Apple Reproduction

Apples (Malus domestica) are heterozygous, meaning that their chromosomal arrangement lends itself to hybridization of offspring. This is similar to human reproduction, in that human babies are a genetic hybrid of their parents. Children have traits that resemble either or both of their parents or grandparents without being exact copies of them. Apples work the same way. Apple seeds, which are the the products of reproduction, are hybrids of the parent trees and any lineage behind them.

Grafting

Because of the hybridization that takes place with apples, the only way to reproduce a particular cultivar is to graft. If you want to grow a "Macintosh" apple, you must take a small branch, or scion, from an existing "Macintosh" tree and graft it onto a donor rootstock. There was once a single original "Macintosh" tree that all other "Macintosh" apple trees were created from. Because of this, any tree of a popular variety purchased in a store will be grafted. The only time an apple tree is not grafted is when it is a hybrid apple tree or a crabapple. Grafting does not alter seed production, viability or predictability.

Unpredictable Outcomes

Because of the nature of apple reproduction, the tree you grow from an apple seed could produce something resembling a popular cultivar, or not. Apples can be pollinated from other cultivars or from other members of the Malus genus. The seeds from your "Granny Smith" apple could produce a variety of crabapple, an apple similar to a "Granny Smith," an apple similar to the tree that pollinated it, or it could produce an entirely new apple hybrid with traits of its parentage. Because of the time it takes to grow and care for an apple tree, it is wise to be aware of the parentage of an apple before attempting to grow a tree from seed. It is impossible to know the size, shape, taste or even length of time it will take a hybrid apple to produce. For example, an apple seed mixed with an apple such as "Northern Spy" could take on its long-to-fruit trait and take 20 years before you see an edible apple.

Growing

If you want to attempt to grow an apple tree from seed, it is certainly possible, albeit difficult. Expect that only a small percentage, somewhere near 5 to 10 percent, will make it through the germination and growing process. Place the seeds in a small pocket of damp cotton balls or peat moss and put them into a zippered plastic baggie. Keep them in a cold place, either the refrigerator or a cool basement, for about three months to simulate winter dormancy. After this, sow the seeds in a small pot of soil and make light and warmth available. Once the trees grow into small seedlings and spring arrives, transplant them outdoors.