Growing an apple from a seed (Fruit Trees, squirrel, yard, spring)

[elnina]

... in Dallas.
Not really for the fruit, but I would love to see it blooming in the Spring.
Do you think it's going to happen, in a decade or so?

[gemstone1]

Looks healthy enough to mature into a nice tree with proper care, but not likely to bear fruit like the parent...while you know that, others may not.

[phoebesmom]

Beautiful! I try to collect seeds from very old apple trees that were not grafted, so while none of them would bear the same apple, they would be truer to the parent. No fruit yet, but I've only been doing it a few years.

[rabbit33]

Originally Posted by phoebesmom

Beautiful! I try to collect seeds from very old apple trees that were not grafted, so while none of them would bear the same apple, they would be truer to the parent. No fruit yet, but I've only been doing it a few years.

How do you know they're not grafted? Apple grafting has been practiced for at least 200 years.

[elnina]

It completely (well, obviously just almost) died this winter. It was stored in the garage and, I suspect - a squirrel found a way into it looking for vitamins.
There was nothing visible above the ground, but I didn't have the heart to just discard it. I continued to water it and few weeks ago I saw it growing back.

The plant was already that big
last November...

[Hemlock140]

I had two apple tree bonsai that I grew from seed, both were about 24 years old, about a foot high and 1" diameter at the base. Neither has ever had a blossom in all that time. Unfortunately a couple of years ago we got a hard freeze before I was able to get them inside and they both died. Those didn't bloom probably because of the way I pruned and fertilized it as bonsai rather than as a fruit trees.

Average time from apple seed to fruiting is 8-10 years, and the first 5-6 years until it's in the ground are critical, as you have already seen with yours. Then you finally plant it in the yard and a few years later, move, and never get to see it bear fruit.