on) or at night (when I turn the light off)?
They've been getting about 15 hours of light a day so far. I sleep 9 hours a day, so I turn on the light right when I wake up and off right before I go to sleep.
Thanks again guys!
Thanks so much for all of the quick replies!! I've been incredibly busy the last few days and read all of them, but this is literally the first time that I've gotten a chance to sit down at the computer.
The babies still have not poked through the surface of the soil yet, so I'm a bit worried. Applestar, I fear and believe that you are correct in saying the light is insufficient. I did raise the plants like you suggested, and I have been rotating them 90 degrees every day. I'm not at home right now, but when I get back I'll check the strength of the CFL bulb, as well as put up some more pictures.
I have two other main concerns:
1. Was I supposed to pack the soil in in the pot before planting the seed or something? The stuff seems incredibly loose, and it just occurred to me that their current fluffy texture is not like a natural growing environment.
2. I think I've been over-watering. For the first few days, every time I checked the soil and felt it with my fingers, it was completely dry (and it's still this way now). It's so dry that it actually feels like dust. However, a couple days ago I dug in a tiny bit with my finger and found that beneath the surface, the soil was damp. I had been watering the plants once a day with about three teaspoons each Sunday-Monday or Tuesday. Since then, I have only given one teaspoon a day. The water still beads at the top, seeming to not soak into the soil. Due to my tight personal schedule, I've only been able to see the plants reeeeeeally early in the morning (like 5-6 am) and pretty well into the evening (like after 7:30 pm), so the watering has only taken place once a day. Should I water in the morning (when I turn the light on) or at night (when I turn the light off)?
They've been getting about 15 hours of light a day so far. I sleep 9 hours a day, so I turn on the light right when I wake up and off right before I go to sleep.
Thanks again guys!
Soil - I would personally suggest getting propogating disks which are a much more miniature version of this:
They can be bought from garden centers, along with a tray for something like £5-10. They will be a variation of this, but basically the same thing:
These propagating disks are great for soaking up water, staying nice and damp for days at a time generally, and can be planted straight into the soil. These don't strangle your roots as they grow, compared to biodegradable pots which will kill your plants / limit their growth.
Wetness of soil - It may be worth digging one up and checking out what is going on, be gentle when you do this mind. It could take a week or so for it to poke through depending on how far down you planted them, but given a bit of patience they will come through. The soil will become more compact as your water more and more I guess, I don't think this is that much of a concern though.
As far as my biological mind serves me, I don't think light actually matters until they have their first initial leaves. The roots naturally head downwards due to gravity, and the shoot heads against gravity heading towards light, when it finds that light it then loses its shell and develops leaves. That's why they get long and spindly if lighting is poor - their trying to get closer to get more light. There have been interesting experiments carried out in space, seeing what plants do in zero gravity. Pretty sure this is correct but will hold my hands up if I'm wrong!
Sam
They can be bought from garden centers, along with a tray for something like £5-10. They will be a variation of this, but basically the same thing:
These propagating disks are great for soaking up water, staying nice and damp for days at a time generally, and can be planted straight into the soil. These don't strangle your roots as they grow, compared to biodegradable pots which will kill your plants / limit their growth.
Wetness of soil - It may be worth digging one up and checking out what is going on, be gentle when you do this mind. It could take a week or so for it to poke through depending on how far down you planted them, but given a bit of patience they will come through. The soil will become more compact as your water more and more I guess, I don't think this is that much of a concern though.
As far as my biological mind serves me, I don't think light actually matters until they have their first initial leaves. The roots naturally head downwards due to gravity, and the shoot heads against gravity heading towards light, when it finds that light it then loses its shell and develops leaves. That's why they get long and spindly if lighting is poor - their trying to get closer to get more light. There have been interesting experiments carried out in space, seeing what plants do in zero gravity. Pretty sure this is correct but will hold my hands up if I'm wrong!
Sam
Hey guys,
I had no idea life would be so hectic once school started. It's literally been impossible for me to give more care to my plants aside from the bare necessities of turning the light on and off every day, rotating them 90 degrees, and feeding them 1 teaspoon of water every day.
Light--I know this was asked quite a while ago, but I am using 60W equivalent Ecosmart CFL bulbs.
Still no signs of breaking the surface. My fingers are crossed!
I had no idea life would be so hectic once school started. It's literally been impossible for me to give more care to my plants aside from the bare necessities of turning the light on and off every day, rotating them 90 degrees, and feeding them 1 teaspoon of water every day.
Light--I know this was asked quite a while ago, but I am using 60W equivalent Ecosmart CFL bulbs.
Still no signs of breaking the surface. My fingers are crossed!
Still no signs of the little ones poking through. Is it too late to hope for anything?
I've been watering a teaspoon a day, lighting 15 hours a day, and rotating 90 degrees a day.
