Hello, Glad I found this site :) Like others I have read, I am obcessed with growing plants and trees from seeds. Seems almost all of the seeds I plant actually grow, and right now I am looking to find out about pruning apple tree seedlings. When, How or If ? They are about 2 to 2 1/2 feet tall. Do I need to prune them back so they start getting branches, as it seems they will keep growing straight up with only the one main stalk. Any info will be greatly appreciated. Also what is "grafting" and how do I find out how to do it ? Thanks again GardenGrow
Read on pruning and training apple trees in pruning books and (probably) web sites where the different styles and their uses are discussed and shown with drawings or photos. Since your trees are seedlings they will grow into what are called standard (full-sized) specimens of variable characteristics. Fruit quality of each tree will not be determined until they begin bearing.
Can you recommend any book etc ? It is ok if the fruits arent the best, I just love the process :) Also have a few Avocado Trees growing. Not sure what I do with them once they outgrow their big pot, lol ( they are also at about 3 feet tall now) . Thank you GardenGrow
Re: Growing Citrus Trees from Seeds (Advice Please) Grafting is a process of putting pieces of another plant onto a different plant--generally the same type plant but a different variety (ie-- a known variety of apple put on an apple seedling-- any growth coming from the piece of the known variety --called a scion-- will be just like the known variety and will produce fruit like the known variety). That is how all Delicious apple trees are produced (unless they are rooted cuttings. There are several different methods of grafting-- whip or tounge grafts, 4 flap bannana grafts, bark grafts, inlay grafts, T-budding, chip grafting --some work better at different times and on different types of trees. For citrus the most common is probably the T-bud method-- you simply put a small sliver (containing a bud) of the known variety into a T shaped slit of the rootstock (the tree that is being grafted)-- wrap it up and wait about 3 weeks. Skeet
I have already posted a reply to the other post-- but the best way to get fruit from the Avocado is to graft it with some mature wood of a known variety. If not, it will take many years to get fruit and it may not be very good. Avocados are best grafted in the fall. Mature wood-- a tree that has reached the age required for fruiting is said to contain mature wood-- that wood when put onto a seedling will flower usually in the first or second growing season--wheras the seedling if left to grow on it's own may take many years before it would flower. Skeet
Actually, you have posted on the wrong forum. You should have posted on the "Fruit & Nut Tree" forum. However, I will make one comment: Apples are never ever started from seed, due to the extremely low chance of ever obtaining an apple of quality. It is estimated that the chance of obtain a seedling apple tree that produces good fruit is in the range of 1 in 100,000. - Millet
Not true! Apple breeders do start them from seed - it is the only way to develop new cultivars. But it is true that they start them by the thousand and discard the vast majority, only keeping the rare good ones.