Help, I am confused about how to save apple seeds! I want to save seeds from ever crisp apples. I have some started but I want to save some seeds in case none of these survive
1 Like
Are you looking for long-term storage advice?
Keeping seeds stored in a cool, dry, and dark place is ideal.
Skillcult has lots of great advice on apples. This is a video he did on seed collection and saving…
2 Likes
Yes this is what I am looking for thanks!
1 Like
You don’t want to let Apple seeds dry out. Also, they will benefit from cold moist stratification before planting. Put them in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag, in the fridge for 60 days or more. That will help with germination.
1 Like
I’ve stored apple and pear dried with no issues. Most resources I’ve found recommend dry for long term storage.
3 Likes
I have dried apple seeds completely and later sown them without any trouble. I haven’t stored them long term, but I do have the impression that dry apple seeds would store well for the long term.
For stratification and planting, I have used the ‘winter sowing in recycled plastic containers’ method for apples several times. I’m in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, and for what it’s worth, I have some dry apple seeds currently waiting to plant. I expect that if I can get these dry seeds in winter sowing containers outdoors in the next couple of weeks there should be time for them to stratify and germinate this spring.
4 Likes
Pretty sure store bought apples are kept in cold storage before going on the grocery shelf. Unless you’re buying apples in October/November, cold stratification is probably not necessary.
2 Likes
I have generally only germinated seeds from apples I harvested myself, but what you’re saying makes sense. I wouldn’t swear that stratifying any apple seeds is necessary to begin with, I’ve just done it by habit.
2 Likes
I see a lot of seeds already germinating inside of store apples and have always assumed it was because of the refrigeration during shipping and storage.
I have also planted store bought apple seeds with no cold stratification and they had near 100% germination rate.
3 Likes
The storage methods used for apples acts as cold stratification on the seeds. As long as the seeds doesn’t dry out they should germinate. (Some apples have sprouted seeds in the fruit.)
If the seeds dry out they will need to be cold stratified again. One month wrapped in a moist paper towel placed in the refrigerator is usually long enough.
2 Likes
I would also add to this lil convo:
IF the seeds dry out (as they often do in my case) simply give them their best opportunity by soaking them 24 or so hours in a bowl of water. The more and more I work with a diversity of perennial seeds, the more I find this a basic part of my stratification processes. Some berry seeds and certain species of Sambucus require hot (or even boiling) water to help the process. Some then need 60-90 day warm stratification followed by 90-150 days cold depending. Thankfully with the apples, it’s a basic soak and then (for me) a 60-90 day cold stratification. The main thing is apple seeds mold easily. To that end, I tend to personally cold stratify in my garage in small cells of customized soil mix February thru April. Nights are cold enough here and my garage very easily cold enough through that timeframe. The only thing I caution against is greenhouse induced germination through the cold stratification process (ie cold enough nights in the gh). Not that this can’t work but it can provoke a second dormancy as it can heat the seeds too quickly during daytime hours disrupting the cold stratification process. I often let my apples simply left outside in pots as a stratification get two years of opportunity due to a similar phenomenon. Prunus also very often have a second dormancy (pain in the arse). I’ve experienced, as a basic understanding, apple seeds can be fickle and finicky. I don’t take it personally and simply keep at it year after year.
For reference:
Here’s this year’s apple seeds in the six small celled
flats in my garage. I occasionally mist
them with H20. It is casually in the low 30’s here consistently. Dips into the 20’s. Has ambient light from a couple windows.
4 Likes
Gives me hope for all the peach and cherry that didn’t come up last year. I did get a single cherry from a Rainier pit though, it grew an almost 5ft whip. I’ll be leaving that bed undisturbed now.
2 Likes