Like someone suggested, I finally decided to dig a little and see what was up. When I dug a few inches in one of the pots, there was no seed to be found!
I dug much deeper but couldn't find it anywhere. I also noticed that the soil near the top was very dry, but farther down it was moist.
I have two theories to why none of the seeds sprouted:
1. Although I was scared I was overwatering, maybe they all died of thirst because the water went directly to the bottom of the seed starting soil.
2. Maybe the sudden temperature change from being in a refrigerator 24/7 to being buried in soil at room temperature was too traumatic?
Anyway, I opened my refrigerator, and three more seeds had germinated. I planted them this time in much smaller seed starting containers that the guy at the store I went to told me to buy:
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/IMG00008.jpg[/img]
Other than that, I'll be keeping up the same routine...
I've been watering a teaspoon a day, lighting 15 hours a day, and rotating 90 degrees a day.
Like someone suggested, I finally decided to dig a little and see what was up. When I dug a few inches in one of the pots, there was no seed to be found!
I dug much deeper but couldn't find it anywhere. I also noticed that the soil near the top was very dry, but farther down it was moist.
I have two theories to why none of the seeds sprouted:
1. Although I was scared I was overwatering, maybe they all died of thirst because the water went directly to the bottom of the seed starting soil.
2. Maybe the sudden temperature change from being in a refrigerator 24/7 to being buried in soil at room temperature was too traumatic?
Anyway, I opened my refrigerator, and three more seeds had germinated. I planted them this time in much smaller seed starting containers that the guy at the store I went to told me to buy:
[img]https://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i390/tomandsparky18/IMG00008.jpg[/img]
Other than that, I'll be keeping up the same routine...
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30541
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Ohh, sorry to hear the first batch seems to have failed. ...good thing you have back-up! 
It IS important to keep the soil evenly moist. It's hard to say if a teaspoon a day is sufficient. (I don't think I've ever done it that way though, to be honest.) I feel the top of the soil with a dry finger. If I have to dig down a little to feel moisture, it's time to water. When I water, I like to see the water spread and cover the entire surface of the soil, then soak in (A teaspoon wouldn't be enough for this to happen. More like a shot glass~1/4 cup for a 3" pot?) The other method is to put water in the drip tray and let the water soak up, but be sure to remove any excess water after 20~30 min.
Not everyone agrees with this, but I like to use some kind of a humidity dome. I've almost always lived in a dry living space, so it has worked for me. Berries come in pre-ventilated square containers that work really well (I actually use 1 pt and 1qt berry containers, sometimes lined with paper towel, as seed starting trays and use the domed hinged lid for humidity cover, which get cut off after germination).
For round containers, I like using top portion of cut-off soda bottles with the cap removed. Some fast-food/convenience stores sell "slushies" that come with a clear domed lid with a straw hole, they work well too. (If none of those are unavailable, I have to make my own holes on the bottom -- which will be top when flipped over -- of clear plastic containers
).
BTW, circular domes work for square containers too, as long as you don't have seeds planted in the corners.
Remove the dome at first sign of -- or few days after -- germination.
...good thing you have back-up! It IS important to keep the soil evenly moist. It's hard to say if a teaspoon a day is sufficient. (I don't think I've ever done it that way though, to be honest.) I feel the top of the soil with a dry finger. If I have to dig down a little to feel moisture, it's time to water. When I water, I like to see the water spread and cover the entire surface of the soil, then soak in (A teaspoon wouldn't be enough for this to happen. More like a shot glass~1/4 cup for a 3" pot?) The other method is to put water in the drip tray and let the water soak up, but be sure to remove any excess water after 20~30 min.
Not everyone agrees with this, but I like to use some kind of a humidity dome. I've almost always lived in a dry living space, so it has worked for me. Berries come in pre-ventilated square containers that work really well (I actually use 1 pt and 1qt berry containers, sometimes lined with paper towel, as seed starting trays and use the domed hinged lid for humidity cover, which get cut off after germination).
For round containers, I like using top portion of cut-off soda bottles with the cap removed. Some fast-food/convenience stores sell "slushies" that come with a clear domed lid with a straw hole, they work well too. (If none of those are unavailable, I have to make my own holes on the bottom -- which will be top when flipped over -- of clear plastic containers
).BTW, circular domes work for square containers too, as long as you don't have seeds planted in the corners.
Remove the dome at first sign of -- or few days after -- germination.
I think applestar is right in saying that you want the soil to be moist to touch. A propagating tray / system would be worth purchasing and their very cheap! I sent a link to one in my previous post so you know what they look like, but you can make one very cheaply from home.
I think basically, once your seeds have began to germinate, you want to get them planted in nice moist soil. If it gets too dry then the roots dry out and the seed dies. Keep it moist, but not wet!!
