Apples from seed are the classic garden experiment — every child who has planted a pip has tried it — and the result is always a surprise, because apples do not come true from seed. The tree you grow will be a brand-new variety, and it may take 3–8 years to fruit. That is either a disappointment or the whole point, depending on why you are doing it.
Be clear about this before you sow: if you want a particular apple — a Honeycrisp, a Fuji, a Bramley — buy a grafted nursery tree. Seed is for the experiment, the wildlife tree, or the rootstock. If you still want to try, indoor sowing with a long cold stratification is the way. This guide covers the chilling, the very slow germination, and the years-long timeline. Apples can be started indoors or direct-sown — its sowing method is listed as "both" — and indoor sowing is the better choice if you want an earlier start, more even germination, or plants ready for the first warm weeks of the season. This crop is in the Rosaceae family, needs full sun, and takes 1095–2920 days to reach maturity, so the timing below is built around those facts, not guesswork.
Apples at a glance
| Growing factor | What apples need |
|---|---|
| Days to germination | 30–90 |
| Sowing method | both |
| Days to maturity | 1095–2920 |
| Soil pH | 6.0–6.5 |
| Spacing | 120–180 inches |
| Sun | full sun |
| Cold tolerance | hardy |
When to start apples seeds indoors
Start stratification in early winter, then sow indoors 12–16 weeks before your last frost — the seed needs 30–90 days just to germinate. In Zones 3–5, grow seedlings on indoors until after the last frost and plant out in late spring. In Zones 6–8, plant out in spring or autumn. In Zones 9–10, autumn planting suits young trees. In frost-free Zones 11–13, apples struggle with the lack of winter chill — seed is an experiment there. Check your local extension service for frost dates, or use our frost-date calculator and seed-starting calculator.
As a rule, work backwards from your last frost: sow indoors 12–16 weeks before it if you are starting indoors at all, and check the seed packet against the germination time of 30–90 days. Our seed-starting calculator does the backwards maths for you, and the germination-time calculator helps you plan around that 30–90-day window. If you are unsure of your zone, the hardiness-zone finder will confirm it.
What you need
apple seed (from fresh fruit, or bought), a sealable bag and damp sand or peat for stratification, a seed tray or deep pots, seed-starting mix, a clear lid, a spray bottle, a grow light or bright windowsill, labels, and larger pots for potting on. Apple seedlings grow fast once they start, so have bigger pots ready.
You will also want a spray bottle or a watering can with a fine rose, and a notebook to record the sowing date — germination takes 30–90 days, and it is easy to forget when you sowed.
Step by step: starting apples seeds indoors
- Fill your containers. Fill trays or pots with fresh, damp seed-starting mix — not garden soil, which is too heavy and can carry disease. Press it down lightly and level the surface.
- Sow the seed. Apple seed needs a long cold period: mix the seed with damp sand or peat in a sealed bag and refrigerate for 8–12 weeks, then sow shallowly in damp seed-starting mix. Germination takes 30–90 days and is slow and uneven — some seeds sprout in a month, others take three. Keep the mix damp and the tray in bright light, and do not give up on the tray early.
- Cover and label. Cover the tray with a clear lid or cling film to hold humidity, and label it with the crop and the date. Put it somewhere warm and bright, out of direct sun until seeds sprout.
- Wait for germination. Germination takes 30–90 days. Check the tray daily, mist the surface if it dries, and be patient — uneven germination is normal, especially for slow crops. Our germination-time calculator helps you track the window.
- Remove the cover. As soon as seedlings emerge, take the lid off. Good airflow from this point on is what prevents damping off.
- Give them light. Move the tray under a grow light or to your brightest window immediately — seedlings stretch within a day or two if the light is weak.
- Thin and pot on. Thin to one seedling per cell once they have two true leaves, snipping the extras rather than pulling them. Pot on into larger pots when roots show at the drainage holes, keeping the seedlings at the same depth.
- Feed lightly. Once seedlings have two sets of true leaves, feed with a half-strength liquid feed every week or two. Do not overfeed — soft, overfed seedlings are more likely to damp off and less likely to harden well.
Light for seedlings
Give apple seedlings 14–16 hours of bright light a day. A grow light a few inches above the leaves keeps them compact; a sunny windowsill works once they are up. Weak light produces tall, floppy seedlings that are hard to handle.
Watering seedlings
Apples have moderate water needs. Keep the mix evenly moist while seeds germinate — a tray that dries out during the long germination period loses the seed — then water from below and let the surface dry slightly between waterings. Our watering calculator can help you work out how much water your seedlings need as they grow.
Hardening off
Apples are hardy, but seedlings need a gentle introduction: 10 days of increasing outdoor time, starting in sheltered shade and building to full sun. Do not plant out until seedlings are sturdy and have been hardened off properly.
Transplanting outdoors
Grow seedlings on in pots for their first season, then plant out in full sun, in soil pH 6.0–6.5. Space trees 120–180 inches apart — a seedling apple becomes a full-size tree, not a dwarf. Our plant-spacing calculator works out the layout. Protect young trees from rabbits and deer with a guard, and stake them for the first year. For the full picture — soil, feeding, pests and harvest — see our complete growing apples guide.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Seeds never germinate | Apple seed needs 8–12 weeks of cold stratification, then 30–90 days in damp mix. Seed sown without chilling often never sprouts. Keep the mix damp the whole time. |
| Leggy seedlings | Not enough light. Move the grow light closer and give 14–16 hours a day, and pot on promptly — apple seedlings grow fast. |
| Damping off | Seedlings collapse at the base. The mix was too wet. Water from below and remove the lid once seeds sprout. |
| Seedlings eaten after transplanting | Rabbits and deer love young apple shoots. Use a tree guard and fencing until the tree is established. |
Seeds never germinate
Apple seed needs 8–12 weeks of cold stratification, then 30–90 days in damp mix. Seed sown without chilling often never sprouts. Keep the mix damp the whole time.
Leggy seedlings
Not enough light. Move the grow light closer and give 14–16 hours a day, and pot on promptly — apple seedlings grow fast.
Damping off
Seedlings collapse at the base. The mix was too wet. Water from below and remove the lid once seeds sprout.
Good companions for apples include borage, marigolds, clover, chives. Watch out for aphids, Japanese beetles, birds, spider mites — check young plants regularly, and deal with pests early while plants are small. Our pest-identifier helper can help you work out what you are looking at.
Frequently asked questions
How long do apple seeds take to germinate?
30–90 days after 8–12 weeks of cold stratification in the fridge. Apple seed is among the slowest in this series.
Will a seed-grown apple taste like the apple it came from?
No — apples do not come true from seed. The fruit will be a new variety, and it may be sour, small or wonderful. Buy a grafted tree if you want a specific apple.
Is it better to buy an apple tree instead?
For fruit, yes — a grafted nursery tree fruits in 2–4 years and is true to variety. Seed is an experiment that takes 3–8 years to fruit.
How far apart should apple trees be?
120–180 inches apart in full sun, in soil pH 6.0–6.5. Seedling trees grow full-size.
When will a seed-grown apple tree fruit?
Apples take 1095–2920 days to mature, so expect fruit in 3–8 years — and the first fruit may not be worth eating.