Yush
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Apple tree in balcony

Hi I have been growing an apple tree from seed and it looks well. However the pot does not have any holes so I am wondering if I need to repot it. Please help.

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rainbowgardener
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Yes, absolutely, it MUST be in a container with drainage holes. It is extremely difficult if not impossible to manage water in a container with no holes. It can be dry on the surface and very soggy and rotting the roots out at the bottom.

Yush
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Oh will repot it then! Do I have to wait for the plant to be at a certain stage to repot? I will attach a picture of how it looks now.

Thank you!
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IMG_1973.JPG

Yush
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Also I cant seem to find potting soil anywhere! Is it also called compost? Or compost is 100% fertilizer? Sorry, I'm so confused . Please help!

JONA
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It's called compost Yush.
For something that will become a tree in the end though you need compost that has some longevity in it. So go for a soil based compost rather than a peat based one.

Yush
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Oh great!! Thanks for that!!

Yush
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Hi again!
The leaves of my apple plant has changed colors and many of them have dropped. Do you think I need to change it to a new pot?
Please help!
Thanks
Yushra
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rainbowgardener
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Is it still in the pot with no drainage holes? It should have gotten out of that a long time ago.

But apple trees are deciduous; they drop their leaves in the fall. So I expect what is going on is its natural process of preparing to go dormant for the winter. It seems a little early, but I don't know what your seasons are like. I think very young trees drop their leaves earlier anyway.

Yush
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Iv made drainage holes in the pot, I'm wondering if the pot is a bot too small now. If I'm repotting should I take some of the soil in this pot so that the plant doesnt go into shock?

When u say it will be dormant during winter does it mean it will not have any leaves throught winter?

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rainbowgardener
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No, the pot is not too small for such a tiny tree-let.

Yes re the tree being bare all winter. Where do you live that you have never noticed bare trees around you in the winter?

(mature) apple trees in winter
Image

Depending on variety and your climate, your apple tree will likely be bare of leaves five months of the year or so.

Yush
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Thanks for that! I live in England.

How should I go about repotting? I think the soil look damp all the time so maybe I should transfer it to a new pot. Should I keep most of the current soil ots in?

JONA
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As Rainbow has said Yush, there is no need to re pot yet. Let your Seedling grow for another year.
If your keeping these plant indoors for the winter ...then put it on the windowsill in a cold spare room. If you move it outdoors or to a garage or shed, wrap some sacking or similar around the pot to avoid frost damage to the roots.
Check now and then through the winter months that it doesn't dry out. Just keep the soil slightly damp.

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rainbowgardener
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But if the soil is staying wet, maybe just water less often. You don't want to water until the top couple inches of the soil are no longer damp. And once it loses its leaves it will be taking up very little water, so water very infrequently.

Yush
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Thank you!



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