You want it planted just under the surface, and it should quickly push its way up.
I found the first apple seed I tried to grow didn't work out, and I'm on my second attempt now and they seem to be doing well! Once they've taken hold and started to develop leaves you just have to make sure they get enough light and water, then you can't really kill them unless they get a fungus :/ But that shouldn't be an issue for you I wouldn't have thought.
One note, if they're still in your wardrobe, try to keep good ventilation.
Sam
I think basically, once your seeds have began to germinate, you want to get them planted in nice moist soil. If it gets too dry then the roots dry out and the seed dies. Keep it moist, but not wet!!
You want it planted just under the surface, and it should quickly push its way up.
I found the first apple seed I tried to grow didn't work out, and I'm on my second attempt now and they seem to be doing well! Once they've taken hold and started to develop leaves you just have to make sure they get enough light and water, then you can't really kill them unless they get a fungus :/ But that shouldn't be an issue for you I wouldn't have thought.
One note, if they're still in your wardrobe, try to keep good ventilation.
Sam
Hey guys!
Despite not having posted, a lot has been going on with my apple plants!! A couple of them are growing like monsters, and another one that I had thought was dead actually sprouted!
I won't be able to post any pictures for at least a few days or so
but the ones that are growing are now several inches tall! The one farthest from the light is really tall, maybe about 6 inches. Maybe it's taller because it hasn't received as much light as the other ones?
I know this will be tough to answer until I post some pics, but when should I transplant the plants to bigger containers? I feel like it should be sometime very soon, but I'm not sure. Also, I've never done anything like that before so any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Sorry for not posting regular pics!! I know I created this topic mainly to get help, but I'll try to post more pics more regularly now so that in the future this can be a good reference for others!
Despite not having posted, a lot has been going on with my apple plants!! A couple of them are growing like monsters, and another one that I had thought was dead actually sprouted!
I won't be able to post any pictures for at least a few days or so
but the ones that are growing are now several inches tall! The one farthest from the light is really tall, maybe about 6 inches. Maybe it's taller because it hasn't received as much light as the other ones?I know this will be tough to answer until I post some pics, but when should I transplant the plants to bigger containers? I feel like it should be sometime very soon, but I'm not sure. Also, I've never done anything like that before so any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Sorry for not posting regular pics!! I know I created this topic mainly to get help, but I'll try to post more pics more regularly now so that in the future this can be a good reference for others!
Hey Appleman,
Yeah try to post a picture - it'd be good to see how they are getting on! And great news to hear that their growing now!
In terms of the one that is the tallest, it sounds like it might be becoming abit leggy as its growing for the light - if I remember rightly their being grown in your cupboard?! It might be worth transferring them to a windowsill if you can so that they get a lot more light throughout the day?! (I did this with mine until they were about 8inches tall perhaps?!
In terms of transplanting them into bigger pots, I just kept an eye on the pots for when the roots began to poke through as I was using those peat pots that break down (a pot that turned out to be a big mistake!). I think generally you want to transfer them into bigger pots as little as possible so they don't get disturbed as much. It also depends how big you want them to grow - if their in a small pot then it will stunt their growth. I tried this with one seedling and when I planted it into a bigger pot it absolutely rocketed up! Became the tallest one of my set before long!
Also depends if you're going to have them outside or not?! If your in England, might be worth waiting a few more weeks before putting them outside for good, especially with them being young plants! I've just put mine back out to the front now and taken the wrap off the pots their in, and their buds are beginning to open up slowly in the sun I'll put a picture up in a weeks time when they don't look like a twig so you can see how their developing and see the size of the pots etc.
Yeah try to post a picture - it'd be good to see how they are getting on! And great news to hear that their growing now!
In terms of the one that is the tallest, it sounds like it might be becoming abit leggy as its growing for the light - if I remember rightly their being grown in your cupboard?! It might be worth transferring them to a windowsill if you can so that they get a lot more light throughout the day?! (I did this with mine until they were about 8inches tall perhaps?!
In terms of transplanting them into bigger pots, I just kept an eye on the pots for when the roots began to poke through as I was using those peat pots that break down (a pot that turned out to be a big mistake!). I think generally you want to transfer them into bigger pots as little as possible so they don't get disturbed as much. It also depends how big you want them to grow - if their in a small pot then it will stunt their growth. I tried this with one seedling and when I planted it into a bigger pot it absolutely rocketed up! Became the tallest one of my set before long!
Also depends if you're going to have them outside or not?! If your in England, might be worth waiting a few more weeks before putting them outside for good, especially with them being young plants! I've just put mine back out to the front now and taken the wrap off the pots their in, and their buds are beginning to open up slowly in the sun
I'll put a picture up in a weeks time when they don't look like a twig so you can see how their developing and see the size of the pots etc.