Apple Tree

[Scout19075]

Last spring SmallBoy planted a seed from his apple. To our surprise it grew and by the autumn it was approximately 20/22". We left the pot outside all winter and got a few funny looks over a twig in a pot but this spring it seems to have about ten times the leaves it did by the end of last autumn. SB is over the moon that his tree hasn't died. I suspect it could do with a larger pot but am wondering if there's a better time of year to repot it so I don't kill it. The leaves are still opening and I've noticed even more new buds/shoots on the twig in a pot tree.

Aww! What a cute story. It's great that SmallBoy is learning how to grow things.

If you want to keep the sapling, I would get it into the ground or a larger pot as soon as you can, as it's likely to need more space to spread its roots and grow this year.

However, you might want to think about whether you do keep it. Sadly, apple trees grown from seed generally don't really fruit if you just grow them on. And as they're not the most attractive trees, it makes them a bit of a waste of space. You could graft the tree, or maybe consider giving it room for another year or so and diverting SmallBoy's attention onto other gardening projects that will give him something to eat at the end? I'm sure forum members will have lots of ideas, but generally fruit and veg can work really well as they tend to have quite short seasons. I can remember being particularly delighted by huuuuge pumpkins and sunflowers when small!

Thanks, shovetheholly. SB has been planting/growing since the spring/summer after his first birthday (October born) and he's five now. We usually just do sunflowers, marigolds, and a variety of bee & butterfly attractors. Last year he wanted to see what would happen if he planted the left bits/seeds from his apple.

I hold no hope for fruit, especially as our garden is not large enough for a tree in the ground, but I would like to keep it living as long as possible. SB is home educated and we can do a lot with growing -- not just the tending but using the tree to compare seasons, math (measuring the height, width, etc), art (drawings the tree each season), writing (about the tree, etc), scientific observations, etc.

He's asked if we can plant the lemon pips from the lemon he's using for his lemon clock experiment.

Can you change his sapling for a bough in apple tree?